The Mistress of the Fire Lord

Chapter 20 - Are You Here To Take My Place?

I arrived back at her quarters, in order to examine her. She was alone, then. 

-- You… -- she coughed again -- I thought you were gone for good. Have you come to finish killing me? To take my place? -- she sounded weak. I sighed. She had the right of thinking it about me. 

-- I have no intention to get your place. I have a good life at the Water Village -- I said while examining her -- I will heal you, and then go back home. Now make silence, I have to listen to your breath. Try to breath deeply. 

She complied, and my heart sank: she definitely wasn't well.

-- I'm not going to lie to you - it doesn't look good. But I'm going to do my best. You'll make some inhalations and eat some honey three times a day. I'll tend to your every need while you are in the critical stage of your treatment. It's that okay for you? 

She didn't answer right away, for she started coughing the moment she tried to talk. After she resumed her cough, she paused for a while, thinking, then answered to me:

--... Yes. 

At this moment, a servant arrived with the artemisia, propolis and honey, as well as a pot and a teapot with boiling water. I proceeded to crush the artemisia leaves into the pot with a little water. 

Then, I covered it with the rest of the water and covered it. 

-- Let's wait for a few minutes before doing your inhalation, alright?

She nodded. I gave a good look at her. She looked so tired. She was a fighter, I could see, and I saw myself respecting her for her strength. 

-- What are you looking at? -- she asked me at length, taking me away of my contemplations.

-- I'm just thinking -- I answered automatically. 

-- Thinking about what? 

-- About what to do to make your treatment more effective. 

-- You said you wouldn't lie to me. 

-- I said -- I replied while taking the pot to a nightstand beside her bed -- that I wouldn't lie to you at that moment, not ever. Now -- I opened the pot --, proceed to inhale this steam, please. 

I started bending the steam to make it go closer to her nose, and tried to focus myself to guide it to her lungs. I couldn't, though, as it needed an extreme control. Maybe during the full moon I would be able to help her with the inhalation. Meanwhile, it would depend mostly of her will to live and the strength she had left.

When the mist was no more, I covered the pot, fed her a spoonful of honey and covered her.

-- You try to rest. You did a good job this morning. I'll be back in the afternoon and at night. And if you need me at any moment, don't hesitate in calling me. I'll call someone to take care of you now. 

-- Karima -- I heard her weak voice calling me as I left, so I turned back --, thank you. 

-- Anytime -- I replied with a smile, before going back to my quarters and collapsing in tears on my bed.