While poor Dongwa and Sheegwa are suffering the sickness, Sagwa and company still have a lot of ground to make up if they want to meet their deadline. Will they get set back or will they make better time? Find out in this next chapter of Sagwa's Medicine Run.
Sagwa led the way with the Cook, Fufu, Sheihu and Shang following right behind her. Though she didn't know the way, she was able to guess the Cook's path because the trail seemed to go in a straight line. Shang, a prankster in his ways, decides to think of something to set Sagwa off a little bit because he is bored, without slowing them down of course. But what could he instigate?
"Hey Sagwa, is it true that you are afraid of Spiders?" said Shang.
"Uh yeah, so?" said Sagwa, replying back. "Why do you ask?"
"Because there is one right in front of you!" said Shang.
Sagwa doesn't even look to see if there was a spider really there, her fur stands up and she jumps back, while doing so she screams. But when she looks and sees no spider, her expression goes from terrified to angry.
"Hey! Why did you scare me like that?" said Sagwa.
"Because it's fun and I was bored!" said Shang.
Sheihu and Fufu couldn't help but laugh at what Shang had just did, they too were bored, and even at Sagwa's expense it was worth the wait. However Sagwa didn't take it like they did.
"Why is it so funny guys?" said Sagwa.
"Sorry Sagwa, I guess it isn't that funny!" said Fufu.
"Nope, it's even funnier!" said Sheihu as he and Fufu let out a few more giggles.
"Well, since you see the fun in scaring me, I will see the fun in giving you the silent treatment for the rest of the night" said Sagwa.
"Aw come on Sagwa!" said Shang. "Don't take it out on them, it was my doing. I didn't know you would get so mad. If I would have known, I wouldn't have done it. I won't do it again, I swear!"
"I forgive you guys, but your still getting the silent treatment!" said Sagwa.
"Real mature, Sagwa" said Fufu.
Sagwa just turned around and kept going, trying to catch up with Cook who had managed to get a little bit ahead of them. Shang started to feel bad about what he did. Usually when he played a joke, everyone just laughed and played along, but he had never made anyone mad before. He knew that eventually he would have to make it up to her.
Later that night, when Cook set up camp, Sagwa climbed in with the Cook to keep true to her word on the silent treatment. So that left Fufu, Sheihu and Shang outside after the Cook and Sagwa went to sleep. They talked about Sagwa, Dongwa and Sheegwa most of the night. Shang mostly knew Dongwa, since he is the one that the alley cats saw more than any of them and he barely even knew him(him being new and all), so the stories about Sagwa and Sheegwa were a little new to him. Sheihu told Shang the story about how Sagwa, Dongwa, Sheegwa, Fufu and he and his brothers performed "The Four Dragons" for the alley cats. Fufu told the story about how Sagwa and Sheegwa had gotten on a hot air balloon and flew away, and he and Dongwa trying and failing to save them, only to find someone else had already saved them. All Shang had was the incident when Dongwa got bit by the bug and collapsed just minutes later. It certainly set a light on the situation for Fufu and Sheihu who were not there when Dongwa fell. News of Sheegwa also getting sick was a surprise to him though.
"That bug is dangerous!" said Shang. "I wish there was some way to get rid of them."
"We all do" said Fufu. "I have never seen or heard of them before yesterday!"
"All I know is, I don't like them!" said Sheihu. "Two of our friends are sick and it's all their faults!"
The three began to get quiet for a minute until Shang changed the subject.
"So has Sagwa ever been this mad before?" said Shang.
"No, but she has been mad before!" said Fufu. "She'll get over it by tomorrow, if she even remembers it by then!"
"I still can't help but feel bad" said Shang.
"Why?" said Sheihu. "I mean, why is it such a big deal to you? You act like you care about what she thinks or something!"
Shang paused for a minute. "Well… uh… guys? Can you keep a secret?" said Shang.
"Okay" said Fufu.
"I can!" said Sheihu.
"I kind of… like Sagwa!" said Shang as he closed both his eyes. After a few seconds he opens his eyes again to see the almost laughing faces of Fufu and Sheihu. "You guys, please don't laugh and especially don't tell Sagwa!" said Shang.
"We won't!" said Fufu. "We just kinda see it as funny, considering what you did today!"
"Yeah, I know!" said Shang. "I wish I could make the feelings go away since Sagwa hates me, but I can't!"
"Sagwa doesn't HATE you!" said Fufu. "I don't think she is even mad anymore! But if it means that much to you, we can help you get her attention!"
"I-I don't know, Fufu!" said Shang.
"Aw come on Shang! What do you have to lose?" said Fufu.
"My dignity" mumbled Shang.
"Beg your pardon?" said Fufu.
"I mean, what if she laughs at me?" said Shang.
"Better than her being mad at you!" said Sheihu.
Fufu knocks Sheihu on the head. "Owch!" said Sheihu as he rubs his head.
"Even if she does laugh at you, you have to move on, but if I know Sagwa she won't laugh at you!" said Fufu. "She is very understanding!"
"Yeah, Sagwa is really cool! Which is obviously why you like her!" said Sheihu with his hand behind his head.
"Give her some flowers tomorrow and tell her you are sorry!" said Fufu. "That will make up for it, I guarantee it!"
"In the mean time" said Sheihu as he yawned. "Let's get some sleep!"
Meanwhile back at the palace the next morning, The Reader brings in a jar of the dangerous beetles to the Magistrate. The Magistrate studies the beetles carefully as the Reader tells him what the beetle is afraid of and other essential things to scare them off.
"I heard from my brother, that these beetles are very dangerous to livestock, pets, and children! However they will not dare to come around a yard with an onion patch in them. Onions are their weekness!" said the Reader.
"Hmmm. Well then, I hear by decree that all the people of the village plant onions in pots around their houses and that the royal garden have onions planted in it as well!" said The Foolish Magistrate as Baba and Mama wrote the rules down for the Reader to read to the villagers.
"I sure hope this works" said Baba.
"Me too!" said Mama.
The Magistrate and the Reader leave the room once the rules are done, so Mama and Baba look to tend to Dongwa and Sheegwa's needs as they find another free moment.
"Hey Baba!" said Dongwa as he woke up. "Has the antidote came yet?"
"Not yet my son, but don't worry! Sagwa and the Cook will have it back in no time" said Baba.
"Anything out of Sheegwa yet?" asked Dongwa.
"No, I'm afraid she has been asleep the whole time!" said Mama. "Don't worry; it will take her a little more time to push out of it because she is smaller!"
"Dongwa, please get some more rest! You need to continue to rebuild your strength! You will need it to fight this off until the antidote gets here!" said Baba.
Dongwa didn't waste any time going back to sleep. Mama and Baba began to get worried, but had to remain calm for their childrens' sakes.
Sagwa, the Cook and the other three had gotten on the road again, back on their trail. They left earlier than they had the last two times so that way they could cover more ground faster. Shang ran up front so he could catch up to Sagwa. He had a few flowers in his mouth and was prepared to apologize.
"Here Sagwa!" said Shang. "I just wanted to say that I am sorry about yesterday!"
Sagwa looked at the flowers and started to get confused. She was wondering why he felt like giving her flowers. Sagwa and Shang walked side by side for about an hour, by the time the hour had gone by Sagwa and Shang were behind the Cook, Fufu and Sheihu.
"Look Sagwa, the reason why I did what I did yesterday is because I like to show off!" said Shang. "Especially in front of people I really like."
"What do you mean, Shang?" said Sagwa.
"Uh… well, I guess what I am trying to say is… I like you Sagwa!" said Shang.
Sagwa's eyes got big. She stood there and thought about it. It was all making sense! "So what do you want to do about it?" said Sagwa.
"Well for starters, I would like to start hanging out with you more!" said Shang. "You are really cool!"
Sagwa started to blush when Shang said that. "I think you're kind of cool yourself!" she said back.
Shang was relieved. It was going just like Fufu had said it would. But the excitement of the new friendship would be short lived because something exciting had happened! They had reached the place where the Dream Flower grew!
"Sagwa! Shang! We found it!" said Fufu and Sheihu excitedly. The Cook was relieved to see so many of them!
"This is way more than enough to last us for years! All the Dream Pollen we can use!" said Cook. But not to be greedy a thought came to his mind. "Only take what you need!" thought the Cook. He figured at least five jars of pollen would be pleanty.
You think the story ends here? You're dead wrong! Now that they have the flower, they need to make it back to the palace! Will Sagwa and Shang's new found friendship grow into something else, or will it face instability? Or both? I'll never tell, at least not until the next Chapter. How much longer can Dongwa and Sheegwa hold out? Will the Magistrate's plan work? Find out in the exciting final chapter, Chapter 4!