Hearts' Remedy
Chapter 5
A soft warm glow came from the fireplace. We see a middle aged woman rocking gently on her rocking chair as she knits. Her hair is the shade of deep violet and her eyes are brown with kindness. A young man, around eighteen, with messy sand-colored hair, sits by his desk in the corner. He is scribbling something down on a sheet of paper as his brown eyes follow his hand.
So all that is heard within the house is the creaking of the wooden floor every time the chair rocked, the scratching of pen on paper, and the crackling of flames. Even the thunder and lightning outside could not dismantle this peaceful scene.
Suddenly there was a loud banging at the door. Both the woman and the young man stopped what they were doing to stare at each other in question. "Must be your father," the woman finally said.
Slowly getting up she walked towards the door while whoever was behind it still knocked urgently. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" the woman shouted.
The door opened revealing a disgruntled man in a brown cloak.
"About time!" he shouted. "Hurry, Shingo, go get the healer."
"Huh, what's the matter Pa?" The young man asked.
"No time, hurry."
Shingo rushed out the door.
"What's going on?" The woman questioned in an anxious tone. "Are you hurt?"
"No." The man grabbed her shoulders and shook her gently. "Ikuko, get some dry clean close."
"But why?"
"No, buts, Ikuku. We haven't much time."
The man rushed out again and returned with a brown bundle in his arms. Ikuko was just coming out of their room when she saw. Kenji placed the wet bundle on their son's bed in the next room. Just as he finished unraveling the cloth Ikuko gasped at the sight of the unconscious body that had been concealed under the wet sheets. With a wild look on her face she asked, "What happened?"
"I don't know I just found her like this."
"Oh my goodness, Kenji, she's a child."
"I know. Change her quickly, Ikuko as I retrieve her dead cat."
"Dead cat?!"
Kenji left without answering her. Ikuko quickly undressed her and drew a nightgown over the young girl. Then Ikuko covered her with a blanket. Slowly she sat down beside her and felt the fragile girl's forehead. Her eyes widened as the heat surged through her hand up to her arm. Kenji now reappeared by the doorway.
"Are you done?" He asked as he carried Luna in, laying her down on the table in the far corner.
"She's burning up, Kenji! What will we do?"
"Don't worry, Shingo and the healer are on their way."
Ikuku looked away from the frail girl to look at the fur ball on the table.
"Why did you bring that thing in here?!"
"We should give it a proper burial in the morning."
"Leave it outside!"
There was a loud bang as the front door crashed open. Heavy footsteps were heard heading toward Shingo's room.
"Pa, Ma, the healer is here," Shingo panted coming up behind his parents.
The healer walked in and began to examine Serena. "She has a fever. I must treat it with medicine, but I was unprepared for any of this. You three wait here. I must go back to get my things," the healer spoke quickly.
After the door closed Shingo and Ikuko threw questions at Kenji.
"Where did you find her?"-Ikuko
"What happened?"-Shingo
"Why is there blood on her clothes?"-Ikuko
"Did you run her over because you couldn't see in the rain?"-Shingo
"Shingo!" both parents yelled at their son for suggesting such a thing.
"What? It could have happened."
Serena stirred at the sound of voices. Opening her eyes slightly she saw three unknown faces. "She's awake!" Shingo shouted.
Ikuko and Kenji turned from their son to look at the girl.
Serena looked over at the table where Luna lay in a heap. "Luna," Serena whispered reaching her hand out to her cat. Ikuko took her hand gently and said, "She's dead."
"No... Luna will live." Serena dragged herself out of bed even though all three people insisted she stayed. Concerned, they tried to grab for her, but quickly withdrew when a white aura encircled her body. Jumping back they watched her in awe. Serena with one trembling, pale hand touched Luna. The cat began to glow too. Luna's eyes shot open and they met Serena's in wonder. Serena's hand dropped to her side and the glow dissipated. At first the girl wavered, but before Serena actually hit the ground Kenji caught her. Luna let out a loud meow.
"Kenji, the cat is alive!" Ikuko said in excitement when he picked Serena up and placed her back in bed.
"Yes, I know. It is a miracle."
The healer appeared at the doorway again. "Okay, I got the medicine. She'll have to take this now and then feed her this herb everyday this week." He took out a brown plant. "If she doesn't get better call me again."
"Gor, are you sure she'll be alright?" Ikuko asked the healer.
"You don't worry, she will be fine. My medicine has not failed me, yet. She only caught a fever and a cold..."
"Where are her parents?" Shingo interrupted.
Now, Gor frowned. "Yeah, I believe I've never seen her around here before... Where did you find her?"
"Well, she was on the main road by a tree. She sat there and it looked like she was in a struggle or something-bloodstains on her clothes-with that cat in her arms." Kenji said as he pointed at Luna on the table. The cat hopped off the table and landed beside Serena on the bed.
"Ah! Get away from her, you filthy thing!" Ikuko raised her hand to smack the cat away.
Kenji caught her hand in time. "No, Ikuko, I have a feeling this cat saved this girl from whatever trouble they were in before. That's why it was so badly injured."
Ikuko dropped her hand and considered this. "I still don't think it should be near this sick child."
Shingo shook his head in irritation, "Still we don't know where she's from."
"In that case, you should take her to the orphanage with Nora until someone claims her," Gor said calmly.
"No," Kenji and Ikuko said at the same time.
Both of them stared at each other in surprise. "So are we keeping her?" Shingo interjected.
"Yes, until her real family comes to find her," Kenji said.
"Besides, she's an angel, she has healing powers," Ikuko said.
"Is that really so?" Gor questioned.
"Yes, she saved the cat," Kenji answered.
"Saved the cat?"
Kenji quickly explained, "When you left you did not notice that the cat was lying on that table, dead I suspected. The girl used magic to heal it. The blood and gash, it was all gone."
Gor started to chuckle.
"It's true!" Shingo screamed in outrage.
"I think you are all tired and need some rest. Staying up this late is making all of you delirious."
Shingo stood with his fists clenched, "Are you calling us liars?"
Gor cocked an eyebrow at him, "Shingo, do you think I, a healer, will believe in such fairy tales? A girl with magical powers, who can heal without medicine, is absurd. The next thing you know all three of you are going to tell me that the cat talks, too."
"You are mocking us!" Shingo shouted.
Gor packed his bag as he stood up to go. "I'm only saying that you should all get some rest. If you are going to take care of the girl I suggest you all remain in good health. Good night to you all."
Shingo followed him out and slammed the door shut behind the healer. Gor
looked back at the door through the pouring rain and shook his head lightly. 'What a stubborn young man.'
---------------
That's all for this chapter. I hope it was not too too boring. And, yes, I did make Shingo older in this story. So don't be too confused about that.
Chapter 5
A soft warm glow came from the fireplace. We see a middle aged woman rocking gently on her rocking chair as she knits. Her hair is the shade of deep violet and her eyes are brown with kindness. A young man, around eighteen, with messy sand-colored hair, sits by his desk in the corner. He is scribbling something down on a sheet of paper as his brown eyes follow his hand.
So all that is heard within the house is the creaking of the wooden floor every time the chair rocked, the scratching of pen on paper, and the crackling of flames. Even the thunder and lightning outside could not dismantle this peaceful scene.
Suddenly there was a loud banging at the door. Both the woman and the young man stopped what they were doing to stare at each other in question. "Must be your father," the woman finally said.
Slowly getting up she walked towards the door while whoever was behind it still knocked urgently. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" the woman shouted.
The door opened revealing a disgruntled man in a brown cloak.
"About time!" he shouted. "Hurry, Shingo, go get the healer."
"Huh, what's the matter Pa?" The young man asked.
"No time, hurry."
Shingo rushed out the door.
"What's going on?" The woman questioned in an anxious tone. "Are you hurt?"
"No." The man grabbed her shoulders and shook her gently. "Ikuko, get some dry clean close."
"But why?"
"No, buts, Ikuku. We haven't much time."
The man rushed out again and returned with a brown bundle in his arms. Ikuko was just coming out of their room when she saw. Kenji placed the wet bundle on their son's bed in the next room. Just as he finished unraveling the cloth Ikuko gasped at the sight of the unconscious body that had been concealed under the wet sheets. With a wild look on her face she asked, "What happened?"
"I don't know I just found her like this."
"Oh my goodness, Kenji, she's a child."
"I know. Change her quickly, Ikuko as I retrieve her dead cat."
"Dead cat?!"
Kenji left without answering her. Ikuko quickly undressed her and drew a nightgown over the young girl. Then Ikuko covered her with a blanket. Slowly she sat down beside her and felt the fragile girl's forehead. Her eyes widened as the heat surged through her hand up to her arm. Kenji now reappeared by the doorway.
"Are you done?" He asked as he carried Luna in, laying her down on the table in the far corner.
"She's burning up, Kenji! What will we do?"
"Don't worry, Shingo and the healer are on their way."
Ikuku looked away from the frail girl to look at the fur ball on the table.
"Why did you bring that thing in here?!"
"We should give it a proper burial in the morning."
"Leave it outside!"
There was a loud bang as the front door crashed open. Heavy footsteps were heard heading toward Shingo's room.
"Pa, Ma, the healer is here," Shingo panted coming up behind his parents.
The healer walked in and began to examine Serena. "She has a fever. I must treat it with medicine, but I was unprepared for any of this. You three wait here. I must go back to get my things," the healer spoke quickly.
After the door closed Shingo and Ikuko threw questions at Kenji.
"Where did you find her?"-Ikuko
"What happened?"-Shingo
"Why is there blood on her clothes?"-Ikuko
"Did you run her over because you couldn't see in the rain?"-Shingo
"Shingo!" both parents yelled at their son for suggesting such a thing.
"What? It could have happened."
Serena stirred at the sound of voices. Opening her eyes slightly she saw three unknown faces. "She's awake!" Shingo shouted.
Ikuko and Kenji turned from their son to look at the girl.
Serena looked over at the table where Luna lay in a heap. "Luna," Serena whispered reaching her hand out to her cat. Ikuko took her hand gently and said, "She's dead."
"No... Luna will live." Serena dragged herself out of bed even though all three people insisted she stayed. Concerned, they tried to grab for her, but quickly withdrew when a white aura encircled her body. Jumping back they watched her in awe. Serena with one trembling, pale hand touched Luna. The cat began to glow too. Luna's eyes shot open and they met Serena's in wonder. Serena's hand dropped to her side and the glow dissipated. At first the girl wavered, but before Serena actually hit the ground Kenji caught her. Luna let out a loud meow.
"Kenji, the cat is alive!" Ikuko said in excitement when he picked Serena up and placed her back in bed.
"Yes, I know. It is a miracle."
The healer appeared at the doorway again. "Okay, I got the medicine. She'll have to take this now and then feed her this herb everyday this week." He took out a brown plant. "If she doesn't get better call me again."
"Gor, are you sure she'll be alright?" Ikuko asked the healer.
"You don't worry, she will be fine. My medicine has not failed me, yet. She only caught a fever and a cold..."
"Where are her parents?" Shingo interrupted.
Now, Gor frowned. "Yeah, I believe I've never seen her around here before... Where did you find her?"
"Well, she was on the main road by a tree. She sat there and it looked like she was in a struggle or something-bloodstains on her clothes-with that cat in her arms." Kenji said as he pointed at Luna on the table. The cat hopped off the table and landed beside Serena on the bed.
"Ah! Get away from her, you filthy thing!" Ikuko raised her hand to smack the cat away.
Kenji caught her hand in time. "No, Ikuko, I have a feeling this cat saved this girl from whatever trouble they were in before. That's why it was so badly injured."
Ikuko dropped her hand and considered this. "I still don't think it should be near this sick child."
Shingo shook his head in irritation, "Still we don't know where she's from."
"In that case, you should take her to the orphanage with Nora until someone claims her," Gor said calmly.
"No," Kenji and Ikuko said at the same time.
Both of them stared at each other in surprise. "So are we keeping her?" Shingo interjected.
"Yes, until her real family comes to find her," Kenji said.
"Besides, she's an angel, she has healing powers," Ikuko said.
"Is that really so?" Gor questioned.
"Yes, she saved the cat," Kenji answered.
"Saved the cat?"
Kenji quickly explained, "When you left you did not notice that the cat was lying on that table, dead I suspected. The girl used magic to heal it. The blood and gash, it was all gone."
Gor started to chuckle.
"It's true!" Shingo screamed in outrage.
"I think you are all tired and need some rest. Staying up this late is making all of you delirious."
Shingo stood with his fists clenched, "Are you calling us liars?"
Gor cocked an eyebrow at him, "Shingo, do you think I, a healer, will believe in such fairy tales? A girl with magical powers, who can heal without medicine, is absurd. The next thing you know all three of you are going to tell me that the cat talks, too."
"You are mocking us!" Shingo shouted.
Gor packed his bag as he stood up to go. "I'm only saying that you should all get some rest. If you are going to take care of the girl I suggest you all remain in good health. Good night to you all."
Shingo followed him out and slammed the door shut behind the healer. Gor
looked back at the door through the pouring rain and shook his head lightly. 'What a stubborn young man.'
---------------
That's all for this chapter. I hope it was not too too boring. And, yes, I did make Shingo older in this story. So don't be too confused about that.