The Great War: Chapter 54
Tired and without direction
Jae steps outside for the first time in what feels like a lifetime, letting the edges of the infirmary’s fabric entrance slip from her hands as the radiant light of the cycle shines down on her skin warmly, welcoming her. The stale smell of blood is replaced by the crisp cool air of the ocean that blankets the island.
She is weary. The bags under her eyes are starting to show just how tired she truly is. Her feet ache. Her shoulders are sore. Even with the amount of sick and injured down significantly, she still feels dirty and stained. Her magic is weak from constant use, not given the room it needs to regenerate to its full strength.
But now that she has the healers delivering things and healing being along their way, there simply isn’t much for her to do anymore. It’s a fact that both makes her elated and frustrated at the same time. Nothing to do is a good thing, for all the problems are being solves as they arise. The more healthy beings they have, the better the island is for it. But since she isn’t needed as much as she used to be… what does she do?
She drifts through Eros, the beings passing her by in hazy blurs. The question rests in the center of her mind, the only thought she has. What does she do? For all her life, and for her entire family’s bloodline, she’s been a healer. While it might seem like the demand for healers should be higher in the middle of a war… Well, it’s not exactly like there’s much fighting going on at the moment.
Healers are blessings, but that doesn’t mean that all of them want to do it. Some feel like they have to. Very few of them want to. For the former, they must be relieved that all they have to do now is run minor errands. For the latter, they’re probably just as lost as Jae feels right now.
A commotion draws her attention back to reality. A child is crying somewhere nearby, a chorus of panicked voices chattering amongst themselves. Just as Jae spots the children, one of them runs up to her with urgency and tugs at her skirt.
“Healer, healer!” she cries, pointing to their friend rolling around on the ground, clutching one of his knees with cheeks wet with tears. “He’s hurt! Please…”
“He’ll be alright,” Jae assures the girl as she hurries to the group. The children step aside to let her through, where she crouches down beside the injured being.
With one hand, she holds the child firmly in place. “Try not to move. You’ll feel better in a moment.” The child bites his lip and nods, though water still streams from his red-tinged eyes. With her other hand, Jae lightly brushes the child’s scrape. It’s not a deep one but it’s quite long, covering most of his knee and extending to his upper shin. A simple injury like this should just need a bit of magic and a good wash.
Green light emanates from Jae’s fingertips, using what little magic she has left to tend to the boy’s wound. The skin slowly starts to stitch itself back together, pushing away the dirt and blood that had already begun to leak out. She really has to concentrate this time if she wants the job to be done right. Leaving a wound half-healed can cause all sorts of future complications. If she can’t close it completely herself, she’ll have to bring this little one to another healer who can.
The boy is trying his best not to squirm, his hands clawing at the dirt with his eyes closed tight.
“Just breathe,” Jae assures the boy. “I’m almost done.”
Finally, the last of the wound disappears, leaving behind a messy streak of dark red and blackish-brown. The child opens his eyes and looks down at his knee, still appearing to be in a lot of pain. He quietly reaches out to touch the area where the scrape just was, but Jae shakes her head and gently pushes his hand back.
“Go home and clean yourself,” she advises. “It’ll still feel sore for a few cycles, but don’t touch it. It’ll only make it hurt for longer. Okay?”
“O-Okay,” the boy mumbles back.
With a warm smile, she stands and takes her leave. The other children quickly huddle around their friend, each one taking their turn to make sure he’s truly alright.
But that smile quickly fades back into a blank frown as she returns to her present dilemma. What does she do now?
Sleep, her first thought is, and she agrees. Rest doesn’t sound so bad right now. Her magic needs some time to return to her. Being able to change into a fresh set of clothes would also be nice, too. Maybe she’ll even make herself a proper dinner…
There’s a sharp tap on her shoulder, making Jae spin around in surprise. She’s met with the face of a smiling red-lipped woman. And a few steps away from her… is that the prince’s - no, king’s - guard? His robe looks to be the same, but with how plainly dressed he is, Jae isn’t completely sure.
“Can I help you?” Jae asks the woman before her. That smile is starting to creep her out. It’s not a friendly one. It’s cold and calculated, always wanting something.
“You’re a healer, correct?” the woman inquires.
“I am. Are you injured?”
“No, dear,” the woman replies smoothly. “Are you close with the Head Healer at all?”
“…Yes.” She narrows her eyes. “Why?”
“Oh, I’m just wondering!” the woman answers with a light, yet mildly sinister, chuckle. “She seems to be so busy over in Ica. Here… not so much, I see.”
An airy sigh escapes Jae’s lips at the reminder. Yumi has been working hard based on the letters she’s sent. Maybe Jae should go to Ica and help her. “We keep busy, but not like we used to. If you ever need a letter sent somewhere on Korodon, you can drop it at that tent over there.” She points to the infirmary, but the woman doesn’t even turn her head away to follow her finger.
“Anything else?” Jae hums.
The woman suddenly bursts into a brief fit of laughter, pulling away from Jae and shaking her head. Then, without a word, she leaves, the black robed figure in tow.
Strange, is the only word that Jae can think of, returning to her slow stroll back to her home. With any luck, a good night sleep will help her to feel a lot better.
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