Chapter 14

    Jason’s Crisis

    Hardly anyone could remain indifferent when such an important benefactor of the church was gravely injured and on the brink of death.

    No matter how much she wanted to help, Anna lacked the ability to treat the severe wounds on Jason’s shoulder and chest. Thus, she took on the duty of keeping the younger children away from the area to avoid interfering with the elders’ examination of the wounds. Meanwhile, James quickly ran to light a fire and prepare boiling water as per Kit’s instructions.

    The twelve-year-old boy, who could maintain a remarkably calm demeanor, was the only one composed enough to assist Jason at this moment.

    The filthy cloth wrapped thickly around his shoulder was slowly removed. Blood continued to seep through, drenching the wound and filled the air with a strong metallic scent. Soon, everyone saw the deep red wound—almost black—a large bite mark that had viciously torn through the flesh. The surrounding skin was inflamed and burning hot.

    “The wound is too large. We will have to stitch it,” said Sister Lisa, who had received first aid training from the church. She spoke steadily while using her special power, causing her body to emit a faint glow. Unfortunately, it was only a low-level ability that merely hastened the body’s natural recovery process. Jason’s condition was still critical.

    “I will get a clean needle and thread,” Sister Anne informed her companion before turning to her most important student. “You, go check what Jason brought back on that wooden sled and report to us immediately. Go quickly!”

    The young boy nodded and sprinted toward the scene. When he arrived, he saw the carcass of a massive brown-furred bear. Even though it was already dead, Kit couldn’t help but tremble—an instinctive reaction of survival when encountering a being far stronger than oneself.

    (It’s dead already. What’s there to be afraid of? … Stay calm.) He was mentally forcing himself not to succumb to fear. Not long after, his steps became steadier. A sudden gust of wind brushed against him as if offering encouragement, soothing his troubled heart. He lifted his gaze toward the sky and the line of pine trees before whispering his gratitude.

    (May Brother Jason survive and recover safely. Amen!)

    Once the beast’s lifeless body could no longer instill fear, his small hands and sharp eyes meticulously examined it. Kit mustered all his strength to push and flip the colossal bear onto its back. Though the effort left him gasping for breath, he managed to observe its defining characteristics to tell the nuns—broad chest fur with a white crescent-shaped pattern, a strikingly distinctive trait.

    Although he was concerned that the bear’s carcass would rot if left unattended, the bitter cold of the season would likely delay its decomposition long enough. This realization eased one of his worries. The boy then hurried back to report his findings to the elders.

    Upon learning that it was merely an abnormally large white-chested crescent moon bear, the two nuns sighed in relief. Kit could only stare at them in confusion. His knowledge of this world was still too limited. His understanding of medicine was even less. All he had were vague memories from attending basic first-aid training back on his previous world.

    Right now, they had no medical equipment. No medicine. No clean bandages suited for treating wounds. No saline solution. No Betadine. No antiseptics. No anti-inflammatory drugs. Not even painkillers. Everything was in dire shortage. Yet, these people still did their utmost. A small curved needle was sterilized in boiling water along with the best-quality coarse thread they could find. Then, Sister Lisa began suturing the wound with some difficulty, as her hands were slightly trembling. Each time the tiny needle pierced through the freshly cleaned skin surrounding the injury, Jason’s body flinched slightly from the pain.

    Kit could only watch in silent agony. He felt utterly powerless in this situation. His heart ached to do something to help. After contemplating for a moment, the young boy turned to his eldest brother standing nearby and motioned for him to follow him to the kitchen.

    At this moment, the only thing he could do was make some soup for the wounded. Jason’s injury stretched from the left side of his chest all the way to his back. It would take Sister Lisa some time to finish treating it.

    What a patient suffering from severe blood loss and critical injuries needs is proper nursing care and nutrients to aid in bodily recovery, especially by drinking electrolytes to compensate for the lost fluids. Additionally, appropriate wound medication is also necessary. Unfortunately, they lacked any medicinal herbs for such an emergency.

    Two large cups of grains were being ground into fine powder using a stone mill by James. Kit picked up wild garlic, which had mild antibacterial properties, and chopped it together with chanterelle mushrooms, which helped boost immunity. He then retrieved dried salmon bones and heads, frying them until fragrant before adding them to a pot of boiling water to extract as many nutrients as possible.

    Once the bones were scooped out, James quickly handed the powdered grains to his younger brother. This meal had to be smooth and easy to swallow, ensuring no risk of choking for the patient. Kit focused intently on cooking, determined not to let the porridge burn and stick to the bottom of the pot. The pre-cut vegetables were added in the final ten minutes to simmer together.

    At last, a large bowl of porridge, rich with vegetables and expensive mushrooms, was completed an hour later. The timing was quite precise, as Sister Lisa had just finished tying off the last stitch. The chest wound did not appear severe enough to require suturing, unlike the injury on the left shoulder. Jason was moved to the infirmary, which had been recently renovated. The fireplace was lit to dispel the chilling air before the large bowl of liquid food was brought in.

    “Let him eat something, please. It will help him regain his strength to recover.” Sister Anne nodded in gratitude. She knew well that food prepared by Kit possessed extraordinary benefits beyond the ordinary, so she had no objections. Although the patient was still unconscious, forcing some food into his mouth should work.

    Whether it was a miracle or simply the effectiveness of Sister Lisa’s treatment, the moment the fragrant aroma of mushroom porridge reached the patient’s nose, some of his awareness returned. Kit smiled in relief upon seeing the young man regain consciousness so quickly—an encouraging sign that he was likely out of danger.

    “It smells...so good,” a hoarse voice murmured, prompting James to rush over and help prop the large-bodied man against the headboard. Then, hot porridge was carefully fed to him while his stomach growled loudly. After only a few spoonsful, a faint glow radiated from Jason’s body. As he nearly finished the bowl, he drifted back into sleep, visibly at ease. His lips, smeared with porridge, were gently wiped clean.

    Sister Lisa used her special power once more, concentrating it until it intensified in her palm before pressing it onto the shoulder wound. Afterward, the patient was left to rest. Everyone let out a sigh of relief and went about their respective tasks.

    The two nuns volunteered to prepare dinner, while Kit and James were assigned to handle the large bear carcass that Jason had brought back. Once the owner awoke, they would let him manage his valuable find. Kit took up a small, razor-sharp knife and waited by the water well while James went to haul over the massive bear carcass for him to deal with.

    “How am I even supposed to start skinning this...?” Even in death, the body lying before him was still taller than Kit’s shoulders. He stood deep in thought for a long while, pondering where to begin. Before long, he recalled the methods he had seen for skinning rats and rabbits and decided to give it a try himself.

    “Start from the anus, then cut along the midline up to the neck, and then...” James watched with a grimace as his younger brother skillfully wielded the knife. It was the most unsettling carcass he had ever seen—because it was a male bear. The moment the blade sliced through that area, James felt shivers run down his spine. The eldest brother had no idea just how loudly Kit’s mind was screaming at that moment.

    (Arghhh. I’m gonna puke! Dear heavens, please help meee....) The boy nearly lost consciousness after the first cut, but after that, he tried to hypnotize himself into believing that it was just a big rabbit—just like the one Sister had taught him to skin a few days ago.

    (Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit. Rabbit hide, rabbit eggs, rabbit belly, rabbit head... la la....) He...had lost his mind. But somehow, his hands continued working as if by magic.

    The large bear hide was swiftly cut away before being spread out into a single sheet. Only four arrow holes, which had ended the creature’s life, pierced through it. Fortunately, the arrow that had gone through its eye had not damaged the hide. Its head was chopped off and placed together with all four feet, which remained attached to the large pelt. The delicate parts still clinging to the bones required more careful handling later.

    Kit spent nearly three hours butchering the meat and removing all the internal organs from the bones. His small hands trembled from exerting too much force for an extended period. James could only watch his younger brother’s skill in awe. Afterward, the eldest brother was instructed to fetch the three largest wooden barrels they had.

    Before sunset, the cleaned meat was salted and left in the barrels. The internal organs were thoroughly washed and soaked in cold water. As for the bear hide, James suggested rubbing salt on the inner side and leaving it for now. Since nightfall was approaching, Kit finally used the last wooden barrel to store the leftover bone fragments—some of which still had a good amount of meat clinging to them.

    He wasn’t skilled enough to butcher every part flawlessly, but getting this much done was already quite impressive.

    (This stinks so badly. I’m going to go through an entire bunch of garlic.) The boy grumbled internally while thinking of possible bear meat dishes. He wanted to try making a stew, but he would need to venture into the forest to find some rosemary first.

    “Oh…Brother James, I forgot something!” The little one suddenly recalled the bear gallbladder from novels and stories he had read. It was said to have medicinal properties. He should separate it for future use.

    His small body dashed toward the large wooden barrel, reaching in to sift through the slimy mess of liver, intestines, and stomach that greeted his fingers with a disturbing texture. After rummaging around for a while, he carefully extracted the gallbladder, which was still attached to the liver. And since he was feeling a little mischievous, he also pulled out the massive bear heart to inspect how it differed from a pig’s heart—or a human’s.

    With difficulty, the small knife severed it from the lung’s base. However, his fatigued hands caused him to sustain a minor cut. At the same time, the large heart was sliced open, losing its original shape. Kit’s eyes suddenly caught sight of something inside—a dark, gelatinous mass resembling a blood clot. He pried the cut wider to extract it.

    His wounded fingers accidentally made contact with the clot... And then, the boy’s consciousness faded into darkness.