Reign of Deceit

Chapter 20

In the following days, Joan seemed to prove Ma'am Beatrice wrong. She diligently followed behind the nurses, carrying their tray of equipment for them. She checked up on patients when the nurses were busy, happily chatting with them. In one week, she had made a home in the clinic. Joan had never felt this happy in her entire life, well, except when she lived with her master and mistress, before the affair debacle. The nurses were kind and even the other errand girls called her name sweetly with a smile. aside her, there were two other girls who worked in the mission clinic as errand girls. However, the difference between them was that they had homes to return to. At night, she stayed back helping the night shift nurses and a little before midnight, she'd retire on the bed on one of the wards. Surprisingly, the bed was comfortable and despite the groaning and cries that filled the room, she still managed to have a good sleep every single night, with a smile on her face.

She had her meals from the secret portions Ma'am Beatrice always took out of the patients' lot and during her free time, she would hide in the pantry to quickly have her meal.

"You are really making me proud." Ma'am Beatrice commented one morning, about two weeks later.

Joan's face was full of smiles. "I am glad I did not disappoint you."

"You seem to have fallen in love with your job. Have you considered ever going into it full time?"

Joan shook her head. She had never considered anything. All her life, her decisions had always been premade for her. At that point, all she wanted to do was to be happy. "However, I'd let you know when I think of it."

Ma'am Beatrice looked at the girl in wonder, her mind wondering what circumstance had led her to the clinic. "Fine then."

A few days later, a surprising visitor showed up at the clinic. Joan was cleaning up after the nurses for a man who was badly hit with stones for stealing. It had become a common sight at the clinic.

"Do people get so injured like this most times?" She had asked Ma'am Beatrice the first time she witnessed the clinic running around to save an almost dying man.

"People die every day. Most of them, from the injustice of the society. Fulda isn't always a safe place. Sometimes, it becomes the rich swallow poor situation. So, the least we can do is try to help these people. Even if they were wrong, death isn't always the way to solve a wrong."

The conversation played out in Joan's head as she looked at the pale man whose complexion seemed to be much better than when he was brought in. it told her he'd live. Somehow, she had learnt the signs of someone who had a chance to live and someone who didn't during her stay at the clinic.

"Did you hear?" She heard one of the nurses speak. Although gossips were not allowed at the clinic, Joan had witnessed it more than once. Sometimes, the stories she heard interested her too. She paused for a second before resuming to clean the instruments in her hand, however, her mind was now solely in the discussion between the two nurses.

"Heard what?" The other nurse seemed just as excited as Joan was. Well, perhaps because gossips weren't so easy to come by.

"The monastery is recruiting."

Joan frowned. They recruited too? She used to think the monastery was strictly for some set of individuals.

The other nurse didn't seem so shocked. "Are we running low on doctors so soon?"

"A few of them are being sent to other places. I heard some of them were sent to Rome to take care of the Pope."

The Pope? Now that sounded interesting.

The nurse sighed. "Unfortunately, I have no brothers. Wouldn't it have been a lovely opportunity to be a sibling to the Pope's medical assistant?"

Her colleague chuckled. "So, you are willing to trade having to carry cute babies for a title as weird as this?"

the nurse shrugged. "Well, it is worth it."

Joan worked a bit slower, enjoying the exchange that was happening right behind her. Somehow, she could picture herself serving the Pope. Back in her small town, the Pope was seen as someone untouchable. Like a demigod.

Some made him look so scary while some others who claimed to have seen him defended him greatly and spoke of how down-to-earth he was.

Just then, a nurse came running in, causing the both nurses to quieten down almost immediately. "Ma'am Beatrice asked that you hide somewhere. Quickly!"

Joan couldn't tell what was going on. She didn't have time to question either before diving into a private room beside her. The room was pitch black. Joan couldn't make out what was inside the room. It was her first time inside the room.

The room was pitch black. Joan could not tell where it began and where it ended it seemed like she was in a vast space. Slowly, her eyes adjusted to the darkness. The room seemed like a mini library unused for God-knows-how-long. The dust on the books were thick and so we're the cobwebs. Behind her, was a huge door that seemed locked. She wandered to the back door, her entire being screaming inside of her to see the light of day again. Just then, she heard two footsteps enter the room she had been standing in minutes ago. One was light, like the shoes worn by the nurses at the clinic. The other one was heavy, more like a masculine gait.

"I told you. There is no one here." She heard Ma'am Beatrice voice.

"It doesn't kill the fact that you might have hidden her." The second person replied. It was a man. His voice was deep and stern. It made Joan hold her breath.

She heard Ma'am Beatrice scoff. "Tell me, was it that wret—" She paused an took a deep breath. "Did a certain blabbermouth meet you to tell you I was harboring a teenager at the clinic illegally?"

Blabbermouth? The only person Joan knew was always at constant war with the kind nurse was another nurse called Karen.

"Well," Ma'am Beatrice continued. "It seems someone can't wait to get rid of me and become the Head Nurse here."

"Blabbermouth?! Do you really think you can do as you want just because you are Head Nurse?" The masculine voice reprimanded. "You of all people should know that every staff that gets to work here has to pass through me. This clinic was built on the hard work and sweat of us, priests. We cannot risk having a dead patient due to carelessness. Or, do you have a way to answer someone who ends up giving the wrong medication to a patient?"

Ma'am Beatrice was quiet. "No, Monsignor."

Joan's brows furrowed. Monsignor? He was a priest? Did he come from the monastery too?

"Well then, I'll appreciate it if you bring her to me now."

Ma'am Beatrice swallowed. "Like I said, no one is here. Karen is only looking for a means to get me out of the position of Head Nurse."

The Monsignor chuckled. "That is one huge accusation. Can you back that up in front of the council?"

Ma'am Beatrice hesitated before bowing. "Forgive me, Monsignor. I think I am just overwhelmed due to the huge workload for the past few days."

Her apology didn't meet him well. "Are you trying to complain? Well, it will please you to know that we still have a long line of candidates vying to work for us. They can replace you. All you need to do is keep up with the complaints."

"I understand sire."

Silence followed and Joan finally had the courage to breathe. If she were the one in Ma'am Beatrice place, she would definitely have passed out from the questioning.

He spoke of the council. Who were they?

She leaned on the nearest war, her hand on her racing chest. However, it turned out not to be a wall but a creaking shelf. It shook from the impact of her body and a few books fell off with a loud thud. Joan gasped, freezing at the spot.

"What room is that?" She heard the priest ask. We're they talking about the room she was in? If so, she was busted.

"It is an old library. It hasn't been used for ages. Perhaps, a mouse found its way there and caused the noise." Ma'am Beatrice's voice was louder than usual. Was she trying to warn her?

An old library... There were talking about her.