The Physician

A Hidden Home

Mira was playing a dangerous game. She had to let a man into her home, not knowing his name, his origin, or anything about him, in order to save him. And she could save him, that was no problem, she had found the cure for Looterweed months earlier. The problem was him being in her home. Nobody had ever been let in. Nobody even knew about it, and the first person she brings inside is a total stranger. Mira surprised herself with how far she would go in order to save a life. But after all, healing was her passion.
Whenever she found someone in the forest who needed treatment, she would always treat them then and there, and if the injuries were grave enough, she would set up a temporary camp around the patient. But that wouldn't be enough now.
The stranger gaped when they walked through the hidden entrance. It led to a small cave, which led to a bigger cave through an opening on the left wall. She never used this particular room, as there were no light here in case some of it should shine through the wall of vines and moss, which made the doorway. Mira used the bigger room further in.
She helped the stranger to her bed which stood beside the fireplace. The bed was made of five loose planks and covered with fur and pelts. It was simple, but cozy and warm. And even with the hole in the ceiling over the fireplace, where the smoke leaked out, it was comfortable even on the coldest winter nights.
When the stranger was laying down as comfortably as someone with hole in his side can, she hasted to her workstation. The makeshift shelf hanging on the furthest wall just a few steps from the bed held much of the ingredients she used both for medicine and cooking inside small jars and pots. Many of the ingredients were rare in this region and climate, and so stock were low.
Mira held up a jar filled to the brim with a herb she just called The Twin Leaf because it was the twin of a more known poison. She picked ut one big leaf, then returned to the strangers bedside with tools and clean bandages. That was when she noticed his armor. She forced her hands to work, but her head couldn't quite let the thought go. Now that she had better lighting, she could see that his armor was unlike the others she had seen on Maram's soldiers. It was more detailed. More ornate.
The stranger was pale, but surprisingly still awake. She had to undo some of the stitches, then poke a few holes in the leaf and put it inside the wound. The effect wouldn't be visible, but it should work. She only hoped that the poison hadn't done too much damage that was beyond repair.
"Hopefully you'll live another day," she told him and went to mix a remedy to relieve his pain, now that she finally had time to take a moment and just breathe.
"I'll be dead by morning if I'm lucky. Looterweed isn't exactly known to be kind to its victims," he groaned and touched his forehead. Mira hadn't checked, but by looking at his injury, and his pale and sweaty face, she knew that a fever was inevitable.
"If you die, it's not because of the poison, but the after effects. I cannot tell how much it damaged your insides yet."
He lifted his hand from his head, visibly confused. "What do you mean?"
"I mean that the poison had time to damage your organs. Normally, when poisoned by Looterweed, its victim dies when it reaches the brain. It hadn't reached your brain yet, but it had time to reach your other organs. If the liver stops to function-"
"Wait, hold on," he interrupted, "are you telling me, that you cured me from Looterweed?"
"Naturally. Lie still, the stitches may tear your skin-"
"You found a cure to Looterweed?"
Mira turned around and found him sitting upright. That damned man was asking for death. She returned to his bedside with the remedy, and tried to force him down to a horizontal position. "Lie down you thickhead, you may not be dying anymore, but you're still wounded." She tried to smear the remedy on his skin, but he wouldn't let the topic drop.
"You found a cure. And you saved me! I was certain I wouldn't live, but you saved me from a-, from an incurable poison."
"It never was incurable, the antidote just wasn't discovered yet."
His eyes were wide with amazement, and even in his feverish state he looked wide awake. "How did you find it?"
"I looked. Now please lie still, do not tempt me further to knock you out."
He finally did as instructed, and she could finally treat the injury properly. With the remedy on, the pain would soon ease. She changed out the Twin Leaf and left it to work.
"Thank you, for saving me," he said, and began to relax, smiling content.