The Derelict King

Chapter Two

Today did not come easy. I found myself making many bargains for my remedies. It seemed that many had fallen ill in the night, and not many of those families has coin to pay for my services. After Thana had left this morning, I spent the better portion of an hour twining my harvest and hanging it in the second supply room to dry which would take about a week. I needed to fill this room if I was going to be able to make it through winter. As soon as I propped the door open, I was bombarded with customers. This was unusual. It was normally a steady stream of people, never this many at once. I boiled it down to two things, one being that a majority of the pregnant women in town were suffering terrible morning sickness, which was nothing new. The other, was a new sickness.

I had taken my paper and coal pencil out to take notes, writing down each family name and their symptoms. The Johnson's had it the worst, their whole family was suffering from fever, chills, aches, loose stool, and a rash all over their body. I gave each of the families a starting batch for my fever tea, something known to reduce quite a few of the side effects that were spreading. My main concern was the rash. I knew I could reduce fevers and cure headaches easily, but a rash I would need to look at. I made an appointment to go to the Johnson's house after closing. If I could identify the type of rash maybe it would lead me to a remedy.

As I waited for the appropriate time to close my doors and begin my investigation, I began cleaning. I knew Thana was right about my store being messy, but it was how I functioned, and it was not that bad. I had a few robes strewn over my seats, but I was never busy enough for guests to even use the bench. My makeshift countertop was littered with books  and papers, and I had at least three cups sitting on the corner of my work bench. With a shrug I removed the cups and looked at my cleaned-up space. Thana would be so proud. A small knock warned me of a visitor, and I returned to the front leaving my cups on the tabletop to wash later.

"Scuse' me Rasi, but I really need your help!"

I came around the corner to find a little girl and her mother standing at my front counter. The girl was crying, her short hair falling in her face.

"What's the matter?" I asked gently.

She looked up at me with giant baby blue eyes rimmed by the bright red of her emotions and tears. I could feel my heart breaking at the sight.

"Come on, little one. Why don't you tell me what's going on?" I walked around the counter and knelt in front of her. I'd seen her mother around the small village quite a bit. I believe her name was Sama, and she owned the kitchen a few cabins down. She'd had my father build it for her a few summers back, it had been her dream to have a big enough place to cook for whomever wanted to eat her delicious soups.

"My flower, it's dead." She huffed as she pulled her hand from behind her back to reveal a decent sized wilted Red Barren in a makeshift pot. "It was healthy this morning, and when I came home from helping Mama make soup, it was like this. Please help me!"

"What's your name, sweety?" I asked.

"Sama, after my mama." The little girl looked at her mother with pride, and a smile warmed my face.

"Tell you what, Sama, if you follow me, I can show you where to put your plant so I can mend it for you." She began jumping happily, shaking the plant with her joy and I cringed. "I'll let you in on a secret, little Sama, plants do not like to be shaken." I stood and led the two toward the third room in the cabin, the nursery. My father had designed it with utmost care, ensuring it was an open room with windows that turned outward and let in plenty of light. "If you would please place her on that counter over there, I will ready my special water that's rich with plant food to give her the energy to become what she once was, if not better."