âGaspâI just heard that the doctor had already gone to the village on the other side yesterdayâ¦â¦â
âWhat?â
Waaaaah! The childâs wailing had eventually gotten even louder. Vivian tried soothing her, but her cries didnât stop at all.
âAre there no other doctors then?â
âThatâsâ¦â¦since this village is very small, having one doctor is already more than enough to be thankful for. Thatâs why the doctor has been kept busy due to all those villages that persist in calling for him.â
âEz, please!â
Vivian then desperately clutched onto his arm. Although she was aware that he wouldnât be the solution, Vivian was still tugging on his arm while pleading, as if she was already breaking down.
âAnd soâthereâs no other doctor at all? Iâd be fine even if they are just someone who could at least have known something about medicine.â
âPlease wait. U-uh, about thatâ¦â¦â
The wheels in Ezâs head were moving rapidly, resulting in his troubled expression. At that moment, the man garbed in robes suddenly grabbed a hold of Vivianâs arm.
âThereâs a doctor whom Iâm acquainted with.â
âSorry? Is that true, sir?â
Vivian had forgotten the fact that he was a customer and quickly pleaded.
âIâm begging you, sir. Please introduce me to that doctor. My child is really ill!â
The robed man then grabbed Vivianâs arm before guiding her. Vivian instantly followed his quick strides as if she was running herself.
Not long after that, he suddenly stopped in front of a mansion. In that split second, Vivian became flustered at the sight of the huge mansion as compared to that of the villagersâ houses, but as soon as the robed man had entered, she quickly followed suit.
âCedric! Cedric!â
The enrobed man shouted out a name. Cedric? It was a name that she often heard of somewhere.
Come to think of it, the manâs voice had changed as well. His voice became somewhat familiar that she began to wonder if he had usually altered it in a lower tone on purpose. It was just like a voice she had perceived from somewhere else, which she had long erased from her memories.
âIs something wrong, sir?â
The moment she faced Cedric, Vivianâs face stiffened up at once. He was the doctor whom she had already known about too well in this world.
It is him.
There had been no doubt at all that it was him. His eyes were clearly looking at Vivian, evidently gazing at her shocked expression as well as the child in her arms.
Cedric sighed as he scratched the back of his head.
âHave you brought me another sick person? Iâve said it before, havenât I? Iâm not a philanthropist.â
âItâs not like that. I want you to take a look at this child.â
âIâm very expensive, though.â
âCedric.â
The voice of the man in the robe growled. Cedric, who understood the meaning of that voice, began to raise both of his handsâindicating the fact that he gave in.
âI got itâI got it, sir. Come over here.â
The physician revealed an amiable smile as he let Vivian inside. Just as if it was his very first time seeing herself and her child.
Vivian sealed her mouth shut. She was only looking nervously towards her child whenever the inspecting touch loomed over, but she didnât even utter a single word at all.
âThis is just a simple sunstroke. Iâm sure sheâll get better soon if you just keep her away from direct sunlight and give her plenty of water often.â
âA sunstrokeâ¦?â
She seemed rather confused when she had finally parted open her own mouth. A sunstroke? It was such an unfamiliar term for her who had always worked under the scorching sun.
âYes. A childâs skin is undoubtedly weaker than adults. They also have poor control over temperature. Especially since the weather in this region is much stronger than any other regions, so itâd be bad for the child to experience it directly for a long time.â
She immediately recalled what happened that day after the physicianâs words. It was when her lovely child had been trying to catch the ray of sunlight and she left the window open since she was happy with the look on her child. Vivian couldnât say anything as she thought back on her childâs sorrow before hugging her tightly.
No matter how hard she had tried, she was still a beginner at childcare. Although she strove to manage both her livelihood and childcare, her body was only made of one. As she turned her eyes on the job, she had to avert her eyes away from her innocent child.
She thought that if it happened to someone elseâs child, she might have realized if they were sick soonerâperhaps. That thought was weighing heavily on Vivianâs shoulders.
She only spoke a little before she had received the prescribed medicine while her mouth was still shut tightly until she finally left the mansion. She ignored his offer to escort her back since the night was already so dark and quickly walked away.