- Location
- United States of America
This Poor Provincial Town
"How is he" a worried voice broke the silence of the home as she had went about her duty; tending to a young man almost as old as her own self laying on a straw covered bed asleep. His exposed chest rose and fell , small wheezes and the occasional cough escaping from him.
He was a handsome lad, Bell could admit. His curly shoulder length chestnut hair and muscles that could only be gained from years of harsh labour in the fields outside. His hazel eyes and warm playful smile had brought many a giggle to the other local girls and much to her horror even some of the wives.
Of course, that was when he was well and not lying prone in a bed. The image of him retching all over himself as well as having to help his mother clean him of his defecation to avoid any other diseases taking hold had quickly put a hold on those types of thoughts for her.
Bell looked up and saw standing there Missus Potts, wife of Mister Potts whom house she currently presided in. Her shoulder length brown hair was frazzled and had obviously not been brushed or washed in some time. Her face was a mixture of anxiety and exhaustion with new wrinkles ageing the woman and swollen red eyes making her face look puffy.
It was a sad sight to witness. She was so used to the womans cheerful smile and warm greetings as she passed by their home in the evenings moving about her business.
"Better" she replied sympathetically. "His fever has come down considerably, and his breathing is much less laboured. Your boy is a fighter, he'll live."
The loud wail of relief that followed her statement made her flinch back. The woman had thrown herself to the ground in front of her holding tightly onto Bells green honeycomb stitched apron.
"Bless you child , bless you, ah couldn lose another one. Ah couldn , not after Sera and Lilly, Thankyouthankyouthank-...." her words started to become incomprehensible at the speed she was saying them, made further unclear with the tears and mucus falling from her face.
Thankfully, before things could become too awkward Mister Potts, whom had been standing in the corner of the room stoically watching her go about her work approached.
He placed a rough calloused hand upon his wife's back and rubbed it in soothing circles as he brought her crying face into the croon of his neck.
"Hush wife, hush. You'll wake Jarek with your cries. He needs all his rest, isn' tha right Bell?" he said looking up at her pleadingly.
Taking a step back from the woman and her husband Bell coughed awkwardly. This type of situation was always a bit odd for her. Her mother had been the one that was good at handling people.
'Still, the cry of relief was a far better sound than the alternative.' she darkly mused. Nightmares still came to her occasionally of those she and her mother could not help. Husbands whom had lost their wives and children during childbirth, mothers who had lost their children, and even the occasional villager lost to the horrors that lurked within the bog.
Breaking herself from her thoughts she slowly replied " Yes Mister Potts. Jarek will be fine, but rest is very important right now." she pointedly looked towards his wife hoping he would catch her message.
Thankfully he did, and after a herculean effort managed to placate her, guiding her to sit in a nearby rocking chair. The old wooden thing creaked as she layed back in it but still it held. Almost immediately Missus Potts seemed to pass out from exhaustion. 'Poor thing.' she thought shaking her head.
Heaving a sigh of relief Mr.Potts brought her to a nearby table made of sturdy oak wood. It was quite long, almost taking up the whole space on one side of the small house. Her green dyed cloak hung on a nearby hanger close to the fireplace, drying. Thankfully, only a light flurry of snow had fallen on her way here. Too often the weather and terrain made getting to one of the few spread out houses that jotted the land a challenge upon itself.
"Thank ye again lass. Don' know what we would ave' done without you. You got your mommas talent, you do. Gods rest her soul."
A small jolt of grief gripped her chest. The members of the community had loved her mother, still did. Her generosity and kindness had bought her quite the reputation and trust within the village. It always made her happy to see the people her mother had treated walking about; smiling , starting families and enjoying life. But damned if every mention of her hadn't burned somehow.
Every success was given to her mother's ability at teaching her rather then her own skill, every failure met with disappointment that her mother hadn't been the healer around instead.
Her mother had cast a long shadow. One, even years later that she was still trying to fill.
"Thank you for your kind words. I hope to live up to her legacy one day."
"Ah, your doing a fine job as is lass. Don' stress yourself. Gods know the last we need is you getting sick. " he said grumbling about recent events. The discovery of the labyrinth had been all anyone had been talking about of late, mostly negative but there had been a few excited families.
"Your a smart girl, what's your opinion on it Bell?"
The silence stretched on as she gathered her thoughts, the sounds of logs crackling in the fireplace and the snores of Mrs.Potts and her son filled the room. There were as many benefits as their was detriments to the labyrinth. It would be a lie to say that she stood fully on either side of the argument. But even so…
"As a resident of Bairglad it makes me angry. I am angered at the fact that some twist of fate outside our control has placed our people in danger. Has brought attention from unknown people that will drive many of the familiar faces I've grown to love away. Already I've had to treat livestock that injured themselves In panic of those things outside our wards." she spat out hatefully.
"..however, as a healer I am also thankful." she said in a softer voice.
"Too often there are people and animals I cannot treat, not because they themselves are untreatable but out of lack of resources. My mothers codex of healing is filled with different tonics and oils and all sorts of medicinal powders. And yet I can only make a handful of them with the resources I can scavenge from around the bog and hills. "
Mentally she calculated the amount of ingredients still left in her home. The moss from the bog was always plentiful , but her allspice, ginger, red clover , and witch hazel supplies were depressingly low. Not even mentioning the other handful of ingredients she used not being available such as the honeys and berries that could be made into a plethora of useful things.
"The labyrinth represents opportunity for both wealth and resources to flow into Bairglad, and possibly even attract other experts. Who I can learn from. As much as it places us in danger and those who would delve into its chambers it also represents a hope for a brighter future. One where a mother and child need not die during labour. Where a man does not need his arm or limb cut off and even then potentially pass. It is a dream I am willing to support." Determination filled her eyes as she met Mr.potts own and after a moment he simply smiled and nodded.
"Your a strong girl Bell. Stronger than most, don' let anyone say otherwise. But its gettin dark, and ahve kept ye long enough. Do ye need me ta walk you home?"
"No, thank you for the offer but I should be fine." she grabbed her cloak from its hanger and wrapped it around her shoulders. The fire had dried it completely ,and even warmed it some. Despite the itch of the fabric it still felt comfortable to wear.
As she exited the home the wind bit at her face, a slight chill in the air. It had stopped snowing at the very least. She slowly turned her head to face Mr.potts in the doorway of his home.
"Will your family be leaving as well Mr.potts ?"
He looked to the sky for a moment before responding.
"No , this place is home. Even if it changes. Sides, it's the place where my Lilly and Sera are resting. What kind of father leaves his baby girls." he smiled mournfully as he began to close the door.
'My father did' she thought sadly as she turned and began to make her long trek back home. Boots crunching in the slush.
AN: Sorry about any punctuation or spelling mistakes. This was honestly my first attempt at writing something serious, and I think it did ok? Anyway. Hope you guys enjoy this little omake
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