Unusual Beauty {Zen Wisteria}

{10} Working Around the Clock

***

To say that I'm tired is an understatement. I have been spending all my hours helping the soldiers get better. Although it sucks to be this tired, I'm glad that I'm missing out on sleep to do something good. Sleep can wait because this is more important. Besides, I made a promise to myself and Zen that these soldiers would get better. That's why I'm currently cooking some food, a soup, with medicinal herbs in it. This is guaranteed to help improve their health because of the herbs in it. They were actually already so much better which was good.

Shuka brought some potatoes over, setting them on a table with a grunt, "So, what are you making now?"

I stirred the soup, "It's an infusion of medicinal herbs. Do you want to try it?"

"Medicine always makes me throw up!" Shuka shook his head and was waving his hands around wildly. He must really not like medicine then. I don't really blame him. Some medicine taste so bad. I always feel sorry for people when I give them medicine that tastes bad. But you gotta take it in order to get better so you just got to get over the taste.

Thankfully, this one doesn't taste bad. I laughed at his reaction, "It's not that bad."

"No, thanks. Hey, Emiko? I have something to tell you," Shuka started. He sounded serious. I was a bit worried about what he was going to say, but I didn't say anything. He scratched the back of his head, "Thank you for always being so nice to me. And there's something else. Do you think Zen is embarrassed of this outpost?"

I narrowed my eyes in confusion, "What makes you think he would be?"

"I feel like we've disappointed him," He hung his head low, "I'm scared that he won't visit us as often because of it."

"Does he come around here a lot?" I asked.

"Yes, and he spends time with us on his visits. He goes out on patrols, listens to the old soldiers' stories. He even talks to apprentices like me and actually seems to enjoy it," Shuka had a small smile on his face. I could see why he would be worried. He and the other soldiers had a really good relationship with Zen. "We count the days till he comes. I really hope he still wants to see us after all this." Shuka was looking down again.

"You shouldn't worry about it," I did my best to reassure him. "Zen isn't the type of person to just abandon people. He visits because he cares. A little illness would never change him. He might even come more, now!" I gave Shuka a smile.

***

It was a bit later on in the day and I was in the room I had been given at the fort. You would think that I used this time to sleep... But I don't. Though, I really should've. I still have more work to do so I couldn't sleep or nap just yet. I was writing some reports that I had to do for the incident at this fort. My hand was starting to hurt a little from how long and how much I've been writing. I finally got down and when I did, I almost threw my pen down.