Chapter 408: Pictures and Decision
Varek assigned them a room inside his own home. It was spacious, though still built from rough timber and clay. The air inside was dry, heavy with smoke from an open hearth.
Kaiden laid Naira’s mother on the nearest cot. Her breathing was shallow and uneven. Bastet lifted Naira into her arms; the girl’s skin was warm with blood from the whipping she received. Her weak body was trembling even though the fire was close.
They didn’t have a dedicated healer among them, so potions would have to do. Diaz rummaged through his pack and handed over a handful of small glass vials while Thomas unpacked the rations.
Kaiden tilted the woman’s head gently and poured the drops between her lips. The bitter scent of the potion filled the room. Her throat moved weakly as she swallowed. Many more followed, of different kinds. Some were against poison, others against diseases, and more.
This was a government-created ’care package’ to be given to people of sealed-off communities, such as African tribes or island dwellers. It would help their bodies combat the many threats that came from interacting with outsiders for the first time, such as bolstering their immune systems.
Though in the case of the two women and especially Naira’s mother, they served a much more important duty, namely, keeping her alive.
Both women received the same amount.
Diaz then handed the rations over to the girls, visibly uncomfortable with the idea of feeding the pair. He preferred that Kaiden’s lovers do it instead. Nyx smiled, seeing his awkwardness, then accepted the rations without saying anything to the guy.
She passed it along to the other three girls, and then they went to work, feeding the women.
Naira soon returned to how she was, the potions and food working wonders.
The teenager clutched her mother’s hand. Her voice was shaking. "Is she... is she going to be okay?"
She didn’t ask about herself. She’d just been hit with a mighty whip crack, yet she cared not for it. The mere sight of such a phenomenon made the others sad. It was clear the girl had been through so much.