AWOL

Chapter 2

Hitomi Hyuga

He has some odd decorations on the wall for a doctor, I thought. Framed pictographs of plants and pressed leaves and flowers covered almost the entire wall. The small shelf by the front desk was stacked with books on herbalism and various plant encyclopedias. I never would have assumed that a physician would have such an interest in botany. Then again, maybe he brewed his own medicine from plants he found. I suppose I always assumed that potion brewing was more of a specialty, like the old hag who ran the potion shop back in Kakariko Village. Come to think of it, I don't even remember if there was a doctor in Kakariko. I only lived there when I was very young, so many of my memories about the place were very unclear.

I paced back and forth in the main room of his office, waiting for him to tell me the results of his treatment. My subconscious continued to remind me how absurd it was for me to be worried about him, but I had long abandoned the notion of having to kill him. There was no turning back now.

Finally, after what felt like hours, the doctor emerged from the back room and removed his surgical mask. I gave him an anxious, questioning look. He smiled. "Your boy is going to be just fine. I reset the leg and pumped him full of red potion. Even threw in a little of my own home-brewed medicine for good measure. Both the leg and his head injury should make a full recovery within the next day or so. Thank the goddesses for modern medicine, am I right?"

I sighed. "That's a relief. I was beginning to worry that I didn't get him here in time."

"You most certainly did get him here in time! If you'd waited much longer, he might've gotten an infection. But all is well; his wounds are properly dressed and he's sleeping it off in the back."

"How much do I owe you, sir?"

He waved his hand. "Nothing more. The twenty rupees from earlier will cover his expenses. And don't worry about the cart; you returned it in the same condition I loaned it to you, so there's no charge for that."

"I really can't thank you enough for your kindness. Not many people would have listened to the plea of a complete stranger."

"Ah, well I could see you were desperate, I guess. Anyway, it was no trouble at all. You're welcome to stay a bit - I'll put on some tea for you." Now what kind of person would I be to turn down his hospitality? The man was offering me tea, for goodness's sake, I'm not an animal.

"So tell me, what's in that home-brew of yours?" After seeing all the plant paraphernalia, I was genuinely curious.

He put the kettle on the wood-burning stove. "Oh, just a few additives I've studied over the years. You'd be amazed at the flora outside of Hyrule; they're nothing special on their own, really, but the effects they have when coupled with existing potions are very effective in healing. Our patient may have to walk on a crutch for a few days, but that leg will heal much faster than it would have on red potion alone."

"That's incredible. But if your herbs come from outside Hyrule, how do you get them? I'm sure you're busy with patients and whatnot."

His sharp, angled face seemed to soften as he thought about it. He set down the kettle and poured me a cup of tea. "Ah, I have my greenhouse out back. I've been able to cultivate my most-needed specimens right here in Hyrule. Any that I can't grow myself I send my apprentices to collect. Sometimes I'll even go get them myself if I've trained them enough to leave them to take care of my patients."

"I may return here some day and research your work, with your permission of course. It sounds fascinating."

"Well why not now? Seems you have the most opportune time to do it, don't you think?"

I sighed. "We can't stay in one place for too long."

"On the run from something?"

"…yeah, something like that."

"It wouldn't happen to be Queen Zelda, would it?"

I nearly choked on my tea. No way, how did he know? I'm keeping my identity secret…oh no. I felt the top of my head only to touch my blond hair. I instantly remembered catching him as he had fallen down the hill and losing my hood in the process. My face and my ruby-red eyes were exposed to the world. There was no denying to anyone who I truly was now.

The doctor nodded. "I had my suspicions when you wouldn't take your cloak off this morning. And you came back in such a rush that you must've forgotten."

I stood up, ready to bolt off in case he was going to do something that could get me caught (in my frenzied state of mind, I hadn't really thought about what he might actually do, but I was prepared for an ambush). He put a hand up to stop me. "Relax, I won't tell anybody."

"How can I be sure? I've only just met you, so I don't know your motives."

"It's not often that the royal assassin saves the life of a known bandit, is it? His face is on every government wanted poster in the country, and well, your kind isn't exactly common. No offense."

"None taken," I said numbly, staring at him in confusion. "But why should I trust you not to turn us in? I'm sure there'd be a big reward in it for you. As of now, I'm a traitor, and I'm sure my head as well as his would both fetch you a hefty price."

He shrugged and poured himself another cup of tea. "Son, I don't know if you know this, but her reign isn't exactly favored among the people. And you clearly don't side with her either, since you're risking torture or worse for saving that boy's life."

Don't remind me, I thought bitterly. I sat back down and went back to my tea. "I never pictured myself leaving, but here I am on the opposite side of the spectrum."

"You know what you need to do? You need to leave Hyrule as soon as you can," said the doctor. "She'll hunt you down if you stick around. You take that boy in there with you, you pick a direction, and you keep going until you're far away."

"I suppose I don't have a choice," I said. Even if I did flee the country, she'd probably still find me. But right now it's our best bet. "How soon can he be discharged?"

"Let's say tomorrow night. We'll give him the rest of today and all day tomorrow to let the potion do its job. He should be up and walking well enough to travel by then. I'm afraid I have to keep my horse and cart, but I'll send you with another medical kit for emergencies. After that, you're both on your own."

I stood up and bowed out of respect, one of the gestures I use to keep my heritage alive. "There's no way I can ever repay you for your kindness, but I promise that one day we'll come back and try to make it up to you."

"There's no need for that, but I would be glad to hear from you both once in a while. Consider that your debt: send me a letter every now and then telling me how things are going."

I smiled and sat down. "We'll be sure to do that as soon as we're across the border."

He returned my smile, which was suddenly followed by a puzzled look. "Come to think of it, I don't even know your first name. I'd like something to properly address you by when I write you back."

"I wouldn't recommend that, just in case Her Majesty intercepts our correspondence." I knew she would, too, having seen it happen before with potential conspirators. She knew no boundaries when it came to getting something she wanted.

"I see. Well I don't want to put you in any danger, then."

In a world that had been nothing but cruel, his kindness felt like a gift from the goddesses, especially when civilians were so apt to be distrustful of me. This felt like the beginning of a new epoch in my life, and I was ready to move forward and leave my past behind with my new companion. This doctor, whom I'd known for less than a day, gave me a new lease on life. I knew the least I could do for him.

"…Sheik. My name is Sheik."

Chapter 2 is officially up! Hope everyone enjoys it! Review please!