16 A lone wolf
The sunlight coming from the open windows illuminated the room. It was so bright that the girl in the middle of the bed with her fair skin seemed to glow, enchanting the room with her presence.
Doctor Jace slowly entered the small space, his feet barely making a noise, not wanting to create a disturbance that would wake her up. She needed her rest, but he still had to check on her.
When he finally stood beside her bed and gazed at her beautiful face, he could tell that she did not come from anywhere in the nearby town and could not be just anybody, seeing the expensive necklace peeking around her neck.
"Who are you?" A question that required an answer, but he had to wait until she woke up again from her deep slumber. At the moment, all he could do was watch her sleep, just like the way he did when he heard her shout last night.
A scream echoed in the night, making him stand up from his bed and search for its source. Then, realizing it was coming from the clinic, just two doors from his bedroom, he quickly ran to check on her.
He found her thrashing in the bed. Her movements were almost back to normal. The words coming from her lips were barely audible. Although she sometimes mumbled a few that were understandable but did not make sense.
Surmising that she might have undergone some traumatic experience and ran away that led her to their town and his care. But that was just his speculation until she wished to tell him the truth. Nonetheless, many other circumstances might have led her here.
"Dad, is she still sleeping?" The young boy who had found her asked. "Will she be ok?"
Jace remembered how frightened he was when he came running back to the village to tell him that he had found a dead body on the side of the creek just outside the town proper while playing.
Thankfully, when he checked on her, she was only unconscious but still weak. His initial findings of her condition were poisoning from ingesting the purple berries, which were indigenous in this part, just like most of the folks living in this village.
"Yes, so do not make unnecessary noise." Placing his index finger on his lips, hushing the young boy into silence, who only smiled, stepping back outside to leave them alone again.
But that small interaction made her stir on the bed as movements alerted him that she was waking up. Her eyes struggled to open, and her motions were slow, but he believed she was getting better.
Her body was just weak from the lack of nutrients. She had vomited several times yesterday, unable to consume any food, which was one of the side effects of her condition. Then, she slept most of the time yesterday.
The only thing that nourished her was the fluids flowing through her veins, but that would not be enough. She needed proper food before she could get better.
"Hey, how are you feeling today?" He asked her, maintaining a considerable distance from her, not wanting to frighten her with his presence. In her eyes, he might still appear as a stranger.
She already had been through enough, judging by her nightmare last night. He did not want to add more to her worries. She needed to recover, hopefully not only from her physical injuries but from her emotional ones too.
"Still weak but not in any pain." She responded, but still, her eyes narrowed at him, not yet trusting him completely. "However, I think I can move my muscles completely."
He watched her force her arms upward, slowly but more agile in her movements, comparing it to yesterday. He believed she was on the road to recovery. All that was left for her to do was eat.
"That is a good sign." Taking a few steps forward. "Do you mind if I take a look?" She did not resist, so he proceeded.
He moved towards her, then placed a stethoscope on her chest, checking her heartbeat and observing if it had returned to normal. So far, he did not see anything alarming.
"Will I live?" Raising her brows, focusing her amber eyes on him but not seeing any fear in them.
It was like she had total control of her emotions. She might be shaking in fear, but she would never show it in her stance or would never reflect in her eyes.
Her determination to survive was evident in how she fought the elements in the forest. Another person would not have endured what she had gone through. That was just his opinion.
"Of course, you are now on your way to recovery." Taking a glass of water that was sitting on the nightstand. "I need you to drink just a sip first, to moisten your lips and mouth."
With his support, he helped her into a sitting position. He could tell that her body might be sore from lying all day and night. At least, it would ease up once she could gradually return her strength.
"That is better?" He asked her while she nodded her head. "Now, take a careful sip of the water." Once she had consumed at least half of the glass, he allowed her to take a break.
"Let me get you some food to eat. I am sure you are hungry." Her nod confirmed what he already knew.
Quickly, he placed the glass back on the stand and moved towards the door. "Thanks, Doc." He finally heard her voice. It was probably not back to its normal tone, but it already sounded appealing in his ears.
"Do not mention it." He responded with a smile. "I will prepare you a nutritious breakfast. It will not take long."
Luckily, the village had enough supplies. It might be a far cry from the city, but it had most one would need to survive, such as food, clothing, and even medical supplies. Besides, it provided him with everything he required.
He looked at his patient one more time, deducing she was one extraordinary woman. However, there were things about her that still intrigued him.
He wondered what she was doing in the woods all alone.
What was the cause of her nightmares? Was she with a pack? Or maybe she was a lone wolf.
