Oasis

The gates to the settlement had opened completely and Gregory observed something unexpected. A group of kids started trotting out of the gates and towards the mysterious figure next to him.
"Astrea! You're back!"
"What did you bring us this time?"
"How was the trip?"

I guess her name is Astrea?
Gregory did not know what to make of this scene. He could never have imagined a person like that being so beloved by children. All of them had huge grins on their faces and they looked intensely excited. Their clothes were torn and looked cheap and sad. A contrast to the expressions on their faces.
Astrea crouched down and embraced as many of them as her slender hands could hold. Her expression was hidden behind a dirty gas mask but Gregory imagined that she was surely pleased to see them. None of them paid any attention to him, unlike the guard on top of the tower who was still looking curiously at Gregory. He felt like he was out of place. Like a fish in a desert.

"I've told you guys to not come outside without masks..." Her voice was completely different than the one he had heard so far. It was like the voice of a mother welcoming her kids back home. Although the kids were the ones welcoming her home. As sweet as it was you could still hear the sureness in her tone.

After the welcoming was finished some of the kids eventually noticed the stranger. He felt awkward and didn't know what to say.
"Welcome to the oasis mister!" They said in unison.
The kids trusted Astrea and knew she wouldn't bring someone here who would mean any harm. Gregory was incredibly curious about everything but his curiosity was currently being overpowered by thirst and fatigue.

"Go over there and show them your leg." Her voice became stoic and commanding once again. Astrea pointed to a small building made of wood, scrap metal, and sandstone, that was to the left of the entrance next to one of the towers. Gregory could see a woman his age through the window of the building grinding up some herbs. He started going there just as Astrea had told him. At this point he felt like he could trust her. Probably.

***

Gregory opened the door of the building which produced an awkward creaking sound and went inside the building. The aroma of herbs and medicine quickly invaded his nostrils.
"Welcome! Are you new here?" The woman there greeted him with an energetic, pleasant, and somewhat childish voice. She was a bit shorter than him and had a slender build. She was wearing a brown medieval looking tunic and a faded bordeaux robe on top. Her long red hair was roughly tied up in a ponytail and matched her big round red eyes. She had a warm smile.

"M-My.. leg-" Gregory tried to mutter out a sentence while his cheeks were turning red.
"Oh yeah I can see that! Did you get roach blood on you? That's nasty!" Said the woman in a lively voice.
"Yeah.. c-can you help me with that?"
"Of course! Take a seat!" The woman pointed to a stool while she was grabbing a bottle of some mysterious liquid and a towel.
He sat on top of the stool and the woman crouched down and took a look at his leg.
"I will apply a disinfectant now. It might sizzle but it's better than getting an infection, okay?"
"Alrig-" A barely audible fizzing sound filled the room.
The woman had applied the liquid before Gregory agreed to the procedure.
"It hurts less when you are not expecting it, heehee!"
"Thank you... uhh-"
"The name's Atra! And you are?" The doctor said while putting the medicine back in its place.
"I'm Gregory, pleased to meet you."
So far this has been the most normal conversation Gregory has had since he arrived in this world.
"If you ever don't feel well or you get injured anywhere don't hesitate to pay me a visit right?"
Atra said with a voice that was as bright as the desert sun, and an expression on her face to match that.
"A-Alright, I'll be going now..." Wait, where do I go? Astrea didn't say anything about me staying here, se just brought me here to sanitize my leg. Where am I gonna go?
Anxious thoughts started filling Gregory's mind once again. The past few hours have been nothing but stressful for him.
"Would you mind telling Astrea to come here for me? She should be in the big building in the center."
"Of c-course!"
A heavy thought suddenly appeared in Gregory's head: Wait a minute, the reason I'm here is to do good in this world and help as many people as I can. But so far I am the one who has received all the help... I have done nothing....
Right now, Gregory was painfully overwhelmed by fatigue, thirst, and negative thoughts. He felt as if he would collapse on the spot.
"I.. ha... tell Astr...."
He remembered the one and only thing he could do right now to help someone. And that was a simple request. Tell Astrea to go to the doctor's office.

***

The settlement was not too big, only the size of a small park he remembered near his house in Nemesia. That made the large building in the middle easy to spot. Gregory started making his way to there. Though it was only a few steps, it felt like a thousand.
 Gregory opened the door to the main structure and the inside he could see was like that of a western bar he'd only seen in cowboy movies. Wooden stools around barrels that acted as tables, and a bar area next to the wall in front of him. The building was lit up only by natural light that came through the rusty metal windows and candles that were placed on top of the barrels.

In the bar area he could see two people talking. One somewhat tall elderly man and Astrea.

Cling cling cling

Astrea  grabbed a sack that was attached to her uniform, opened it, and emptied its contents on top of the bar. Pieces of valuable looking metal fell on top of the bar and made metallic noises as they collided with the wood and against themselves. Creating a shiny mountain of metal that contrasted the cheap looking bar.
"And why would you be leaving this here miss?" The old man said in a calm yet playful tone.
"Frederick is asleep in his workshop so I didn't want to wake him up. Give this to him when you see him." It looked like Astrea spoke with this monotone, machine-like voice to everyone, except the group of kids.
"You don't have to wear this contraption inside too you know?" The elderly man said with a joking tone.
"You are right."
Astrea continued to pull down her hood and put away the gas mask.
Gregory decided that they would not pay him any mind so he had to call out to Astrea to say what he wanted to say.
"Hey, Astrea..."
"Yes?"
Huh..?
Gregory was stunned. Astrea had turned to face him and at that moment he realized that under her hood she was hiding a face that was as pretty as a flower. Her facial features looked like that of a sculpture, perfect. Her blonde shoulder length hair was like rays of sun. He felt like his eyes would burn if he looked at her for just a second longer. Her olive green eyes had no expression but Gregory felt like he was being entangled by them.
"What do you need?"
A return to reality for Gregory.
"U-Uhh.. Atra said she wants to see you in the doctor's building."
"All right." She started to make her way there, leaving the building. The room suddenly felt darker without her presence, and Gregory was looking at the closed door. Just for that moment he felt all of his physical pain go away, but it was now returning.

"So what brings you here sonny?"