''Next!''

A teenage boy stumbled into my hut, and flopped onto a rickety wooden chair facing me. His eyelids drooped, his shoulders were slumped and his hair stood up at the back, like he'd been tossing and turning.

''I haven't been able to sleep for the past week or so,'' he mumbled.

''Is it insomnia, nightmares or hallucinations?'' I asked. It's not a great selection of skills, but I'm pretty good in these three fields for my age, if I do say so myself.

''I don't know. I don't think it's insomnia, because I've been falling asleep just fine. I'm 99% sure I was asleep when the...thing came to me at night.''

''Nightmares, then. Take this remedy every half hour, then in three hours come back so I can directly heal you.''

''Thanks, Rebecca!''

I handed the boy a homemade drink of ginger, rosemary and garlic with a pinch of sugar, blended into a brown concoction. Works every time for nightmares.

Well, it used to.

The boy stood up, gulped down the drink and thanked me. Standing up a little straighter, he wobbled his way towards the door. Just before he left, he turned round to say something.

''You're an amazing Dark Doctor. I want to be like you some day.''

Hearing those words made me wince inwardly. I wasn't amazing. Something was wrong with me.

Gathering myself together, I called for the next patient to come in. A small, curious face peeked round the door, and it lit up whenever they saw me.

''Rebecca!'' the voice exclaimed.

Oh great. I do not have the time or the patience for this. Putting on my best pretend smile, I tried to look happy and excited as they face was.

''Hi Chloe! What can I do for my favourite cousin today?'' Wow. Sarcasm. It's only been two weeks and I'm already getting better at being a teenager.

Chloe is adorable, but has an insatiable curiosity. At seven years old she is firmly convinced that she wants to be a Dark Doctor too. She loves to visit me while I'm working to torture me with the same questions every week about everything to do with Dark Doctors.

''Tell me about being a Dark Doctor!''

''Chloe, you know you can't see me while I'm working unless you have a nightmare/insomnia/hallucination issue.''

''What are those again?''

I sighed softly to myself. I have told her multiple times since I started working the answers to these questions, but either Chloe is extremely forgetful or she enjoys testing my patience.

''I have told you before Chloe.''

''Tell me again NOW, or I won't bake your weekly cookie batch later.''

Definitely the latter. Typical Chloe. One of my many weaknesses are Chloe's cookies. If she doesn't make it as a Dark Doctor, she could definitely run a bakery here in Firville.

''A nightmare is a scary dream. Insomnia is when you can't sleep. Hallucinations are when you start seeing things whenever you're awake.''

"How long do you have to go to school to be a Dark Doctor?"

"Chloe, come back at five o'clock and we'll have a proper conversation, ok?"

"Answer my last question before I leave, or else no cookies!"

"You can't threaten me every time with no cookies."

"Yes I can! Oh well, I suppose you won't get any of my Chocolatey Needle Chunks then."

Chloe got up to leave again, but I'm not missing another batch of my favourite cookie flavour.

"Wait! Chloe!" I begged.

Turning back to me, she simpered. "I knew you didn't want to feel depressed from lack of cookies again. What's the answer?"

I need to get a life. And learn how stand up for myself.

"You have to go to school for three years to learn the basics, and then another year for each field you want to study."

"So you went to study to be a Dark Doctor for... six years?"

"Yes. Your maths is getting better, Chloe."

"Thanks, bye Rebecca! I'll come back later with more questions and your cookies. If you're lucky, I might even add a few Smoked Bark Brownies, one of my new specialties!"

Chloe then left, and I convinced myself for the thousandth time that they are delicious and taste a lot better than they sound.