A Diverse Collection Of Chronic Conditions, All Supported

20260725

Prompt from Eiiri’s Prompt Foundry, “Pride 2 Disability Boogaloo”.

The direction on the “chronic conditions support group” page had been pleasantly clear, and the signage was also good. Janeen let herself in with confidence - and paused in the doorway, realising that she should perhaps have read more of the website.
It was the ghoul who’d caught her eye first. Partially because his ashen complexion and gaunt build was so clearly non-human, and mostly because he was gesticulating wildly. Deep in impassioned conversation with someone who looked human.
Actually most of the people looked human, which was somewhat of a relief, in that Janeen didn’t find herself dreadfully out of place. But, scanning across, that woman lurking in the corner was definitely a vampire, there was something scaly hiding under the food table, and the man who’d bounded up to greet Janeen was wagging a tail.
“Hello there! Are you here for the chronic conditions support group?”
“Ah… yes.” Janeen managed a smile. “I saw your flier at the bus station.”
“Good to know! That was Charlie’s work.” The werewolf(?) waved to an androgynous figure with violently violet hair and steampunk-themed leg braces, who grinned. “Snazzy, wasn’t it?? Now, I don’t know if you also read the website…”
“Just the directions.” Janeen admitted. Not sure whether she should be apologetic or not.
“Oh, that’s fine, that’s fine! We’re a very casual group, drop-in and just bring yourself. Speaking of which, do grab a chair. I’m Perry, I told you that’s Charlie, this is Felicia…”
Janeen smiled and nodded on loop as everyone was introduced. Doing her best to get the names down, and not waste time wondering who might be… what.
“And under the table is Bob. Please avoid eye contact, it makes him dreadfully anxious.”
“Got it.”
“What about you?” Perry prompted. He seemed to be a bottomless well of good-natured enthusiasm. Was it stereotyping to wonder if he had some retriever in him? “What brought you here? Beyond the flier, I mean.”
“Oh, um, my name’s Janeen, and I have asthma and COPD.”
“Welcome, Janeen!”
Everyone else echoed Perry in a ragged chorus, and he added “We’ve got a couple of people with respiratory conditions - I’ll let them approach you, but do know you’re amongst friends.”
“Thanks.” Janeen managed a rather more genuine smile. “The COPD’s sort of recent - well, the diagnosis was, at least. And my doctor recommended a bunch of lifestyle stuff, and, well, I figured finding other people who got it would help.”
Charlie nodded vigorously. “Oh, yeah, it’s so much harder to figure things out and stick with it when you’re on your own. We’ve got a chat group, if that…”
“Yes, please.” Janeen fished out her phone.
The ghoul - Kevin - said “Honestly, I find just having friends who understand what it’s like living with an fluctuating inconvenient health issue a tremendous comfort. Being able to vent to people who understand is freeing, it really is.”
Everyone chorused agreement.
“I get what you mean.” Janeen said resignedly. “Trying to explain to people that no, really, I have to call off this weekend’s plans, because I walked past an unexpected set of building works on my way home from work…”
“Yeeeeah.” Perry grimaced. “At least mine’s fairly regular… but with how the solar and lunar calendars aren’t synced, I’m forever having to remind people which sets of nights I can’t do this month, and sheesh, you’d sometimes think I orchestrate celestial bodies just to spite them.”
“Then there’s stuff like ‘well, of course you get left out if you won’t eat with everyone else’.” The vampire grumbled - though three seeming-humans immediately seconded this with great indignation.
“Right, because going to restaurants is the only group option.” Neroli, the woman who’d been talking to Kevin, scoffed. “Everyone packing their own and meeting up someplace would be ludicrous.”
“We do that quite a lot.” Perry brightly added to Janeen. “Meet up at a park or similar, everyone bringing their own food. Or the local art gallery’s got a nice eating space, and usually a fun exhibit too.”
“Sounds good.” Janeen grinned at them all.
Ok. Sure. Rather more of a… range… than she’d expected. But they clearly had a lot in common where it counted. Who cared what exact shape the understanding ears were?

Prompt was “Chronic Condition”.