- Shari -
Fortunately, there was nothing else bothering us on our way, so we made it back without further incidents.
I suppose the southern district is still off-limits.
Before we're inside Okin is already at the door.
"You're back!" (Okin)
Concerned, I decide to ask the pressing question.
"How is she?" (Shari)
"Not better... I don't know what to do. I think it's bad." (Okin)
If I'd only know what to say in this kind of situation.
"Seriously?
You're making me come all this way for some street urchin?" (Tamarah)
Certainly not this.
"Does it matter? You're already here and I'll pay you." (Shari)
"Sigh. Whatever. Let's get this over with. Where is she?" (Tamarah)
"Eh? Who is that?" (Okin)
"Someone who's growing increasingly impatient. Can we get going?" (Tamarah)
"I brought an expert to help your sister." (Shari)
For a moment, Okin looks rather stunned.
Maybe because of my impressive connections.
"Ah... She, she's up the stairs." (Okin)
Shortly after this, Tamarah is in the room and apparently already starting the examination.
"Oh my. That doesn't look good." (Bokkan)
"Be quiet. I need to concentrate." (Tamarah)
She moves directly to Nia.
"Hey, you! Are you receptive?" (Tamarah)
I don't think it's necessary to snap against her forehead. Yet I'm not the expert.
"Uurgh, wha-? Who... Who are you?" (Nia)
"Not too receptive it seems. At least not enough to trust her statements on her condition." (Tamarah)
Maybe I should tell her what I know about her condition.
"Ehm, she drank quite many stamina potions. Could it be an overdose?" (Shari)
"I don't think so. Her heart isn't racing and it wouldn't cause this kind of reaction." (Tamarah)
There goes my theory.
Now our potioneer continues prodding and probing her body.
"Ahhngh, no. Please. Leave me. What is going on here?" (Nia)
She seems to get gradually a bit clearer.
Maybe we just woke her from a rest phase.
Uh, I mean, she lost consciousness for a bit and we woke her up.
"Bear with it. I'm almost done. With that part." (Tamarah)
"She's here to help you, Nia. Please, calm down." (Shari)
"You... I, I feel terrible. Really terrible. Please, make it stop." (Nia)
"No drugs for you. At least not yet. Now hold still." (Tamarah)
"Shari?" (Nia)
"That's a friend of mine. She's very knowledgeable. If anyone can help you it's her." (Shari)
"If, if you say so. Cough, cough." (Nia)
By now it seems like Tamarah saw all she wanted to.
"What happened to her arm? That's the telltale scarring of a mending potion there." (Tamarah)
"Ehm, I treated it." (Shari)
"You did what? How?" (Tamarah)
Stolen novel; please report.
"Her arm had a festering injury. It really didn't look great. So I... made it disappear." (Shari)
"Fascinating." (Bokkan)
I have slight concerns regarding this guy.
He's a bit too interested in me to feel comfortable.
"You, I already told you to be quiet! And you! Don't talk around the point when giving medical testimonies. That can end deadly." (Tamarah)
"Okay, I dissolved the infection. Every bit that felt rotten to my analyzing ability. Satisfied?" (Shari)
"Not really, but go on." (Tamarah)
"After this, I applied the mending potion and gave her a stamina potion to restore her strength."(Shari)
"You gave her a stamina potion? While she was suffering from an infection?" (Tamarah)
Why does this sound so accusatory?
"Yes?" (Shari)
"You might've been right. That's probably it..." (Tamarah)
"What is what?" (Shari)
"Well, it's better if it happens like this." (Tamarah)
"Like this? What do you mean?" (Shari)
"That you're accidentally killing someone with your applied treatment. Be it mixing the wrong ingredients, messing up the ratio, a too-high or low dosage, or a false application, it's something like a welcome event everyone in this business has to go through. So better have it early and not with someone where messing up bites you in your ass, or whatever is a suitable equivalent in your case." (Tamarah)
The words shake my core.
Almost literally.
For a moment I feel like I'm fading away and am standing very far away from myself.
"Killing? But? What? I, I don't understand?" (Shari)
"My sister is going to die!?! No! You can help her! She said it!" (Okin)
"That's the thing about empty promises. They don't always work out. This kiddo is dying from the same infection she had before. Just that it got immeasurably much worse because of her messed up treatment." (Tamarah)
"Waaahhhh!" (Okin)
That's too much for the boy.
He starts bailing his eyes out and hugs his sister.
"Okin." (Nia)
"Damn, so loud." (Tamarah)
Empty promises.
A broken oath... I don't want this!
Where did I go wrong?!
"What do you mean? I messed up?" (Shari)
"Oh yeah. Did you seriously skip the part in my book that tells you not to apply stamina potions to cure the weakness of a disease?" (Tamarah)
Maybe there was something like this.
But it's not like this was the treatment.
I was already done with everything at this point.
"I didn't. But I already got rid of the rot before!" (Shari)
"Do you have any idea what an infection even is?!" (Tamarah)
"Apparently not!" (Shari)
"Then listen carefully now, so something like this won't repeat! An infection is alive! A living contagion that wants to overtake the body. A stamina potion on the other hand is boosting living processes. By taking care of her arm you might've destroyed the worst concentration of the infestation, but with the stamina potion you gave it all the energy it needed to multiply again." (Tamarah)
"But... But she was fine before!" (Shari)
"Sure she was! Your stamina potions aren't too shabby. She was probably so hard on the energy high that she barely registered how quickly the infection was sprawling inside her. So yes, she's dead. But if this helps you, she probably would have died either way." (Tamarah)
"But, but with all your potions there must be a way. Anything you can do! You are the best potioneer in Rakis! No, the world! There has to be something!" (Shari)
"Nope, sorry. She's too far gone. Nothing I can do is gonna save her at this point." (Tamarah)
Is she seriously just gonna be to Nia like: "Well, sucks to be you"?!
"I, I'm dying... I'm really going to die. Cough! I, I don't know..." (Nia)
"Damn, now I'll feel bad all week. Thanks for that, Shari." (T)
"But, but you promised! You said you would help her!" (Okin)
As devastated as Okin is, I'm probably the same.
It hurts.
I wasn't able to keep my word and this overwhelmingly nagging thought threatens to devour me from the inside.
"Okin, stop! Cough, cough. Please, stop. I don't want this. Cough, cough." (Nia)
"But sis, you, you... Waahhh!" (Okin)
Damnit!
Every single moment just hurts more!
And there's nothing I can do to make this stop!
"I'm sorry." (Shari)
"I, I guess that's just how it is. Cough. I'm not angry... Really. At least you tried. I knew that my chances of getting old were never all that great. Cough, cough, cough." (Nia)
"Here, drink this. It might at least give you momentary relief." (Tamarah)
"Th-thanks." (Nia)
I know she's sad.
Terribly so.
Who wouldn't?
Just trying to put a strong front for her brother.
"It's just... You know, one can't help but sometimes hear this little voice 'Maybe I'll make it through the day', or the week, ...month. Maybe it might work out somehow. Maybe I can grow a bit. Go, visit other places. See something else than the slums. I already made my peace that this won't happen after the injury but then you treated me and it was like a miracle. Something so unlikely happening just for me. And then that voice came back. I, I know this is unreasonable. It's not fair to ask for more. I don't want to be ungrateful. It's just, just..." (Nia)
I know!
Okay?!
I know!
"I-I don't want to die!! I don't want to! Cough, hick, cough, cough!" (Nia)
She's crying.
Solid streams running down her cheeks.
Her brother next to her, burying his equally soaked face into her side.
I can't endure this!
I lied!
I broke my promise and just made everything worse!
If there'd just be a way.
Anything I could do to make up for my mistake!
Isn't there any way to heal her?!
* "Shari? You don't seem fine. Are you alright?" (Liqu)
Liqu, touched me.
She's linking!
* "Do I look fine to you?! I messed up! I'm the reason why she's dying and there's nothing I can do to make this right, you stupid..." (Shari)
* "Shari?" (Liqu)
* "...Slime." (Shari)
* "Yes?" (Liqu)
* "No, not you! Well, actually yes. But... What you said back when we first met this girl. Does that still apply?" (Shari)
I send her the corresponding context through our link.
* "Oh this. Well, yes. I still have all I need." (Liqu)
* "Okay. Okay. Please give me a moment for myself. I need to think." (Shari)
* "If you want that." (Liqu)
Her consciousness recedes and I'm again alone with my mind.
I can't rush this.
First, I need to make sure if this is even feasible.
"Tamarah, would you at least be able to stall the progression of the illness a bit? Anything to make her survive just a little longer? Maybe the next three days?" (Shari)
"Hm, yes, theoretically there might be a way. I could give her something that would stop the infection from spreading. This would quite surely prevent her from getting worse." (Tamarah)
"Wait, if you have something like that why did you say you can't help her?" (Shari)
If the infection is stopped, it should only be a question of time to heal her completely.
"Because it stops the infection but also purges the majority of the body’s natural magic and causes all supporting functions to cease. Foremost of which is halting the internal energy production, thus literally starving the infection out of sustenance. I'm talking about a very thorough effect. Her body won't recover from this anymore. It's at best only a stopgap measure and not even a good one. In other words, this poor soul would only get some more terribly agonizing days while her body further deteriorates and eventually completely fails her. And this only in the case that no other nasties find her defenseless body, deem it a lavish feast, and hasten her demise. Oh, and did I mention that the ingredients for that mix are quite expensive? Not to speak of, she might need a skilled mage to keep her biological processes going if her condition takes a turn for the worse." (Tamarah)
Well, I guess we know who she means.
"Oh, am I again allowed to talk?" (Bokkan)
"Did I give you any inclination to think so?" (Tamarah)
"Sigh. Harsh as ever, Tammie." (Bokkan)
"I hope you understand me here, that I won't for no money in the world, allow this kind of treatment only to prolong her suffering for some more days. Even I have my code. However, the way you asked it seems like this isn't just about you being unable to accept the inevitable. So I'll hear you out." (Tamarah)
"Wh-what... cough. What are you talking about?" (Nia)
It seems like Okin cried himself to sleep, while Nia is still awake.
"If... damnit. You see, if there would be a way for you to survive... What would you be willing to give up for this?" (Shari)
"Hah! Cough, cough. Ungh. Th-that's funny. As if I'd have anything left to give." (Nia)
"That's... not quite true. You still have your life, for now at least, your body, your soul. What I'm about to ask from you might cost you all of these." (Shari)
"You, you're scaring me. What do you mean?" (Nia)
"Hah..." (Shari)
I need to stop beating around the bush.
This is important.
"Would you like to become a slime, Nia?" (Shari)