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Red Skys and Royal Cards“Has anyone heard from Sky recently?” I asked walking into the kitchen after Tao had called that dinner was ready.
Everyone in the room shook their heads. I hummed and sat at the table waiting for those still making their way down.
Sky’s been preoccupied with things around the campus and something in my mind. She’s been more withdrawn and less active with the many of us. Something started happening with her and other Dealers around campus after the incident of the near nuclear Warrior. Since then she has been busy outside of the house with her cousins and Warriors that are under her mother and father.
Sky’s been spending more time with Xiumin recently, all of us have noticed, and it’s obvious he’s been with her most night as well. I can’t say I don’t wish I was the one with her, but if Xiumin can offer her something none of us can at the moment, then I won’t let it get to me as much.
Sky will talk to us, to me, when she is ready. She just has to know what to say before she will say anything.
“Eat up. Just make sure you leave some for Sky when she gets home.” Suho told us.
We stayed quite while we ate, which was out of the norm for all of us.
“What’s been going on with you and Sky, Xiumin?” Sehun asked the eldest.
Xiumin looked up from his plate and looked around at all of us at the table. “She’s been going through some things, and is overwhelmed with something she recently discovered.”
“You going to share what that is?” Kris pressed from where he sat directly across from Xiumin.
“We should know what’s been going on.” Kai said. “We want to help her go through whatever it is, just like you are.”
“There isn’t much we can do.” He said. “When Sky wants to share everything she will. Wait a little and she will tell all of us what is going on.”
“Does it affect us?” I asked. I had the feeling it did. And I wasn’t wrong when Xiumin nodded his head. I sighed. “I’m going to go out.”
“To the back yard?” Luhan questioned.
I laughed softly. “No, I’m going through the Academy and may leave the grounds.”
We don’t normally go anywhere without Sky but I needed time away from all the boys and from this house. A storm was coming and I wasn’t ready for the aftermath just yet.
“That’s not a good idea.” Chanyeol warned. “We shouldn’t go without Sky.”
“She gave us freedom to do as we wanted.” I reminded them. “I’m going to use the freedom I was given to go on a walk.”
The air was fresh as the sun still hung in the sky. I took in the fresh air and I walked along the path down a street lined with identical houses.
Sky found our curse. There wouldn’t be any other reason she would act the way she was and have Xiumin holding his tongue like he did at dinner. She had the journal JiHoon wrote in. It was the one I had given him one year before all of this started.
She holds a riddle and key that will remove this retched curse from us. It’s something I’d want to know, it’s knowledge I’d like to have shared with me. I don’t want this curse any longer. I’ve lived far too long hating what I do to want to live doing it any longer.
I want to be done with a life of slavery and death. I’d like to go back to my life before this world destroyed the way I viewed everything around me. I want to be able to live with the girl I was falling in love with and not fear being hunted, attacked or killed.
“You are a Warrior for Sky Rouge, are you not?” I turned around to see a woman that felt familiar to me. I’ve seen her around Sky before.
“I am.” I cautiously answered.
“I’ve been told you have medical training.” She said. “I could use your help if you are willing to give it.”
“I’ll decline.” I told her and turned around to leave. “I follow what my Dealer says only.”
“Then what has you wandering the streets?” She pressed. “I’m a friend of Sky’s mother, and she said one of her Warriors could help.”
“What help do you require?” I sighed. I had the medical training, but it was centuries old. Useless to modern medical science this day has managed to produce.
“Our medical team on Academy grounds lost it’s only trained doctor last night during a Card raid while he was visiting family.” The Dealer explained. “With the Competition still continuing, and injury occurring as expected from the combat portions along with general illness, we need someone trained to help us.”
“I’m sorry, but I cannot help.” I told her. I can’t use my Specialty around Dealers. I can’t expose what I am and who we all are.
“You have the knowledge, you do not need to use your Specialty.” The woman tried to reassure me. “I know about you and your friends. Aura tells me much about you, and I wouldn’t be asking if we didn’t truly need your help.”
I want my old life back. I want to be away from this hell. I want the freedom Sky promised us we had, and this might be the one way I could do it now. “What is it you require from me?”
“Come with me, I’ll explain as we go.” She began to lead me through the empty, twilight streets. “My name is Jaylene Han, I’m an instructor here at the Academy. I over see the medical wards and field training on the grounds. I work primarily with the third years. I’m no trained doctor, but was a trained emergency nurse before I found my Cards. Our Doctor was killed and he was the only one who could acquire the drugs for the treatment of the Dealers on campus. I don’t know the treatments for everything and I certainly can’t get more drugs that we have run out of to use for treatment. You have ancient knowledge from a time that knew medicine that could treat far better than modern day. I need you to look at our sick and injured and see if there is anything you can do.”
“Do you have access to herbs and plants?” I asked. I only know treatments based in herb and natural remedies.
Jaylene nodded her head. “We have a greenhouse. Mainly for study purposes, but you can have access to it.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” I agreed.
Jaylene led me to a white marble building. Medical Arts was carved into the slate above the entrance. Three stone steps led up to the entrance of the single story building.
Walking inside I was greeted with tan walls that lined a short corridor. Two doors branched off from the corridor on either side. “Those lead to the main office and file storage room. Up ahead is the main part and has the emergency beds and leads to the personal rooms for those that have to be treated longer.”
I nodded along as she explained the design of the building. She led me through the place and showed me where supplies were kept and how to navigate the corridors. She stopped outside a closed door in the hallway that housed the private rooms.
“I want to start here.” Jaylene looked over at me. “Cut on her leg. Deep enough to hit bone. Doctor Jakob stitched it up, but she’s got a pretty bad infection that was helped by the antibiotics she was prescribed, but we are out and the infection has flared up again.”
“I need to take a look at it.” I said.
“Come.”
I pushed the door open to find a woman laying in bed staring up at the ceiling. She looked up at us when we came in with a grimace. “Mrs. Han, do you have any pain killer, my leg is burning and it really hurts.”
“I’m sorry, Lily, we don’t have anything. The best I can give you is some Advil.” Jaylene responded, moving around me.
Lily groaned. “The nurse already gave me some an hour ago but it isn’t helping.”
Jaylene nodded and sighed heavily. “This is Lay, he’s going to take a look at your cut.”
“He’s a Warrior. I’ve seen him with some first year kid.” Lily sneered through her pain. “I don’t want him touching me.”
Jaylene pulled the blue linin to expose her injured leg. It was red and inflamed. The area around the wound was swollen and had white patches. Pus had formed around the stitches, which were beginning to come lose.
“It needs to be opened and drained.” I said to the Dealer. “The infection started in the muscle. If the infection isn’t controlled quickly it will spread and you are going to have to have your leg amputated. If you let me, I can help and you won’t have to lose a limb.”
Jaylene interrupted the girl before she could speak. “Lily, if you don’t let Lay help you, it will get worse and you will lose your leg. The infection has doubled since last night, you need his help. This Warrior has the knowledge and training to help.”
“Can’t you get another doctor?” Lily groaned.
“Not as soon as you will need one.”
“Don’t leave the room, I want you to make sure he doesn’t do anything wrong.” Lily said.
Jaylene nodded towards me. I moved forwards to inspect the infection more closely. I’ve seen something similar, treating it should be easy but not pleasant. “I’ll need to put something together to fight the infection and to manage the pain. Draining the wound won’t be comfortable, but it will have to be done.”
“How long?” Lily asked.
“By the end of the day tomorrow I can begin treatment on it. Full healing time could take a few weeks but I can get you back on your feet without losing your leg, Lady Lily.” I told her. “Who else do you want me to look at?”
“We’ll be back, Lily.” Jaylene said leading me out of the room.
She led me to different rooms down the hallway of private rooms. All of them displeased at first that a Warrior would be the one treating them, all of them giving in in the end after I told them the consequences of turning my aid away. Most would need pain treatment, some would need to have their infections controlled properly.
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