When he made their hurried arrival inside the infirmary, there was a sign that said "Out to eat."
"We're screwed."
Louise giggled. Although he was generally less formal around Louise, she had never heard him talk like that.
"I didn't know you learned to talk like that. "
"Learning quickly is my special ability."
He gave small grunt as he placed Louise on the medical bed. He did it carefully, unlike the way he talked.
"Thanks."
Louise sat on the bed and nodded gratefully. To be honest, her back hurt to the point that it felt hot and prickly. It seemed to have swollen from the impact of the floor. She wondered if her back would become bent and misshapen. She would hate if that happened.
"It was nothing."
"Was I heavy?"
"You were very heavy. As usual."
He ruffled Louise's hair. He walked away from the bed to open the glass cupboard in the infirmary.
"Is it alright to do that by yourself?"
Ian nodded towards a sign on the wall.
"If I'm away, take care of yourself then leave."
And below it was a warning in striking letters.
"If you are lying down and are not a patient, I will make you my disciple."
It seemed true that there were eccentric witches and wizards out there.
"I don't think they'd make a sincere teacher."
"But they'd make a capable healer. Take off your clothes and lie down."
Louise's eyes widened at the enormity of what he was asking of her. He had said it so casually. He took out a clean cloth with an unperturbed expression.
"What?"
"Well, why don't we wait for the healer?"
"Of course we'll wait. You'll need to be diagnosed by an expert. However, it would be better to put something cold on you until then."
Was that so? Come to think of it, her back did feel prickly and hot and the skin slightly swollen. Louise took off her jacket without saying anything. After setting it aside she crawled underneath the pleasantly cool covers. She found it impossible to lie on her back, so she lay face down on the pillow.
"Ha…"
There was a cry of death from her mouth.
"How the hell did this happen to you?"
He pulled down the blanket and put a cold pack on top of her thin shirt.
"Oh…"
Louise gripped the white sheets. She never thought that cold packs could be so painful.
"Does it hurt too much?"
Louise nodded a little, biting her lip. Of course he probably never experienced this kind of cold. He was probably enjoying this, the devil that he was that made fun of her pain and suffering.
He shifted the position of the cold pack, and her spine shivered at the sensation. Louise pouted her lips.
"It's cold."
"I suppose so,"
he said briskly. His reply was like he was talking about someone else's business.
They both didn't say anything after that. The infirmary room ached with silence. Sometimes there was a sound outside the window, which only amplified the quiet even more.
"The temple."
It was Louise who spoke first.
"I don't think you need to contact them."
She had just remembered that he said he would call them if her condition was serious.
"With this body?"
He changed the position of his cold pack once again and stared at Louise's trembling eyes.
"I feel better."
"Really."
"I'm being honest."
"It's only because the cold pack has made you feel numb. Someone needs to take a look at it properly."
"You worry too much."
"My fiancée–no, my childhood friend."
He corrected himself quickly and then sighed.
"You make me worried."
"Do I?"
"You had an argument with the professor in our first class."
Ugh, that was beyond her control.
"You threw yourself to save a falling person."
That wasn't her fault, Ian had appeared late.
"I can't look at your mother in the eye if you get hurt like this on the first day of class."
"I couldn't just let her get hurt! I had to protect her!"
"…and you knew that."
"Huh?"
He simply changed the position of the cold pack again. That was all. He gave no other answer.
Louise closed her eyes again.