A Healer's Job Never Stops

-----Kaede's POV

(Mom: "Let's play a game!)

-

More memories flash in my mind; Selene's memories. I can feel the happiness she had when Lilith was with her, as if Lilith was the only thing in the world for her. Reliving these memories, I can't help but smile as I cling tighter around her.

Sicily: "Kaede!"

It was the sound of Sicily who broke me out, lifting my head away from Lilith's shoulders.

Sicily: "It's Yui."

The look on her face told me everything I needed to know, that something bad has happened. Not wasting anytime with talking, I grab hold of Lilith's arm.

Lilith: "Ah- Wait!"

Kaede: "Can you come as well?"

Lilith: "S-sure, but what's happening."

Sicily: "Our friend is in trouble."

Kaede: "Please."

Lilith: "Okay. I'll go."

Feeling no more resistance from Lilith, I pull her along with me as we run with Sicily to the tent not too far away.

Bursting through the tent's opening, I saw many worried faces, but what my eyes locked on was Yui. Her face contorting tightly as she was rolled up into a ball, clenching her belly.

Olivia: "Kaede!"

Kaede: "W-what happened?"

Lillian: "We don't know. She just suddenly collapsed. She's been like this ever since."

Not getting any information, I approach Yui myself. There, I saw that she was drenched in sweat, from her head to even her clothes, and her breathing coarse and shallow. I didn't even need to put my hand on her forehead to tell that she's overheating. This screams to me like some sort of fever. "Do these people not know what a fever looks like?"

Medic Girl: "There's no wound or anything-"

Kaede: "Water."

Medic Girl: "Huh?"

Kaede: "Get me cold water right now!"

Medic Girl: "Yes!"

Kaede: "Some towels or cloth as well!"

Medic Guy: "Yes ma'am!"

Olivia: "I'll help too!"

If this is a fever, then I'm not sure if I can heal it. I have healed fatigue before but this is new territory for me, I'd like to have a back up plan at the very least. While I wait for them to get what I need, I gently pry away her arms covering her stomach, only to be met with strong resistance.

Kaede: "Yui. It's me."

Yui: "K-Kaede?"

Finally, she opens her eyes, loosening her arms up just enough for me to pull her arms away.

Kaede: "Yes, I'm here. I'll make you feel better, so stay still."

I quickly start to unbutton her shirt, allowing air to breathe through it much more easily before I slide my hands under her shirt, placing my hands directly on her stomach. Not caring about getting her sweat on me, I attempt to heal her as my palms begin to glow.

Yui: "M-Mmm!"

She grabs hold of my forearms as I continue to pour my mana into her, trying my best to alleviate the pain, but looking at her like this, it doesn't seem to be working. "I'm not giving up!"

Olivia: "We're back!"

Medic Guy: "Here."

He hands me a piece of cloth that came straight out of the bucket Olivia was carrying, but with my hands being grabbed on by Yui, it's not like I can stop what I'm doing. Her grip tightening around my arms only telling me that she doesn't want me to leave.

Kaede: "Squeeze water out of that and lay it on her forehead please."

Medic Guy: "Yes!"

Kaede: "Sicily, Lillian. Could you take off her boots."

Sicily/Lillian: "Yes!"

Her grip around my arms suddenly started to quiver, vibrating in bursts like she's losing control of her muscles. It fills me with even more anxiety as I desperately pour even more mana into her.

Yui: "...Kaede-"

Kaede: "Yes?"

Yui: "Am I dying?"

Kaede: "Don't say that! I'm not letting that happen again!"

Medic Girl: "...Again?"

Sicily: "Don't worry about it."

Tears began to fall from my cheek to her chest as I desperately pour more and more mana into her. "Why... Why Isn't this working?!" Suddenly, her grip around my arms loosens as her hands are no longer quivering around me. "No." In a panic, I bring my ear to her chest, praying to god that there's still alive.

Time moved slowly as I focused my attention on any kind of sound when finally, I heard a single heart beat, however I couldn't feel her breathing, and when I raised my head, her face was relaxed, almost like-

Kaede: "Don't you dare leave me again."

Lilith: "Is there anything I can help with?"

Kaede: "Yes! When I say, I want you to push down on her chest, right here. Keep doing compressions like this until I say."

Lilith: "Okay."

With her trading places with me, I move up to her head before tilting her head back. I quickly seal her lips with mine as I begin to blow my air inside of her whilst holding onto her nose. This is the first time I've ever done CPR, but I hope this works the same way as it does in this world. After taking in another breathe, I breathe more air inside Yui before releasing her lips from mine.

Kaede: "Now!"

Lilith started doing the compression just like I showed her. Honestly, if it was me doing that, I may break every rib she has from the amount of nerves rushing over me. I pay close attention to Yui's face while continuing to pour mana into her.

Kaede: "Stop!"

At my command, Lilith stops as I immediately check for breathing. "Nothing..." My nerves only growing, I immediately start to blow air into her lungs once more. With this amount of force, I wouldn't be surprised if her lungs burst, but I'm sure I can heal them with how much mana I'm continuously pouring inside her while we do this.

Kaede: "Again!"

Lilith starts back up again as I can see that she was putting more pressure into her compressions. I could see sweat start to build up on her forehead before I watch over Yui once more, looking for anything, any sign of life.

Kaede: "Stop!"

I listen in once more, for any sound of breathing, all the while pouring my mana inside her when suddenly, I could hear and feel a faint breathe come from her. Overwhelmed from the success, I collapse on the ground next to Yui, as if all energy was sucked out of me. With one of my hands, I continue to still pour mana into Yui just in case.

Medic Girl: "What... Just happened..."

Medic Guy: "I don't-"

Mell: "Mom!"

I could feel Mell crawl up onto me. I guess I spooked her from suddenly collapsing like that huh. I gently pat her head, letting her know that I'm okay.

Kaede: "It's okay... She's breathing."

Medic Girl: "What was that though? I've never seen a practice like that."

Olivia: "Yeah... You- You kissed her and she-"

Kaede: "It's called CPR"

Medic Guy: "CPR?"

Kaede: "I forgot what the abbreviation means, but yes, CPR. I blew air into her lungs and had Lilith here compress them, mimicking how lungs work."

Sicily: "I've never heard such a thing before."

Lillian: "Yeah... Even at our village, there was nothing like this."

Kaede: "It doesn't have a great chance of success, but it was the only thing I could think of."

Looking back at Yui as I lay on the ground, I could see her chest rise up and down ever so slowly, confirming to me once more that she's still in fact breathing. Still though, I don't remember a fever being this bad where you suddenly stop breathing... Unless it's because she drank a bit of my blood? Sure my blood looks like a regular human's but I'm also a monster as well. That or she could just have a really bad allergy to blood. Either way, I'm glad to see that she's breathing, even if it's quite weak. I gently pat Mell as I remain on the floor with her on top of me.

Suddenly, a soldier barged into the tent, and looking closely, it was the same captain that I met briefly at the cabin.

Captain: "Lilith! Why are you here? You're needed back at the main tent, get back to work."

Lilith: "Sorry sir, I'll get right on it-"

Out of nowhere, the captain forcibly grabbed her arm, forcing her out of the tent as if she did something wrong. I might not of cared before, but after seeing those memories of Selene's, there's no way I'm going to let that slide.

Kaede: "Hey!"

Captain: "You talking with me?"

Kaede: "Who else would I be. Mo- Lilith, stay here."

I gently move Mell up from me as I stand up, facing the captain.

Lilith: "I-"

Captain: "Do you even know who she is? And what gives you the right to speak to me like that."

Kaede: "Yes, I do know who she is. She saved my- friend's life just now. So I'd like for her to stay here, thank you."

Captain: "You don't understand-"

Kaede: "No, YOU don't understand. She's not leaving."

Sicily: "Uhm, Kaede?"

She approached me, whispering to me quietly but I refuse to listen as I choose to stand my ground. But this only causes the captain to place his hand on the hilt of his sword, as if he's trying to threaten me.

Captain: "So you're going against the will of the king and queen?"

Kaede: "Ye-"

Lilith: "No! She isn't. I'll get back to work."

Kaede: "What?"

Lilith: "It's okay. I don't want to drag you into my mess. You've done enough for me already."

Captain: "Alright, get to it then."

Lilith: "Yes sir."

She leaves in a hurried fashion, not giving me a chance to respond at all. "This doesn't sit well with me." Sure she's just around the corner, but to be forced out like that, it isn't right. It's like she's being treated like a slave or something. The captain had now released his grasp on the hilt of his blade, looking towards me with a cold expression.

Captain: "I'll forget about what you said, but don't let it happen again."

Kaede: "..."

With that, he left to follow behind Lilith, leaving us was a cold, empty atmosphere in the tent.

Medic Guy: "W-w-what did you do?!"

Kaede: "I don't like him."

Medic Girl: "Still though. He's a knight captain, he answers to the king and queen. Talking to him like that was-"

Kaede: "They not my king and queen, so who cares."

Sicily/Lillian: "Pfft!"

Olivia: "How is that funny?! I was a nervous wreck seeing all that unfold!"

Lillian: "It's not that. Just that does sound like something Kaede would say, haha."

Sicily: "Mhmm! Kaede only answers to herself. That part never changes."

While they were talking amongst themselves, I laid back down on the cold floor, laying next to Yui and I place my head on her chest, making sure that her heart was still beating as I continue to pour mana inside her. Mell also joined me, resting her head on my belly creating a small bundle of warmth on this cold floor. "Please be okay..."