Across the crowded city, the two boys carried Luc, looking for the doctor’s house. They took up some space on the street, going side by side, but they sprinted by quickly and slipped around the human obstacles as best as they could.
“I thought you said it’s the second house on the left!” Sasuke huffed out loudly between breaths.
“Y..yeah,”
Futch muttered out lightly, just enough for Sasuke to hear. He was sure that Luc was angry with them at the moment and the spear holder didn’t want to catch the angry magician’s attention by speaking too loudly.
Sasuke gave Futch a funny look for the absent-minded answer he got from him. Even though the boy with the dragon wasn’t looking his way, it was obvious that the boy wasn’t paying any attention to him so the ninja didn’t say anything and just kept running.
Futch was breathing heavily too from running with his weapon, Bright, and Luc in his arms, but he was more worried about Luc than anything else. He slowly rolled his eyes to his right and peered over at Luc’s face. He had expected a grimace or a frown plastered on it, but was surprised when neither was on it. Luc’s expression was a peaceful one with his eyes staring at the distance as if he was thinking of something.
‘Whew,’
Futch was relieved. He felt sorry for the other boy, about how he’s keeping quiet even after what Sasuke said and then them dragging him to see Dr. Huan.
‘That’s right,’ Futch acknowledged Luc’s silence as understanding for what they are doing.
‘We’re only doing this for your own good,’
Futch wanted to say to the other boy to make him feel better, but he was too afraid. On appearance, Luc looked like a boy that was younger than himself and it made Futch want to treat him like one, but in reality, Luc was much more older than him and Sasuke. The guise had been very misleading for Futch. It was also this situation that caused Futch to drop many of the boyish conversations he had wanted to start with Luc, which led to many of the arkward silences they had on their journey.
In his own mind, the young magician sighed. He had just about given up hope. There was nothing he could do anyway with the two boys holding him at least a few inches higher and him being a few inches shorter than the two. All he was able to do during the time was dangle his feet.
Luc flexed his right foot so that it was on its tiptoe. ‘Ugh, it’s hopeless.’ The boy tried swinging his dangling foot a few times, but it still wouldn’t reach the floor. He inwardly sighed again to himself.
‘I guess Sasuke was right about getting the ankle fixed so it won’t slow us down,’ he thought to himself.
While he was doing so, he blindly stared at the fast moving ground beneath him. Then he pulled his head back up and began looking from side to side at the people on the street. He noticed that none of them were paying any attention to them three. He sighed again and calmed down some more.
‘At least no one is noticing…I wonder what’s so interesting up there,’
Luc referred his question to the hilltop meeting place that everyone on the streets was pointing and staring at. He narrowed his eyes and focused on the little white building as if there was something very suspicious about it.
At the same time, a cheery voice, which belonged to Futch, popped up and said,
“We’re there!”
Luc turned his head back to the road to see. The boys’ pace had quickened and they were aiming at a two-storied white building just a few doors ahead. They stopped right at the large wooden door once they’ve reached it and Sasuke opened the door with his free hand.
“We’re here, Dr. Huan,”
The ninja announced as he and Futch brought the injured magician through the door. They settled Luc onto the wooden floor once they were inside.
“What is the matter?” the confused doctor quickly walked over to them as Futch closed the door.
“Luc’s ankle got twisted—here, I’ll explain it to you.”
The ninja raised a hand as he reasoned. He opened his mouth to continue, but the doctor stopped him with a palm.
“Alright, let’s go inside and have you seated first,” he looked at Sasuke and then said to Luc in a tone that sounded like he was a father reproving a little boy. The magician really didn’t like that, but obediently followed Dr. Huan anyway with a small scowl on his face.
“This way,” said the young Tuta to Futch, who didn’t move even after Sasuke had already followed Luc into the next room.
“Oh right. Thanks Tuta.”
The boy snapped out of his daze. He smiled at the young apprentice, who smiled back, and ran after the others with his baby dragon held securely in both of his hands. Then the shorter boy followed, leaving the front room empty once again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
After being seated in the doctor’s office, Luc removed his left boot, as he was instructed to do so. He placed his bare foot on a stool for Dr. Huan to see and once again he was surrounded by his two companions, just like back at the bandit’s house.
Dr. Huan took a look at Luc’s foot. It was a bit bruised around the ankle area, but the deeper colors of the bruise had already started to fade and it seemed like the ankle had started to heal.
The doctor gave a nod. He knew exactly what he had to do. He called Tuta over to ask for some equipment. Then he looked up at the two expectant boys standing beside him and said, “Don’t worry, it’ll be just fine.”
The doctor paused. Now that they were out of the dim front room, he could clearly see the faces of the three boys under the bright light of his office. He shook his head disapprovingly at what he saw and said,
“What happened to you three? Haven’t you been taking care of yourselves? Have you been eating properly?”
The three boys remained silent, giving Dr. Huan his answer. The older man sighed, “I don’t want to lecture you, but you have to eat your meals properly. It’s not healthy to go skipping them.”
“Tonight, you three will stay here and have dinner with us.”
“But…” Futch hesitated.
“No buts,” the doctor cut him off, “After I’m done with Luc, I’ll ask the cook to prepare for three more people.”
The deal was sealed. He turned back to Luc’s injured ankle, but paused and looked up again after realizing something. He turned to Sasuke and Futch and said,
“Now this may take a while so in the meantime, will you two boys do me a favor and bring this medicine to a patient of mine?” He took a small white bag, with a bottle inside, from a table next to him and placed it into Sasuke’s hands as he said this.
“Normally, I would be asking Tuta to deliver it,” he continued. At the same moment, the young apprentice returned from the doorway with a tray of items in his hands. He set them down on a table next to Dr. Huan. Then he clasped his hands together and stood there smiling at Futch and Sasuke as the doctor went on.
“But as you can see, the streets today are more crowded than usual and I wouldn’t trust it to be safe for a small boy like Tuta to be out there.”
Sasuke and Futch nodded understandingly. Relieved that the two boys will accept the assignment, the doctor gave them a good-hearted smile. “Tuta will give you the directions to the patient’s house.”
The two boys looked at Tuta, who gave them a nod. He also motioned for them to come outside with him into the front room so they did and carried the medicine with them.
Luc watched on wordlessly as Tuta gave them the instructions. They were too far away for him to listen to, but he could see them clearly, standing in the next room. He watched their mouths speak and Futch nod his head a few times. Then Tuta walked over to the door. He opened it for them and Futch and Sasuke went outside.