At Jin's words, I could only glare at him. I could read the thoughts of this infuriating guy tilting his head slightly and looking up at me smugly. Had I caught his mind-reading ability after just a few days together?
‘Hmm? Doc. My arm hurts, you know? Hurry up and feed me.’
Annoying, so infuriating! But with him looking at me so prettily like this, I couldn't hold out and not feed him. Seriously, that's why guys who know they're handsome are dangerous. They exploit their faces too well.
“So?”
I suppressed the urge to feed him right away and asked curtly. Jin drooped his eyelashes slightly, cast his gaze downward, then peeked up at me. The sequence of movements was so graceful and beautiful.
“Feed me, Doc.”
I let out a deep sigh. ‘Just a few days ago, you said you didn't want to lord over people like some superior being! Am I not a person but some other creature?’ I wanted to grab him by the collar and shake him.
But worrying that shaking him by the collar might make this flatfish suddenly clutch his chest and die, I grabbed a spoon instead of his collar.
“......Say ahh.”
As I spoke in a gruff voice, Jin chuckled and opened his mouth wide.
Sigh, my fate. Come to think of it, didn't the original Astrid fall for him while nursing him like this?
‘Jin's being bad, so bad. How can a guy who might die anytime act so spoiled......’
Ah. I'd carelessly thought about how Jin was going to die soon. He'd definitely be hurt if he knew. I sneaked a glance at Jin.
But Jin just had a smile on his lips. Well, he's not a real psychic; he can't read every thought. I sighed and fed him another spoonful of soup.
But......
If a bitter light seemed to flicker in Jin's eyes as he slurped down the soup, it was probably just my imagination, right?
* * *
After barely finishing Jin's lunch, I returned to my room utterly exhausted. That's when Rodent came scampering over.
“Ober Teacher!”
The cute Rodent ran straight into my arms for a hug. After a few days in a place with hot running water and three proper meals a day, Rodent had become even cuter, unrecognizably so. He even looked a bit plumper. Ooh, my baby.
Rodent roamed freely except during his private lessons with Jin, and he liked sticking by my side the most. He likes Astrid, not me, of course.
“Rick bro is looking for you, Teacher. He said to meet him in the lab!”
Rick? Ah, the medicines I requested must finally be ready.
Referring to the Great Dictionary of Herbal Medicine and Types of Alchemical Materials and Their Uses, I'd come up with a bunch of potentially helpful remedies for Jin. Of course, they were at the level of herbal tonics made by gathering the specified amounts of similar-effective ingredients from the books.
First, an antitussive expectorant. Essential for Jin, who struggled to even breathe amid constant coughing and phlegm. Then a fever reducer. Essential for this frail man who spiked fevers at the drop of a hat. And painkillers and digestives.
The bloodletting scar on Jin's left arm wasn't healing as well as expected. Fortunately, thanks to my diligent disinfecting and daily bandage changes, there was no infection. Anyway, I'd also commissioned an ointment for it.
“Gotta go to Rick. Is it your lesson time now, Rodent?”
As I asked with a gentle smile, Rodent nodded vigorously. Aah, so cute. As expected, only kids can pull off being spoiled cutely.
I recalled Jin, five years older than me yet acting spoiled, and unwittingly made a fierce face.
Luckily, I'd just left Jin's room and still had my mask on, so Rodent didn't see this scary expression.
“Yes, Teacher! See you later!”
Rodent waved goodbye, then pulled a mask from his pocket. It was designed like a modern ear-loop mask.
When I said to wear masks entering Jin's room, most people covered their mouths and noses like balaclavas.
That looked so uncomfortable, so I made some experimentally, and now everyone frequenting Jin's room started making and carrying the same style.
‘Such a good boy, my Rodent. He's following the rules to not transmit germs to Jin.’
I proudly stroked Rodent's head. His eyes crinkled into smiles. His mouth, hidden by the mask, was surely smiling happily too.
After bidding Rodent farewell, I hurried to Rick and Lui's lab. Rick was a genius, so I was excited he'd prepared the medicines exactly as ordered.
“Rick, I'm here!”
As I opened the lab door and called out loudly, Rick—who'd been bent over the table working intently—straightened up.
“You've arrived, Teacher.”
Rick greeted me curtly. He was always prim, but this was his way of saying he was glad. As I smiled back at him, Lui's whiny voice came.
“Ober Teacher! I'm here too!”
I couldn't help but chuckle. I'd rarely received such enthusiastic welcomes from everyone in my old life. This was all thanks to Astrid building the image of the Angel of Aub Street.
I greeted the beaming Lui brightly too, then asked Rick,
“Rick, you were looking for me? Are the ordered medicines ready?”
“Yes, Teacher. Want to see?”
Rick led me to the table. Colorful medicine bottles with labels sat there.
“This is the antitussive expectorant. Made strawberry-flavored as you said. This is the fever reducer, orange flavor.”
Rick explained each one, pointing. Making the medicines fruit-flavored was my request. With Jin's picky appetite, bitter medicine would be a nightmare to administer.
“And this is the ointment. Your old recipe worked well, but as you said, mixing in tarandrus fat seems even better than egg yolks.”
Rick's eyes sparkled as he showed the ointment. He was usually prim, but lit up talking alchemy.
Tarandrus was a bull-sized monster that changed fur color like a chameleon; its fat was great for wound healing, so I mentioned it to Rishar, and he brought back a huge haul. Now we froze it with ice-attribute mana stones and used as needed.
“Thanks, Rick. You're a real genius.”
As I stroked his head in praise, Rick's ears turned beet red. Just seven years younger, yet why was he so childish? He grumbled that he wasn't a kid.
“I made everything you asked for too. Praise me too.”
Then Lui said poutily. I lit up and rushed to her. The humidifier I'd requested must be done.
Convinced Jin's illness was respiratory, I'd felt the need to control humidity in his space. So I'd asked for even a simple heated humidifier, if not high-tech.
The finished humidifier spewed steam as soon as I pressed the button.
“Lui, this is amazing!”
To make something like this in just days was incredible. Lui grinned sheepishly and asked,
“Need anything else?”
Her question sparked a thought: a stethoscope.
Well, I wouldn't understand terms like rales or crackles from medical dramas, but it'd still help.
“Got any paper and pencil to sketch?”
At my question, Lui excitedly fetched paper and charcoal. Her eagerness made me smile; I sketched a stethoscope.
Astrid, this girl draws well too. My old sketches were stick figures at best.
“So...... you place this part against the body...... and sound transmits through here. Can you make it?”
Not knowing the exact principle, I just drew and explained vaguely. Well, Lui's a genius; she'll manage.
“Wow, Teacher, where do these ideas come from? So cool! I'll make it right away. Anything else?”
Lui gushed over my sketch.
Ah, no...... It's an ancient invention in my world, yet getting such praise was embarrassing. And something else I needed......
Actually, there was one thing I'd always wanted. Not sure if it'd be useful here, but: an exam light. Or penlight.
You know, the pen-shaped one doctors use to check pupillary light reflex, flipping eyelids to assess consciousness......
Embarrassing to admit, but since childhood watching medical dramas, I'd thought, ‘Wow, I want one!’
“Uh...... there is, but, um......”
I felt my neck burning and hesitated. Lui prodded me.
“Tell me, Teacher!”
Unable to resist her urging, I confessed my secret longing.
“Like...... press this button, and light comes from here. Not too bright. Could damage eyesight.”
I mumbled explaining the penlight. Lui nodded eagerly, eyes wide.
“Hmm, a small light-attribute mana stone shard should work. Won't take long. I'll make it quick.”
At Lui's words, I nearly squealed in joy. My long-cherished dream was coming true. Finally, my very own penlight!
Well, I could've bought one in reality, but as a non-doctor, what for?
But now, quack or not, I was a doctor.
“Lui, Rick......! Thank you so much.”
I said emotionally. These two were indispensable talents. I was just a kid playing doctor, but they made it real.
