Apothecary

Chapter 10

It was a month before I saw or heard from Link again.

I was doing my usual clean up of the shop when a tense knock at the door startled me. Realizing that only one person would knock at this hour, I opened the door to find Link shivering with cold and almost completely pale. Staring at him, it was obvious to my medically-inclined mind that he was suffering from a form of hypothermia. Despite this, he was still attempting to be polite. "Y--Y/N, I apologize for waking you at so late an hour but I was wondering--" He didn't get to finish his sentence because I dragged him inside and fueled the fire up to full blast. Without a word, I heated up a rare potion, stuck a few cushions onto the couch in front of the fire, bade him sit, and then silently prepared Cucco soup with herbs mixed in. I returned to the fireplace brandishing hot soup and blankets. "Here. Eat up."

"I really feel I owe you an explanation--""Save it for later. I don't need the Hero dying of hypothermia on my doorstep." I was only being so terse with him because I was worried. After he transformed I didn't see him for a month--and then he comes back almost frozen to death? Where was he during that time? And not to mention that this was the worst I'd ever seen him get. Normally it was just a few cuts or bruises--with the occasional stab wound--but hypothermia? What could be so important that he'd let himself freeze to death trying to find it? 

Ignoring that for now, I gingerly led him inside, remembering that one shouldn't strain hypothermiacs. Surprisingly, he pulled his hand away.

"Y/N, I can't just stay here, I have to repay you for this somehow--"

 "Okay, yes, Link, but not right now!" Honestly, he had to be the most unwilling patient I've ever had--and it's because he was too busy trying to be nice! 

He made one last attempt to resist, then finally gave in and sat down on the couch. Looking him over, it was obvious that his clothes were soaking wet. I brushed a bit of melting snow off of his shoulder. Just where was he before he came back?

I stood up, a frown on my face, as I mentally ran through the checklist for hypothermia patients. Then I winced as I remembered the most obvious part. Dry clothes. His blue eyes looked questioningly at me from the couch. "What do we need to do?

""The ideal thing would be to get you some dry clothes...you wouldn't happen to have any on you?"

"I think I have a change...somewhere in here." His shaky hands fumbled but they still managed to open his pack--good, blood flow was still heading to some of his extremities at best. I was far more concerned about his legs now.

"Good. I'm heading upstairs to grab some blankets. Can you change while I do that?" I only asked because I didn't know how tired he was. Making a hypothermia victim move too much was asking for disaster. Once I came back down he had changed into a white tunic with shorts, and was sitting and awaiting further instructions. I bade him lie down again and proceeded to bundle him in blankets. 

As I tended to him I saw the green tunic and hat folded neatly on the hearthstones of the fireplace. His boots were resting next to the door and one of his bags was hanging on a nearby rack. It was in terrible circumstances, but isolated and on their own, they looked almost normal, like he'd been staying the whole time.

I could get used to the house looking like this.

The thought was so stupid, I mentally slapped myself. What are you thinking?! My face began to heat up as I continued to tuck in blankets. Do you have a crush on this boy? Because you can just stop right now if you have a crush on this boy. It's not gonna happen.

Of course I don't, silly. I mentally chided myself for even suggesting it as a possibility. We're just friends. At least that's what I told myself.