Chapter 47 – Another way to help

Three weeks of siege made everyone jumpy. There were camps just on the outskirts of the City. There were guns and soldiers. The soldiers are marching about everywhere with their guns. While the cannon fire keeps on pouring down at the enemies who try to approach the City.

Along the way, many had started to perish. The supplies that were inside the stronghold could hold the soldiers for a month. The medicine, however, has started to run out. There were only a few doctors in the stronghold. And only Old Forsa and Joshua, who had first-aid training was able to help them. There are servants who know medicine. But they are lacking. Some of them even still believe in the old medicine ways.

Joshua knew how to dress a wound. He had experience or at least heard the treatment he does by word of mouth. From a slow orientation in high school or wherein an afternoon he would listen to his biology and chemistry teacher speak freely to the point that he had remembered them out of pure boredom.

He didn’t really have the ideas of being nurse. He had thought of it before but yet here he was in a besieged city looking taking care of the injured men and women. There are some soldiers that are lining up. Some of them salute Joshua for his work in patching them up.

Joshua hasn’t been playing the hero or saving the day like Archie. He was just here in this stronghold trying to do what he can. He didn’t have that much courage in him. But at least he helped Archie by giving him the ability to spit fire from his hands or leap up a building and escape. Right now, he was a very effective soldier. Joshua wasn’t cut for the deal. He didn’t have Archie’s determinator attitude. He was just a guy that wanted nothing but to help in what little way he can. Sure, he has already assisted in piloting four of them. But that was something he would hesitate to do again.

Right now he was just glad that he was in here. He had three reasons why he was staying. The first reason: Protect the only family he had. The second reason: Help the people with what he can. And the third reason: Keep an eye out for a certain person.

He could survive out there. He could escape but because of that three reasons that Joshua decided to stay. He had nothing to go anyway and right now he was penniless. He only has one hundred coins in his pockets. Most of his meal was covered by the stronghold or was already around. Joshua couldn’t imagine himself going out there. He knows that he had little to no knowledge outside the walls of Avilla. He had seen the city of storms. Its diamond dust rain and sandstorms. It was glorious to him.

There are many places that Joshua wants to see. But the world out there was cruel and he could only keep himself safe in these walls.

“Are you done?” said a soldier.

“Yes, oh, drink this,” Joshua took the bottle of alcohol by his side. “It dulls the pain.”

“It really is okay to drink this?”

The soldier asked. His stomach and arm have a huge wound. It was a terrible thing to look at.

“Yeah, it’s not like you are going to fight in that condition of yours. Just drink it, and rest.”

The soldier took the bottle with a grin. “Thanks, I’ll drink this then.”

“Okay, please go,” Joshua nodded at the soldier who then left. Joshua looked up and saw a little girl crying her eyes. Her left arm was wounded and her mother was taking her to Joshua.

“My daughter is injured!”

“Okay, just let her sit,” Joshua offered the stool. The little girl stiffly sat on the stool, looking at Joshua with fear. “Is this going to hurt?” said the little girl in fear.

“It will sting a little, but we need to treat it okay?” Joshua softly said. He patted the little girl’s head before gesturing her mother to help. “Stay still okay?” he said as takes out the bottle of alcohol. He had watered it down a bit and made use of it to sterilize wounds.

“Ouch!” the little girl squirmed in pain. Her mother held her tightly so she won’t move.

“Stay still okay,” Joshua poured the bottle of alcohol slowly. He took a round-bottomed flask, scooped the salve he made with his index and middle finger, applying it to the little girl’s arm. The salve stung the little girl. She made this pained expression.

“Please endure it okay?” said Joshua in worry. “It would be bad if I mess this up.”

“Please behave dear,” said the mother. The little girl nodded her head bravely.

“That’s a good girl,” Joshua turns his attention to the wound. He focused and neatly dressed the wound of the little girl. After he properly dressed it, he looked at the little girl. “That should do it. Try not to play around away from your mother okay?”

“That’ right dear, listen to the good brother okay?”

“Yes, mother...” she meekly nodded her head. She looked at Joshua. “And thank you, mister, for taking care of my wound.”

The smile of the little girl made Joshua daze. The little girl in front of her was bright. She holds the straw doll on her right hand yet despite the despair and pain that she was in. She could still give a soothing smile that would calm anyone’s heart.

Joshua thought that it was a good. He thought that maybe he really didn’t have to go out there to help. He can stay in this place and already help people.

“Thank you, and be careful,” Joshua patted the little girl’s head. The mother looked at Joshua. “Thank you for this doctor!”

“No problem, be safe,” Joshua wave his right hand away. The mother left with her daughter, holding her hand as she walks past the crowd of soldiers and back to where there were fewer soldiers. Joshua peeked at the injured. There were still many and knowing this. He called them to take a look at their wounds.