Gregory took the boy upstairs to the second floor of the Octagon House. He put the boy on the bed as instructed by Emmeline. Gregory left after having been instructed to get more water. Emmeline carefully put the boy's head on the pillow in an attempt to make the human boy more comfortable. She carefully changed his bandages, at least the ones that he had bled through. Emmeline attempted to take his heart rate, but it was too faint for her to do so. She would have sighed, had she ability to do so, but she didn't breathe. So, instead she focused on the task at hand, to keep the boy alive!
Emmeline stood up from the bed and crossed the room and opened the wardrobe on the opposite wall, she fortunately found what she was looking for, a quilt. She put the quilt up to her nose and attempted to see if there was a mildew smell, but her sense of smell was weak and she couldn't decipher any scent.
Emmeline unfolded the blanket and lay it across the battered boy. She wanted to sit by his bedside and will him to get better, but she knew that would be of no use. So, instead she headed to the library, trying to find something that would help her in the current situation. The human anatomy books while useful where of no particular use currently. She slammed the book shut and put it back on the shelf. She had to do something, the boy was going to die and damned if she was going to let that happen. She searched for other books, she pulled out an herbal remedy book and cook book. She set the cook book aside, should, no when, the boy wakes up he will have to eat food to sustain himself, it would come in useful then.
She plopped down on the sofa and threw her head back. She was human not too long ago, but her previous life seemed too distant for her to recall anything specific. She cried out and then closed her eyes trying to focus her attention. She opened the herbal remedies flipping through the book, trying to see if anything would be useful now or in the immediate future.
"Emmeline? Emmy dear." Gregory called out.
Emmeline heard him, but with the current situation she wanted to cry and she knew that Gregory wouldn't understand. She didn't know what to say.
"Emmeline, I know that you can hear me. Please talk to me?"
Emmeline could hear his voice falter, it made her feel guilty. She sat up and looked over at Gregory, "Yes?"
"Are you okay?"
Emmeline furrowed her brow, "Why are you asking me that?"
"Since the men and that boy, you have been different, with the haunting, molotov cocktails, and the care for the boy?"
Emmeline considered his words, "Is it bad if I want him to live?"
"Let me ask you this, is being dead that bad?" Gregory whispered to her. He felt if he spoke any louder, she would run away.
Emmeline looked at her hands that were folded in her lap, she then raised her eyes after some consideration. "He is still alive and I want to try all we can to keep him that way." Emmeline then shift her eyes out towards the window, staring at nothing in particular. "This is what I want for my death-day, I don't want him to share this day with me, I would much rather he live." She closed the herbal remedies book and taped it with her fingers, "Please, in the heaven's above, let him live." she whispered to no one in particular.
Gregory observed Emmeline and her current state. He stood up and turned to her, "If that is the case, there is a lot we have to do, I will go boil some water for him so he can have safe drinking water. We will have to find food for him if he wakes up."
"When, when he wakes up." Emmeline corrected, the power of positive thinking was compelling her!
"Yes, when he wakes up. He will need food and water to regain his strength, but-" he wanted to say more, but he thought better of it. He would hope and work for the best. He most certainly did not want to disappoint his Emmeline. It were solely his decision, he wouldn't have helped the boy, he wouldn't actively attempt to hasten his death, but he wouldn't be doing all the work that he was currently doing.
After Gregory had left Emmeline stood up and decided that she would go out and find food, but she would have to find something to carry it in. So, she searched the kitchen for a couple of baskets. She called Ania over, "Will you help me look for food?"
Ania nodded. Emmeline handed the young girl two of the wicker baskets, and they headed to the forest towards an overgrown and ill kept orchard. Emmeline paused at the entrance as Ania walked in and looked at the bushes, any fruit she saw she placed in the container only to move to the next when she cleared the bush.
Emmeline observed the orchard, if the boy was going to stay here then they should clean this up. But as she started to plan and think about it, her heart sank, if he did survive, he probably had his own family to take care of him. She shook her head and decided to focus on the task at hand, no use in clouding her mind with things that may or may not come to pass. Remember she told herself, the power of positive thinking, surely the heavens will reward them.
While Ania handled the bushes, Emmeline sauntered over to the apple trees and plucked the best of the fruits. She didn't want the boy to recover from his wounds only to fall sick from eating rotten fruits. After a couple of hours and four full containers later, the two headed back to the Octagon House.
CLUNK
Emmeline turned around to see one of the baskets Ania was holding had fallen out of her hand, scattering the fruits. Emmeline smiled patiently, setting her own containers down to help the girl pick up the fruits.
"I'm sorry" Ania looked up sheepishly.
Emmeline shook her head, "no need, you are still learning. Interacting with the environment takes a lot of skill and practice. Even I still drop things if my mind is not focused on the task.
"Thanks." Ania whispered and picked up the containers to walk back to the house. Ania would make sure to concentrate!
Emmeline nodded her head in agreement.
They dropped the fruits off in the kitchen. Emmeline used the water from earlier to clean off the fruits, so they would be prepared when the boy was able to eat. Some of the fruits she set aside, she would have to check in the library to see if they were edible for humans. But as the boy was still unconscious, there was still time for that.