Free Heart

Ch. 9 - I am Strong.

The mayor lived in a very modest house, especially for the leader of a bustling town. It was a single story house with only one bedroom. Zoro was left to rest in the mayor's bed while Emmy went into the bathroom to find the medical supplies she needed.

"Just let me sleep, Emmy," Zoro called out from the bed, hearing her rummaging in the bathroom. There was a sound of a cabinet door squeaking open and then everything went quiet. Zoro raised an eyebrow, "Emmy? What happened? You okay in there? Listen, you don't have to get me anything. I'll just sleep."

There was no response.

"Oy! Emmy? You hear me?"

But the girl wasn't listening. Her mind was elsewhere while her eyes stared wondrously at the red cross painted in the front of the first aid kit that she had found.

-Flashback: 6 years ago, Emmy: 9 years old-

"Oh my..."

The young doctor clutched the handle of her medical bag a little bit more tightly as she looked at the cuts and bruises along Emmy's back. The little girl shivered as she stayed sitting on the edge of her bed and hunched over with her black and white maid's uniform unzipped and about to fall from her shoulders.

The woman sighed and tucked her own long strand of black hair behind her ears. For a minute her brown eyes, which rested behind thick spectacles, were clouded with sadness but then she blinked it away.

"Thank you, Dr. Zuriel," Emmy whispered. Her head hung low and her blonde hair became like a curtain over her face, "And I'm sorry for causing you trouble and taking you away from your patients."

Dr. Zuriel stepped swiftly in front of the girl and knelt down to her so they were eye to eye. She brushed the child's hair away, tucking it behind her ears, so she could get a good look at her patient. The doctor spotted the broken bottom lip of the girl and the gash on her cheek.

"Why are you apologizing?" Dr. Zuriel demanded.

"If only I was doing my job properly," Emmy said, "Then I wouldn't have gotten punished...and...you wouldn't have to stop tending to the Lord and Lady..."

The doctor was unable to contain her outrage any longer and she glared at the girl as tears fell down the doctor's own eyes. She covered the little girl's hands with hers and she gave it a squeeze.

"Never, ever apologize to a doctor when you get sick or injured," she said, "Do you understand me? It is a doctor's duty to heal and treat every person. Servant or Noble."

Emmy nodded. "Okay."

The doctor began to bawl and she lifted up her white medical bag, which had a big red cross painted at the front of it. She pointed at it.

"It..it..it...is an honor to be entrusted with a life," Dr. Zuriel blubbered, "I-I-I may still just be the medical assistant to Dr. Hasdale, but I swear on this symbol that every life is precious to me and I will treat anyone who needs my attention with the same amount of care. Okay?!"

Emmy nodded slowly. "Okay...but Doctor?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you crying?"

"Because it makes me feel better!" Dr. Zuriel wailed as she wrapped her arms around Emmy as tenderly as she could as not to bring the girl any more pain, "Crying heals the heart, you know."

"Does it?" Emmy asked, "Boysen-sama says crying is useless and serves no purpose in this house. He has forbidden us to cry."

"Idiot, what does he know?" Dr. Zuriel continued to sob. Her tears were starting to run down Emmy's back, "He's not a doctor. He doesn't understand the human condition. It's okay to cry. Just don't cry in front of the Lord and Lady. Like I said, crying heals the heart!"