Chapter 4: If only...

I held Karen's hand tightly, as if something or someone were trying to steal her from me. She held my hand tightly too, she knew I had been having restless nights, and that this dream was troubling me. She tried to be supportive, but I knew she was worried about my mental health. We walked along the mountain until we stopped.
"Aww, the poor thing." said Karen, pointing to a hurt rabbit.
"Well, should we help it?" I asked.
"Of course, we can't let it suffer!" said Karen.

I watched as Karen knelt down next to the rabbit. She slowly moved her hand towards the rabbit to pick it up.
"OUCH" said Karen, as the rabbit bit her.
"Stupid Rabbit!" I said, forgetting my conscience and throwing a rock at it.
"Karen, are you ok?" I said, running over next to her.
"Yeah, it just really hurts." said Karen.

Her arm had been bitten by the rabbit. The bit had gone deep, and her arm was gushing blood. I rushed her to the clinic. As we arrived, Elli almost fainted when she saw Karen. The doctor quickly got a towel and applied pressure to it. The bleeding soon slowed down, and the Doctor could wash her bite.
"Karen, what happened?" asked the Doctor.
"Well, we found an injured rabbit. I went to pick it up, and it bit me." said Karen.
"Yes, animals can be very defensive. It was probably attacked and was afraid you were the attacker." said the Doctor.
"Will she be ok?" I asked, a concerned look on my face.
"Oh yeah, she'll be fine. Just a little bandage here, tape there, yes. Presto! Your ready to go!" he said.
"Thank you Doctor." said Karen.
"Anytime!"

We walked home and ate dinner. Karen complained that the wound was itchy, I told her it was probably just the medication the doctor had applied to it. We fell asleep that night, and slept well.
"Jack...come here." said Karen, calling to me from the kitchen.
"What is it?" I asked, rubbing the back of my head.
"Look at this." she said, motioning to her cut.

The cut had turned a deep green. There was a scab on it, but it was black. The green was splotchy and covered all the skin surrounding the scar.
"This can't be normal, let's check this out at the Clinic," I suggested.
"No no, I'm sure it's fine. He told me it might swell up and get a little infected, I just need to leave it be." she said.
"You sure?" I asked.
"Yes." she said, wrapping it back up.

Later that day, I walked into the Clinic. Karen didn't know I was going, but I had to ask the Doctor what was going on.
"Green you say?" he asked for the third time.
"Yes, green." I replied.
"Hmm.." he said, scratching his chin, "never heard of that before. I'll have to look it up, give me a few days."
"All right," I said, walking out.

I walked to the Inn and found Ann and Cliff running upstairs. I decided to find out what they were doing all this time. I opened a door and could not believe my eyes...

They were reading comic books!
"Oh, JACK" said Ann, quickly hiding the book.
"Uh..Jack, you won't tell, will ya?" asked Cliff, the hobo.
"Tell what?" I asked.
"About...these!" said Ann, holding up a comic.
"No...why would I tell, I've read them before." I said confusedly.
"Oh, thanks!" they said in unison.

I walked out of the Inn confused. Here I was thinking something totally wrong, when all they were doing was reading! I felt stupid. I walked down the beach and found May, a little girl who lived at the Yodel Ranch.
"Well, hello there May." I said, walking over to her.
"Hello Mr. Jack." she replied.
"How are you?" I asked.
"I'm good thank you for asking. I heard about Karen, hope her arm feels better!" she said.
"You mean better?" I asked, I was always told to help her correct her talking errors.
"Yes, that's what I meant, well, is it ok, I want to be alone!" she said.
"Sure, sure" I said, walking off.

I walked along, talking occasionally to bypassing villagers. Everyone it seemed had heard about Karen, I assumed Elli had told the world.

When I walked home, I found Karen watching TV. She was hugging her arm, and was watching a TV show called "The Fairy and Me". I walked over to her and stroked her hair.
"Karen, are you ok?" I asked quietly.
"What? Yeah, yeah, I'm...I'm great." she stuttered.
"No you aren't, you must go to the Doctor." I urged.
"Jack, these things come and go, i'll be fine." she persisted.
"Karen, I hate to do this..." I said with a hint of sorrow in my voice.

I grabbed Karen against her will and dragged her to the Doctors. I didn't mean to be so forceful, but she was getting worse and I knew she needed help, even if she wouldn't admit it. We walked into the Clinic, and the Doctor rushed up. He took the bandages off of Karen's arm and examined the wound.
"Oh my, why didn't you show me this before." he said, staring in disbelief at her arm.

Karen's arm had now turned green and a hot pink color. The scab was as big as ever, almost like it was growing. Karen couldn't look, her face turned green, but she turned her head away.
"Doctor, what is it?" I asked urgently.
"I'm not sure...I've heard of it, but it can't be...in Mineral Village?" he said...mostly to himself.
"WHAT IS IT?" I screamed now, shaking the doctor.
"*ahem*. It is MultroPliad Corleta...or in other words, she has somehow contracted a disease from that rabbit." he said.

I couldn't understand the whole multo-mumbo jumbo, but I understood disease, and rabbit. Before I could think I ran to the mountain. The rabbit was still alive and sitting there. My rage had taken me over, and I pulled at my sickle and killed the rabbit. I washed and disinfected my sickle, then ran to the Clinic.
"It won't hurt anybody now..." I said solemnly.
"Jack..." started the Doctor.
"So, how do we treat this disease?" I asked.
"Jack that's the thing...you can't." said the Doctor.
"What do you mean we can't. Of course we can! What are you talking about?" I asked.
"Well, you can...but...it requires a special flower and herb. You mix them together and apply them to the wound every day for a week, and it rids the body of the disease. However...these things are not easily come by. The flower is named Thalay's Flower and the herb I think is named the Herb of Mutla. No one has ever seen them...but it is known that ancient civilizations used it for this very disease." he said.

I tried to follow as best I could, and I asked the Doctor to write down where these things were. I knew what I had to do. I had to seek out Thalay's Flower, and the Herb of Mutla, and bring them back to my beloved Karen.
"I have to find them..." I whispered.
"Jack, there is one thing." said the Doctor.
"What?" I asked.
"Karen, she only has a year to live..." said the Doctor, whispering in my ear.
"A year..." said Karen suddenly, "That's not that long of a time..."
"Karen, it will be ok. I'm going to cure you." I said.
"No you won't...No one can, I'm going to...die." said Karen.
"No Karen, have faith in me!" I said, crying now.
"How can I? You heard what he said. No one had ever seen these things!" she said, crying with me now.
"Karen...my dream." I said, "This is my dream. The black cloud was this disease...It's tearing us apart, don't let it."
"Well, you will probably find another wife after me, no trouble there, you player." said Karen.
The doctor took me aside.
"Don't listen to her, she's having hallucinations, she doesn't know what she's saying." he said.
"Thank you." I replied.

I left Karen in the Clinic. The Doctor advised it would be best if Karen stayed at the Clinic...everyday. Karen protested, but finally stayed. I walked out and looked for someone who could help me in my journey. Someone who had been places...
"Cliff." I said, as I walked into the Inn's rooms.
"Hi Jack." said Cliff. He had a new-found respect for me, since I now held their secret.
"I need your help." I stated.
"With what? Farm work?" he asked.
"No..." I said, "Karen is going to die in one year from a disease. If I don't find Thalay's Flower, and the Herb of Mutla, then she will die."
Cliff had a look of disbelief on his face.
"You can't be serious? How would we find them?" he murmured.
"Yes, will you aid me in my journey or not?" I asked.
"Yes. I will. For Karen, and for you." he said.

Cliff kissed Ann goodbye, then we walked off to get supplies. I was forced to tell Sasha and Jeff of Karen, and they were hysterical. They offered me food, supplies, rope, etc. Cliff and I were ready to go the next morning...