Never Be Tamed

Chapter 46: Bullet

Trigger warning: violence, blood

Chapter 46: Bullet

I started my work in the village with Anabeth and the two staff from the hospital. The first thing we agreed to focus on was making the villagers trust us.

Most of the residents in the place had health concerns but they would rather keep things to themselves. That's why communicating with them was as important as treating them. Understanding the thoughts of  patients was a large part of their way to healing.

Every now and then, Anabeth would share stories about the apothecary. I was glad to hear from them after weeks of being away. But I couldn't help but notice that there were details Anabeth was trying to shield me from.

By night time, after an entire day of work, I had dinner with the group  at the house assigned as their living quarter. The talk over dinner was mostly about what the village and the residents needed and the unused supplies of medicines at the clinic.

"May mga gamot na mag-e-expire na nang hindi nagagamit," puna ng  isa sa mga staff.

"Nakakapanghinayang naman na hindi ito magamit dahil lang hindi pinagkakatiwalaan ng mga tao ang kanilang pinuno."

"We all have different perspectives after all," Anabeth commented.

I went along with their conversation, sharing my opinion if needed. But my head was somewhere else.

After dinner, Anabeth walked with me to my sleeping quarters and  asked if she could have tea. We were silent the entire time I was preparing the dried leaves and boiling water in the cramped kitchen.

"I know there are things you want to know," Anabeth finally said.

I placed the steaming cup of tea on the table in front of her. "Not really."

I thought the same at first, that I needed to know everything. There were a lot of questions I badly wanted to seek answers but I realized they only pointed to one thing.

"I just want to know if Zackary's okay."

I took the seat opposite Anabeth and held the cup, warming my palms. "The things that happened in town after I left, I can learn to accept them... but I worry about Zackary."

"So you already know about the talks of engagement?"

Tumango ako bilang sagot. Bumuntong-hininga si Anabeth at sumandal sa silya.

"I almost believed the news myself if not for Zanra who told me what really happened during that awful meeting. It was clear Sir Zackary left the entire thing before they could even come up with a decision. So I don't understand why they needed to publicized the meeting as if it was official. Now a large part of the town believed that the two was indeed engaged."

My heart dropped at Anabeth's statement. The meeting being publicized... that was something Callahan failed to mention to me. My eyes remained on my drink.

"So you might find things a little different when you come back in town."

I nodded and tried to smile, only to realize my eyes were stinging. I  didn't know if it was from the vapor of the tea or from the clenching of my chest.

It was almost midnight when I walked Anabeth back to her cabin after a series of catching up. Most people in the village were already asleep  and the cabins and houses were shut securely from the inside. The mountain and surrounding forest was silent, watching us.

Before reaching the cabin, the two of us noticed a group of people in the open hall at the center of the village. They seemed to be in a deep conversation, including the village leader.