The Last Honor

8. The new nursing assistant

It was quiet in the room. Neither of them said a word. Xiang lay silently on his back on his bed. Liu stood by his side and was moving his palsied leg. The peacock didn't look at her, just staring at the ceiling. Liu refrained from starting a conversation and concentrated on bending and stretching his leg, as if walking. She made sure to use every joint between the bones, the hip joint, the knee, as well as every single toe. Sometimes she rubbed her winged hands with oil, which she then massaged onto the leg to better stimulate the blood circulation.
"Why don't you just chop it off?" Xiang muttered after a while.
The peahen sighed, but she didn't interrupt her work.
"The blood circulation is still working properly," she said. "There is no need to take your leg off."
"But you'd have less work to do with me," the peacock growled.
"But I like to do it."
"You like it?" Xiang jerked himself up and glared at her evilly. "So, you like it that I can't run anymore, don't you?!"
"No, of course not!" She protested, letting go of his leg. "I just wanted to say that I don't mind the work. If I could change something for you, then I would it."
Fear crept up in her again when Xiang narrowed his eyes dangerously.
"You can be gladder that I can't move both legs," he hissed. "Otherwise, I would chase you to the afterlife for that! Oh, just get away!"
"But I'm not finished yet."
"What's that supposed to bring?!"
"The leg has to be moved, otherwise the muscles will regress and the joints will become stiff."
"I don't care! I've had enough for today!"
Without responding to her request, he pulled the blanket on and turned on his side. He pressed himself so deep into bed that only his comb feathers peeked out.
Liu's hands shook with anger, but she swallowed down every emotion. She put away the treatment supplies and left the room with disappointment.
No sooner had she closed the sliding door, then she leaned against it and took a few deep breaths. She would really like to give him a tongue-lashing. Not only because of his ruthlessness, but also that he shouldn't constantly behave as if he were a hopeless cripple. She was sure that he could do more than he thought he could. But he didn't want anything. Not even handicrafts or anything else he could improve on. He even refused to do the gait training. She had often toyed with the idea of giving him a sideswipe at least, but then she always had the horrible picture in mind when he had been so terribly injured. She had sacrificed every free minute of her sleep just not to leave him alone. It was especially bad with him at the beginning. He screamed around every night. First, she thought he was in pain, but then he began to talk in his sleep. He kept yelling at someone like someone was threatening him in his dreams. Most of the time it was difficult for her to keep up with wiping the tears off from his face after that. Only when he was gradually fully conscious again, he had banished her from staying in his room at night.
Sighing, she pulled away from the door and walked thoughtfully down the corridor. She couldn't explain it, but she felt that Xiang nourished a great hatred for her. He had already growled at everyone in the cure residence, but he vented his violent insults on her the most. He didn't let a second pass to frazzle her out.
Liu hung her head. She just didn't know how long she was going to get through this.
"Liu, my dear child!" Suddenly Mr. Furu's voice sounded behind her. "I've good news for you."
No sooner had the peahen turned to him than she really started.
Next to the little old pika there stood not only someone else, but also someone of gigantic size. The peahen stared wide-eyed at the large she-bear, who was wearing a wide black hanfu dress.
"W-who... who is... that?" She stammered.
"That, my dear," Mr. Fur said. "is Duona."
Liu swallowed. The name didn't sound harmless. And the bear's face didn't look friendly either. On the other hand, a curmudgeon looked happier. But this one made the impression that she had never laughed before.
Mr. Furu didn't seem to mind her uncertainty and just continued with the announcement.
"You asked for a change of patient and now imagine, today someone from outside contacted us who is ready to take on this job."
Liu's eyes widened even more. "You really want to take care of Lord Xiang in all seriousness?"
"Does that bother you?" Mr. Furu asked in astonishment.
"Well..." The peahen rubbed her wings together nervously. "Xiang is extremely difficult..."
"Then Duona will be a perfect match for him," Mr. Furu finished the sentence for her. "We are currently on the way to him."
"Um, he won't want to talk now," Liu said hesitantly.
"He's going to have to endure that," Mr. Furu said firmly and headed for Xiang's room.