"Don't laugh like that... Huh?"
Arun woke up and has been delirious for quite some time. Now, I'm confused, pacing back and forth, not knowing what to do. I've never taken care of someone who's sick before, so I don't know how to act. I tried googling what to do when a patient has a high fever and is delirious.
Cleansing the body... I've done that, but it doesn't seem to have helped. So, I started calling Janephop over and over, desperate, but I don't know what my assistant is doing at such a critical moment like this. Finally, I decided to run out of the room to get Mawin.
Although I tried to keep my distance so that no one would suspect, that didn't matter anymore now. Arun needed to be a priority! As I ran up the stairs towards where Mawin was, the familiar voice of the cook interrupted my thoughts, which made me irritated.
"Where are you going, Miss In?"
"Can you not meddle in everything?"
My words caused the cook, who had approached in the hope of being friendly, to show a clearly disappointed expression.
This made me feel a little guilty, but I still maintained my posture, like someone who never admits her mistakes.
"Then I will leave..."
"How do you cleanse your body?"
I asked casually as the older woman walked away, her head down, towards her room. The question made the cook turn to look at me with some surprise.
"Clean the body?"
"Yes."
In the end, the cook, who was the reason why Arun was like this, offered to come to the room and teach me how to clean her body.
"When my son was little, he would get sick a lot, so I learned to take care of him a little. When his fever is like this, you need to take a damp cloth and rub her body hard, always rising."
The older woman demonstrated and looked at me kindly.
"Pay attention to the folds of the body and the hot spots. Always clean and change the cloth for a damp one. Keep it up and the fever should gradually subside."
"Won't it hurt to rub so hard?"
"The harder the better. Rub until the skin is red... Miss In, can you help me lift Arun so she can sit up?"
"I can try."
I answered hesitantly, but I helped lift Arun BekFah so she could sit up. Her sweet face still weak and she looked weak, but she begin to open her eyes, as if she's coming to her senses.
"Khun In... I feel dizzy."
She said.
"If you said you were fine, I would call you a liar... Being dizzy makes sense."
Arun BekFah, who could not sit up, throw herself at me, resting her head on my shoulder. We are now in an embrace, while Aunty Yaow is cleaning her back.
"It's not very practical like this. I think it's better to take off her clothes."
Aunty suggested.
"Take off her clothes?"
I make a slightly scared expression, but then nodded.
"Okay. I told Fah to take off her clothes from the beginning, but she was embarrassed."
"Then help me, please, Miss In. Hold Arun for me, and I'll lift up her shirt."
I pushed Arun BekFah away a little and helped her sit up straight, while Aunty Yaow lifted up her shirt. The delicate-faced girl shake her head stubbornly, her voice sly.
