Never Be Tamed

Chapter 28: Rest

Chapter 28: Rest

After lunch, we started our work at the training camp. We begun checking the health logs of the orders and the reports prepared by the previous staff who visited the area. We also did an inventory of the current supplies of medicines in the cabin and the common injuries for the week.

By afternoon, lumabas si Anabeth sa medical cabin para puntahan ang lugar kung saan nila hinahanda ang mga pagkain. She was going to check the menu for the week and if the meals complied with the recommended nutrition set by the staff at the apothecary.

Someone visited the cabin by late afternoon. At first I thought it was one of the orders injured from the training. But it was Owen who had just arrived in the camp.

He dipped his head lightly, greeting me. Pero napansin ko na tila may hinahanap siya.

"Anabeth is in the kitchen checking the meals," I told him.

Napakamot siya ng ulo sabay ngiti. Napansin ko ang gasgas sa kanyang mga braso.

"What happened?"

"Wala 'to, Miss Eleanor. Hindi ako nag-ingat kaya medyo nagkaaberya papunta sa camp." Nanatili siya sa doorway, hindi sigurado kung papasok sa loob.

"Do you want me to call Anabeth to treat you?"

Umiling siya, bago tuluyang pumasok at hinayaan akong gamutin ang mga gasgas niya sa braso. Napansin ko ang mukha niya na hindi mapalagay.

"Do you like Anabeth?" tanong ko habang marahan na pinapahid ang ointment sa kanyang balat.

Nanlaki bigla ang mga mata niya, hindi inaasahan ang tanong ko. Maya-maya pa, humalakhak siya nang mahina. "Halata ba masyado, Miss Eleanor?"

"I just noticed with the way you look at her."

"Ang cool niya lang sa paningin ko," ngiti niya habang nakaupo sa hospital bed at hinahayaan akong gamutin ang kanyang sugat. "I was one of the orders in the village when the poisoning happened. Nakita ko kung paano niyo ito nagawan ng paraan, lalo noong gumawa si Miss Anabeth ng antidotes kahit kulang sa oras. I didn't know she's this talented."

"Magkakilala na ba kayo noon?" tanong ko habang nakatuon sa ginagawa.

"Dati kaming magka-klase," sagot niya, tila nabawasan ang ngiti. "But I was an asshole in school. I was with the wrong group of friends and I treated her differently."

Bumuntonghininga siya sabay pilit binalik ang ngiti sa labi. "Kaya hindi na ako magtataka kung mas gugustuhin niyang umiwas sa'kin. But I'm trying to mend my ways mula noong inalok ako na maging order ng alpha."

"Have you apologized?" I asked. "For treating her that way?"

Hindi nagawang sumagot ni Owen and I took his answer as it is. Bago tinapos ang paggamot sa kanyang sugat, isang bagay ang sinabi ko sa kanya.

"Anabeth is one of the most amazing person I know. She's smart, hardworking, and she cares for people a lot. But she's pretty wounded too, kaya kailangan mo siyang ingatan."

Owen's face lighten before he nodded with a smile, sumasang-ayon sa mga bagay na sinabi ko. Just the mention of Anabeth's name made his face lit up.

Palubog na ang araw nang makabalik si Anabeth sa cabin. Habang nililigpit ang mga ginamit namin ngayong araw, sinabi niya ang kanyang nabalitaan.

"They say Alexander and Sir Zackary are in the next town... for a courtesy call or something," she muttered. "Hindi parin ako sanay na sila na ang pinuno ng bayan."

Naiintindihan ko ang pakiramdam na ito ni Anabeth. Hanggang ngayon hindi ko parin alam kung paano haharapin si Zackary, lalo na at habang tumatagal, lalo akong nalilito sa kabang nararamdaman ko tuwing makikita siya.