The Healer and the General

Part 14

Over the next week, Demi got into an easy routine. She would always wake up early and take a walk, before heading to breakfast where she met with the twins, Eva, Doyle, and Eric. Once she finished breakfast she and Eva would go to the healer's tent. Demi wasn't sure if it was because the female liked spending time with her and had nothing else to do, or if she was supposed to be watching over Demi. Or both.

So far there hadn't been many people needing her help, so Demi mostly looked over Leeches old grimoire. For somebody who didn't use herbs, he sure did have a lot listed. Most of them were from the north, so her book didn't have them. Demi thought it was probably important information to have, so she transcribed the chicken scratch to her grimoire.

When she wasn't doing that, Demi was in the forest collecting more herbs. Her mother had always said, "You can never be too prepared. Always collect as many medicines as you can because you don't know how many you'll need in the future, or when the plant will die out." So Demi was always prepared for the worst. Whenever she did go out of camp, it was usually the twins that accompanied her. When the sunset, Demi and Eva would head to dinner. And each night Eric would ask her to dance. And each night she said yes, and got lost in either the music or his beautiful brown eyes.

"You know, I don't need a babysitter," Demi said to Eva on a particularly slow day. The female had chatted all day long the first two days and then had run out of things to say. So now they mostly sat in silence.

Eva had the guts to look as if Demi's accusation offended her, "Why, I spend my days here because I enjoy your company, of course."

"Well, I'm horrible company and I'm positive that you have better things to be doing than watching me write stuff down," Demi said.

"And if I truly have nothing better to do?" She asked.

"Well then, that is a sad and uneventful life you're leading." Demi joked.

"Haha. I'll have you know that my life is plenty exciting," Eva paused before a sly look came to her face, "Especially at night–"

Demi covered her ears, "LALALALALALALALALALA! I can't hear you!" The last thing she wanted to talk about was that. Both of them started laughing before Demi had a thought, "Do you know how to fight?"

"You'll have to be a little more specific." Eva paused, "Sword fighting, bow and arrow, with a knife, hand-to-hand?"

"All of the above?" Demi had started to consider learning to defend herself but had never had the chance to ask Eric, and if Eva was going to be stuck with her all day, they might as well get something out of it. She'd learned some when she was younger, mostly the bow and arrow from her mother.

"Yep. Why?" Eva looked at her and then raised her eyebrow and smiled broadly, "You want me to teach you." She pointed to herself than to Demi. Demi only nodded her head. "Well, I'd have to ask Eric." Eva mused.

Demi sighed, she had a feeling that Eric wouldn't go for it, "Do you really need permission to teach me to defend myself?" When she looked back at Eva, she saw the answer in her eyes.

"Hell no."

And so began their lessons. Every day the two of them would move the large table in the middle of the room, and train. Eva had 'borrowed' some equipment from the training area, and taught Demi very well. She was patient but wasn't afraid to push. Eva never went easy on Demi, and always pointed out her mistakes. And that was the start of a beautiful friendship.

↢↟↣

A few days later, the first sick kid came in. Demi didn't think much of it at first, it seemed to be a mild case of the flu. When the second kid came in, she assured herself that it was just a coincidence. After the third and fourth kids came in, Demi knew something was wrong. They were all getting progressively worse too.

Eventually, just about every kid from the age of three to fifteen, whether fae or human, was inside the healer's tent, puking up their guts. They couldn't hold anything down, not even liquids. Which made it impossible for Demi to treat them. When the twentieth kid came in she knew this was no ordinary sickness. Only kids got it, and it didn't spread through the air or touch.

Parents had begun to panic, but there was nothing anybody could do until Demi found out what it was. She didn't leave the tent for anything. Eric or Eva would bring her dinner, and she'd eat it while looking through her grimoire for any answers. Demi had barely slept and it was starting to catch up to her.

Once the kids hit a certain point in time, their condition stayed the same. It didn't get better or worse. Just stayed there. Eventually, the kids would die, either from the illness, or from starvation, since they couldn't get any food down. If any of the kids died, Demi would never forgive herself.

"Demi, did you hear me?" Eric's voice came. It was quite soothing, and she wondered if he could sing. Demi laughed at the absurd thought, she really needed to get some sleep.

"No, sorry." She finally answered.

"Some of the parents are wanting an update, well, most of them. Actually, all of them want an update, and to see their kids." Eric said, but Demi could barely comprehend what he was saying.

"Update? Right, right. Umm, I don't have anything new. All the kids have reached the point where they don't get better or worse. And I don't want anybody in here, it could get the uninfected kids sick." Demi took a deep breath and rubbed her sleepy eyes, "So far, none of them have been able to keep any food down, or liquids for that matter." She had tried just about everything, but nothing had stayed down.

Demi's voice broke, and a sob came to her throat, "Meaning I can't really help them because they can't keep any medicine down," tears freely fell from her face, "and I have no idea what's wrong with them, or how they got sick in the first place." Demi felt like she was suffocating. If she didn't hurry, the kids would die. But how? How could she help them if she didn't know what was wrong?

Before she knew it, Eric wrapped his arms around her. Demi breathed in his forest-y scent and instantly calmed. She felt like everything would be alright, as long as Eric was by her side. Shaking the thought from her head she focused on what Eric was saying, "You can't save everyone, Demi. No matter what you think, this isn't all up to you. I- the others and I are always here to help you. You just need to ask."

Demi nodded her head and pulled out of Eric's embrace. She felt suddenly cold and the lack of contact, but didn't pay attention to it. "Thanks," she said, wiping the tears from her face. Eric looked like he wanted to say something more, but held it in. He just nodded his head and left the tent.