Chapter 6: An Outbreak

Year 124 

 

    Taehyung woke up bright and early the following day and started on some chores. He cleaned the inn and washed the clothes of the clients of the inn. The innkeeper woke to the sound of his hard work.

 

INNKEEPER:

What are you doing? You are my guest, there is no need for you to work so hard!

 

TAEHYUNG:

Aunty, I must repay you for your kindness. I have little money, therefore the best I can do is offer my work in exchange for your hospitality.

 

INNKEEPER:

Young man, why don’t you run a few errands for me then?

 

TAEHYUNG:

Of course! What can I do for you?

 

INNKEEPER:

I need some fresh water from the lake, can you take this cart and fetch some more?

 

    She pointed at a small cart with a dozen bamboo sticks, each ready to be filled with water. 

 

TAEHYUNG:

Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon.

 

    He headed towards the lake with the cart by his side. The city was still quite a mess from the festival, but he did not mind it. As he arrived, he saw a few other villagers filling up their bamboo sticks with water as well. He began filling up his own until he noticed something strange. It was not the smell that seemed to alarm him, but rather the unusually murky water. Although lake water was usually pretty cloudy, something seemed to strike him as unordinary here. Taehyung subsequently stopped filling his water and asked the locals if there was any other source of water nearby. He discovered from the locals that nearly 5 miles from this lake was another of similar size. Despite his urgings for the others to follow him to the other lake, the others could not justify walking the extra 5 miles. Nonetheless, he made the trek and collected his water.

 

    Since he had gone so far, he returned to the inn much later than the innkeeper had anticipated. He explained himself to her, to which she simply nodded to. However, his decision to journey the extra miles was an important one and perhaps one that may have saved the innkeeper’s life.

 

    Exactly one week later, an illness had begun in the village. When the chief administrator of the village heard of this, he informed the Governor, who in turn quarantined the small village. Taehyung was correct to suspect the quality of water these villagers had been drinking from. the symptoms of this illness resulted in people releasing fluids from every opening of their body. A few others managed to create an immunity to this disease, but most fared unfavorably. 

 

    Taehyung acted hastily, knowing the survival of this village would depend on his ability to provide them freshwater. He ordered Ho-seok to take as many healthy men as possible to the lake five miles away and carry back freshwater for the people. Taehyung, the innkeeper, and other healthy women would remain in the village tending to the sick. Taehyung, who was somewhat knowledgeable in medicine—his father was always sickly, therefore he learned to make some medicine out of nature’s offerings—and quickly concocted a type of medicine from a locally grown plant. This plant was commonly used for stomachaches and he assumed it was the best option at the moment. He ran from house to house helping any who needed it. Then, he came upon a house he would remember well.

 

TAEHYUNG:

(He knocked a few times.)

I am here to help any who is suffering from the illness!

 

JISOO:

(She opened the door slowly.)

Who is it?

 

TAEHYUNG:

Jisoo?! This is your house? Are you ok? You’re not sick are you?

 

JISOO:

(She smiled.)

Slow down. I’m fine, but there are some sick people here. 

 

TAEHYUNG:

Please, show me to them.

 

    She led him through the small shack to the bedside of Chang-min, her foster father and a traveling merchant. Next to him was his daughter and Jisoo’s foster sister, Rosé, who was tearing up. Jisoo sat beside her and comforted her while Taehyung placed his hand on Chang-min’s forehead. 

 

TAEHYUNG:

Don’t worry, I’ll do my best. 

 

    He pulled out a mortar and pestle he made from carving a small chunk of wood and began to grind the leaf of the medicine plant. He fed the paste into the man’s mouth slowly and poured him some fresh water he stored in a bamboo stick. After doing so, he instructed Jisoo and Rosé on how to care for him. He then left and tended the other patients. Jisoo’s heartbeat raced as she watched him run out from their shack to the next with such intensity and urgency that she fell for him for a second time.