“Only I have got an ordinary brown head” said I-rangris inwards, feelings upset for being the different one among all.

“Who’s this?” a curious question halted her thoughts.

She darted down to discover a little girl gawking with her innocent and inquisitive eyes up at her and her neck stretched.

“Are you new here? You are biiig” said the girl lengthening the last word, impressed at her height, I-rangris smiled greeting. Looking up, she realized that certainly, she was. There was just she and the Doctor that were tall in this room.

“Well,” stood up the Doctor between them, “I found her outside and brought her to rest for a while. She will be worn out so let’s get her some rest,” he giggled telling the kids.

Turning back to her abruptly, his expression turned serious only for her to see, and he ordered, “follow me to my office.”

Filled in perplexity by the weird act of the Doctor and the sudden switch in his mood, I-rangris silently accompanied the Doctor to the initial room behind the reception counter.

Arriving inside, the Doctor headed to the coffee machine filling a cup, “Have a seat I-rangris.”

Upon entering, I-rangris analyzed the room, spotting something, she wondered “a machine?” surprised I-rangris when noticing that object at the side table. “How can there be a machine available in a place like this? Maybe it is common for such a small machine to be available here. There must be manufacturing by powers that humans possess in this world, humans here are quite different from my world” thought I-rangris while watching the doctor filling up a glass of juices along with his coffee cup.

‘Is this an era or technology or a fantasy world? Perhaps a mixture of the two but, then all returns to the first point again. How can there be swords, walls and such a terrible disaster in a place where machines exist too?’ this perplexed the newcomer with the same question ‘what is this place?’

Due to the damaged atmosphere nothing is clear here.

Returning to the present, like any simple office, a modest room with a shelf, an office desk, guest’s seat and a small section of comfort for brief meetings in the corner. There I-rangris sat down on a single armchair whereas Zain rested at the right side on the double sofa, offering her a glass of juice “you may relax and rest, don’t overexert yourself.”

“Thank you, I am fine,” accepted the girl the glass respectfully.

The Doctor sighed and said, “well, if you wanna ask something then you may go ahead… we can clear it here and now.”

I-rangris had a load of questions, listing it out would be endless and jamming them in would be depressing. She stared at the window, gazing outside at the red sky with smoke around. Trying to figure out a way how to appeal her question or what to ask. She just wanted to take it all out and inquire about everything but, that would complicate things for her and even the Doctor. It would hard for her to understand and catch up all the things and even harder for him to explain her which wouldn’t benefit both sides.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Thinking, from the moment she first stepped here, and all the incidents that transpired and took place were obscure to her. Her head was surely in a dilemma as she couldn’t get out what she wanted. ‘How about asking recent stuffs? Events that confused me just now and then slowly we can go to the past. Perhaps that would be much smoother’. Staring back at the office table, she sought “that boy……..”

“Huh?” perplexed the Doctor as he was lost in his thoughts too “you mean the kid named Hino?”

“Yes,” acknowledged I-rangris “what happened to him? Why was he so upset?” she pointed out that she considered that something was amiss with him. Ordinarily, kids constantly act enthusiastic and spirited just like the rest children in the hospital. “So, can you explain me about his troubles?” she requested, anticipating that he had answers to at least this and at the same time worried that perhaps this would likewise be left in mystery.

This was unpredictable from her. Zain was astounded by her first question. She was just a girl who recently entered this place and met the kids here and yet she cared about them. He assumed she would demand several questions about the surrounding, red sky and other matters but, this was…..

“I see your observation is pretty good, I-rangris” smiled the Doctor reflecting on her actions “didn’t expect you to request that first” the girl simply stared.

The Doctor responded “that boy is the most unlucky one of all. All the children here are lingering in this hospital waiting for their families, mother, fathers, brothers and sister to return and then leave home but, for that boy things aren’t progressing well….”

“How come?” the girl urged, stunned.

Zain began to provide detail about him. He mentioned her that he wasn’t alone before. He was brought in here by the Doctor along with his brother, who was elder than him. This brother of his is named Hano. Both resided jointly here and shared many things together. They slept together on one mat, ate one plate, played with one toy. His brother had a desire of raising a seed outside in one of the charred parks. He went there and did this gardening alone, leaving behind his younger brother here. “When I requested him to quit this…. Clarifying that this place was a burnt and dead land and it won’t grow, I tried giving him reasons but, still he insists on continuing, leaving a signal that this will bring back the light of hope to our land.

He use to say one tree can last for decades in our land. Looking at the new born seed, the people suffering in dread and desperation will recover and their faith can spark again, then soon, the situations will return to normal…..

“However, this didn’t go well” the Doctor’s tone was filled in sorrow “a week ago, Hano fell ill. During his fever, Hino worked to take care of the seed and I took care of his brother.”

The Doctor went on narrating “the weak boy was struggling to fight his fever just to receive a message that the plant has grown…..

“That night, as I ran to bring the little boy back from the park, another child from behind rushed to me informing that Hano was crying. I carried Hino back to the hospital and discovered him grieving alone where I left him on the patient bed.

“Hino was small to ask and grew worried by staring at the condition of his brother. I asked him whether he was in agony or there was something he wanted.

But, the boy only replied that he couldn’t reform anything.

He craved to see his parents and home again but; it seems this will never happen again.

In his tearsome eyes, he requested his little brother to take care of the seed in faith that it would grow. Support it rise and never leave it.”

After this sentence, Zain remained quiet “so you mean to convey that” spoke I-rangris her heart feeling heavy as she tried holding her tears back “that boy died out of illness, right?”

Burying his half face with his right palm, Zain felt terrible by thinking of this. He was shivering in guilt, grieving in silence. He felt terrible for letting the child die like this. Though it wasn’t his fault or in his hand but, it was his responsibility as a Doctor to cure the sick.

“Doctor….” He heard and peered at her who was likewise fragile by his condition “it’s not just his brother, right? I mean, you know more of his family members and can’t reveal it to him. It’s crucial. Who is the guy that has died?”

The Doctor sat up straight, replying “that hexagon you spotted, that man inside is his dad….. he too passed away……”