Chapter Three

The first thing Doctor Hibiki had to be focused on was reading and memorizing the books he gave me. It would be easy if he didn't hand me three books a week. "You have got to be kidding," I said, looking at the stack of books. He just told me I was going to read before the end of the month.

"Don't worry, you'll only have to focus on three at a time," He said, with a smirk.

"Are you insane!" I yelled, frowning.

His smirk twisted into a full grin. "You're right, you only have a year to learn everything. 12 books a month won't cut it. Let's add another book per week. You'll be tested on the information on them, so you better read them carefully."

He's a monster. A pure born monster. I was going to die at this rate. Still, I got to work, reading and trying to memorize all the information. It was hard work, but I got the first five chapters of the first book done.

"Did you study?" He asked when I came in the next morning. I smiled, holding up a thumb. "Good." His tone made a shiver run down my back. What was he going to do to me?

The answer: Pop quiz throughout the day. He would ask me a question about the books. As I only read one of them, I got a lot of answers wrong. The punishments for getting an answer wrong was a lecture on the right answer and having to write out the answer 20 times. I didn't get back to Abby's until almost 10.

"Abby, he's going to kill me," I whined, laying my head on her bed. My hands ached from all that writing. If I looked at them, I could see them shaking. She was still sleeping peacefully.

Doctor Hibiki walked about the house lecturing me on the books that I was supposed to be reading. He had me taking notes about what he said, even though I would read about it later, if I hadn't already. When he stopped at a table.

"Lora, there's dust over here," Doctor Hibiki said, whipping a finger over a table. Keeping the office clean was another one of my duties.

"You didn't even keep it this clean," I muttered, whipping the table for the sixth time today. He didn't stop his lecture as I whipped the table down. Trying to take notes while cleaning the same places was annoying.

"Abby, do you think I'll be able to learn all this by the end of the year?" I asked, wishing I had gone to take these lessons earlier. Then maybe Doctor Hibiki wouldn't be so aggressive with the lessons.

The worst part of Doctor Hibiki's lessons was that I wasn't allowed to talk to the patients. Even if it was my mom. Because 'I know nothing and should keep my mouth shut.' Or so he says. It's not like I don't understand why that's the rule. I understand some villagers are a little nervous about me being there. That me not saying anything or reacting helps them ask Doctor Hibiki for help. It's just… lonely.

Doctor Hibiki gave me the okay to take off Abby's birthday. Last year we ran around the forest, pretending to use magic. This time she wouldn't be able to go far, but I could still do something for her. Taking her out to the flower field. I told her about the flowers and the birds that landed near us. Making flower crowns, "You always were better at this than I am," I held up the half complete crown. It was already falling apart as I weaved it. Abby would smile and weave one for me at this point. The silence is still hard to bear after all the laughter we shared.

 Doctor Hibiki had a lot of books, piles of them. He had multiple bookshelves that were full to the brim with book. I don't think I have ever seen so many books in my life. Only a few of them were on comatose patients, and how to help them. I read everything he had about them. Some things were outside of my understanding, using words and phrases I had never heard of before. There were some questions on if they could hear what was happening while being asleep. So I did my best to bring her places and tell her more things. Everything I learned, as well as reading the books to Abby.

Life was going well, mostly. Margret and her husband had taken more time away from Abby. They still didn't talk much to anyone. The husband was getting better, talking with the other villagers. While Margret only spoke to my mom. Mom was getting worried about that.

Six months after what happened to Abby, I walked home a different way. It had been raining the last week, making a puddle between the Doctors and Abby's house. I didn't want to get Abby's room dirty. Such a small thing. When I saw Abby's father standing with someone. I raise my hand, about to call out when they turned a bit. He was smiling and looking at her strangely. I knew that look. It was the same look Dad gave mom.

He grabbed her waist and lead her back to her home. Where he kissed her cheek before they went inside. He was with that woman. Margret was at home with Abby, trying to make things work, and he was out here with someone else. I bit my lip to stop from screaming.

Storming home, I grabbed the door to Abby's home. How could he do something like that? His family is struggling, so he leaves? What kind of man is he? Abby is- was this my fault? Abby is laying in bed sleeping, unable to wake up because of me. If I told Margret about what I saw, would that help or make things worse?

I walked into the house and into the living room. Margret sat in the dark, staring at the wall. She didn't react to me being there. She wasn't better after all these months. If I brought up seeing her husband with another woman…

Heading to Abby's room with her dinner. Lost in my own head about what to do about this. "Abby, I wish you were awake to tell me what to do," I muttered, setting the bowl down. Abby looked thinner over the last few months. The books told me about this. She needed to move her body, or have it move, to make the muscles in her arms and legs stay. Doctor Hibiki helped me learn what I should do to keep her from getting even thinner.

I read the books like I was supposed to. Reading them to Abby so she would learn with me. It wasn't the best option, and I was going to have to read them again when I got home. I didn't know what else to do. My mind racing with this being another thing I did.

When I got home, I took two steps in before my mom was next to me. "Lora?" She asked, her tone light. She looked worried. Seeing her face, I started crying. My best friend was sleeping and her family was falling apart. Mom just hugged me tight. Patting my back as I cried.

"I saw him…" I said, between tears.

"Who?" Mom asked, rocking be back and forth as we stood.

I held onto her as I tried to gasp out what I saw. The moment the words fell from my mouth I head something heavy bang against the wall. Turning there was Dad. Through my tears, he was blurry but standing there chewing on his lip.

"Honey, not now." Mom said, reaching out for him. My Dad and I looked at her. Letting her pull us into a hug, that even my siblings joined in after a little while. Before long, we could sit down and eat. No one saying anything about what I saw. I felt better about it, and worse.

Mom and Dad were still on my side when I woke up the next morning. "Lora, I want to talk with Margret. I'll care for Abby this morning. Stop by after your lessons." I knew what Mom was going to talk to Margret about. It was better for that stuff to come from her, anyway. So I headed to Doctor Hibiki's early.

"Doctor," I called, opening the door. Doctor Hibiki was sleeping at his desk. The candle next to him was still lit. He must have fallen asleep reading. I smiled. This is the first time I've seen him being so… human. He was usually up mixing medicine or reading all the books he could find about medical knowledge.

For now, I went about getting the place ready for people. It was unlikely that anyone would come in today. It's been slow the last few months. Only the elderly coming in to get their prescriptions. There's one good way to get people to wake up.

Doctor Hibiki groaned, sitting up. His back crackled and popped. I set down a cup of coffee next to him. He blinked, "You're here? I must have slept in."

"No, I'm early. Mom has to talk to Margret, and will make sure Abby eats." I told him, smiling. I didn't feel like smiling much. Sitting at the table to work on the homework he assigned. I couldn't imagine what Mom was going through right now. I don't… I couldn't tell Abby while she was sleeping about what I saw. Abby couldn't react to anything I said, even if she heard me. If she was awake, Abby would have lost it. She would scream for the world to know what her father did.

Doctor Hibiki hummed, "Is that right?"

He didn't look up from his coffee. With a sigh, I asked, "How do you always know when something's wrong?"

"I'm old. If I hadn't learned how people sound when they have a lot on their plate or are nervous about something. I wouldn't make a good doctor."

"Think I could learn how to do that?"

He chuckled, "With how stubborn you are? I have no doubt."

We did our normal morning routine. Him testing me over the material that I read the night before. I wasn't doing well on this test. It was the worst I've done since the first day I started working with him. "What's the point of asking you any more when you aren't focusing?" He asked, waving away.

"DOCTOR!" a woman yelled, running into the house. It was the same woman I seen the night before with Abby's dad. She had tears running down her cheeks. "PLEASE HELP. ZACK, ZACK'D GOTTEN IN A FIGHT," she yelled. My jaw dropped at the news. Abby's dad was in a fight? With who? My mind running back to my father's angry face last night. What if?

Doctor Hibiki and I ran with her to Zack. Who was sitting on a chair outside his home? Mom was holding Margret back with another woman.

"YOU BASTARD!" Margret yelled, struggling against my mom's grip. "HOW COULD YOU!"

"Lora, stay out of this," Doctor Hibiki muttered. I looked at him. "You know them too well. You won't be able to think clearly. This is the only occasion that you will get out of it. A doctor must never let their feelings get in the way. The most severely injured person gets help first." He muttered, walking to Zack. Once there, I saw Zack move his hand to show that he was slightly bleeding.

Margret yelled at him more, lifting her hands to hit him. Her face flushed with anger and bitter sorrow. Mom tried to keep her in place, wrapping her arms around Margret's middle. Margret hardly noticed mom as she kept screaming. Zack didn't react to anything. Just sitting letting her yell at him. Everyone was now staring at them. Wondering what happened. Margret cried out, "WHY? TELL ME! WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?"

I wanted to see magic. It's all my fault. I just wanted to see if I could do magic. A hand grabbed my shoulder. My Dad was standing there. He pulled me in close to him. His shirt clung to my face. I didn't notice that I had cried.

"Enough!" Doctor Hibiki said, his voice annoyed at how things are going. "Margret, he can't answer you if you keep yelling. What happened?"

Zack glanced at the woman next to the doctor. The two smiled at each other for comfort. Never looking at Margret. The movement must have been spotted by Margret and my mom. "He's cheating on me," Margret choked out.

"Isabel, how could you do something so horrible?" Mom asked, a frown on her face. Isabel shifted a bit as people looked at her. She didn't have an answer. How could she?

"Enough!" Doctor Hibiki said, cutting off Zack's words. He sighed, and I knew what was coming. "Get the mayor."

Dad pulled me over to my brother. "Take Lora home, eat, read, or whatever else. Lora, make your bed. I'll bring Abby over." Dad said. He and his coworker went to Margret. My brother pulled me away, but I saw them talking. Margret nodding after a while.

"Lora, come on." My brother said, pulling on my arm. I turned to look ahead.

"I'm sorry," I muttered.

"It's not your fault. He's the weak bastard." My brother muttered. I laughed a little at that.

Dad brought Abby back to our house. He tucked her into my bed. "Sorry Lora. You might have to sleep on the couch tonight," Dad told me. I smiled at him. "It's not a problem. I'm happy she's here and not there." Dad patted my back, leaving to be with Mom.

My brother helped me care for Abby, Sense she moved beds and houses. We didn't really need to move her too much. I still had her lay on one side then the other. I didn't want to let boils and abscess to grow.

Abby stayed with us for the next few days until things were settled. Zack and Isabel decided to leave our village. They were going to return to his hometown. He apparently hated moving here and hoped that once Abby was born that they would move back. The cheating had been happening for the last ten years. Even if Abby hadn't gotten hurt, he would have been at Isabel's house that night. Margret was distraught at the news.

Margret couldn't make things work here. Not with her daughter sick and everyone knowing what happened. She decided it would be better to return to being a Court Magician. She was taking Abby with her to get her more medical help. It was sad to see them leave. The Doctor Hibiki wanted to let me go with but Margret had called her friend to help them move. They were using magic and so would be gone in moments.

"We'll be unpacked and settled by the end of the day," Margret told us. She hugged me tight. Her smile was back on her face, but now it held a bit of sadness to it.

"I will miss you," Mom said, pulling Margret into a hug.

"It's funny. My world fell apart when Abby got hurt. But it was my husband's cruelty that brought me back." Margret whispered. I was close enough to hear it. "I will write to you and Lora all the time. I'll even send updates about Abby."

Margret pulled back from Mom, turning to me. "Good luck on your test. I know you will do wonderfully." She said. I smiled at her, but didn't feel happy. Less than a year and my whole life was pulled at the seams.

Doctor Hibiki had me reading more. He started teaching me the difference in medicine and how to make some more common ones. I learned how to help keep someone tied to this place.

"Next week you're leaving, right?" Doctor Hibiki asked.

I hummed as I kept writing about what he had said earlier. I thought that learning to heal people was going to be easier than this. Honestly, I thought I would be certified as a doctor by the end of the year, or a nurse at a minimum.

When a book blocked my vision. I saw back looking at the book. It was a book of magic. I recognized the strange letters. Looking up at Doctor Hibiki, he didn't look back at me.

"I found this. Apparently, it's full of healing potions. I'm not sure if I was told correctly, but I thought a witch like you might need it," He muttered.

I smiled, pulling the book close. "You know, for all that bitching you do, you're actually quite nice."

He hissed, "Shut it. Don't be telling people that or I won't be able to get them to take their medication." Waving me away. I laughed, thinking about that.

Getting home, I saw Mom and Dad had decorated the house. Mom made a bunch of food, all my favorites. We ate and talked. Laughing like he had before all this. It was all so normal.

When Mom and Dad handed me a gift. "We don't know much about Magic, but Margret does. We asked her for a few recommendations," Mom said. I unwrapped the gift to find another book. I smiled at it. "It's a book of basics, everything you need to learn to take the first steps." Dad said. He looked just as embarrassed.

"And this one is from Margret," Mom said, handing the next package. It was a smaller box. Opening it, I saw a wand, a deep blue one with a red gem at the end. "It's beautiful. Do I have to send it back if I can't use magic?" I asked, making both mom and dad laugh.

"No, it's yours." Mom answered.

"Good, because I was never going to give it back." I laughed, holding the new book and wand closer.

My brother cleared his throat and slid another gift my way. Both mom and Dad blinked at the gift. They must not have known about this. "I know that we don't always get along, but…"

I grabbed the package. Opening it, there was a beautiful leather notebook with a bouquet on it. The flowers were red like Abby's hair and the other a brown like mine. There was a beautiful, black and white, feathered pen. "So you have a place for your most precious spells or something…" He said, looking away. His face was bright red. I leaped across the table and hugged him.

"You're the best big brother," I said. It was the best gift I have ever gotten. He shifted, pulling away a bit, but I wasn't letting go. Dad and Mom joined in on the hug, making him sigh. He relaxed and hugged us back.

"Tell me when you get married so I can warn her," I said.

He tensed and muttered, "You'll scare her away." We laughed at that. He wasn't wrong. She would have to be amazing for me to let her marry him. My brother deserves the best, after all.