Carol and the Slum Children I

After the man left, Carol examined Derrick and found that he had bruises all over his body and a fractured right arm. In terms of quantity, he had more injuries than the failed kidnapper, so Carolyn's anger helped ease some of her guilt. She wanted to get him inside their shack so she could provide first-aid, but one look at the inside told her she would have to give up on that idea. The building was already cramped, so with everything spilled over and disorganized, there was no room to move.

"Did this happen when that man tried to take you away?"

"I believe so, but we were already thinking about moving," answered Lety.

"Moving? Why?"

"Because of the latest tax hike, there's been more people coming to the slum district, and they've been causing all sorts of problems. If it was before, we wouldn't have to worry about anyone wanting to fight us over this place, but now, we might have more incidents like what just happened."

Lety tried to explain calmly, but her voice trembled as she mentioned the incident. Derrick hugged her and though she knew that would cause him pain thanks to his injuries, Carolyn let him be.

"If you were planning on moving, do you have a place in mind?"

"Yes, you know it as well."

At this time, Carolyn recalled the state of the church and the children that appeared to be living there.

"Is it the church?"

"That's right. Mr. Priest predicted that the children would be at risk, so he's allowed us to move to the church."

"I still don't like that idea, but it's better than nothing," Derrick added.

Carolyn had guessed as much, but she was still impressed that Benedict had foreseen the state of affairs and took steps to mitigate its effects on the children.

"Okay, then let's get to the-"

"Lety!" Derrick exclaimed, while holding Lety's limp body.

When Carolyn heard him shout and saw her state, she immediately checked Lety's pulse and temperature.

"It's a high fever. The incident must have exhausted her. Does she have any medicine to take?"

"No, but I remember hearing that there was a doctor a few streets north from here."

"Okay, put her on my back and lead the way," said Carolyn as she crunched down with her back facing them.

"But..."

Though he was in a panic and she had just rescued them, Derrick was reluctant to hand his sister to Carolyn.

"Derrick. It's between your sister's life and your stubbornness. Don't tell me you don't know what the right choice is."

With those words of 'encouragement', Derrick carefully placed Lety on Carolyn's back and nervously watched her lift Lety into a piggyback carry.

"Let's go."

Though he frequently looked back at Lety, Derrick led the way to the doctor's house. They encountered others along the way, but they couldn't afford to get involved in any trouble, so Carolyn glared with as much ferocity as she could muster to intimidate them. Her glare must have been effective because after one look, anyone that saw her immediately backed out of the way.

Like Derrick said, the doctor was only a few streets away, so it didn't take long for them to arrive at a house with a sign that had a pair of wings drawn on it.

"Doc! Doc! Are you there?!"

Carolyn grimaced when she saw Derrick pound on the door, but she couldn't tell him to calm down in the current situation.

'Hopefully this doctor won't mind him too much.'

Carolyn was worried that Derrick's brash actions might make the doctor refuse them, but if nothing else, this doctor was at least willing to talk. Shortly after Derrick's first two waves of knocking, a click could be heard, and the door gently opened.

"Yes, yes, you don't have to beat it down."

Opening the door was a middle-aged man with long grey hair caught in a ponytail. The moment she saw his face, Carolyn sensed something off, but Derrick's voice emphasized their key objective.

"My sister's burning up! Please help her, Doc! I'll do whatever you want!"

"She developed a sudden high fever. She doesn't have any external injuries, but she's prone to low fevers and coughs."

"Hoo. Sounds like you know a thing or two. Very well, carry her in."

The doctor widened the entrance and stepped aside so that they could enter. Once both of them had walked past the entrance, the doctor closed the door and led them further inside. The first space seemed like a living room, but the one after that was a small white treatment room with a bed next to the wall on the left and various tools and substances on the shelves to the right. After Carolyn laid Lety on the bed, the doctor, now wearing a white coat, examined her.

Doctors licensed by the Medical Association were given a white coat with the symbol of the Medical Association on it, so it was common for both licensed and unlicensed doctors to wear white coats while on duty, but this was the first time Carolyn had seen someone in it. She didn't know his standing with the Medical Association, but his skill while examining Lety was professional. After checking her pulse, temperature, the inside of her mouth and her eyes, the doctor tried to ask her questions about any additional symptoms, but she wasn't able to answer. Seeing how smoothly he went through these steps, Carolyn's faith in the doctor grew.

"I can't be certain, but it does appear to be a fever caused by a build-up of fatigue and stress. A healthy child would have less severe symptoms, but because of her weak constitution, she ended up in this state."

"Will she be okay, Doc?"

"Yes. As long as she rests, eats food easy on the stomach and drinks a lot of water, she should be fine after a few days. Can either of you read?"

"I, well..."

"I can read."

Seeing Derrick hesitate, Carolyn interjected.

"Good. I'll write some things to pay attention to while she recovers and what you can do to improve her condition. If you have any questions, you can come back to ask me."

"Thank you, Doctor."

"I'm just doing my duty. You can call me Henry."

"Okay, Dr. Henry."

"Haha, the youth sure are polite these days."

Henry then left the room, leaving Derrick and Carolyn alone with the patient. She was now unconscious, but Lety's breathing seemed more peaceful. As Carolyn watched Derrick gently hold Lety's hand, Carolyn thought about her purpose in being in Vernum City.

She left the village in order to search for the truth, but according to Benedict, she would have to use her connection to Margaret and her family in order to make progress. He insisted she wouldn't do anything to harm them, but she still didn't like the idea of taking advantage of their trust. She was sure that Derrick would do whatever it took to protect his sister, so in that sense, his resolve was much stronger than hers. But in the end, wouldn't that just make them more and more isolated?

She wouldn't be able to stay in this city forever, but even if she was called an arrogant busybody, she wanted to save them.

"Here it is. I also have some medicine you can use for her."

Henry soon returned with a small paper note and two packets the same size as the note.

"Thank you, Dr. Henry. How much do we owe you?"

"Don't worry about the cost. You're my first clients, so take it as a welcome bonus."

"Are you sure, Dr. Henry? I wouldn't want to do you a disservice after you've done so much for us."

"It's fine. If I wanted to make money, do you think I would set up my clinic here?"

Despite the worsening financial state of the city, doctors were always highly valued, so regardless of whether or not Henry was licensed, there should be no reason he had to settle in the slums unless he had a suspicious history.

"I, suppose not. Very well, but if you need any help, then feel free to -"

"Wait. If there's anyone who needs to be in his debt, it's me. Lety's my sister. I'll definitely pay you back for saving her."

At Derrick's declaration, Carolyn and Henry looked at each other and shared a knowing smile.

"Alright, young man, what's your name?"

"It's Derrick."

"Okay, Derrick. If I need any help, I'll ask for you."

"Okay."

Henry offered to let Lety stay for the rest of the day, but Derrick insisted that they leave once she was stable, so they left the clinic soon after. Before they left, the doctor also treated Derrick's wounds, but he would still need time to recover, so Carolyn carried Lety on her back.

"Thank you, Dr. Henry. May we meet again."

"Yes. I'll look forward to that time."

After they left Henry's clinic, Carolyn looked back at the door once more.

'A doctor whose eyes only show compassion. A bit strange, but he seems like a good person.'

"Why aren't you moving?" asked Derrick after noticing that Carolyn had stopped in place.

"Oh, it's nothing. Let's go."