The Leper King's Healer

Chapter 17

I went with Bella to see her sister with Abu and tell Emma that if Omar is looking for me, tell him I went to this little girls house. Bella's house is located outside of the Town village; it is a small barn house with broken doors, and like any other house in this village, it emits a horrible stench from the cesspit. As I entered her one-room house, it was dim and rustic.

"What a sight... the horse stable is much nicer," Abu exclaimed as he looked around. "Shut it..." I whisper to him.

"What?" he inquired, his voice low.

Bella took my hands and led them to her sister, who was lying in a haystack with a dirty rag for a blanket. She was frail and pale, with protruding eyes. She is extremely dehydrated. I immediately check on her; she has a high fever.

I told Abu to get everything ready and to get me some warm water. Fortunately, months ago, after my body made contact with Dysentry, I developed a prototype antibiotic. that I am now using with other patients For her dehydration, I prepared an oral hydrate solution of sugar, salt, and boiled filter water and gave it to her.

" Will she be alright?" Bella asks. "Please.. don't let her die...I don't want to be alone," she sobs.

"Of course, I will not let anything bad happen to her," I assure her as I pat her little head. "How old is she?" I inquire.

"14," she replied quickly, "what is her name?" I inquired.

"Mary," she said.

"Where are your mother and father?" I inquired.

"Father died last year due to the plague, then mother married another but died shortly after," Bella said as she looked down.

"Oh... my...I'm sorry to hear that... it's just you, your sister, and your stepfather"

She nods quietly.

"You know what, you are a brave young girl.. your sister is very lucky to have you," I said as I smiled at her to cheer her up.

"Where is he, your stepfather?" I inquired.

"I'm not sure... maybe out drinking..." she replied.

Oh dear... Her stepfather is a typical good for nothing drunkyard stepfather. What a shame she's only a child... I thought to myself as I sighed.

"listen... I promise to help your sister, so don't worry. everything will be fine," I said , and she slowly nodded.

We changed Mary's bedding and even her blanket to a clean and warm blanket, and I ordered Abu to clean the house and send some mason to fix the broken door and window. I also made an arrangement with some male villagers to build a cesspit away from Bella's house, to which they agreed.

A drunk man enters the house a few moments later, "who are ye?" He inquired as I hid Bella behind me.

"You must be Gustav, their stepfather," I speculated.

"Aye," he said as he teetered closer to us.

"How could you leave these children alone and sick while you were out drinking?" I confronted him.

"What are you doing?" enquired Abu, who appeared nervous in the presence of the large muscular Gustav.

"nothing.. just speaking my mind "

"You do realise we have bones that are actually like twigs that he can snap whenever he wants," Abu said quietly.

"Hush," I told Abu.

"aye.. but you don't have the right to tell me what to do with those girls! and now who let you into my house...?!" Gustav snarled.

"I'm sorry... step f-father... but Mary is sick, so I'm asking her ladyship for help," Bella, trembling in fear, said.