Love Is The Best Medicine (Stardew Valley - Harvey)

Chapter 14 - You're My Hero

"It's Gus, he's had an accident..."

She sighed, looking as if she was about to burst into tears in front of you. Your heart raced as you heard Marnie's words. Gus, the owner of the Stardrop Saloon and one of the most beloved members of the community, had been in an accident?

"Is he okay?" You asked, worry and fear evident in your voice. "What happened Marnie?"

Marnie took a deep breath before speaking, "He fell down the ladder to the cellar. He was found unconscious this morning and rushed to the clinic last night."This is why Harvey had left so abruptly. Your mind instantly fell on Gus. You had known him since you arrived in Pelican Town, and he had always been kind and generous to you.

"What are his injuries?" You prodded, needing to know the full extent of the story.

"Dr. Harvey rushed him in and carried out several tests. He said Gus has a major skull fracture. He has been up all night operating. We are waiting on news from the clinic currently." Marine stuttered, the pain evident in her voice. Your heart sank as you heard the news. Gus was not a young man, and such an injury could have serious consequences. "So this is life threatening." You added, finally knowing the full extent.

"Is there anything we can do?" You asked, looking at Marnie hopelessly, your tone panicked.

"Harvey and Maru are doing the best they can..." Marnie replied, her own voice shaking. "Mayor Lewis has organised a meeting at Pierres, he wants everyone to come together in this trying time."

You had dealt with seeing serious injuries in the city. On the sidewalks you had seen people being tended to by ambulances and paramedics. In the end you just became desensitised to the sight. However, in a community as small as Pelican Town, any major emergency was heartbreaking. You all knew one another inside and out, and the thought of one of you being hurt or ill was devastating.

Snapping out of your thoughts, you nodded, quickly grabbing your coat and slipping into your boots. You didn't even bother to change out of your pyjamas,  you were too focused on getting to the Pierre's to see how you could help. Your hair was knotted and your eyes were dark and solemn. Your mind ached for Gus and worried for Harvey.

You practically ran to Pierres, your heart racing. You burst through the doors to see the townsfolk gathered, each comforting one another. Thats when you saw Emily weeping huddled in the corner, Haley and Leah next to her. Emily worked alongside Gus and they were very good friends from the years of service together. You rushed over to comfort her too.

As you approached Emily, you could see the tears streaming down her face. She was hugging her knees to her chest. Haley and Leah looked up as you approached, offering you a sad smile before turning back to Emily.

You knelt down beside Emily, wrapping your arms around her in a comforting embrace. "I'm here for you, Emily," you whispered, rubbing soothing circles on her back. She quickly hugged back. You felt her body loosen up as she gave into your embrace. "He's going to be okay, Harvey is amazing at what he does." You weakly smiled, offering reassurance. "I know, it's just- hard." She replied, her voice cracking up as she spoke.

Hours passed, you all confided in one another as you waited for Harvey's verdict. In the meantime, you did your best to offer comfort and support to those around you. You hugged Emily tightly and held her hand as she sat in silence, while Haley and Leah shared stories of happier times with Gus. You had also offered water and food to all the townsfolk, including Evelyn and George who were being comforted by Alex and Sam. You realised how stressful this must be on the townsfolk, as they had known Gus way longer than you had. You just wanted to help as much as you could.