“…All right, everything seems fine.”
The doctor who’d diagnosed Dotta’s fracture shot him a reassuring smile. With long, bluish hair, androgynous features, and a slender frame, the doctor’s gender was completely ambiguous.
“You should be better in no time. Thankfully, this hospital has a decent supply of sprites from the Goddess of Blood if it comes to it. Unfortunately, they’re rare, so we can’t use too many on you. But with a little rest, you should be as right as rain in a few weeks.”
“Thanks…” Dotta bowed, his face clouded. He’d be missing all of Luffe Aros now. “By the way… Uh… Could you do me a favor? It’s about my unit… Do you think you could—?”
“I already contacted them, and they will be here shortly to visit you.”
At that, Dotta’s expression grew even darker. He knew exactly who would be coming to see him. In fact, he’d been about to ask the doctor to keep them away.
“Now, get some rest.”
The doctor retired from the room, leaving Dotta alone in the corner of a bustling ward. Right away, another patient started talking to him.
“You’re lucky, kid! Dito’s an amazing doctor!”
It seemed the doctor’s name was “Dito.” The other patient had his leg elevated in a cast, but he seemed to be in a good mood. He must have been soldier.
“Dito even cured a kid who was bedridden with a lung disease! So you don’t have a thing to worry about! Isn’t that right?” he said, turning to yet another patient.
“Yeah! I cracked my goddess-damned skull and thought I was a goner, but here I am. Apparently, I’ll be out early next year.”
“My problem was my heart. Thought I was gonna die…but Dito’s medicine worked miracles.”
Dotta managed a forced smile. It didn’t matter to him whether the doctor was a medical genius or a total quack. All he wanted right now was to get out of this ward.
Trishil’s on her way right now. I just know it.
Dotta braced himself for a bleak new year.