Never Be Tamed

Chapter 9: Lesson

Chapter 9: Lesson

After visiting the mansion, I was back in the apothecary. Halos kasabay ko lang si Anabeth na kababalik mula sa bayan. She immediately grilled me with questions until she noticed my injured shoulder.

"Saan mo nakuha 'yan? Did something happened to you in the mansion?"

Umiling ako habang naglalakad kami sa mahabang hallway pabalik sa kanya-kanya naming kwarto. Umuulan parin sa labas at mukhang magtatagal ito hanggang gabi.

"I got it from falling in the river. Medyo namaga lang kasi natamaan ng sanga ng puno."

"Eleanor!" bigla niyang singhal sa'kin, stumping her feet on the wooden floor na maging ako ay tumigil sa paglalakad. "Bakit hindi ka nagsasabi?"

"Okay lang-"

Anabeth cut me off by pulling my hand. "Let's go to the infirmary," she told me. "Hindi pwedeng tayo ang magkasakit o masaktan considering people go to us to heal them."

Anabeth asked the help of some senior staff in the infirmary. She's more of a herbologist than someone who can heal, an expert on making medicines than someone who could use them for treating.

Nasa gilid siya at nanonood habang pinaligiran ako ng dalawang senior staff para gamutin. "Buti nalang at nalagyan ito ng gamot kahit paano," said Senior Violeta, inspecting the injury. "You're not being careful, Eleanor."

Nilinis nila ang sugat ko and dabbed a dry powder on the open wound. Senior Violeta used her skill on me for the wound to easily absorb the medicine.

"We could restore surface wounds but once it reached your flesh, you know we still need the assistance of medicines. We're no magicians," paalala niya.

"Now, don't be too harsh," offered Senior Rowena, a small lady with short grayish hair. "It's nice that you found the plants that we needed, but your well being is still important."

Both of them have the same skill set as me, both treating their skill as a blessing than a curse. Tahimik ko silang pinagmasdan. Ang nagaalalang mukha ni Anabeth, ang dalawang senior staff na pinagsasabihan ako habang ginagamot, and even Zackary... is it really okay for me to feel accepted?

For the next few days, Anabeth and I focused on making medicines out of the plants from our previous foraging. There were several processes introduced to me to make the most out of every medicinal plants, including extraction using solvents, maceration, infusion, and processes using heat.

The terminologies they used were pretty intimidating at first. But I spent several days reading about them so I could familiarized myself and most of them were pretty procedural once I learned the process. The senior staff, along with Anabeth, trains me willingly kaya hindi ako nahirapan mag-adjust.

As people who have the skill, mas madaling nahahanap kung ano ang mali sa katawan ng isang tao at ano ang kailangang gamutin. It's like targeted treatment, more effective, cost and time efficient. The same reason why hybrids with skills were being pulled from their homes to work for other people.

"Finally! Okay na ang mga antidotes for mineral poisoning," Anabeth informed me with relief. "It could last for a few cases until we could forage again."

Nasa loob kami ng tower, which looks like a research and laboratory in one. There's a lot of equipment, a lot of old books. I like being surrounded by them. Books and learning made me feel like I could be of use.

By afternoon, a staff informed us that two orders were waiting at the infirmary to request for some medicine. The seniors were busy in the tower so Senior Violeta asked me to check for them. Pagdating ko sa infirmary, tinanong ko agad kung ano ang nangyari at ano ang maitutulong ko.