Caprina's Brave Buzzing at the Wellness Clinic

Caprina's antennae drooped as she stared at the appointment reminder hologram floating above her workbench. The Crystalline Wellness Clinic's transparent walls glowed in the distance, its neon lights cutting through the evening haze of the Hive District. Her tool belt clinked as she shifted her weight from one chitinous foot to the other.

"Wing checkup: Tomorrow, 9:00 AM," she read aloud, her voice buzzing with tension.

The diagnostic scanner. Just thinking about it made her wings twitch involuntarily against her back. Last time, the machine's humming vibrations had felt like electricity coursing through her delicate wing membranes. She remembered lying perfectly still while the scanner's mechanical arms rotated around her, unable to move, barely able to breathe.

Caprina reached for a miniature wrench from her belt and began tightening bolts on her latest honey-powered generator—anything to keep her hands busy. Her antennae twitched rapidly, sensing the worry filling her small workshop.

"Maybe they'll cancel," she muttered, though she knew better.

A soft chime announced a message: "Dr. Zephyr's office reminds all patients to arrive fifteen minutes early for relaxation preparation."

Relaxation preparation? Caprina's amber eyes narrowed. Her wings buzzed once, twice, then stilled. She deleted the message and turned back to her workbench, her golden fuzz catching the workshop lights as she hunched forward, already planning her excuse for tomorrow.