“Her fever has risen again?” Doctor Termit spoke loudly in disbelief. 

His pen falls backwards out of his hand, and clangs to the ground, the ink bursts out like a firework blooming in the night sky, seeping steadily into the compacted dirt floor. The crisp hit pushed him out from his chair and passed his desk. Forgetting his cane, he nearly ran over himself to reach the end of the tent with bag in hand.

Fast working Doctor Rasha had already removed the sheets by the time he got there, including the mattress now resting against the wall. Looking at it now, the bed no longer looked like a bed, but a small tub that barely reached above the shoulders when lying on one’s back. 

Although odd, this design served a purpose. It made it easier for submersive treatment. Filling the tub like furniture, which had adjustable edges, with medical baths, water for essence therapy, and even for ideal poison or infection removal. They even had a case of infected blood that needed to be filtered out of the body, purified, then filtered back in.

For Hong Luo, her treatment was not as complex, it could even be called elementary. Despite her terrible condition, sometimes simple was better than advanced.

Doctor Rasha fills the bed with water essence she pulls from the air, covering Hong Luo, whilst leaving her airways unblocked. Matching the temperature of her body, Doctor Rasha very gradually adjusts the coolness of the water. Again she went through the grueling process of controlling that dastardly fever that refused to break.

Although she would rather prefer the fever to run its course, but that was under the condition that it did not kill the patient, turning up the heat far passed what the brain could handle, and ultimately cooking it. She did not and will not let her little patient become brain dead!

“Rasha, uncover her arm.” She nodded and did so immediately.

Doctor Termit had pulled from his bag a jar of clear medicine. He’d stuck a needle into it, filled the syringe half way, and was now pushing that needle into a vein. “That’s the fourth shot, she can’t have anymore after that. 4 to 6 hours, that’s all the time we have, if her fever spikes again, we may need to transfer her to the ice pond, and request that cunning old snake from the capital.”

Doctor Rasha recovers that arm and scoffs, “No, it's best we just prepare for a kidnapping. He’d never willingly come here. That snake would drain the tribe's finances dry, make us wait for half a month, then sadly iterate how busy he’d become and simply can’t make it. And by the time he’d finally decided on coming, Xiao Luo will either be dead or dead! Kidnapping is the only option.”

“You’re right,” Doctor Termit nods, “but how to be done and who to send? Should we cause some trouble as a distraction, set fire to his wine house, or maybe even just burn down his clinic entirely? The chances of even a single patient being there are nil impossible after all. There was a higher chance of catching the emperor with his pants down.”

The two elderly doctors nonchalantly plan out a kidnapping whilst checking over their patient's condition. They laugh, they sigh, a nefarious topic turns into casual conversation spoken of over tea and snacks.

To strangers just peeking in on such a sight without context, or even with context, chills crawling the spine would be least of their concerns. Running away and avoiding detection would be the highest priority.

On the other hand to those who know these two, it’s just another day the two crazies are at again. If they aren’t at each other’s throats they’re teaming up to go at someone else's. And whomever it may be, they have their utmost sympathies, but also deep inside the gossip bug couldn’t wait to hear the details, then watch the drama unfold.

News quickly spreads amongst this tight knit community. The guards outside had already told one, then two, and onto a dozen others. Those others also told one, then two, the news spreading like wildfire. At this point, in less than an hour, there was no one who did not know that another poor victim had been targeted.

Even Achak had heard. He was in his tree hut, shaking his head while Istaqa had toppled over in laughter. “Gwhahaha! Doctor Wu, you poor poor snake you! Have fun with those two old foxes!” 

Istaqa wouldn’t even  wish this upon his greatest enemy, which ironically it is currently happening. That damn Doctor Wu is in for it now!

Everyone inside and outside the room just ignored this poor excuse of a chieftain. But they’d be lying if they weren’t of the same mind. Poor poor snake just had to get eyed by a pair of foxes. Whilst also thinking ‘he deserves it’ not having any guilt what-so-ever to the future victim.

Hong Luo was finally back in place atop the mattress. Doctor Termit had left back to the work desk, while Doctor Rasha finished up. Two hours, it took two hours to stabilize her. 

Stirring sheets grabs the sighing Doctor Rasha’s attention. She turns with a raised brow. “Look who’s finally awake. Welcome back to the living Sir Ash.”

In response the nameless man just stared blankly.

She crosses her arms, and touches her chin. “What? Don’t like the name? Unfortunately that’s what we call all nameless patients. Amber is for females, Ash is for males. If you wish to be called something else, your ‘name’ for example, then please, don’t be shy.”

Again he does not respond. “Suit yourself,” she shrugs, then messages a knot out of her shoulder, striding off with a wave. “Stay put. I’ll have one of the assistants from the neighboring tent come in and examine you.”

She was just out of sight when more rubbing sheets caused her to frown. Immediately she turns around, her pointer finger already out to reprimand. “Just what on earth do you think you are doing?! Your bed is there, get off hers and return to yours!” 

To Doctor Rasha’s shock, Sir Ash had left his own bed to enter Xiao Luo’s! Not only that, he was touching her chest! 

Although the age of that man could not be discerned, her little apprentice on the other hand was still a child! 16 was far too young for whatever age that grown man was!

“You! Remove your hand immediately.” When she reaches out to fling his hand off, her own was grabbed!

“How audacious.” She calmly utters. Fine, you want to play games with her? She loves games. 

But before the thought could be put into play, the man did something unexpected, he put her hand to Xiao Luo’s forehead, the heat under her palm startled her. 

With her hand released she swiftly reexamines Hong Luo. To her surprise, the fever had gone down! Not by much, but it had still decreased. And as she stood there, counting down the minutes in her mind, she felt it, it was continuing to fall.

“You aren’t,” She swallows the words ‘playing around’. Shamelessly she asks. “What did you do? Everything was done to get down her fever, and yet you, all it took was a touch?” This was complete nonsense! Nothing was ever that simple! She refused to believe that was all it took!

Tap-tap-tap.

“Old hag, have you gone senile already? How do you expect him to answer you. Have you forgotten the man has throat damage?” It was at this moment Doctor Termit had walked over. With all that ruckus how could he not?

The woman was harping like a squealing pig! Getting anything done would be a miracle with such an annoyance.

“Well he can write can’t he?” She countered.

“Have you even given him the chance to?” And with that, the nail had been struck, she had no argument to retort with. 

Doctor Rasha had to admit it, she let her emotions get the better of her. Taking in a few steady breaths, she reached out her hand towards the old lizard. He looked her up and down, but reluctantly reached into his pocket for a notepad and pencil. 

“Please, explain.” 

With the notepad on his hip, he shakingly wrote. Both doctor’s furrow their brows watching but remain silent. 

Despite how unsteady his hand was, he still managed to make the words smooth and strong. Bold was the better word to use. Yet a trace of weakness flowed at the end of each stroke, contrasting the hardened style in a way that felt odd, like the writer was trying too hard to mask something. Or it was just due to the weakened state he was in now, playing strong, refusing to show frailty.

He finished and turned the notepad around. Both doctor’s brows furrow even harder. They looked at one another in helplessness.

They couldn’t understand what he’d written! Some words made sense while others they’d never seen before. And when it was all put together, it brought on waves of confusion. 

Just like being thrust into a class that’s far above your level. The basics are there but more complicated terms or equations flew right over the head, kicking you once in the rump before vanishing from view. It was frustrating! 

“For now,” Doctor Termit pauses with a sigh, he looks to the man then down to Hong Luo. Tiredly he closes his eyes. “For now just combine the two beds. That way he can help her more easily.”

When Doctor Rasha forcefully nods, he looks at the man. “Remember this. You are still a patient yourself, so don’t push it. Just do what you can and we’ll do the rest.”

He sighs once more after the man nods.

Only after pushing the beds together, locking them in place, did the two doctors wearily walk away. Filled with more concern than relief, it just didn’t sit right with them to have a patient treat a patient.

The two sat down and looked at one another, both noticing the fire in their eyes. Now more than ever. They were determined to kidnap that cunning old snake! The sooner, the better!

• • • •

Somewhere under the dreary sky, inside a clinic on the edges of the capital, an old man sneezed for the upteempth time today.

“Doctor Wu, who did you anger this time?”

“Too many, far too many.”

“Well whoever it is, you deserve it.”

He just laughed, not denying nor confirming those words. The old man just hums, continuing to enjoy his wine accompanied by the rain.