章節 34: Infirmary pt.1
Marina remembered little to nothing of what had happened after the clash between Shirei, Aena and Salix.
After meeting the demigod's purple eyes, her energy had left her body and she had fallen into a semi-fainting state. Her companions had been forced to rush her to the twenty-first house, the park's infirmary and residence of the children of Mardi: the god of medicine.
Before she could hit the ground, she felt someone's cold hands supporting her. Her mysterious rescuer picked her up and started running while, from afar, Lyceum tried to reduce the general panic.
"Calm down, demigods! Please think about making sure your companions are safe!"
Dalia's voice sounded next to her, talking to someone.
"We need to get her to the infirmary right away, before this strange wound sends her to our father."
Our father.
Was it possible that Dalia was talking to Shirei?
Ien's daughter let herself be dragged as her figure curled in on herself, she didn't like showing herself weak and yet it always ended up that way. She heard Francesca's voice calling Lorenzo, and then approaching them. Her half-brother, seeing her in that state, had probably turned pale. Adrenaline had taken over during the battle with the dark angel, but Lorenzo had never been one to be on the front line. In another situation, Marina would have stifled a laugh, but instead she struggled to stay conscious. Her eyes were closed, but it felt like they were burning.
"Lead the way!" Lorenzo shouted.
They progressively slowed down until they stopped. Marina assumed they must be at the entrance to the infirmary. A gentle voice told his companion to follow him. Marina began to hear her ears ringing and had an involuntary spasm.
"It doesn't look good... What happened to her?" The young demigod, probably a son of Mardi, asked.
Dalia laughed nervously and replied: "I'd like to know, I really screwed up."
"She'll be fine, she just needs a place where she can rest in peace."
This time it was Shirei who spoke, Marina realized that he was the one who brought her there.
"Are you sure?" The demigod asked, "Look, you know there are many possibilities-"
"I'm sure of it," Cragar's son replied dryly.
"As you prefer, then I'll check something and then I'll come back, you can put her there."
Marina heard the muffled sound of the wood bending under the weight of Mardi's son's steps. Before she knew it, Shirei moved a few feet and placed her on a soft bed. The blonde's head sank gently when it hit the pillow.
"As soon as it's all over, I think you'll have to give an explanation to Aena and Lyceum," said Lorenzo, his voice revealing a mixture of disdain and aversion towards the two half-brothers.
"It doesn't matter, it's something to think about later," Shirei replied apathetically, "I can keep an eye on her without problems, for now. Better if you try to calm the people out here."
"I'm not leaving my sister."
"And I'm her best friend."
Even without seeing him, Marina could imagine an annoyed expression on Shirei's face.
The demigod replied in a calm voice, but still implied a certain urgency: "Well, then find a son of Mardi willing to give you some St. John's wort petals and a mandrake distillate."
Lilia's shrill voice rang through the room, as if she had a megaphone for a mouth.
"You and you! Children of Cragar! Why did you have to come here? Couldn't you have gone to the Daffodil Academy?" A warm hand touched her face, "Gods... Marina, you'll see that everything will be fine. It's nothing."
Before she could feel anything else, a sharp pain in her temple mixed with the burning of the wound made her shiver. As if she had just been hit on the back of the head by a baseball bat, Marina felt extremely dizzy and lost consciousness completely.
Shirei opened his eyes with a start.
He realized that he was still in the infirmary and that he was not alone. Mardi's son looked at the boy with fear, but continued to check that Marina was okay.
Night had fallen and Cragar's son had insisted on being the only one to stay in the infirmary, to ensure that Ien's daughter had no problems with her recovery. In the end, he managed to convince everyone, after all he had demonstrated that he was the best prepared in case Marina's situation suddenly worsened.
The boy looked around. The infirmary room was in the left wing of the house. The corridor leading there was lit by pendant lamps, whose amber glow gave it an air of warm welcome. The floor, covered with a carpet yellowed by time, muffled the footsteps, adding a subtle sense of comfort.
Inside the room, however, the walls were covered in faded floral wallpaper, a choice that probably dates back to decades earlier. The furniture was sturdy and durable, with carved details. The beds were arranged in parallel, so as to form two long rows, they were characterized by a dark wooden headboard and a faded green bedspread. Next to it, there was a bedside table with a small vase, an invitation to donate flowers and wish a speedy recovery to those who were hospitalized there.
A large window, with heavy velvet curtains, offered a view of the darkness of night enveloping the Lilies Park. Moonlight filtered through the fabric, casting an ethereal glow into the room. On the windowsill, there was a small ceramic deity statuette, Shirei guessed it was Mardi.
The demigod sat in an overstuffed chair, worn from frequent use, but still comfortable. Next to the chair, a low table held a stack of books, presumably left there to entertain anyone who needed to kill time while watching over those at rest. Above the coffee table, a table lamp with an ivory shade cast a soft light, perfect for reading. Despite the antiquity and quietness that permeated the environment, there was a sense of comfort and security that enveloped the infirmary room.
Shirei's gaze wandered until it met that of Mardi's son. "Something's wrong?"
The boy quickly retreated from Marina and pretended to fiddle with some bottles, "W-w-what did you want before?"
"I needed some ingredients to take care of the wound," Shirei replied, nodding at Marina's arm.
The demigod hesitated, "Yes, but you have no authority to request treatment here."
"Did something happen between us? I remember little to nothing about this morning."
Cragar's son tried to make a friendly expression to appear pleasant, "It doesn't matter. If you felt attacked, then I apologize. It was not my intention."
"I expected you to be different."
Shirei stared at him, "What do you mean?"
"Rumors are going around. Everyone here in the park is talking about you, especially now that you seem to spend a lot of time with Marina. 'The purple ghost and the queen of spring', that's what they call you," the demigod turned away with the slight fear of having said something wrong, "After today, perhaps they will talk even more."
"I understand. What is your name?" Cragar's son replied.
The doctor smiled, "You can go with Luxy. It's a nickname, but everyone here uses it."
Luxy was a young man with delicate features and an angelic appearance, with an aura of innocence surrounding his figure. His curly brown hair fell in soft curls around his face, framing a broad forehead and curious eyes.
His complexion was dark, exuding a warmth that contrasted softly with the pale light of the infirmary room. He was wearing a strange sleeveless shirt that made him look a little scruffy. The coat, of a whitish shade now yellowed by time and frequent use, reached just above his hips.
Despite the simplicity of his attire and his exuding innocence, Luxy exuded an aura of awareness, as if he carried with him some of the energy of his illustrious parent, the God of Medicine.
"Luxy… where can I find a bathroom?"
"Down the hall, on the right."
Shirei nodded his thanks and headed for the door. A searing pain hit the boy as he left the room. Although his heart had fully returned to normal, Shirei couldn't ignore the growing pain caused by the moment his heart rate stopped.
He gritted his teeth and headed for the bathroom. It was going to be a long night.
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