The West Wind's Destination - Chapter 11
Once done, he checked her forehead, then re-soaked the cloth to wipe down her body.
He seemed to be saying something, but without her hearing aid, Bea couldn’t make out the sounds clearly.
“Give it back. Please, give it back. I can’t….”
As Bea wept, begging for her hearing aid, a deep sigh fell over her forehead.
When his hand touched her ear, Bea shrank and trembled.
Soon, sounds became clear again.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize this is so important to you.”
Regardless of his words, Bea, already frightened, ceased her resistance.
She had neither the strength to continue nor the might to overpower this man. Closing her eyes brought on a dizzy faintness.
That day, she dreamt. Faces of her family, now forgotten, appeared.
They left her in the midst of the desert, promising to return.
Bea waited, believing them, always standing in that spot, in case they returned and couldn’t find her. They had said they loved her before leaving her there.
Bea clung to those words. Even as their faces faded, their voices echoed in her ears.
Yet they never came back.
❖
Bea remained sick for several more days.
After resisting and hurting herself the first time she awoke, she became notably more docile.
Or rather, she was too weak to be otherwise. Her mind wasn’t sharp.
When she was cold, the man who had forcefully cooled her down and snatched away the blankets now wrapped her up tightly, even when she felt hot and stifled.
She kicked off the suffocating blankets repeatedly, and eventually, Aseph climbed onto the narrow bed and enveloped her in his sturdy arms.
Feeling the thick forearms holding her tightly, Bea gave up on everything.
This uninvited guest was nothing short of a tyrant.
Days later, Bea finally regained full consciousness. Her mind was clear, and her hearing aid was back in her ear.
Adjusting the device, she looked around while still lying down.
Feeling the hearing aid in her ear brought rapid relief and mental stabilization. Focusing with effort, Bea looked around her lab and scowled.
“You.”
She tried to speak, but her voice was too faint.
However, it seemed enough to summon Aseph, who set aside his task and approached.
He had been cleaning up the chaos of the lab, the floor already scrubbed clean of bloodstains.
Though this man had been quite presumptuous with her, Bea didn’t feel a surge of anger. Instead, she remembered what she had done with his body.
He seemed to be moving around quite well now.
“The parts, not sealed properly.”
“…What? Oh, it’s fine. I can stitch myself up for that. You should continue resting.”
It was expected for a soldier, especially a combatant, to be able to suture simple tears or wounds with a needle and thread.
However, Bea’s concern wasn’t about superficial wounds. She meant that she needed to check if the new body parts she created were functioning properly.
His constant moving might interfere with that, potentially causing the painstakingly constructed parts to malfunction.
“You shouldn’t be moving now.”
“I appreciate your concern, but you’re in a far more critical state than I am.”
“I wasn’t concerned about you.”
“I see. Could you try standing up for a moment?”
Aseph casually dismissed Bea’s warnings and carefully helped her to her feet, offering her something to eat. She accepted it without thinking. It was a soft soup like the last time, now with pieces of meat and potato that melted on the tongue.
Bea felt a sense of déjà vu. Hadn’t this happened already? However, unlike last time, Aseph didn’t insist.
“Is there anything you need? I’ll bring it to you.”
“I need to work.”
“Please rest a little longer.”
“Don’t interfere.”
As Bea attempted to rise, Aseph grasped her shoulder. Even a slight pressure from his hand was enough to immobilize her. She looked up at him in panic, and he seemed more startled by his own action than she was.
Aseph quickly thought of a way to persuade Bea, who seemed determined to resume her work.
“Your efficiency will suffer.”
“Efficiency?”
“Yes. Overworking slows down bodily functions. If you’re not well, you might make mistakes you wouldn’t normally make. Do you want to end up bedridden for days again?”
His words sounded almost like those of an alchemist, and they seemed to strike a chord with Bea.
“……”
Beyond his shoulder, Bea could see the array of books. They weren’t left open and neglected by her, but rather, it seemed that Aseph had been reading through the collection she had gathered. Most of them were about the human body.
The floor, once smeared with their blood, was now spotless, and the broken table looked as good as new, as if he had fixed it effortlessly.
It was clear much time had been wasted.
At least the fruits of her labor were walking and talking before her, which could be considered fortunate.
