Blood Emperor's Lazy Doctor [Under Revision]

Chapter 06: Fig Branch Lost in a Dream (I)

"Ugh," she grumbles as the rowdy men kick up a cloud of dust on their way out.

Doctor Termit sneezes. Dramatically flicking his wrist, he pushes the dust cloud from the tent. Then proceeds to sit straight, like a gentleman focusing on his work, pure and scholarly. But Doctor Rasha could even see it from a mile away, that playful smirk holding back a laugh.

Watching this Doctor Rasha rolls her eyes, but inwardly thought, the old fool still has his uses, despite trying to act cool in his old age. Drat, the chances of him continuing this eye rolling attitude until someone compliments, is likely to last for a whole week.

Trying to sneak off, Marvena still wanted to stay and finish up all the paperwork, but Doctor Rasha was not having it. She pushed out the stubborn mother of two, threatening her if she dared come back today, she'd force her into some much needed rest time that the woman refuses to take.

Reluctantly Marvena left, but once she exited the tent, a change in demeanor took place, and instead of a competent worker, a mother excited to write to her son skipped away in glee, humming to herself with the biggest of smiles.

Sighing and tapping away on the table, Doctor Rasha looks to the furthest area of the tent. "That little munchkin sure knows how to make one worry." Picking up the patient log, she sighs once more, ruminating over each new and old injury.

Abrasions around the neck, arms, legs, and abdomen. Fractures in several ribs. Bruising over 80% of skin. Internal bleeding centered around the abdomen. A poorly healed break in the left arm. Scarring on the upper and lower back, bottoms of the feet, wrists and ankles, including pin-like marks on the palms and fingertips. A kidney infection. At least several weeks of malnourishment, if not more. And signs of swelling on the front and back of the head.

...

Solemn silence fills the air. Only the sounds of muffled footsteps outside and subtle breathing inside. Every now and then a drop or two of rain patters the top of the tent.

In the back past all partitions, was a soft sound of rushed breaths squeezed through gritted teeth. Hong Luo holds tight to her white blanket covering, her consciousness submerged in staggering dreams.

'How far must I walk?'

Baffled and confused, she strides atop a lake of darkness submerging a forest of fireflies. Wispy will-o-wisps dance, tempting her forward. Small lights rise into the sky, entrancing her to stop and stare. The forest of birch trees strikingly white, almost glowing through the darkness, blinding enough to push her eyes down, to wipe and soothe the stinging—– pain?

'It stung, didn't it? Strange.' She shook her head and pushed forward.

But every step felt weighted in lead. The collapsing pressure was squeezing her lungs too tight. The simple white gown pricking her with every small movement, the itch near unbearable to ignore.

But when she went to scratch, before her nails touched skin, the itch would mysteriously stop. When she paused to rest, the exhaustion went up like smoke, dazing her, like a swift wipe to the dirt, erasing the sensation she swore she'd just been experiencing mere moments ago. How confusing and disorienting.

Or was it?

'How far must I walk?'

She pushed forward but a mere few steps, only to stop.

'It stung, didn't it? Strange. How strange. So very strange.'

What was wrong?

Something was wrong!

Something was very wrong but for the life of her she can't place what it is.

The panic eating away at her heart held no weight. She kept on going and continuing to move forward. Trapped in a vicious cycle set on repeat, mind numbingly pushing out the same words she hadn't remembered speaking before.

Coming to a stop, a dizzying spell has her turning in circles, disoriented, lost and confused, panicking and anxious.

'How far... how far... how... far... must I walk?'

Panic rushes to her head like a punch connecting into her chin. That shock sent her tilting back, nearly falling over backwards.

Grabbing for her head, her eyes shake, a hair rising fear crawls up her spine as the surroundings blur. The white birch trees swirl into a disorderly mess. Wil-o-wisps sped passed one by one. And trapped in her ear was an annoying buzz getting louder and louder.

"Master——–master, why did you leave?"

Like a sharp tug to her hair, her head jolts up, to swing back and forth in confused panic. "Rong'er?" With a look to the left, one to the right, a twirl around in place, she stood alone with just the birch as company.

"Rong'er?" She tries to yell out, but no response ever comes.

"Rong'er!" Then she screams, forcing her whole body to contort forward, leaning in on itself as her head falls forward, leaving those disoriented eyes to look right into the waters below.

Right below her a shadow rushed to the surface!

"Ah!" With a heart piercing scream she falls to her rump, pushing herself back only to scream once again. "No no no! Stop!"

Stop——– the horrific shriek echoes, while she curls into herself, rocking back and forth, muttering over and over. 'The fault is mine, the blame is mine, the consequence is mine.... I don't deserve forgiveness.'

An eerie light illuminates the cowering girl. Beneath her red fills the water, two pairs of limp hands float to the surface, the bodies coming closer and closer, until right when the faces nearly broke the water...

"Master——–" Within an instant it all vanishes with this one muffled word.

Mozen jolts her head up. "Rong'er." Mindlessly she crawls repeating "Rong'er, Rong'er, Ronger", pushing herself up to walk forward, down the sinking ridge, right into the deep dark waters.

Left behind Hong Luo remained curled in a ball, muttering, weeping, those faceless bodies reaching from the waters to grab on to her. Only darkness remains as she sinks with them...

...whilst a pair of gray empty eyes watched all this unfold from the sky.

»»-----　✼　-----««

Kata's Corner: Symbolism is so fun to work with, especially if its a dream. I can go as crazy as I please without restraint. Truly such a joy. On another note that also means I can go dig deep into areas I normally wouldn't be able to touch upon without having a whole character change or sudden and extreme character development. With this in mind be careful next update. The second part to this chapter touches on some HEAVY themes and there will be a WARNING at the beginning. READ IT before going further please. Although I can't say for others, I myself am very good at keeping my emotions in check, but I had to stop a few times while writing to grab a tissue and breathe. It gets pretty heavy.