The Other Side: A Second Chance

"Our tent is just over here." Paul pointed towards a large tent in the middle of the lush green field beside a beautiful blue pond. Outside, I was surprised to see so many people, probably over a dozen, on their knees with their foreheads pressed into the dirt.

"Are they praying?" I asked out loud.

Kegan fixed the collar on his shirt and said, "It appears so, though it's quite unsanitary to press their heads into the ground like that."

Paul glanced over his shoulder at the two of us. "They're performing the quita," he said, and both Kegan and I looked at him confused. Paul turned away and walked towards the tent, with us trailing behind. "It's a prayer position," he explained. "Father told me that such stances increase our closeness to God, that it allows us to open ourselves to him, and in doing so, we can speak more clearly."

Kegan nodded as we politely stepped around those who were silently praying. "Your father must be a great man if he has all these people praying for his health."

Paul stopped before the tent flap and bit his lower lip. He took a deep breath and nodded. "My papa is a good man; it's because of him that all of us made it out." He took a shaky breath. "Come; he is just through here," he said softly as he opened the tent flap and stepped inside.

Upon entering, the smell of incense candles and burning sage caught my nose. In the center of the room was a small group of people. A middle-aged man with a thick, gray beard was lying sickly on a bedroll. He was wearing nothing but his gray onesie pajamas and had a loose blanket laid over him. He held a pained expression but was breathing profoundly and shuddering as he tried to compose himself.

Beside the man was another, much younger gentleman wearing full priestly garb. He was very handsome, and his face was clean-shaven. He was kneeling beside the older man as he held a rosary in one hand and what seemed to be some form of holy book on his lap, which his sharp green eyes skimmed over as he read the open passage out loud.

"Upon the hill of eternity, God turned to Jesiah and said, "All around you is me. Every leaf rustled by the wind, every stream that flows, every creature that crawls or flies. All of it is me."

Jesiah looked upon Elysium with amazement, yet confusion was visible on his face. "But how?" Jesiah asked, "How can you be everything, and yet here you are?"

For the first time since its occurrence, God smiled and replied, "Because I am the creator of all things, and I exist within all of my creations in one form or another."

Jesiah watched as God reached toward the pear tree and plucked its ripest fruit. Jesiah dropped to his knees, his hands digging through the soft grass. "Forgive me, my lord," Jesiah said as he bowed his head just a second before looking up. "But, in turn, what am I?"

God looked upon the fruit in his hand, turned to Jesiah, tossed him the pear, and said, "You are what you choose to be, my son, but know that I will always be with you." Jesiah… Oh…"

The priest noticed us and glanced up from the book. "It seems we have visitors, Father Marko."

"My apologies, Father Kaleb," Paul said, gasping when he saw the sick man on the ground lifting his head.

"Who are these two, boy?" The sick man, named Marko, asked, then scowled when his eyes fell on Dr. Kegan. "Is that a doctor?" He turned his head and spat on the floor. "I told you I don't need a doctor."

"Papa!" Paul's voice cracked. "You're sick, and Momma's worried."

"I'm not sick! I'm just injured!" The man spat back. "Do not ever raise—" Before he could finish his sentence, a fit of coughs washed over him.

Paul quickly rushed over to his father while the priest, Kaleb, reached for a soaked rag and placed it over the man's head. "Get that off of me!" Marco weakly reached for the rag.

"Marco, please," Kaleb said softly. "Your son is only trying to help."

Kegan stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Excuse me, what is happening here?" He asked the question that was on my mind.

Kaleb turned to look at Kegan and then backed toward Paul. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Marco, I'll be back. Paul, look after your father."

"Yes, Father Kaleb." Paul bowed his head.

"Boy," Marco muttered. "The book. Josephus 2:19."

"Yes, Papa." He nodded as Kaleb handed him what I presumed to be a bible.

After a moment, Kaleb got up, dusted off his robes, and turned to us. "It would be best if we stepped outside and talked."

Kegan nodded. "It's getting a bit nippy out there, despite it being early summer."

"Aye, it is, but it shouldn't be long."

Turning around, Kegan and I stepped outside back into the afternoon sun. Once again, I could see the dozen or so people praying outside. The few closest to us lifted their heads, their eyes widening, when Kaleb stepped out behind us.

"Father Kaleb!" One of the people shouted.

"How is he?" Another called.

"Has Charity spared him?"

Kaleb held a hand out to silence those around us. "Father Marco is still in a concerning position, but fear not." He then gestured to Dr. Kegan and me. "A doctor has arrived to assist."

Kegan turned to Kaleb. "My apologies, but I have the faintest idea as to what is going on."

Kaleb shared a look with Kegan and said, "I shall tell you shortly, but first, let us get away from all these onlookers. I would prefer some privacy."

Kegan nodded. "Alright, lead the way then, my good sir."

Kaleb led us around the tent and towards the shore of the large pond, a couple dozen feet away from those outside the tent. Once in a relatively quiet spot, he reached into his robes and pulled out a decent-sized glass flask of whiskey.

My eyes widened. "Aren't holy folk not supposed to drink?" I said, not realizing I just vocalized my thoughts.

Kaleb paused, blushed deeply, and said, "Normally. I don't think God would punish me for finding ways to relieve my stress." He chuckled and turned to Kegan. "Would you like some, Doctor?"

Kegan smiled and held a hand up to decline. "No." He shook his head. "Not while I'm working, but maybe later. What is happening?"

Kaleb sighed, uncorked the glass flask, and took a swig. After drinking, he looked at the pond and said, "Father Marco is succumbing to an infection. We were leading those from Tessle across the lake, and since this bloody war began, we've been safe. It was as if God himself had blessed Marco and those who followed him. Yet, when we made it to Kenchala, everything…" Kaleb closed his eyes.

"Were you at Kassel?" I asked.

With trembling hands, Kaleb took another swig, though one much deeper, and sighed when he pulled the glass away from his lips. "Aye, I was…" He looked at me. "Were you?"

I nodded as well and did my best to avoid the memories. "It was hell on Enora."

"A slaughter." He agreed. "Yet, it was one in which most of us survived. Truly, God protected us while the rest were shepherded by Salvation." He took a deep breath. "Anyway, Marco didn't make it out unscathed. He took a mag round directly to his left thigh. At first, we thought nothing of it. I treated it as best I could, but an infection began to take hold."

"My apologies," Kegan said as he shifted his weight from foot to foot. "But as a man of the cloth, don't you have access to healing magics?"

Kaleb took a deep breath, his eyes still not leaving the lapping waters along the shore. "If I was still in my church back in Tassle, then yes. I had packed as much as I could, but… Heh… Heh…" He began to laugh pathetically. "I had used most of them to treat those we found along the road. There were so many hurt people I couldn't just leave them. Or well… I could've, but I would've hated myself."

"I understand," Kegan said. "I'd done much the same, though with my tonics and herbs." He gestured to me. "That's how I met her."

I nodded. "Yep, there's nothing wrong with helping others. There's no way you could've known what was going to happen next." Kaleb nodded his head silently and smiled faintly.

Kegan crossed his arms and asked, "What about the boy's mother? Where is she?"

"Doris?" Kaleb glanced at Kegan. "She is out currently, trying to scrounge up whatever food we can afford. I wouldn't be surprised if she was out looking for a doctor like yourself."

"Speaking of which," Kegan said, "Paul said his father sent him to find me. Yet, I don't think that man wants me or my little friend here anywhere near him."

Kaleb sighed. "Master Paul is a nice boy, yet lying is a common flaw of his. He probably said it just so you could come along. As for Marco, he's a good man, but he is stubborn. The man believes this is one of God's tests, a test of Salvation."

"Excuse me," I said. "But that's the second time you mentioned Salvation like a person, who are they?"

Kaleb smiled. "Not a follower of the All-Father?"

Of course, it's these people. I thought as the Master's words echoed in my mind about how this God wishes to claim our world.

"No," I said, breathing to hide my discomfort.

"Salvation is an aspect of God. An apostle, as we call them, he is the one who shepherds us to the Other Side when our time is up."

The Other Side, just like Master Man said! What is it? I pondered for a second, yet before I could ask another question, Kegan noted, "As much as I enjoy a good learning session, we have a dying man to worry about."

Kaleb nodded. "You're right, sorry."

"This infection, how long has it been?" Kegan asked.

Clutching his chin, Kaleb's green eyes focused on a point on the ground before him as he thought. After a moment, he nodded and said as he looked at us, "About two days ago, if my memory is right, though it wasn't until last night when his health began to deteriorate seriously."

Kegan nodded. "If it's what I think it is, too much time may have already passed."

"What do you mean?" Both myself and Kaleb asked.

"No time to explain," Kegan said, turning away from us and walking back toward the tent. "I need to examine the injury for myself before I make any conclusions. Luna, come."

I nodded. "Alright!" I started to rush behind but then stopped and turned to the priest. "Thank you, Mr. Kaleb!"

Taking another drink of his whiskey, the priest nodded. "I'll be there in a moment."

 

---

 

"Don't you dare touch me!" The older, sick man, Marco, shouted. "I'm fine; I'm going to be okay—"

"No, you aren't," Kegan said. "I need you to lay down and don't move. I'm going to look at your injury."

"Bah, if Salvation wants to take me, he'll come, till then. I'll make it through—"

"You can keep telling yourself that," Kegan said. "But just by looking at you, I think he's going to be showing up much sooner if you don't let me help you."

He lays it out straight. I thought to myself as I stood beside Kaleb and Paul at the edge of the tent.

The young boy held the bible firmly against his chest as he watched nervously. I could see his lip quivering, knowing he wanted to say something.

Marco bit his lower lip and turned his head away. "Perhaps he will," he said, "but I can't afford to let you help me."

"What do you mean?" Kegan asked.

"I mean it literally, boy," Marco coughed and spat a disgusting glob of phlegm on the floor. "You and other pompous physicians charge us folk beyond belief. Even the local churches are demanding we cough up gold to treat the sick and injured. God is testing me and all of us."

Kegan sighed heavily. "Just because you have no money doesn't mean God is testing you. Now, I'm going to lift up the blanket."

"Were you not listening?" Marco spat again.

"I was, and frankly, I'm going to treat you anyway."

"What?" Marco blinked just as Kegan lifted the blanket.

"I said I'm going to treat you; don't worry about the money," Kegan said. "Like your friend over there. I'd feel downright awful if I left you here, especially knowing you have a kid and a wife." Kegan turned to me. "Luna, come over here, please; I'll need your help undressing Mr. Hensler."

Marco didn't say a word as I came over; instead, his face splayed with nothing but confusion. "Alright, Mr. Hensler," Kegan said, "I'm going to have to sit you up, and we're going to help you out of your pajamas so that I can see the wound."

Marco looked at each of us blankly, and I gave him my biggest smile and nodded. "We're just here to help!" I said as he looked at us as if we were angels.

"Please do as they say, Marco," Kaleb said.

The older man bit his lower lip, and I watched as he visibly swallowed his pride and grunted, "Su-sure."

I sighed, relieved that the man wouldn't fight anymore, and helped Kegan sit him up. After a few arduous moments of undressing the man, we finally revealed the horror show I was not ready for. The wound was tightly bandaged, yet the bandages were a disgusting yellow shade and needed changing. The smell was also downright horrendous.

It was infected, and Kegan pointed out the visible red lines going up the man's thigh and lower torso. "It's spreading quite rapidly, too," he said softly under his breath. Kegan began to ask Marko a few questions as he began to unwind the bandages.

Meanwhile, I was rifling through Kegan's doctor's bag to grab his replacement bandages. Yet it was at this moment that the wound came into view, and I nearly vomited at the sight. It was black, red, and oozing a horrid puss.

"I-I need to go outside," I said, quickly turning away and rushing outside before I could embarrass myself and make things worse.

It's the smell; oh gods, the smell is awful. It was like sniffing a rotting corpse!

As I rushed outside, my face planted into someone. A woman yelled and grabbed the top of my head with one hand. "Excuse me," a light voice said, and I glanced up to see a pretty, blonde-haired human woman with bright green eyes looking down at me.

"I-I'm sorry, I just need fresh air…" I said, breathing deeply as I stepped around the woman.

"Who are you?" The woman asked.

I blinked for a second and said, "Luna, Luna Ashflow… I'm with the doctor." I pointed at the tent.

"Doctor?" The woman's eyes widened, and she went into the tent without another word.

Okay, Luna, just a couple more breaths. Then we have to go back in… I thought to myself, until, on a second thought, one much more tempting thought arose: Maybe I should heal him and get it over with. That didn't look good; even I couldn't look at it. A good restoration and rejuvenation will get him walking in no time…

"Yeah, but," I said to myself. "Momma will get really mad."

Who cares, though? It's just one guy; maybe wait till everyone is out and slap him with an excellent old revive?

"Hmm…" I sighed. "No. I won't piss off my parents." I took one more breath, turned around, and returned to the tent to continue the check-up.

 

---

 

I stood beside Kegan with Kaleb, Paul, and the woman I ran into across from us. I learned the woman was Paul's mother and Marco's wife, Doris. She was kind, if not a nervous wreck, about her husband's state, understandably so.

We had just recently finished our examination, or well, Kegan did, and the entire time, I felt like the kid having to hold the flashlight for their father. Kegan had just rounded us all up together at the edge of the tent, while Marco fell asleep shortly after we laid him down.

Things weren't looking good. From the wound up to the midway point of Marco's torso, it was inflamed, yellow, and just wrong. I wasn't a doctor, and even I knew this was serious. In my old world, this man would've been rushed to the emergency room long ago, yet I don't even know if this world has such a thing.

"So, I'm going to be straight," Kegan told the family. "This isn't good. In any other normal circumstance, he should've been taken to a doctor promptly."

"As said, Dr. Kegan—" Kaleb started, but Kegan held his hands up.

"I know you were all on the road. What I'm trying to say is that he needs antibodies," the doctor said. I do have antibiotics, but they are back in my office in Helmsworth."

"What about your clinic here?" I asked.

"I haven't moved them down yet," Kegan explained. "The antibodies are in very fragile containers; I was going to save those for last." He sighed.

"How long will it take you to get them, and how much?" Doris asked almost desperately. "We have thirty coppers in total."

Kegan grimaced and sighed. "I'm willing to give them to you, but… It'll take me at least an hour or two to get to my clinic, and about another hour back, depending on traffic."

"You won't be here till evening then?" Kaleb asked.

"Yes, and his condition is worsening by the minute," he said. "The infection is getting dangerously close to his heart."

"Then go!" Doris said, her voice cracking as tears began to form, "Go, go; I-I'll look over him. Just go get the cure for my Marc."

Kegan nodded and turned to me. "Come, Luna," he said, but I didn't move.

"I'll be just behind you," I said to Kegan, having already decided. "Trust me."

The doctor looked confused but then nodded. "Alright, just make your way back to the clinic when you're ready."

I nodded and turned to the three beside me. "If you don't mind, I'd like to check on something with Mr. Hensler."

"What do you want to check?" Doris asked me as I turned and walked towards the sleeping man.

Ah, fuck, I should've known they'd ask this… Uh, shit, what can I say that sounds smart and doctor-like?

"I just want to double check his vitals," I said with enough fake confidence and a broad smile.

The three of them shared a look and then looked at me and nodded. Hell yeah, it works every time. I smiled.

Walking over to Marco, I knelt beside him and whispered, "Hello, Mr. Hensler, it's Luna again. I'm going to touch you; is that okay?"

"The Kingdom of God…" The man muttered deliriously as he slept, "The Kingdom for All… Do not make the mistakes I did…" I perked my head up and glanced at him, and I noticed his eyes were parted just a bit, and he was looking at me. "You're young… Live your life… however you want… Don't let others dictate what you do…"

I smiled faintly at him and nodded. "I won't, now… Just close your eyes. I need to, uh, check your vitals." Marco's eyes shifted back closed, and his family began to move closer. I stood around me, grabbed his left hand, and gently placed my fingers on his wrist.

Taking a deep breath and clearing my mind, I closed my eyes and began to mutter the incantation for restoration. "In the whispering weave of magic's touch, threads entwine, and ailments clutch. Sight restored, and limbs made whole—Slyondra's grace, the healer's role. Restore!" A green circle of light formed around me and began to shine. My hands began to glow as I touched his. Swirling orbs of light coalesced around me before shooting into Marco's body.

The older man's mouth dropped open, and an audible sigh of relief escaped him as I watched the color return to his face. His family around me also gasped with shock and smiled gently. "I just need to check one more thing," I said as I then placed one hand on his wounded thigh and began to mutter the words for rejuvenation.

Once again, the ground around me lit up with green light as orbs of light began to swirl into the air around me. My hand began to shine brightly, and my eyes also shone with a green hue as I continued the incantation. Finally, "Rejuvenate!" I finished as the pleasurable tingles of ether soared through my body and down my arm before exiting out of my hand and into Marco's body.

While I couldn't see, I could feel the wound in his thigh stitching itself together, yet what I could see was his hair. I watched with surprise as his gray facial hair shifted in color toward a lovely dark blonde. I also noticed the wrinkles around his eyes recede, as if this man had just become visibly younger by at least five years.

Doris choked a sob and immediately rushed forward. "It's a miracle; I just witnessed a miracle!" She exclaimed as she dropped to her knees beside me and her husband and threw herself onto her man.

Paul rushed over and knelt beside her mother while I smiled gently and got to my feet. Not wanting to stick around any longer, I turned and froze when I saw Kaleb looking at me with wide eyes. With two fingers, he muttered a prayer under his breath and motioned a circle in front of himself, similar to the Holy Trinity.

"By, God. It is you." He said

"Excuse me?" I said. "I was just checking his vitals, and well, it looks like we missed something." I said it as if the lie would still work.

"You're the angel of Kenchala," he said again.

"I, uh," I laughed nervously. "I think you're mistaking me."

"No, I can't be," he said. You said it yourself; you were there in Kassel. You were at the refugee camp, and I heard the stories firsthand of the young girl who cured the entire brigade."

"I, uh, should really get going." I smiled. "Y'know, everybody gets one, so don't get hurt again!" I said jokingly as Kaleb spoke up again, but I ignored him and quickly ran out of the tent.

Fuck!