Chương 24: Am I Alright Now?
"I don't think he was very happy that I thanked you, Mr. Briar. But I truly didn't know who to thank for saving me. I think that I messed things up without meaning to." I felt like this whole situation was my fault. I was the one who got sick and then I was the one that angered the werewolf. Now, if my dad doesn't pay the debt he might die. That was all my fault.
It was at that moment that I remembered what my dream had said.
'No, Adelaide. I am not going to die again. I refuse to let that happen to me. I will fight it. I will stay strong. Mom and Dad will do something to help me, I just know it.' I remember that I was crying and my voice shook when I made that declaration.
'Can they save us, though? Do they know how to? We do not just have a fever. We're dying. They need to do something that most are incapable of.'
'They will, I know they will.' I had tears streaming down my cheeks as I hoped that I wasn't going to die again.
'Will you accept the cost of them saving you? Will you take on whatever debt it is that they incur for saving your life? That is what you need to answer before you can wake up.'
'What are you talking about? What debt? What will I have to pay?' That had been when the old Adelaide was fading and leaving me.
'There is no time to think about it or to explain. Will you take on the responsibility that saving your life will cost? Will you bear that burden as your own, no matter what the cost might be?'
'I will. I swear I will. I don't want to die just yet. I want to live longer. I want to see more things in this world. I don't want to die again.'
I had sworn that I would bear the responsibility of my life being saved. I would be the one to pay the debt. If the werewolf demanded that Dad die in five years, then I would give my life for his. They would have given me five more years and I will make it until the age of eighteen again.
I got a second chance at life, and I guess it was never truly meant to be for me to live past eighteen. That had to be the expiration date on my soul. It was like something inside of my core being said this girl can't live past eighteen.
"Don't blame yourself at all, Addie." Dad lifted his head again and looked me in the eyes. "If I hadn't broken down to cry next to you then I could have thanked him properly. It is what I should have done in the first place. This is my fault."
"No Dad, it's mine. I am the one who got sick."
"I don't think that we should lay blame anywhere." Mr. Briar smiled at me. "I think the best possible outcome was achieved. Addie is alive and seems to be doing well. If you all wouldn't mind, I would like to examine her and see if she is indeed doing better." That was when I noticed that he had retrieved a bag that was sitting on the dresser in my room. It wasn't mine so it had to be his.
"Addie, are you up to it?"
I had gotten plenty of examinations back in my old life. I was used to them, even though it was bound to be different now that I lived here in the world known as Athea. I didn't particularly like the appointments that I had to have repeatedly, actually I hated them. My family didn't know that I had been a different person or that I had these other experiences though, so they were probably nervous that I would object or that I would be frightened.
I needed to be strong though and suck it up. I wasn't a crippled little girl that couldn't do anything on her own anymore. I was healthy and recovering from being sick, that was all.
"Yes, I think that I can handle it."
Mr. Briar opened the bag and took out a few different tools. There was something that looked a little bit like a stethoscope that he put on his head. Instead of going in just the ears he was wearing them like they were headphones, also the device was longer so that he didn't need to lean forward quite so far.
"Addie, can you take a few deep breaths for me." That sounded just like something the doctors on earth would say that I almost thought that I was back there for a moment. I did as he asked, though, I took four slow deep breaths like I used to do in my old life.
"Is she alright?" Dad asked him, too impatient to wait.
"I will let you know soon, Mercer." Mr. Briar smiled at him before he continued his work.
The next thing that Mr. Briar did was test my reflexes. He didn't use the little hammer that the earth doctors did, but he tapped my knees and my elbows to see if they moved like they were supposed to. So far so good.
He continued in a very earth-like exam. He checked my eyes, the inside of my mouth and throat, he even checked my glands to make sure that they weren't swollen.
"As far as I can tell, you're as good as new. I want you to stay in bed and rest for a few more days. I will come back to check you again before you're allowed to run around and be a kid again. Do you agree to those terms?"
His bedside manner was great, way better than my earth doctor's had been. He was giving me a soft smile and I could tell that he was genuinely worried about me. He seemed like a really nice guy.
"Yes, I think I can handle that."
"Good, now you should get something to drink, it's been a few days for you. After that, you can have some soft and easy to swallow foods. If you can hold that down with no problem then you can resume your regular diet tomorrow."
"Thank you so much, Mr. Briar." I smiled at him in return.
I was alive. I didn't die again, yet. And I finally met a doctor that I didn't hate. This was a great day so far.
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