Everyone ran up the sand, and hurried into town. A man with a cart full of fruit was passing by. Dalla ran up to him, grabbing the side of the cart, forcing him to stop. "What are you-" he began, indignant. Dalla cut him off. "My child touched a kencap. Please, will you take us to the closest apothecary?" The man turned to me and Terron. "Hurry up and get in. The apothecary is close by." He instructed sharply. Terron didn't hesitate to jump up onto the cart. The instant he sat down, the man urged his beast along. "I'll get directions and follow with the boys!" Dalla called after us. 

Terron attempted to keep a straight face as we rushed to the apothecary. Honestly, I didn't see what all the fuss was about. My injury appeared quite minor, and my tears were lessening. Babies make a big deal out of every minor discomfort. Surely Dalla and Terron knew this. Maybe they were just worrywarts. I attempted to wave my hand at Terron, trying to showcase that it wasn't a big deal. He didn't notice, keeping his eyes fixed on the road. Hmmm. Maybe that fish thing is highly toxic. Could my life be in danger? I'm at death's door already? I haven't even been here a year! 

We soon pulled up beside a small building. Terron hoped out, and pulled out several coins. He offered them to the driver, but he shook his head. "Just get your little one taken care of." The driver stated, before pulling away. Terron rushed inside, and explained the situation to the woman inside. A jar was quickly pulled from a shelf, and a thin brown paste was smeared over my hand. Terron let out a sigh of relief, and dropped down on a bench, breathing slowly. He thanked the apothecary several times over. She insisted she was only doing her job. She gave Terron the jar, and instructed him to apply it to my hand, twice a day, for ten days. Terron thanked her again, and offered a handful of coins. She took only three, and pushed Terron's hand away. "This is more than enough." She said, "You can wait for your family here. I'll be in the back if you need anything else." She then patted my head. "What a brave child you were. That must have hurt a lot. Don't worry darling, you'll be fine now. Just let your papa put the kosalt on your little hand. It probably feels cold and sticky, but it will make you all better." She smiled, patted my head again, and headed into the backroom. 

Terron holds me in his lap, catching his breath. His heavy breathing and the faint clinking of glass jars are the only sounds in the apothecary shop. The early start, combined with the warm weather and the scramble to the shop have worn me out.im starting to doze off, when the peace is broken. Dalla flings the door open, and she rushes in, with the triplets on her heels. Questions tumble out of everyone's mouths, in an incoherent babble. Terron smiles. "She's fine. I'm very glad to have gotten here before that awful rash developed. Poor little Pyra would have been in pain all week." Huh? A rash that causes a week of pain? That's it? The kencap wasn't deadly? The boys and Dalla are all smiling, happy and relieved. They looked like they were told I'd overcome cancer. Goodness, it really isn't that big of a deal! I would have just gotten a rash! Dalla takes me in her arms. "My poor dear. You must have been so scared by all that rushing about. We were all so worried. We love you very, very much and we don't want you to be in any pain." Her voice is soft and tender. "Seeing you hurt would hurt our hearts." I blink, taking in the new information. They were worried, not because of deadly poison, but because they didn't want me to be in pain? My physical pain would have caused them emotional pain? No one has ever said anything like that to me. If I got sick or hurt in my first life, I would have been sent off to the clinic or hospital. Nurses and doctors would look after me, but they never worried or fussed over me. I'd get some pity since I never had visitors, but the healthcare workers never showed concern quite like this. Would they have worried over me if I was their child? Were these people worried because we were related? Is this what parents are like when they live with their kids? Is this what my original parents were like with Andrew? They must have been, those two loved Andrew.... Oh. Love. You'd only worry over someone like crazy if you loved them like crazy. Right? Then, Dalla, Terron, Callan, Marden, and Deren must really love me. I looked up at their faces. Everyone was looking at me so tenderly. Their faces were clearly filled with love. I think this is what a good family is supposed to be like, full of love and kindness and worry and concern. That's what makes a family. Not genetics. Pearl, Richard, and Andrew had never really been my family. They'd never really loved me. But these people did. So if I'm family to them, then I guess they are family to me. That would make things fair after all. Yes, I should be fair and think of them as family. I don't want to be impolite after all. Of course, I'd have to be careful going forward. You never know when someone's feelings might change. But for now, at least, I will be polite and refer to these people as family.