The Story of Dusk 268 SHE WAS SICK

"Nineteen." Gong Xu mumbled and closed his eyes, shut Senja out indirectly.

Eleven years old…

But she looked like smaller than an eleven years old girl. Probably because of her over tiny size body…

The cold wind blew and the firewood crackled as Senja added more dry branches that she could find around her, immediately their surroundings became warmer. Gong Xu opened his eyes as he felt uncomfortably warm.

"Put out the fire." Gong Xu said.

"But, why?" Senja frowned. "It is so cold." And protested.

"You will attract a wild animal and bandits if they knew there is someone else nearby." Gong Xu reasoned with her, he started to think that Senja would get a habit to defy him the more they talked.

"But, it is cold." Senja whined as she hesitated to put out the fire, she liked being warm like this.

Looking Senja was in the middle of dilemma, whether she should listen to Gong Xu or kept the fire. Gong Xu finally stood up and extinguish the bonfire by himself.

"I don't want to have unnecessary encounter with either wild animal or bandits." He stomped his feet on the remaining fire on the dry branches as it turned into white smoke and their surroundings became cold.

Senja pouted, but didn't say anything, she looked down at her feet, like a child who was being scolded.

"Now, eat your food faster and sleep." Gong Xu stared down on the tips of her head. "Don't act spoiled."

Senja made a face at Gong Xu's back when he turned around.

***

"Wake up!" Gong Xu nudged Senja's shoulder to wake her up as the sun was almost rising. "I told you we will go before the sun rises."

But, Senja only let out a small grunt and curled her body again. "I am awake…" She said with hoarse voice.

Gong Xu frowned as he couldn't hear what Senja was saying and kept shaking her body.

But then, he realized there was something strange with her as he could feel her body was burning. Gong Xu put his palm on Senja's forehead as he checked on her.

She was sick.

This must be because he put out the fire last night, that's why she caught a cold. Indeed, last night was the coldest night in this past two weeks.

With Senja's frail body it was understandable if she became sick, however this made Gong Xu uncomfortable. He didn't mean to make the little girl suffered.

"Come on little girl, I will bring you to the nearby village." Gong Xu said to Senja's ears before he carried her and they rode in the same horse.

The little girl's body was very hot against his chest.

***

It was almost night when Gong Xu arrived at the village and this place was really dilapidated, like an abandoned area.

There was no inn there and every people were looking at Gong Xu with fear in their eyes as if Gong Xu was leading a battalion of armed men.

Gong Xu dismounted his horse, still keeping Senja in his arms as he walked toward a man who was standing not far from him.

"Sir, my sister is sick, may I know where I could find a doctor?" Gong Xu asked politely.

The man didn't answer him immediately, he sized up Gong Xu and Senja in his arms before his eyes landed on the sword that was hanging on his waist.

The man grimaced and backed away.

"Wait, I don't mean any harm on you!" Gong Xu hollered to stop the man from running away. "My sister is sick and she needs to see a doctor!"

"We don't have a doctor in here, you can find him in the next village. It will be one day trip from here." Another man informed Gong Xu.

"What?" Gong Xu couldn't read his lips in time when the other man was talking. "Where can I find a doctor?"

"In next village." The man replied, but kept a distance between them.

Gong Xu didn't know what had happened to these villagers as they were very afraid to people out of their place. But, there was another important thing that needed his focus first.

"How long it will take?" Gong Xu furrowed his eyebrows as he focused on the man's lips.

"One day of trip." He said.

"No, my sister will not make it for another day of trip." Gong Xu shook his head in disagreement, Senja's condition was getting worse and he didn't have the medicine that he needed to treat her.

Now, the little girl was drifting from conscious and unconscious while coughing when she was awake.

The man didn't say anything neither he tried to give Gong Xu a solution about that.

With annoyance, Gong Xu fished out a pocket of money from his robe and threw it in front of the man. "I will rent your house until my sister's condition becomes better." He said in loud voice before he added. "And I will give you another pocket of money if you can bring the doctor here."

The man gasped upon seeing a lot of money on the pocket, not to mention Gong Xu had say that he would add more if he could find the doctor.

Of course, it was a tempting bargain for people like him, who had been living in this poor area.

Seeing what Gong Xu had thrown on the other man, quickly all the people in that dilapidated village came closer as they welcomed Gong Xu and Senja.

The man led him into his run- downs hut, which served him like a house.

Inside, he gestured to Gong Xu to put down Senja on the bed, well it wasn't the best place that he could imagine, but he couldn't ask for more in this kind of situation.

Slowly, he laid down Senja from his arms as her body had soaked with sweat, but her fever still didn't go down.

"Someone will call a doctor." The man informed Gong Xu.

However, he couldn't hear him, or may be his focus was in another person as Gong Xu looked at Senja worriedly.

Chapter end

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