When the doctor left, Ly Giai and I took care of Si like how he told us to. Just preparing medicine and cleaning him took us a few hours to finish.
After Si, we shifted our care to the other patients. Luckily for us, there are many similarities in their medicine that it didn't take as long to have their medicine ready compared to Si.
While waiting for the medicine, Ly Giai and I came up with an idea to put up veils between the patients to keep their privacy when we have to clean them.
"Hi, Miss Tu. I have the medicine ready for you here. Let me help you sit up to drink it easier." Ly Giai seemed to have an easy time with the female patient.
So I tried copying her, but I was much more nervous speaking to other people. "Hi, Mister... Sao. I have... medicine here. Let me help you sit up."
Mr. Sao glanced at me and turned the other way. I tried to help him sit up, but he shouted at me. "Don't touch me!"
"But you need the medicine..."
"I will never drink anything that you touch! Don't come near me! Filthy rapist!"
I was damaged by his words. I just wanted to help, even got permission from the doctor, but it seemed my reputation would forever haunt me. I felt the eyes of all of the other patients silently watching me, all with the same sentiment as Sao.
"I... understand," I whispered and closed the veil. I left the tent. As I walked past the female patient, she didn't look at me with friendly eyes, either.
I returned to the medicine tent, set the medicine down, and became lost staring at the dark liquid, so dark that I could see myself in it.
I stared at it for a long time, a very long time. My mind was completely blanked and consumed by it.
"Do," a gentle voice behind me. It was Ly Giai.
"Ly Giai..." I slowly turned.
She put down her medicine bowl that was just finished and took mine. She then looked at me in and said gently. "I believe in you."
I smiled, feeling a little better. "Right. Thank you."
"Give them some time. Eventually, they will feel the same as I am. That accusation... you will be able to leave it behind."
"I'm not even sure if I am truly innocent, Ly Giai," I honestly said. "What if I did it? Then..."
"Do," Ly Giai cut me.
"Yes?" I replied.
"Believe in yourself, like how I believe in you," she said confidently with a slight punch on my chest.
...
"What is this feeling I am having? How can all the desperation and dreaded emotions I was feeling just now be gone? Why do I feel so when hearing that from Ly Giai?" I thought internally.
"Do you ever... doubted me?" I asked in awe, as I was still processing what just happened.
Ly Giai smiled. "Never," she answered without hesitation. "I trust my eyes, my heart, and my life. My eyes see that Do is a good person, my heart loves Do the good person, and my life was saved by Do the good person."
I was speechless, and couldn't think of anything. Just standing in place staring at Ly Giai slowly getting closer to me and putting her hands on my face.
"You are crying?" she said.
"What?" I returned to myself and touched my face. There were tears without me ever knowing.
"Haha. How many times have you kept saying things like this to me? And yet every time, I couldn't help myself," I laughed in happiness while wiping the tears with my arms.
Ly Giai suddenly hugged me.
"L... Ly Giai?"
"I'm here for you Do, whenever you need," she said gently.
I was stunned in place, didn't know how to act.
"Hug me," Ly Giai instructed.
"Ah right!" I nervously laughed.
Slowly relaxing my body, I wrapped one hand around her waist and the other on her head. We stayed in that position for who knows how long, but at that time, I just wished for time to end and freeze then, so that this moment would last forever.
In each other's arms, I felt the caring, warmth, and gentleness of Ly Giai. Her soft hands and fragile body, which should only be for living in comfort and happiness, now had to be stuck bearing the ruthlessness of society by being with me.
"I will live my life for you, Ly Giai," I whispered.
"Me too," she replied.
Eventually, we left the hug and returned to reality. Usually, Ly Giai and I would be clumsy and nervous after these kinds of moments, but strangely, I felt even more comfortable being with her. I think she felt the same.
"Let me reheat and give the medicine to Mister Sao," she said.
After the medicine was reheated, Ly Giai was about to take the medicine to the patient's tent, but I stopped her. "Let me."
"He won't drink if it's you," she explained.
"I'll figure it... somehow. If I fail, then I'll let you try," I insisted.
I took the medicine to the patients' tent. Taking a deep breath to prepare myself, I stepped in.
"Didn't I say that I won't have medicine from you!" Mr. Sao still refused me.
"Please keep your voice down. The other patients are resting," I reminded him in a serious voice.
Realizing that, he lowered his voice. "Anyway, leave! I don't want to see you!"
"I need to give you medicine and clean you once a day. That's what the doctor instructed me," I stubbornly said.
"Hah! You think I'll let you touch me! Ridiculous. Where is the doctor? I want to speak to him!"
"The doctor is busy with other patients. You are not the only patient here Mister Sao. He gave me clear instructions on how to take care of you. There is no need to bother him. Or are you expecting young lady Ly Giai to clean you?"
"Absurd! Of course not!"
"Right," I nodded. I then put the medicine bowl down and said one last thing before leaving. "You must know that our medicine is precious, especially in this wartime. This medicine could save someone else, but I let you decide if this bowl will be wasted or not."
I left the tent to see Ly Giai was waiting outside. She asked, "Will he drink it?"
"I think Mr. Sao is truly a righteous man with a good heart. He wouldn't let the medicine be wasted thinking it could save another person."
"What makes you say that?"
"I have just realized from talking to him that he hated me only because of my reputation. He refused to let you clean him, outright showing that he has good morals. That's just how I feel."
Ly Giai took a peek inside the tent and smiled. "Well, I think you are right. He is drinking the medicine."
After that, using the same argument, I was able to convince the other male patients to take their medicine as well. But just like Mr. Sao, they also strongly refused to let me clean them.