Chapter 12: The Doctor's Apprentice

"Let me have the bag," Nick instructed, his hand extended toward me, his tone calm but insistent. I nodded, sliding the bag off my shoulder, but my gaze lingered on the young boy who lay on the bed, writhing in obvious discomfort. His small body was marred with sores, his skin clammy with fever, and each breath seemed like a laborious task. His mother, standing stiffly in the corner of the room, kept glancing between us and her son. Despite the boy's suffering, she maintained her distance, her arms crossed tightly against her chest. Shouldn’t she be at his side? I handed the medical bag to Nick, my fingers trembling slightly. As I reached out, a thunderous voice erupted from behind me, causing me to flinch. "Who let a dirty slave near my son?!" The bag slipped from my grasp and hit the floor with a harsh clatter, the sound splitting through the tension in the room. My heart lurched as I heard something inside the bag shatter. I froze, my eyes squeezing shut as if that could make me