The King and I Chapter 34: The Ways Of Nekoma

Although Tanaka wanted to stay by his friend’s side, he decide it best to apprehend the men who had attacked the orangette, and turned his horse around then whacked it with his heels to get the horse into a mad gallop back out the gates to where captain Daichi was holding the men down with expert force.

“Captain! Hinata is in care,” Tanaka called as he approached and jumped from the horse to grab one of the men roughly by the collar of his garment, “state your business!” he growled angrily, thoroughly pissed that this delinquent had attacked his good friend.

“I have no reason to speak,” the man hissed with anger.

“This is true,” Tanaka spat, “you will be sentenced regardless of your statement.”

Both men were dragged to their feet and walked back to the kingdom of Karasuno, to be held in the dungeon until further notice.

…………………………..

You got back to your room late that night, escorted by Tanaka… who seemed quite rattled by something.

“Sergeant Tanaka?” You asked him gently, “is everything alright?”

The man looked at you then hung his head.

You knew immediately that something was wrong.

“Please tell me?” you asked.

“Hinata has been wounded. He is in the clinic. But he is very unwell,” he said sadly.

“What?!” you gasped, throwing a hand over your shock opened mouth, “take me to him!”

“I think it best if you do not see him in—,”

“Take me to him. Immediately,” you said firmly, “I must see him.”

Tanaka fiddled nervously and swayed a little.

“Sergeant, please. You must,” you begged, placing a hand on his arm,

He conceded and jerked his head down the hallway. 

“Come,” he said softly, leading you away from your room and down to where the members of the medical team were attending to Hinata.

“Sir… doctor,” you asked as you entered the small room that had Hinata on a bed there, “please tell me what happened.”

“Y/N, the doctor bowed, “a pleasure to have your presence here. Hinata has sustained a deep gash to his abdomen. He had lost a lot of blood…” 

“Hinata,” you greeted the King’s attendant gently, placing a hand on his to get his attention.

He was sweating profusely, with laboured breathing, eyes glazed over.

“Hinata,” you called gently again.

This time he heard you and looked towards you.

“What happened?” you asked him, feeling a knot of unease in your stomach.

He just breathed heavily in reply, too unwell to make any other sound.

“Doctor. Please, send the handmaids to fetch cleavers, red clover and dandelion. He needs herbal medication immediately,” you said sternly.

“But Y/N, we already have expert medical—,” 

“Please,” you said sternly, unwavered in your decision.

The doctor was unwilling, as who were you to tell him what to get, you were just a concubine from Nekoma.

“My grandmother was from a long line of herbalists and taught me the ways of natural healing,” you said, giving him a stern look, “I know how to save his life.”

One of the men nearby leaned over to the doctor and whispered in his ear.

“The women from Nekoma are known for their black arts and herbalism. Only the women are taught the ways of the earth and how to  connect to it,” he said knowingly.

The doctor sighed and conceded.

“Very well, I will ask for the herbs you have described,” he said, turning to yet another attendant and asking him to send for the handmaids.

You pulled up a small stool and sat beside Hinata while you waited for the handsmaids to arrive and offered words of encouragement to the semi conscious male.

The women arrived quickly and you looked up from the bedside as the entered the room.

There, were 2 of the women who you had helped after they had apologized for attacking you, and they bowed to you in polite recognition of your status.

“Would you please gather these herbs for me?” you asked, naming the types of herbs you were after and they nodded and disappeared.

You knew they would pick the right ones as they were from Nekoma as well and were taught herbal medicine.

No sooner had they left, they returned and you asked them to boil some water while you took the herbs and ground them in a mortar and pestle.

The doctor watched curiously as you worked and when the women returned with fresh boiled water, you poured some into your freshly ground herbal mixture and asked for a spoon to be able to spoon some to Hinata.

Blowing gently on the hot mixture, you cooled it down, as best you could, then lifted his head to spoon some to him.

He pulled a face, but allowed you to treat him, and drank all of the concoction that you fed to him.

While you did that, you asked for vinegar spirits to be bought to you, so that you could clean his wounds.

This was a painful process, as it stung Hinata terribly as you poured the alcoholic preparation into his gaping wound, but once it was cleaned you used fresh garments to bandage him, then laid a cool sponge on his forehead.

You stayed with him through the night, keeping his head cool as a raging fever took over his body, but by the morning his body had settled and he was resting more peacefully.

“You must rest, Y/N,” the doctor said when he saw you almost asleep beside Hinata, “we will take watch now while you retire. I will call for you if anything happens.”

You nodded sleepily and pulled yourself to standing, then walked to the door for sergeant Tanaka to walk you to your room.

“Will he be ok?” Tanaka asked you softly as you walked side by side down the marble corridor.

“I do hope so. I have done all that my mother taught me,” you replied sleepily, “does the King know about this?”

“About Hinata? No. He would fly into a rage,” sergeant Tanaka replied with a sorrowful look on his face.

“I believe he should be told, anyhow,” you replied, “his assistant is injured. He should know.”

Tanaka hung his head.

“If only I had been—.”

“You cannot blame yourself,” you said to him, “why was he attacked? Do you know?”

“Sergeant!” Captain Daichi called as he ran towards you both, “you need to come with me immediately!”

Tanaka read the urgency in Daichi’s usually calm face and knew something was amiss.

“Do not worry, I can get to my room by myself,” you said to the men, “my door is up ahead.”

They both nodded at you and turned together, running towards the barracks.

You watched them go and could hear them talking lowly to one another but couldn’t make out what they were saying, unfortunately.

After they were out of sight you continued on to your room and made a bee-line for your bed, your final thoughts being of Hinata and praying that he would be ok.

……………………………

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