Chapter 43: Medical Emergency
He felt empty. Lost. Useless to the point that he no longer had purpose. All he could do was exist, and even that was too painful to bear. Alas, Fox had no choice in the matter. So long as Krystal endured an infectious disease that could take him out just as quickly, he could do nothing but hope that she wins the uphill battle for her life without him.
Fox had already delivered new supplies for the shrine when Thalse broke the news the other day. So, there didn't feel to be much point in foraging for more. It wouldn't help much anyway. Once the supplies arrived for Andross's medicine, herbal remedies wouldn't be necessary. As good as that prospect was, it meant that nobody needed Fox right now. That could have freed his time to do whatever he wanted. However, all that Fox wanted to do was be there for Krystal. And that wasn't possible.
Thus, Fox laid about his lonely forest cabin. His mind swam with too many dark thoughts to move from his bed. There were no repairs left for him to distract himself with. He couldn't put his mind to working on his journal. And in terms of food, Fox only made the minimum effort to check and reset his snares. Meals were barely more than pan-seared meat with lumps of bread that he carelessly tore from the loaf. The rest of Fox's time was spent wallowing and waiting for news.
Thalse kept him updated every few hours. Once, he and Nomar had let Fox talk to Krystal via telepathy through their power. Nomar couldn't spare more than a few minutes though. Her other patients needed her too. At least it was better than nothing. Fox was grateful for that. Yet his worry grew for Krystal. She looked so haggard in her mother's vision; barely able to keep her thoughts coherent. Agony pulsed in Fox's chest over the fact that he couldn't hold Krystal close and comfort her.
Dread hung over him. It was the same feeling from after his father died in the war, and again when he crashed on Cerinia. It was the feeling that he had lost someone vital to him. The difference now though was that Fox saw the loss coming ahead of time. He feared it. He couldn't bear it. Krystal was the pillar he leant on after the world robbed everything else from him. Her kind heart and wisdom helped him through his lowest moments over the last few years. It was Krystal who made him happiest of all. Fox tried not to think about it, but if the worst happened then he wouldn't even be there in her final moments.
The thought brought tears to Fox's eyes. It wasn't the first time his emotions broke free from him lately. Over the past couple of days, Fox cried more times than he cared to count. He couldn't help it. The woman he loved was dying, and he couldn't save her or be by her side. Fox cursed to God. He denied any higher being who claimed to love all and still let something as awful as this epidemic exist.
Late at night, Fox slept poorly. He tossed and turned while his mind raced through the same things on loop. Brief spans of rest came and went. Just now, Fox believed that he woke up from a dream but couldn't tell for sure. He still felt exhausted, and he couldn't remember being asleep. All that he knew for certain was that his heart was beating frantically in his chest, jolting him awake. A telling sign of a nightmare.
Fox grumbled. He rolled over in hopes of nodding off again. A few minutes turned into 30, then an hour. He might as well be a fish in a pan for the number of times he turned, overcooked to a charred crisp. Thinking of food made him hungry. Fox sighed. His appetite chose the worst times to return to him.
"McCloud! Wake up!"
"Son of a bitch!" Fox yelped, jolting up from his bed. He searched the cabin's inky darkness. "Who's there?" And where was his gun and light crystal?
"It's me, you halfwit." Fox then recognised Thene's harsh tone. His alarm turned to annoyance. Fox finally found his light crystal and pulled it from its capsule. He felt easier talking to someone when he could see his surroundings.
"What the hell are you doing calling me this late?!" He suddenly remembered what the woman was supposed to be doing right now. "Did you get Andross's ingredients yet?"
Silence followed. It seemed faint, perhaps due to distance, but Fox sensed a struggle. "There's a problem," she began. "I… need help."
Fox furrowed his brow. "Why call me?"
"Because you were the closest mind I could reach." The fangs returned in Thene's response. "I'm enroute from Fert, but I ran into a pack of loutho and…"
"Loutho?! Did you seriously try to travel at night?!"
At least the stupid bitch had the decency to feel embarrassed. "I made a calculated risk, and it didn't pan out like I planned."
"In other words, you fucked up and need someone to bail you out!"
Fox could have seen her hackles flare. "I am not going to justify myself to the likes of you!" Thene bit back. "The point is that my cart hit a rock, and one of the wheels broke off. My haret also got away from me. I'm certain it ended up as loutho food."
Though that gave him more reasons to berate her, the severity of the situation silenced Fox's anger. "What about your cargo?"
"Nothing is damaged as far as I can tell. But unless someone comes to help me, none of it will be reaching Kezamat anytime soon."
A chill ran through Fox's blood. Without that cargo, there'd be no medicine to save Krystal with. Her best lifeline was now stranded out in the wilderness. That stupid, stupid bitch! He cursed Thene. "What do you need?"
"A new cart would be simplest. Preferably with a fresh haret to pull it. If the cart isn't possible, I'll be content with a replacement wheel. One-point-five metres in diameter, specifically."
"I'll get it for you," Fox said without hesitation.
"I'm glad to hear that. Because there's no one else I can ask. You're at the limit of my range."
"Sit tight. I'll head into town and see what I can do."
From Thene's tone, she could have raised an eyebrow. "Are you planning to walk there at night?"
"Well, I could go back to bed and wait until morning if you think that's a better idea."
The hackles raised again. "I know that you can't stand laying around for that long. Your mate caught the nuhmryg, didn't she? I could sense your distress."
Fox growled softly. "Just stay where you are and try not to get yourself into worse trouble."
"As if I could."
As soon as the call ended, Fox hurried to dress and gather his things. He walked outside with his light crystal in hand. Without it, he wouldn't have been able to see an inch in front of him. Nights on Cerinia were terrifying that way. Small wonder that the planet's people and animals developed sixth senses.
Fortunately, Fox had walked the path to Kezamat so many times that he had the general route memorised. As soon as he cleared the forest's edge, he ran to the faint torchlight that barely showed the city's outline. The few guards of the night watch patrolled the outer walls. Soon, Fox felt one of them take notice and reach out to his mind.
"Fox?! What the heck are you doing outside at this hour, you lunatic?!"
"I don't have a lot of time," he answered. It was hard to run and think in Cerinian words simultaneously, sleep deprived as he was. "I need a cart and haret as soon as possible."
"I'm going to need more details than that, but we'll open the gate. You can tell us more once you're inside."
Grateful, Fox maintained his pace. A guard stepped out from the gate, carrying a torch that made Fox's goal easier to see. When he reached it, he was received with water and concerned friends. They immediately pressed for answers. Fox caught his breath before explaining the situation.
Lifesaving supplies in jeopardy were enough to raise everyone into alarm. A runner left for the stables. A messenger reported to their superiors. Meanwhile, Fox found a quiet space to rest. He would have fallen asleep if a call into his mind hadn't roused him.
"Hello…?" Fox answered groggily.
"Guardsman McCloud. This is Captain Forn speaking."
Fox jolted awake. He stood at full attention for the commanding officer who he could not see. "Sir! Beg your pardon! At your service."
"At ease. I hazard to guess I'm not the only one who's been disturbed tonight. I've heard about Miss Avrenim's incident and her request for aid."
Fox refrained from imagining the backlash Thene would eventually receive for her reckless stunt. That line of thinking was hardly appropriate while he was linked with his captain. "Sir, please allow me to be the one to rescue her."
"I can tell that your motives are personal," Forn observed. "Very well. As soon as dawn breaks, set out to retrieve Miss Avrenim and her cargo."
"I'm ready to go as soon as a cart is ready," Fox protested.
"Don't make her same mistake, son. It's easy for anyone to lose their way in the dark of night. You'll have a better chance of finding Avrenim if you can see where you're going." Fox chewed on a stubborn reply but held it. "And well rested enough that you won't fall off your cart midway. Honestly, son, I can feel you dozing off from here."
That, Fox couldn't argue. The prospect of galivanting towards a border town didn't enthuse him now as it originally did. "I'll catch up on some sleep before first light," he conceded.
Approval flowed from Forn. "Good man. May the gods carry you swiftly."
"Thank you, sir."
"We look forward to you returning to duty as soon as the epidemic lifts. The barracks are not quite the same without you." A smile spread itself across Fox's face.
After the captain dismissed him, Fox laid back onto the relatively soft pile of sacks he had pushed together. He must have dozed off quickly, for the next thing he knew, Fox was being shaken awake. Through his blurry vision and the dim lighting, he couldn't make out the armoured figure who stood over him. "Dawn is breaking." They sounded like Sheld. "Time to go soon."
"Thanks," Fox mumbled. He heaved himself onto his feet and popped his shoulders. His body still felt like shit after a rough nap like that, but at least his head felt a bit better. He sated his hunger with a rationed bowl of porridge. The bland meal made Fox appreciate the broader range of food he had access to in the wild.
Upon exiting the guard tower, Fox found a haret tethered to a cart. The ram-horned beast grunted indifferently as he walked up to pet its strong, lean flank. The cart behind it carried a small bundle of food and first aid supplies. Plenty of space left for Thene's cargo. Fox climbed onto the driver's seat.
"Thanks for helping me get all of this together, guys," he smiled.
"Anytime," Sheld grinned. "Be sure to hurry back."
Fox nodded. "I'll see you soon."
Whipping the reins, Fox drove his cart forward as the sky slowly brightened overhead. His thoughts turned to Krystal and spread to the countless others who were also ill. Though his main concern was for her, Fox made a silent promise to help everyone. A lot of lives now depended on him and his haret.
Fert laid to the northwest, just a few kilometres from the territories belonging to Kezamat's sister cities, Muhganoa and Chiteth. The town earned itself a sizeable profit from trade and travel between these three regions. Fox had lodged in Fert a couple of times during his expedition with Andross last year. The town's vineyards also produced a popular wine that Krystal enjoyed. Before the epidemic, Fox thought about taking her to Fert for a short holiday. If luck favoured them, he'd do so soon after Krystal was well again.
The road between there and Kezamat was a straight one. There weren't any detours that Thene could have taken without knowing it, even during a midnight ride. Fox maintained a careful eye for any sign of her wagon. That included tracks in the grass if she had gone off road before her accident.
Two hours later, Fox spotted an odd shape ahead. As he neared, he discovered it was another cart driven a few metres off a bend in the road. It stood crooked on a broken wheel, lacking any beast in front. Carrion birds flocked over something hidden in the tall grass not too far away. Fox's jaw tightened in worry.
The cart looked abandoned when he arrived. Fox looked around, searching for any sign of life. "Thene?!" he called. "Thene, are you there?!"
A woman's voice groaned. A pile of blankets moved within the other cart and rose. Thene's unruly hair emerged from underneath. She rubbed her eyes and soon found Fox's. "About time you showed up," she grumbled.
"Glad to see you too," he replied in kind. "Sleep well?"
Thene threw the rest of the blankets off from her. "Considering how I was up all night trying not to get eaten, I'm as well rested as I possibly could be." She cracked her spine and winced. "I don't suppose you brought any food with you?"
Fox handed her a few kechen fruits. A tad overripe, though Thene didn't complain as she chomped down on one. "Are you injured?" he asked.
"Only a few bruises from the crash. Nothing serious."
Fox peered underneath her wagon and whistled at the state of its wheel. "You must have hit a big rock at high speed to have done that. I'm surprised that the whole wagon didn't flip over."
"And fortunately, none of the cargo fell out or broke." Thene tossed the kechen's core to the ground. "Help me move everything across."
They carried her cart's load onto his. Fox handled every box and jar with care, especially after Thene warned that some of the liquids were hazardous if spilled. Altogether, the work took less than 10 minutes. Thene hopped into the back and made a new space for herself to lie down.
"If you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you drive us home smoothly," she said, crawling under her blanket. "I'm going back to sleep."
"We're racing against time, but I'll try to go gently for you." As much as he disliked Thene, Fox didn't have the heart to decline such a simple request. These last 12 hours reminded him how precious proper rest was. He flicked the reins to get them moving. True to his word, Fox kept the haret to a steady trot.
Quiet followed the first few minutes of their journey. "Thank you," Thene suddenly said.
Fox glanced over his shoulder. She laid her head atop a travel bag, facing the cart's rear. "What for?" he asked.
"For coming to help me."
Fox sniffed. "I didn't do it for you." Although that was true, he didn't mean for his words to sound as harsh as they did.
"Even so, I don't know what else I would have done."
Something about what she said resonated in Fox's chest. He pondered on it for a moment. "I guess I should thank you too. Not for crashing your cart and almost losing your supplies. That was stupid of you. But for giving me something I could do to help."
He heard rustling from what Fox imagined was Thene turning to glance at him. "When Krystal fell sick with the nuhmryg. I felt useless. Nobody would let me do anything to help her feel better, all because I'd end up in more danger than she's currently in. I just spent the last few days waiting for the worst news to come."
Fox paused to rein in his emotions. Thene was one of the last people he wanted to break down in front of. "When you called me, asking for someone to come help you… It gave me a purpose again. It gave me a way to help Krystal like I wanted to. So, thank you."
Had he looked, he might have seen the minute smile that pulled at Thene's lips. She laid back down and drew the blankets further up past her shoulders. "It'll be sundown before we reach Kezamat at this pace. Speed up a little."
Fox accepted the offer gladly. "Just let me know if it gets too bumpy," he smiled. All the while, his thoughts flew ahead of him towards home and the people waiting for them.
'Hang on just a little bit longer, Krystal. We're coming to make you and everyone else well again.'
A golden room gleamed warmly around all sides. Intricate chandeliers shone overhead. Plush carpet muffled the sound of feet traipsing across. Cornerian design, all of it. The greatest luxuries that its artisans could craft.
Countless figures gathered around. Chatter rose from their shrouded faces. Not a word was coherent to the ear. Several folks sought to converse with Thene. She smiled politely as she swirled the champagne glass between her fingers. When Thene glanced at her hand, it only held water bubbling away. How curious.
Three sharp chimes of tapping glass drew her attention. Atop the stage across the room, her beloved Simon stood at a podium. All hushed to listen. Simon thanked them for attending on this most significant night. He gestured for Thene to approach. The crowd parted before her passage. Behind Simon, projections illustrating her work illuminated the walls for guests to admire. For her ground-breaking research on the science of magic was worth their admiration and more.
The stairs rose as Thene climbed. The stage grew taller. Once she reached its top, she stood high over the crowd's heads. So high that they craned their necks. Delight spread Thene's smile wide. This was her rightful place before the simpletons who filled the world.
Simon gave her a tender smile as he passed a trophy into her arms. The coveted Swanburger Prize; the highest achievement in the Lylat System's scientific community. With its weight in her hold, Thene turned to the podium. When she opened her mouth to speak, the floor lurched underneath Thene. Something hard then crashed into her back.
"The fuck?!" she screamed, snapping awake. Pain blasted across her back and head. A heavy weight thrusted her into the sloping rear of the cart.
"Oh, shit! Are you okay?"
The cart stopped. Thene tried to push and crawl to freedom, but she was pinned against the wall. McCloud vaulted into the cargo bed and heaved the object trapping her away. Thene sat up, crawled out of danger, and clutched her hand as far behind her as she could reach. "Bastard of the gods…" she snarled.
"Sorry about that," Fox said. He carefully let the crate slide over Thene's resting place. "Should have lashed everything down before we climbed the hill."
"Fantastic job waking me up, you mange-ridden imbecile!" she spat. Thene threw her glare at McCloud. He held his hands up in the futile hope of appeasing her.
"Like I said: sorry about that." Folding his ears, McCloud pointed ahead of the cart. "We're a couple of minutes out from the city, if that makes you feel any better."
It didn't, but it soothed Thene to know that her time with this moronic off-worlder would end soon. She noted that they were presently partway up the incline leading towards the city gates. At long last, they were home. If she weren't in pain at the moment, Thene might have felt thrilled.
Wisely, McCloud chose to leave her be. He returned to the driver's seat and got them moving again. "Yeah… Again. Sorry about that. Didn't mean it, honest."
"So you keep saying," Thene grumbled. "Just hurry up and get us there already."
The silent remainder of their trip gave Thene time to inspect the crate that slid into her. Once again, she was thankful that nothing inside had been damaged. Perhaps it was better that the crate crashed into her instead of slamming harder into the cart's wall. That impact could have broken something.
The guards greeted McCloud with cheers. Thene quickly realised that they knew about her mishap, and thus did all she could to avoid eye contact. She was in no mood to be heckled. Her saving grace was that McCloud wasted no time with chit-chat.
Kezamat's silence unnerved as they rolled through its streets. The city almost looked dead. Signs everywhere warned people to stay clean, cover their faces, and avoid going outside unless necessary. Worry and depression permeated like a fog. It turned Thene's own thoughts towards gloom.
This was what the people had suffered for the past two months. This ever-present fear and melancholy. Not for much longer though, Thene resolved. The epidemic's days were now numbered.
The despair felt strongest closer to the Lythan Jad's shrine. It was almost enough to make Thene jump from the cart right there and turn home instead. She had so many reasons to avoid that place. Alas, her mate was there, and he needed her. For him, she stayed put and prepared herself for the reception she'd face. To him, Thene reached out with her mind.
"Simon."
"Thene?" His surprise morphed into relief. "It's good to finally hear from you."
"I'm sorry for making you wait, darling," Thene smiled. Her heart warmed for the first time in days.
"Did you get everything that we need?"
"I did. McCloud and I will be there shortly."
The Papetoonish's name did not astound Simon. Thene felt nothing specific from him. He must already be aware of her mistake. A knot of shame twisted inside her stomach.
"I have set up our equipment in a tent behind the shrine," Simon told her. "I'll ask the lythans to help us move everything over." Thene did not look forward to the exchange, but at least she wouldn't have to set foot inside the shrine to work on the antibiotics.
Minutes passed, and one district gave way to the next without obstruction. Thene recognised places from many years ago, where she walked past every morning when she was a lythan apprentice. A wave of nostalgia washed over her. It tasted bitter, though memories of the confectioner she used to frequent brought back some sweetness. The shop's doors were shut these days. Perhaps soon they might reopen with their honeycombs, candied berries, and popsicles for sale again soon.
Lost in thought, Thene's ears suddenly pricked. Cheers rose from ahead. She turned towards the shrine growing with their approach. McCloud waved one arm to the crowd of lythans celebrating their arrival. Thene averted her gaze. Their joy was for McCloud, their beloved 'angel.' No thought would ever be spared for the exile. Especially after she almost ruined their first chance for a proper cure.
The cart came to a stop. Foxes gathered around it. As expected, all the praise was showered upon McCloud. Thene disembarked unnoticed. A voice cut through all others. Sharp; almost a shout. Lythans gave way to their Grandmaster descending the stairs. Walking at Sythast's right, Thene saw her old teacher, Nomar, and glowered. On his other side, she found her Simon. At least his gentle gaze was solely to her.
"Welcome back," Sythast greeted. His smile passed from McCloud to Thene. "We're glad to have you both return safely."
"How's Krystal?" McCloud asked immediately.
"She's holding on," Nomar answered with words soft from worry. "She's sleeping right now." McCloud sighed in relief.
"Using the masters' staffs to fetch natural mana has been working well so far. It's kept the death count stable over the last few days," Simon added.
He approached the cart and examined its contents. An appreciative nod bobbed his head. He pointed to a group of six lythans. "Grab a box each and carry them to the tent out back."
Stunned and irate faces answered him. "Why us?" a tod complained.
"Because you look like you don't have anything better to do than gawk around an old wagon," Simon huffed. He glanced around the gathering. "Unless anyone else wants to volunteer?"
"You can't tell us what to do, ape!" another fox snarled.
"No. But I can," Sythast stepped forward. His stern tone and stare sent the upstarts reeling with their tails between their legs. Even Thene felt herself stiffen.
Not daring to anger the Grandmaster, the six fought amongst themselves to grab the closest crate to hand. "And be careful with those," Simon growled after them. "It was a pain in the ass to order those materials. Drop a single thing, and the lives of everyone in that infirmary will be on your heads."
Sythast regarded the remaining lythans. "Speaking of… Those patients are currently unattended. Now remind me, who's responsibility was it to be by their side, day and night?" In place of an answer, the lythans rushed back into the shrine. Only Master Nomar stayed with McCloud.
"Can I see her?" he pleaded. "Just for a moment."
"Not yet," Nomar apologised. "But when Doctor Andross's medicine is ready, we'll work out a way for you to visit Krystal in person." She turned to Simon. "It will work, won't it?"
"There's a good chance," he shrugged non-committedly. "The recipe works on a broad range of species. Assuming that Cerinians are similar to Papetoonish foxes like McCloud, it should be effective on your people."
"And if it isn't?" McCloud asked.
"Then it will poison whoever takes it. Might even kill them faster than the nuhmryg will." Horror erupted upon three faces, yet Simon's was unperturbed. "We'll find out soon after making the first batch."
"I'm suddenly not so sure if this is a good idea," Sythast muttered.
"Do you have a better one?" With no response, Simon sniffed. "Come, Thene. We have a lot of work ahead of us."
Dutifully, she followed him. "Thene, wait!" Nomar's voice stopped her. "A moment. Please."
She deigned to bestow the woman an iota of her time. Thene turned to face her. Glowering. Waiting. Nomar's gaze pointed away. Then, for one a few, mere seconds, it met Thene's.
"Thank you," Nomar said. Thene lifted her brow. This was not what she expected to hear. "I want to believe that this medicine can save our people; that it will save my daughter's life. Thank you for making this possible."
Weighing the words that she'd been given, Thene elected that they were too much to process right now. She turned her back and strode to catch up with Simon. "I didn't do it for you."
Her beloved said nothing as they rounded the shrine. The workshop that he erected behind it was barely adequate. Though when was the last time that any of them enjoyed luxury? Thene withheld her remarks as other thoughts began to surface and stew.
"Finally, we can start," Simon said once the lythans delivered everything and cleared off. He looked to Thene and noticed her sullen frown. "Is something the matter?"
Thene kept silent. She wanted to know his thoughts but, for once, couldn't bring herself to reach across. She dreaded to discover what he knew about her disgrace last night. She dreaded to face his disappointment. Or his ire. However, shame boiled within her too vigorously to contain any longer.
"I was foolish," she admitted softly. Simon said nothing. So, Thene felt pressed to elaborate. "I thought I could get here sooner by riding home through the night."
"And?" How could a single word be spoken in such an even manner and still make her curl deeper into herself?
"I lost control of the situation. My cart broke down, and my haret was eaten by wild beasts. I almost lost the cargo in the crash. I nearly ruined everything in my haste." Thene shook as she took a breath. She refused to let tears break free from her now of all times. "I'm sorry."
Unable to look at him or sense his emotions, Thene bowed her head, closing her eyes. Simon remained quiet for a long time. She then heard his footsteps. A hand came to rest upon her shoulder.
"You recognised your mistake and overcame it. That's all that matters." Thene finally faced Simon. He regarded her stoically. "This is not the time to lay blame. Learn from your experience and do better. That is the only thing that I expect from you now."
Quietly, Thene nodded. Simon then surprised her and took her into his arms. A blasted tear broke free down her nose. Thene cleared it away before anyone saw it. She embraced Simon back as tightly as she could.
They soon parted. "Now, on to business." Simon turned to face the worktable. "Start by crushing the sulphur and dissolving it. I'll mix the salts to then boil with the acid." He handed Thene a pair of safety goggles and a face mask. "Take care not to inhale any of the fumes."
She took them gratefully. Concerns of the past faded away once Thene donned her gear. They were scientists. And thus, they did not dwell on failures. Moving forward was the only pathway to success.
"Yes, Doctor."
End note:
And there we have it. Starting to reach the end of this dreary arc. This will be my last update for the year, but I'll be back after I've had a chance to enjoy some paid time-off and recharge my batteries.
Haven't written anything special for Christmas this week. Fortunately, Chapter 28 fits the bill if you want to go back and read that. Otherwise, stay safe and healthy, and I'll catch you all in the new year.