Thirty minutes later, a knock came from the door.  

“Come in!” Momo muttered in a voice that barely reached the person knocking. The door creaked open to reveal Claire, who had a stack of paper in her hands.   

“Hey, Claire...” Momo gripped her friend’s hand a little tighter, wishing for it to be returned.  

“Momo… How is she?”  

“I don’t know. Servi won’t move... She won’t wake up...” Momo turned to the Elf and looked up with tearful blue eyes. “I don’t wanna lose my best friend…”  

Claire couldn’t hold it back and dropped her papers, scattering them across the room. She ran over to Momo and fell to her knees, embracing the Singi in a hug they both most desperately needed.  

“I promise you she’s gonna be fine. Fisher is taking full responsibility, and I received word that he’s coming back with a doctor,” even Claire starting crying. “Momo, stay strong for Servi. You would want the first thing she saw to be your face, right?” 

Claire felt Momo nod. “Then wouldn’t you want to greet her with a big smile? I know I would.” 

“I’ll try, but it’s so hard. I feel so useless….” 

“You’re not useless. I’m sure Servi would be thrilled to find out you stayed by her side. I imagine she’s aware of if it. You were holding her hand, right?” 

"I was...."

“My grandma used to tell me that peoples’ souls could communicate while they’re asleep if they hold hands. And she never lied to me, so I believe her. So, I’m sure she feels at ease. Be sure to hold her hand to let her soul know that you’re there,” Claire broke from the hug and got to her feet. The many papers scattered around had to be picked up, but that could wait. They were all blank, and she was in the middle of carrying them to the innkeeper. She thought that he could wait for another five or so minutes.  

I’ll have to apologize to Servi later for the mess. So, go ahead and wake up. You’re making a cute girl like Momo cry.   

She stared at Momo’s tear-stained face.  Her eyes were red and raw, and a little snot dribbled down her nose. “As soon as he gets here, I’ll send him up. Okay?” 

Momo nodded, and the door shut a second time, leaving the lonely girl alone with her best friend. Before she grabbed her friend's hand, she took out a cloth and wiped her face.  "I don't want the first thing you see to be me covered in tears and snot." Momo tried to laugh at her little joke, but she couldn't find the strength.  Momo then took her hand and hoped and prayed to the Gods above that her friend would wake up soon.  

---

Twenty minutes after Claire left, someone else knocked on the door. “Momo? It’s me, Fisher. Can I come in?” 

“Please, come in!” Momo said. This time, her voice contained less crying because she took Claire's words to heart.  Greeting Servi with a smile was the only thing she could do for her best friend.

The door swung open to reveal Fisher, who walked in first, and a woman in a white coat over a simple green sundress. She had green hair and a familiar tattoo on the back of her hand. In her right hand, she had a small briefcase that was see-through. Momo saw a few jars and a small container of water that seemed to glow.    

“Dineria?!” Momo exclaimed.

“You know her?” Fisher asked.

“She’s my student. And you had her friend. She’s the patient?” Dineria pointed to Servi. Fisher nodded.  

“She is. That’s Servi,” Fisher replied.  He couldn't believe the coincidence.

“It’s a good thing you found me when I was coming back from collecting herbs. And Momo, I promise I’ll do what I can for Servi. After all, Fisher is footing the bill” Dineria smirked at the Captain, who nodded with a static expression.  

“I am. I said I would take responsibility for Servi, so do all you can. Money is no issue.”  

“Good. Now then, you need to leave. This isn’t something a man needs to see. I’ll get you when I’m done.” 

Fisher nodded and stepped outside, taking a seat on the bench that Servi and Momo used to talk on. He closed the door behind him.  

“Okay, Fisher told me what happened. I imagine nobody has told you, so I’ll tell you. Be strong, okay?” said Dineria. She took a seat beside Momo and smiled at her. Her beautiful green hair took the form of a ponytail, and it swooshed when she turned her head.  

“I’ll try. I’ll do my best,” Momo struggled to hold back her tears.

“Be sure to hold her hand. Claire probably told you something about souls and talking, and I heard the same thing from my grandpa. I believe it 100%.” 

“I will. I won’t let go!” 

Dineria smiled back. “Good!” She began to take off the leather armor that had been covered in dried vomit. “Fisher told me that everyone besides Silverado completed their trial. Rakkire did, but it wasn’t in a way he was satisfied, so he didn’t count it. Regardless, that means that Servi wasn’t injured when she fought a juncea, so be proud!” 

She actually fought one of those monsters? She’s even more incredible than I thought.  

Once the breastplate was unhooked, Dineria had to hold Servi up at an angle so she could take it off, leaving her patient in a white tank top. Her black bra peeked out underneath it. There wasn’t a single drop of sweat on her upper body, nor were her underclothes dirty or smelly.  

As Dineria removed Servi's shield and other equipment, she continued explaining.  “Fisher said that they were camping on the second night. It was him and Servi who were watching the fire. They took the first watch. He said that she saw movement in the distance, and she went to investigate. Well, she didn’t come back, so Fisher went looking.” 

“And…” Momo didn’t want to hear what came next, but she needed to. If she was going to support her friend, she needed to know everything.  

“He said he heard a scream and saw a small red creature. I think he said it had horns. But it also had a sleepinwillo in its hands. Do you know what that is?” 

Momo shook her head.  

“It’s a flower that carries a very potent sleeping agent within its spores, and it’s capable of knocking someone into a slumber that lasts for two or more days. He said he saw her throw up after the creature tossed the flower into her face. I imagined she breathed in the spores through her mouth and her body protected her by forcing her to vomit them back up.” 

“….” 

“Here’s the good news, though. Not in my 40 years of practicing medicine have I seen someone die from a sleepinwillo. What I’m doing is checking to make sure there aren’t any wounds, and then I’ll wipe Servi's body clean with a cloth. Depending on how much she vomited, she should wake up as early as tomorrow morning. Maybe even tonight, if all of the spores are out of her body.” 

"Even if it takes all day, I'll stay by her side!" Momo proclaimed, who was relieved that it wasn't anything severe.

Dineria had no way of knowing that Fisher told her a lie he had managed to create during the long walk back to Canary. The only person who knew the truth was him, and he couldn’t go around proclaiming that his student tried to kill him.  

Once Dineria did a quick preliminary scan of Servi's upper body, the Elven doctor  moved to the lower body. She undid Servi's belt and slid her pants off to reveal black panties. Next, she took off her boots and socks and laid them off in a small pile.

Momo went to speak, but Dineria was faster. “Now, this is water from a nearby spring that’s been enchanted with Remedium. I don’t know if you know it, but by enchanting a stick or rock with Remedium and setting it into a source of water, that water will begin to take on the properties of Remedium. It’s nowhere as good as a potion, but it gets the job done.” As she spoke, she opened her briefcase to reveal its contents.

Dineria pulled out a dry white rag made from bleached leaves and laid it on the floor. Next came the container that Momo saw and Dineria was talking about. It wasn’t that big, but the water inside slightly glowed. Picking it up, she poured until the leaf rag was damp.  

She spoke while rubbing it down Servi’s arms. “We can’t use a potion because that’s only for physical wounds. It accelerates the body's natural healing. In this case, the body has no physical wounds. It’s just in a state of sleepiness, and the only cure is to let it rest. If it makes you feel better, you’re more than welcome to take one from my briefcase. If you do, then pick a small spoon. It’s a bad idea to pour the liquid straight down her throat, but it’s alright to use a spoon to drop a few drops around her lips. Once she feels that it’s wet, her body should go to swallow it.” 

“Thank you, but I’ll leave it to you. I don’t want to do anything that even has the smallest chance of not working.” 

But isn’t doing this the same as healing her body with a potion, but it's only slower? Then why wash her body with that Remedium water? Dang it, Momo, don’t question Dineria. Just stand by and let her work! 

Dineria finished with Servi’s right arm and hand and moved to her left arm. That meant Momo couldn’t grab hold of her best friend’s entire hand, but she made sure their fingers were at least touching.  “She’s really your friend, isn’t she?”  

“She is. Other than Claire, she was the first person I talked to since coming here. We went and completed our first quest together that day, and I messed up bad. But, she never once yelled or got angry. And then I wasn’t paying attention on the second day, and she pushed me out of harm’s way. She got hurt because of me. Dineria, I don’t know what I would do if she doesn't wake up. I’m not strong enough to make it on my own.” 

I relied on her for everything. Servi, I miss you… 

Dineria had finished up Servi’s left hand and arm and went to remove her patient's tank top. “Don’t say that. Didn’t you say that it took six months to travel from your village to get here?”  

Servi’s stomach was clean and pristine, with nary a spot of dirt or blemish. Still, Dineria ran the soaked rag over her patient's belly.

She did so while listening to Momo’s tearful voice. “I did, but I used up most of what grandpa gave me. He wanted me to get here safe and sound, but it was expensive. When I met Servi, I only had 93 dupla left to my name. That was enough for only a few nights and a little bit of food, and I thought I would have a good time since grandpa taught me the basics. But I completely froze up when we encountered our first rat. If not for Servi and her telling me to make sure that the enemy was dead, I’d be gone. There wouldn’t be a Momo anymore… I owe her my life…” 

Dineria was at a loss. She knew that Momo had what it took to survive and fight. Especially now. But she couldn’t exactly say it out loud since she wasn't privy to Momo’s abilities as of two months ago. There was a chance for the Elven mentor to say something hurtful, and she didn’t want to risk it.

So, she stayed silent as her hand softly rubbed Servi’s slim stomach with her leaf rag until it was all covered in the healing solution. Once she was satisfied, she moved onto Servi’s legs.  

“Momo, I promise you, with everything I have, that Servi will be fine. I’ve seen sleepinwillo many times before, and everyone has made a full recovery. I don’t know what that red creature was that Fisher saw, but it kinda sounds like a goblin. They’re known not for their intelligence but for their craftiness. If they even tried to mess with a sleepinwillo, they’d be knocked out for days. It’s a hard flower to mess with it, but not to toss.” 

Momo watched as Dineria’s rag went up and down her best friend’s legs and thighs before moving to her feet and toes. 

“I’m almost done. Let me check Servi's back,” Dineria gently lifted Servi towards her as she glanced her eyes downward. “I don’t see any cuts or scrapes, so we’re good. Thanks to the Remedium infused water, the healing properties would soon embrace her entire body. If there’s even a small cut that I somehow missed, it’ll be healed. It might take some time since it’s a slow process, but she’ll be right as rain.”  

“Thank you, Dineria. I…” 

I don’t know why she did that, but it looks like Servi is a bit happier? Oh, I hope this works…  

“I know what you need,” Dineria smiled gently and sat her rag down before turning to Momo. The Elf had her arms wide open, and Momo practically jumped into them.  

Cradling and rubbing the Singi’s head, Dineria spoke with a voice full of sugar. “It can be scary, watching your friend go through something like this. You feel powerless, and the only thing you can do is wait. Trust me, I’ve been in the same spot. All I could do was hold his hand and pray that my father would be okay. And he was, but I still cried as I watched my grandma nurse him back to health. Let out all of your tears so you can greet your friend with a smile, okay? That’s the best thing you can do.” 

“Momo?” As if she was struck by lighting, Momo turned around. She thought she had no more tears left, but her body must’ve found a secret stash as she looked at the person staring at her. It was a cute girl with black hair, red eyes, and damp skin. She used her left arm to lean up. A slight smile was in the process of forming on her face.   

“Servi! I’m here!” Momo cried out. She practically jumped on Servi, knocking the two to the mattress.  

“Gah!” Servi exclaimed.

“Servi!!! Are you okay? Are you hurt?!” Momo used the mattress and the floor to prop herself up until she stared directly into her best friend’s eyes.  

Servi’s response wasn’t what Momo expected. The Human wrapped her arms around her Singi friend and hugged her tightly.

Momo had her armor on, but she swore she felt Servi’s soft hands through the leather.  

“Momo, you don’t know how happy I am to see you,” Servi buried her face in Momo’s body. The Singi returned the affection with a hug of her own while softly crying. Momo's whimpering only grew louder as the two friends shared their inner feelings without using words.

Dineria stood some distance away.  The last thing she wanted to do was interrupt a beautiful reunion between two friends.   

“Servi, I was so worried about you. When I saw you come in being carried by Feral, I was thought the worst had happened. And when I heard about the red creature, I got even more scared. But I don’t have to worry anymore now that you’re awake.”

Red creature and Feral? Fuck it, I can ask later.  

“I’m sorry for worrying you... I really am. But I’m here. I’m back.”  

“That’s right!” Momo backed away from Servi, and stared deeply into those red eyes of hers and gave her the biggest smile she’d ever seen. “Welcome back!”