I heard light footsteps walking toward me. When I turned, I saw the potion seller’s kid around eleven looking directly at me. 

“Hey Mr.Nam, what are you doing so early? Is your baby ok?” 

“My son is badly injured, but I doubt I can afford treatment.” I unwrapped it to show her.

“My parents own a potion shop. They might give you a discount on healing potions. Follow me!”

I followed her to the shop. 

“Mother! Father! I found Mr.Nam , his kid is bleeding really bad!”

Her mother turned to face me “Oh dear! No need to pay! Just apply it to the wound. They’re too young to drink.” 

“Thank you.” 

She had a look of concern in her face. “ What happened to 

“Let me apply it for you, Sir. “

“I appreciate the offer, but I’m more comfortable with doing it myself.”

“Well then, I’ll grab some extra things for your baby. Wait right here.” Her daughter followed after her.

While she was walking into the back, I took the coat off of Jin and removed his makeshift bandages. I uncorked the potion while he kept squirming as he cried. A few drops missed his wound, but I was able to get enough on it. Jin’s cries became softer. The woman returned with an armful of clothes and a blanket.

“I had the feeling your baby would like some clean things.” 

“Thank you for this, Ma’am.” 

“I wish both of you safety and good luck!” She called after me as I was walking away.

I snatched some eye color altering potions on my way out. This should last for a short while hopefully. Even with the wound taken care of, he won’t survive without something to sustain him. I’ll buy him some dried milk flowers. Hopefully he doesn’t need blood… I should have enough money to buy the flowers. I made my way to a shop. “Do you have any dried milk flowers?”

“Yes we do.” He left and came back, saying, that'll be eleven Len.”

I took the money out and put it on the counter. “I also need a kettle, the cheapest you have, please.”

He nodded and grabbed one. It was a small copper kettle, and also some small bottles for babies. “That’ll be 35 Len if you also want the bottles.”

I paid for it and took the items. I can’t buy a home, even the bad kind. Jin needs a place to grow up safely. He deserves that much. I’ll check the outskirts. The forest if I have to. It took hours to get there at a human speed. Jin wouldn’t stop crying. He must be hungry… I don’t see any water sources. I'll have to go into the forest. I don’t sense any people around. I should be fine to run. I gripped Jin tightly so he wouldn’t be jostled too much, and finally took off. I arrived in a lush shaded area where the air smelled wet, like fresh dirt. I heard the sound of a stream. “Just hold on a little longer. I know you’re hungry.” I filled the kettle where the water ran the fastest, added the dried flowers and a athe fire. Soon en,ough, it was boiling. I filled one of the bottles. 

“It’s ready, Jin, I just need to cool it off a little.”

I set half of it in the water for a minute or two before I thought it might be cold enough. I gave it to Jin and he latched on and drained the whole thing. I breathed a sigh of relief. He doesn’t need bloo,, but will it stay that way? I looked up. An abandoned house just by the stream. I picked up my things and walked over there. The house was small and filthy leaves, dirt and cobwebs everywhere. Rats and cockroaches ran from my feet. The table and chairs looked like they’d seen better days. There were two rooms. One had a bed with moth-eaten covers and the other an old cradle with insect damage, rough with splinters.

I sat down at the table, setting Jin on it. I washed the dried blood off and changed his clothes. When I was walking away to burn everything bloodied, Jin cried like he was in a lot of pain, even though I was not far away. The moment I picked him up, he stopped crying. “Don’t worry Jin, I’ll always protect you.”