The Host ¤ The Next Chapter

The Host ¤ The Next Chapter: 15

The Host ¤ The Next Chapter: 15

When we returned to Jeb's base, a line of women stationed at tables were waiting for the supplies. I slipped the medication into my side pocket. Cure and Sick Leaver were smaller than other common medicines. The containers they were kept in were just about the size of a tube of lipstick. This made it easy for me to quickly conceal them before forfeiting my basket to the women.

They gladly took the products without suspecting me. Not even Tomas, who was walking directly beside, had noticed me slip the medications into my pocket. I continued walking farther into the caves with him.

At the inner center of the town, those who had gone on the raid split off on all directions. Most of them returned to their homes to get some rest. Others hung about around the main cavern, chatting in low voices. I ducked into the tunnel that lead to Doc's clinic when Tomas wasn't looking.

The other end opened to the medium sized cavern with the old man's medical facility braced up against the cave wall. I walked briskly over to it, but slowed my pace when I approached the door. I slipped in quietly to find the docter sitting at his desk, studying a book. The ill patient still didn't look any better. I wonder if Doc had given up on him.

"Doc?" I asked softly, not wanting to startle him.

"Hmm?" he hummed as he turned around. He blinked in surprise when he saw that it was me. "May?" Doc asked as if he didn't trust his eyes. "What are you doing here?" he inquired.

"I brought the medicine." I replied, fetching the two tubes out of my pocket. I held them in my palm so he could see.

"May, you shouldn't have..." Doc murmured, but his voice faded. I didn't understand the grief on his face.

"Is it too late to save him?" I asked in concern.

"No, no." Doc shook his head. "What I meant was you shouldn't have gone through the trouble." he explained, looking at the vials. "They just gave them to you?" He asked, staring up at me.

I nodded my head.

"Then let's go to work." he replied, taking the medicines from my hand. 

Doc stood up and strolled over to the sick boy. I followed close behind, acting like a shadow.

"Which one is which?" he asked as he studied the two tubes in his hand.

"Cure is the vial with a blue band around the cap." I answered him, pointing to the right. "Sick Leaver has an orange band."

"And each does what?" Doc asked before he dared use any of the sprays on the boy.

"Cure gets rid of diseases. Sick Leaver takes care of mild colds." I told him. "I recomend using the Cure first. If there are any after waves of colds, then use Sick Leaver. To use them, simply spritz in front of the nose so they inhale the medication."

Doc nodded and set to work. The boy moved in his sleep after breathing Cure in. His face relaxed as his suffering went away. Now instead of being locked in death's grip, he could sleep easily. Doc backed away from the subject and turned to me.

"I don't know how to thank you." he whispered, not wanting to wake the boy. "Is there anything I can do for you?" he asked.

I took a moment before replying. "Can I work in the clinic with you? Tomas told me on the trip back that most people earn their keep in the fields. I'm not very strong and my hands weren't made for hard labor."

Doc's mouth frowned for a moment, then he nodded his head once. "I'll see what I can work out with Jeb."

"Thank you." I muttered quietly before backing away. 

I went back through the tunnel to the main cavern. I only went a few feet before someone I knew stopped me.

"There you are." Taylor spoke breathlessly. He had ran up to me from the other side of the giant cave. "The others were looking for you."

"Others?" I echoed.

"Well, Whitney and Tomas." he corrected himself, scratching the back of his head nervously. "Where were you?"

"With Doc." I answered immediately.

Taylor blinked in confusion. "Why?"

Oh, no. I hadn't thought about what I had said. Now I would have to tell him the truth....or a stretched version of it.

"He asked me to come back." I lied---very nervously might I add.

"For?" Taylor added.

"He had some questions on some of the sprays." I shrugged. I really hoped he didn't catch onto my lying. I was ready to jump out of my skin as it was.

"Oh. Okay." he agreed. "Why don't you go back to Whitney's? I think you're a bit jumpy from the raid." he suggested.

"Right." I smiled, relaxing a bit. "I'll do that."

Taylor smiled before I turned around to leave.