CHAPTER 5: Boiled Eggs and Untested Substances
I woke early that morning so I could get my farm chores done quickly. I wanted to properly thank the doctor for everything he'd done for me, so I wanted to bring him a spa boiled egg from the hot springs to show my appreciation. I'd take care of clearing the land once I got back home, since I was planning on getting to the clinic right after they opened for the day. The doctor was very surprised to see me, actually he looked a bit worried...oops. Of course he'd think I was back because I was having problems from my snake bite. I walked up to his desk, and said "Hey, don't worry, I'm fine. I haven't even needed to use those painkillers yet! I just wanted to say thank you...after all, what you did probably saved my life."
"Claire, as I told you before, Copperhead bites are not fatal, and I was merely doing my job. Please don't feel the need to thank me."
"Well, like you also said, Copperhead bites aren't fatal but wild dogs certainly can be. My farm is right at the mountainside, so don't tell me they wouldn't have found me there."
The doctor gave me a strange look, like he'd forgotten that particular detail, but also like he was happy to see me again. I began to wonder if I'd ever win his affections, but I pushed that thought to the back of my mind. After all, I was only there to thank him and give him a small gift, not to flirt with him. "So...I just really wanted to thank you, so I brought you a spa boiled egg. Sorry it's not much." He looked very surprised and almost seemed like he didn't know how to accept my gift.
"Thank you very much, Claire...I don't normally receive gifts from my patients. This is definitely a surprise...I appreciate it."
As I was about to head back to my farm, I suddenly heard the doctor calling me back to his desk. "Claire, while you're here, I wanted to ask you something. I recently received some medicine from another town. Would you like to give it a try? Unlike the medicine we typically sell here at the clinic, this medicine can restore both stamina and fatigue at the same time."
"Oh, wow! That sounds like good stuff...are you sure you just want to give it to me? It sounds like you could easily sell something like that for a lot!"
"Well, it does have its faults. Apparently the effect is rather weak, which is why it hasn't been placed on the market yet. However, I was able to find a way to increase its effects, though I will admit it quite takes away from the flavor."
I thought about it for a moment, then decided to try it. "It might not taste good, but hey, if it helps both my stamina and fatigue at once, why not try it? Sounds like something I'll need if I ever want to get grandpa's land fully cleared out."
The doctor seemed very happy with my response, it seemed he was absolutely beaming at me! "Excellent, I knew you would understand the importance of exploration in the fields of medicinal research! Now, down it all in one gulp!"
I chugged that medicine and immediately wished I'd never done it. It left me retching, the taste was so horrendous it could be on par with the very stench of death! I couldn't believe the doctor would give me medicine THAT bad! I heard him say it didn't taste very good, but DAMN! And he was still smiling at me! Was this some kind of sick joke?! "I can't believe you just gave me that! It tasted like I just ate something dead and rotting from the middle of the road!"
"Well, I warned you it didn't taste good, but the effects WERE positive, were they not?"
He had me there...true, my body was starting to feel like I'd had a long soak in the hot springs, but at that point I think I'd much rather have taken the hot springs instead of the meds. "Yes...you're right, I do feel pretty good. But I'll be honest, doctor, I think people would rather go to the hot springs than take that medicine. I can't deny that's what I wish I'd done." A little harsh, but it was the truth. NOBODY deserved to suffer that medication, no matter how horrible they were. For a moment I was sure I heard Elly suppressing a giggle from over by her desk, and I honestly couldn't blame her. "Oh, Goddess," I thought to myself, "he must've made her taste it, too...poor thing." As I left the clinic, I couldn't completely blame the doctor, though...after all, he'd freely offered me the medicine to try and warned me that it tasted bad. He didn't force me to do anything, I took it of my own free will.
On the way home I stopped at the Sprites' hut and asked one of them to help me water crops for a week. I wondered to myself briefly why nobody else could see them, but then again, nobody saw the Goddess, either, so I just stopped thinking about it. I went home and planted all my Spring crops, finally. I was a little late planting thanks to my injuries, but I was able to clear a space for planting crops by the end of the 5th day of Spring, so I was sure I'd get at least a couple of harvests from them. I had also been able to chop some branches into good lumber and hack some small stones into some decent material stone. I knew I'd need both when I wanted to upgrade grandpa's cabin. Part of me felt guilty for wanting to change the home he'd left me, but at the same time I knew it had to be done. If I wanted any chance of one day living my life with a spouse and maybe even kids in the picture, that one-room cabin had to be upgraded. I didn't even have a kitchen yet, I was eating at the inn almost every night. Getting those crops planted was just a little baby step toward the big picture. He entrusted me to renew his land...and I would see it done.
*AUTHOR'S NOTE*
Hey, sorry this one was pretty short, but I haven't had a lot of time to write recently, and it's given me some bad writer's block. Crazy how a brand new niece can take your mind off of everything else! Lol, she's a beauty but she's held all my attention. So, sorry again for the short chapter, I'll try to make the next one much better. Thanks for reading, and as always, I love reviews so feel free to leave them! I don't run away from constructive criticism, I prefer to learn from my mistakes and push forward.