Waking up from my pleasant dream I slowly opened up my eyes and found myself lying comfortably in an unfamiliar place.
Skimming through my surroundings it seems that I'm currently in the infirmary.
...
"Right... I lost..." I whispered to myself recalling everything that had happened earlier.
Feeling very lethargic with a very discomforting feeling around my left ear, I forcefully tried to get myself up from the bed only for a voice to call out to me.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you"
Turning around to where the voice came from, I see a young female doctor working on her paper as she carefully examines me.
"Urgh... What happened and how long was I out?" I ask.
"About an hour or so. Don't worry you had simply just got knocked out of consciousness, luckily you didn't sustain any serious injury aside from your ruptured left eardrum. You should be able to make a full recovery in another two hours after the potion I administered finally finishes its job"
"I see, thank you"
"Well, I wish I could also say the same thing to your opponent, what's his name again? Argent?"
!!!
Upon hearing those words, worried, I immediately tried to get up from my bed again to check on him but was unexpectedly betrayed by my body.
Huh?...
...
I can't seem to find any strength to move...
"It's the side effect of the Regera potion, in exchange for accelerating your natural recovery it drains the consumer of all of its strength for the next three to four hours. Just rest for now"
"But what happened to Rey? Tell me he's at least alright"
"Well... Hmm... Without sugarcoating it, he's in a much rougher shape than you, but he'll manage to live"
"That doesn't sound any good at all!"
"—and who's fault is that?!"
"..." I was immediately silenced by the doctor's words.
"When he was brought to the emergency room he was utterly exhausted that even his unconscious body was desperately gasping for air, we thought he was going into shock, luckily his body is very resilient and we managed to stabilize it.
He sustained multiple bone fractures, two cuts that I personally had to stitch up, bruises, minor burns, and two ruptured eardrums, both of his eyes were also bloodshot but luckily no permanent injuries.
Today was supposed to be just the opening exhibition match, I honestly didn't expect for someone to get injured like that, seriously what happened to that guy, did he fight an army or something?"
"I have no comment on that" I guiltly reply.
"—Anyway, I've already administered two doses of Revita potion, eight hours should be enough for him to make a full recovery"
"I see, that's a relief"
The doctor then took something from her table and handed a cylindrical-shaped object over to me.
"This is?"
"The medic team gave this to me, they said this is the thing that took the both of you out. Any idea what it is?"
"Well, he told me he was gonna test a replica of a relic so this must be it" I explained while carefully inspecting the device.
"Relic replica huh? To think something this small can knock someone out. This thing must have been expensive"
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
"Believe me the way this thing goes off is very unpleasant, I'd rather not experience it again" Was the only word that I could say.
...
... ...
As the infirmary is not busy at the moment, we both decided to accompany each other and start conversing about certain topics.
She introduced herself as Doctor Amanda Leroche and that she was a former army medic who returned to civilian life.
"—Well, there's not much to say about my life in the army except that I really hate reckless people. As much as I appreciate the works of Imperial Knights, they're all just a bunch of glory hounds who often find themselves injured by their own stupidity.
I honestly preferred working with those mysterious mages who guarded the wall non-stop. What do they call themselves again? —oh right Arcanians"
"why'd you leave the army?" I ask
"Hmm... while the pay is indeed good, right from the start, being an army medic wasn't really my passion. I just wanted to be a regular doctor and uplift my family from poverty.
After finishing my studies I was in desperate need of money, luckily the army offered me a good deal that I just couldn't let pass, so I signed up for two tours, I just didn't expect I'd be thrown to the northern front"
"Northern front? Wasn't that place crawling with Ravagers?"
"Yeah, my first month there was brutal, I could barely get any sleep with all the constant attacks"
"Must be very rough" I commented.
"Yeah, but it's the Arcanians who mostly handle the defense of the front, we're just an auxiliary unit"
As we continued to enjoy our conversation, It was then that we both heard a knock on the door.
"Doc Amanda we got another one"
Hearing those words, Amanda let out a sigh before putting her eyeglasses on.
"Sorry, duty calls"
"No, it's ok"
"—Best I suggest for you to return to your rest, but try to avoid sleep-talking, ok?..."
"Sleep-talking?!"
"Yeah, you've been calling that boy's name repeatedly while unconscious, with respect to your privacy, I personally requested you to be transferred to this private quarter.
—your lover perhaps? Ahh, to be young~" Amanda teasingly answered.
Upon hearing that revelation, my face instantly glowed red in embarrassment which tried to hide with the blanket.
"Wait your wron—"
"—WELL, GOTTA GO, can't leave the patient waiting~"
Wait!!!
Doc Amanda then hurriedly left the room before I could even defend myself.
What a mess...
*********
After another two hours' worth of rest, it seemed that my body had finally finished recuperating and now had recovered most of my strength.
Letting out a big yawn, I sat up from my bed only to be greeted by the same young doctor again.
"So how are you feeling?" Doc Amanda asks while picking up a clipboard and a pen.
"I feel much better, now that I can finally move. The potion was very effective, even my hearing has returned to normal" I answered.
"I see I see. Do you feel anything uncomfortable like pain, lightheadedness, lethargy, or double vision?"
"No nothing so far"
"Good, good. Your blood pressure is also pretty normal, —One last thing, put your hand on this mana measuring device for me"
...
...
Doc Amanda after checking everything on her diagnostic paper, she then pulled it out from her clipboard before stowing it away in her file cabinet.
"—Great, you seem to have made a full recovery" Was the result of her diagnosis of me.
"I see thank you. Any news about Rey?"
"You mean your boyfriend?"
"—He's not my boyfriend!"
"Hmm... Are you sure?" Amanda then leans closer to my face with a wide mischievous smile.
"What do you mean by that?!" I terrifiedly back away.
"sigh... Do I really need to spell it out for you?
'Rey, I'm sorry...'
'Don't leave please!'
'I should have chased after you...'
'Didn't you wish for our friendship to last forever?!'
'Come back!'
'You don't have to worry about the past'
'Let's try our best to let us start anew...'
'Why can't you call me Jeanne again?...'
'Please call me Jeanne like you used to...'
'Please...'
—need I say more?"
"—Waah!" astonished at the series of words I just heard, I can only conceal my embarrassment by hiding myself under my blanket once again.
"Ho ho ho ho, a lovers quarrel perhaps? —Come on, there's no point hiding it now young lady. I warned you, now spill it!"
"Please delete those things in your mind!"
"No can do my lady. If anything, this is the exact thing that made me enjoy my job! There's just something satisfying about listening to people sleep-talking under the influence of Regera potion. The concoction is like a truth serum that can make even a prim and proper lady like you spill everything out. Hehehe"
"Wah! I thought you were a decent person, I was wrong about you!"
...
... ...
After calming her excitement, Doc Amanda then elegantly wipes off her unhinged drooling face, before returning to her calm collected self as if nothing had happened.
—Whoa, this woman has just gone a complete 180 in a matter of seconds, terrifying!
"Anyway, he should still be unconscious. We put him in the recovery room that has sterilization enchantment to avoid any infection on his wound, you can visit him if you want, he's by the end of the hallway, room 138"
"I'll do that, thank you again"
"Remember to come and visit me immediately if you suddenly feel something off, okay? This infirmary got a good stash of Regeras"
"I won't!"
Getting out of my bed, I annoyedly grab my coat from the hanger before fixing myself and exiting the room.
"Seriously, what's wrong with that woman?" I whispered to myself as I squeezed the star brooch that I'd kept as a memento from an old friend of mine.
...
... ...
"This is the place"
Arriving by the end of the hallway and in front of room 138, I briefly took a deep breath to calm myself down before proceeding to open the door.
Creeaaak...
Stepping inside the room, to my surprise, I was greeted by someone I completely didn't expect to be here.
"Liana?"