Chapter 76 – Asthma
In a street where pedestrians were sparse, a woman’s shriek rang out, and a crowd quickly gathered around the source of commotion.
The young woman burst into tears, while the man beside her struggled to breathe.
Cries, panic, cold stares. Some tried to help, others lingered at the edges, eager for firsthand news.
Then a teenage boy pushed his way in and began shouting orders.
Not many people listened to the teenager at first, but Josh’s stern expression and clear instructions moved a few. Gradually, more followed, making space while still watching closely.
“I need a stool, or a bench – something for him to sit on!” Josh knelt beside the man as he called out another order. “Sir, listen to me – listen only to me. Inhale, a long, deep inhale, slowly… yes, slowly. Now, exhale, slowly, like blowing out a thin line of air… yes, you’re doing very well, sir. Slowly, inhale… exhale…”
Not everyone followed Josh’s lead. Some men in the crowd jeered at the boy, offering their own brand of help.
“Just stand up, lad! Toughen yourself, don’t be such a whiner! Walk it off and you’ll be right as rain!”
“A dooze of booze would help!” a drunken man cried, thrusting forward his bottle.
They tried to push closer, but Josh blocked their way. He was far too thin to hold back grown men, and the ladies in the crowd could do little beyond protesting.
“Stop! You men are so rude!”
“Poor boy, he can’t possibly stand against them!”
“Hush! Make way! Hot oil coming through!”
The crowd parted at once, wary of the warning. Raymond rushed in with the handcart behind him, and neatly cut off the men attempting to harass Josh.
Taller than Josh, Raymond’s presence alone was enough to make them step back. He shot Josh a quick wink before lifting the pot of tallow they used for frying chips, gripping it with a pair of thick mittens. Turning to the men, he said exaggeratedly, “Be very careful! This pot of tallow had fried many a fine chip, and I daresay it would still taste rather good.”
In truth, after an hour spent scavenging for scrap fabrics, the hot oil had long gone cold and was already beginning to solidify. But no one could see beneath the lid, anyway.
“Hot water, hot water is coming!” A woman from a nearby house hurried over with a small basin.
Josh helped the still-wheezing man onto a stool provided by a match seller. He guided the man’s elbow onto knees and placed the basin between his legs.
“Sir, listen to me. Control your breathing. Slowly, inhale… exhale… warm your nose with the steam…” He glanced at the ground, and pointed to the bouquet lying beside the couple. “Miss, are those flowers yours?”
The tearful lady nodded. “Yes… I got them from my aunt’s greenhouse.”
No wonder I’ve never seen flowers like these before. The teenage boy gave a small nod, but a thought struck him almost at once. “Did his breathing become abnormal after he smelled them?”
The lady, dressed rather finely, dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief, clearly puzzled. “I… I don’t know… I suppose so… but what does that have to do with him now?”
Josh cast a careful glance at the bouquet. He couldn’t tell whether it was the pollen or the scent causing the reaction, but he made a suggestion anyway. “Try moving the flowers away first. Let’s see if it helps.”
“But…” The lady hesitated.
The man, his breathing now somewhat steadier, lifted his gaze toward Josh. “I… it’s my fault… I shouldn’t have come out…”
“No, it’s my fault!” the lady cried. “I shouldn’t have asked you out in winter!” We could have met during the Spring Ball, it’s all my fault.”
“Sir, please continue taking slow, deep breaths. Let your lungs digest the air thoroughly before exhaling,” Josh instructed again. He then turned back to the lady. “Miss, if his breathing were affected only by the cold, he would have had an asthma attack before approaching the flowers while waiting for you. My guess is that the flowers worsened the situation; both are the causes.”
“But…” The lady watched Raymond carry the flowers away, her gaze helpless, “But I’m fine with them. No one has ever had any problem with these flowers…”
“Yet some people’s bodies simply disagree with certain things,” Josh explained. “Just as this good sir’s lungs disagree with cold air, they may also disagree with certain flowers.”
The man lifted his head again. “No wonder I always… always felt dizzy in spring… when I visited gardens in bloom…”
“Sir, please keep using the steam; your breathing isn’t stable yet!” Josh cut him off, nudging his head back toward the basin before turning back to the lady. “It might not be the flowers themselves. It could be the pollen, or the scent. You’ll need to test it to find out which.”
The crowd was astonished by how effectively the man had calmed down. Murmurs of surprise and praise rippled through the onlookers.
After making sure the man was stable, Josh helped him to his feet, thanked those who had provided the stool and basin of hot water, and prepared to leave… but the crowd had other ideas.
“Are you a doctor’s apprentice?”
“You must be a medical student.”
“Which doctor do you serve under?”
“He can’t be telling the truth. Look at him! He’s just a worker!”
“He’s carrying an oil pot, he sells chips! How could you believe him!”
“The man was helped, the boy did him good!”
Raymond, once again, forced a path through the crowd with the handcart. This time, with Josh and the couple in tow.
The four of them hurried down an alley after turning the corner. What they had done was not miraculous enough to provoke a chase, and the crowd soon lost interest.
They exchanged glances, chuckled, and quickly straightened their slightly rumpled clothes from the hasty retreat.
“Miss, your flowers.” Raymond returned the bouquet, not wrapped in a piece of cloth he had taken at random from the sack of scrap fabric.
The lady accepted it with clear gratitude. Well, she ought to be grateful, as such flowers, grown in a greenhouse, were no ordinary gift – only those of status and means could afford such luxury.
“Well then, goodbye, sir!” Josh touched the brim of his cap and gave a nod before stepping behind the handcart to help Raymond push it along.
“Boy, wait.” The gentleman stopped him. “The cloth on your face…”
“Facemask?” Josh pointed at his own face.
“Yes, a facemask,” the gentleman said. “How much would you take to part with it?”
“... Huh?” Josh blinked, then slowly pointed at his mask again. “You… want to buy my facemask? Oh! You want to keep your breath warm? Yes, yes, it works – keeps the air warm and moist, and blocks most of the smog. Good for your asthma.”
“Then how much?” the gentleman pressed, clearly more interested now.
Josh shook his head. “It’s dirty. Just take a look and have your ladies or maids sew one for you. It’s easy to make…”
“But I need it now,” the gentleman said earnestly. He glanced at the lady holding his arm. “My fiancee finally has the chance to walk about with such a beautiful bouquet. I would not wish to spoil her enjoyment. The facemask can keep out the cold air, and the pollen or scent, can it not?”
Josh didn’t quite grasp the romantic sentiment, but he understood enough. He still shook his head. “Sir, it’s too dirty. I can’t just–”
“A shilling for your facemask.” The gentleman cut him off, producing a silvery shine coin.
Raymond nudged Josh sharply and gave him an emphatic wink.
A shilling, for a facemask made from scraps worth less than a penny? That was a steal!
“And so you sold it,” Jade said calmly.
Josh replied just as calmly, “Yep. I sold it.”
A full shilling – hesitating even a second longer would have been an insult to such a price!
“But I told him to wash and boil it first at a nearby shop or house before putting it on,” Josh added. “I explicitly emphasised that I might have sneezed or spat inside the facemask. He looked concerned, so I’ll assume he understood. With his status, it shouldn’t be difficult for him to find somewhere to clean it nearby.”
Jade nodded. “That explains the missing facemask, but what about the ‘tired’ part? You don’t need to escape from the crowd anymore, do you?”
“Yes, but…” Josh narrowed his eyes.
Raymond cut in, “We ran into a rather odd reporter.”
“An odd reporter?”
“A new one, I think,” Raymond said, recalling the chaotic scene. “He was carrying all sorts of things on him – sketchbooks, books, boxes… and he kept chasing after us! I suppose he heard about the asthma incident and rushed over to get firsthand news?”
“I was terrified I’d trip over his ink,” Josh exhaled a grunt.* “He actually brought a full set of paints for speed sketching! I’ve never seen a reporter make such an idiotic move.”
Raymond nodded. “We declined at first, and frankly, we were quite polite in declining him. But he simply wouldn’t leave us alone! So we ran off with the cart. He was weighed down by all his equipment and not much of a runner, it seemed. After a few streets, we managed to lose him.”
Jade frowned slightly. “This would be news and published?”
“Perhaps?” Josh and Raymond exchanged a glance, then shrugged. “If I had to guess, he’s from a small publisher. No reputable paper in its right mind would send such an inexperienced reporter alone to cover news.”
Jade couldn’t reach any conclusion, and decided to let it go – it didn’t trouble her much anyway. She gave Josh a pat on the shoulder. “Good going, Josh! I’ll make you something good as a reward.”
“Well, it’s all thanks to you, Sensei, for the lectures,” Josh said, blushing. He blinked sheepishly. “What’s the reward? Something with meat?”
“You want something with meat? Sure, go buy a palm-sized piece of pork belly tomorrow… or get a larger one. I’ll roast it for you, with malted sugar drizzle on top, making it extra crispy,” Jade said with a grin. “Now, let’s get you a new facemask.”
“Yes, Sensei!” Josh nodded eagerly.
Raymond was about to leave when Jade called out to him. “You too, Raymond, stay for supper tomorrow, alright?”
“Me too?” Raymond looked surprised.
Jade gave this boy a light pat on the shoulder as well. “A good student deserves a reward. Alright, off you go, head home and get some rest.”
“Yes, Miss Jade,” Raymond said, nodding as he left with a smile.
Jade turned to Miss Arrowot, who had remained quietly in place from the beginning. “Miss Arrowot, I’d like to discuss tomorrow’s tasks with you after supper. Would that be fine with you?”
“Yes, Miss Jade, that will be perfectly fine.” The new teacher hesitated, then asked tentatively, “May I learn how to make the facemask?”
“?” Jade tilted her head, unsure why she was interested, but nodded anyway. “Sure! Come, let’s pick out some fabric first…”
A few days later, the incident in which Josh had helped the asthma patient appeared in the news. Not in some small publication, but in a major newspaper. And Jade only learned of it when she unexpectedly received letters from Father Rochester.