Cozy Isekai Craftsman, ch 21

As Joe ushered Dave into the room, he noticed the guard struggling to Rick, who was nearly passed out over his shoulder. Without hesitation, Joe stepped forward to help, eager to be of assistance.

He reached out to take some of the weight off Dave's shoulders, but Rick's muttered words stopped him in his tracks. "No, don't," Rick said, his voice strained with pain.

Confused, Joe looked over at Rick and noticed that his left arm was completely broken, hanging limply by his side. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks - if he tried to move Rick's arm, he would only cause him more pain and further injury.

Feeling a surge of empathy, Joe quickly backed away, careful not to cause any more harm. It was clear that Rick was in a great deal of pain, and Joe vowed to do everything in his power to make sure he was comfortable and well taken care of.

Joe didn’t want to make the situation even worse. He sat them down at one of the kitchen tables and asked, "Why did you come here instead of the town doctor?"

“We had a runner get Doctor Patricia,” Dave replied, "Rick insisted that we come here since it was closer."

Joe looked at Rick when he said, "Why here, not to Caroline?"

Rick looked like he was going to pass out any second. He grimaced and spoke in a strained voice. "I didn't want to scare the wife and kids."

Joe understood, but still, it was stupid. He said, "What did you think I could do? You know my power doesn't affect people."

Rick said, "I trust you."

That shut Joe up quickly. He asked Dave, "Are there any cuts that I should be worried about? For either of you? Any kind of bleeding that I need to attend to?"

They shook their heads. Dave said, "Mostly bludgeoning damage. The doctor was too far, and too many people would see us. We were under strict orders not to panic the public. Stopping here was much faster, and I honestly don't think we could have made it much longer."

Joe asked, "What happened?"

Dave sat down, clearly exhausted but nowhere near as beat up as Rick. He gave an odd look to Rick, as if asking for permission, and Rick nodded.

Dave continued, 'We're dealing with something. I can't tell you what since we don't want to cause any panic. Even if you knew, the whole ordeal is over. It's been handled,'" he said.

Joe understood why they were being vague. He was just a citizen and probably didn't have the proper security clearance for the situation. Still, he couldn't stop himself from being curious.

Rick chimed in. He said,  "It involved an attack at the local dungeon. There were some...troublemakers. They were stronger than we thought. The guy hit my shield and blew right through it," he trailed off for a second, and nodded to his arm which was dangling in an unnatural direction. He grimaced.

Joe's heart ached as he took in Rick's pain-stricken face, the lines etched deep into his skin. He could tell that the guard was in agony, but there wasn't a single complaint or scream that escaped his lips. It was a stark contrast to the boisterous and friendly demeanor that Joe had come to expect from Rick.

As he gazed at the wounded guard, Joe couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. He had never suspected that Rick possessed the kind of hardened steel that could only come from years of battles and wars. But now, as he watched Rick bear the pain with stoic grace, Joe realized that he had underestimated the guard. There was more to Rick than met the eye, and Joe felt a newfound respect for him.

Joe opened the locket and asked Thomas, "Sir, is there anything I can do with the powers that I have?"

The man inside the locket spoke up. He said, "Oh. That looks bad. Yes, get some water from the faucet. Purify it. Then we’ll go over which properties to transfer from each plant."

Joe said, "Okay," while Dave gave the locket a wide-eyed look. Dave stared at the locket dumbly, then looked to Rick for some kind of an explanation.

Rick sighed, "It's just another one of his mage wizard things," and Dave nodded as if that explained everything.

Feeling a twinge of embarrassment, Joe shuffled off to the kitchen, determined to carry out his task. He grabbed the water bucket, and began to fill it up, the gentle trickle of water calming his nerves. With a deep breath, he placed a hand on the bucket and summoned a property screen from it, revealing a list of different options.

The first thing that caught his eye was the label "Bucket of water," accompanied by a series of question marks. He scanned the list, searching for the properties he needed.

Finally, he found what he was looking for: "trace minerals +5," and "disease +0.2." With practiced ease, he transferred them to the pebble he held in his other hand. He tossed the pebble into the sink, turned off the faucet, and carried the bucket over to where Thomas was waiting.

Joe asked Thomas, "Okay, the water is purified. What do I do now?"

Palmer said, "Okay boy, go to the garden and pick the plants that I tell you to."

He left Dave and Rick to sit there catching their breath while he went to the garden. Thomas said, “That one to your left. The one with the red tips. Just the leaves, you can rip them off. The group will regrow in a few weeks." The ghost in the locket instructed him for the other plants. Joe noticed Thomas’ usual dismissive or haughty voice was abnormally calm, patient.

In a flurry of activity, Joe was given his instructions, and he wasted no time in scurrying off to gather the necessary ingredients. His fingers danced nimbly over the dirt, picking up roots, leaves, and stems from various plants. With his bounty in tow, he hurried back to the office and presented his findings to David, who looked at him expectantly.

One by one, Joe opened up the screens, revealing the properties of each plant. Thomas listened carefully, verbally confirming in agreement whenever Joe stumbled upon the right ingredient.

Just when Joe thought he had run out of options, he came across a plant with a property that had been a question mark a few days earlier. His ability must have given him access to that property recently without him checking. He hesitated for a moment, unsure if it was the right choice.

Joe asked, "What about this one? This one says ‘coagulant.’"

Thomas said, "Perfect. Transfer that as well. It won't thicken the water, but once it touches his blood, it should help him clot the blood at the cuts much faster."

There were a few other properties for each plant that he transferred until when he was done, the bucket gave off a pleasant spring smell. It looked incredibly clear with a slight blue tinge to it. Joe reached for a cup to draw water for them to drink

Thomas interrupted, and said, "Not to drink, boy! Pour some of the water on their cuts."

Joe said, "Oh!"

He said to Dave, "Can you help me get his armor off?"

Dave nodded, his features creased with worry as he helped Rick, who had slipped into unconsciousness, remove the heavy armor chest plate and the pauldrons that went along with it. The task was arduous, and it took them a considerable amount of time to peel off his undershirt, revealing a body that was ravaged by numerous scars, each one a testament to battles fought and won. Joe's eyes widened in surprise, for he never would have thought that the jolly guard he had known for so long had endured such hardships.

Joe's lips tightened as he silently observed the injury on Rick's shoulder, a grotesque sight that made him wince. The bone protruded out of his flesh, like a miniature mountain range in the middle of his arm. With a sense of urgency, he grabbed the bucket and drew out water, a soothing liquid that was about to do wonders for Rick's pain. Carefully, he poured it over Rick's wounds, drenching him with cool water that offered respite.

At first, nothing happened, and Joe's heart sank in disappointment. But as he persisted and went through the bucket, something miraculous began to occur. The cuts that once seemed life-threatening began to ooze blood, a sign that they were healing. The bruises that previously marred Rick's skin began to diminish, swelling shrinking with each passing moment.

Dave exclaimed, "By Quinn's Grace, that's amazing!"

Thomas replied the young guard, "Don't worry, boy, we'll get to you too.”

Dave gave the locket a horrified look, but then cleared his throat and said, "Thank you, Sir Thomas."

Thomas encouraged Joe to use the entire bucket, so he used half of it on Rick and then the remainder on Dave, who had also taken off his chest plate and pauldrons along with his shirt until his torso was completely naked.

Joe asked, "When is Patricia, the doctor, going to get here?"

There was a bell sound, and Joe said, "I'll be right back." The guard poured some of the water with a cup from the bucket himself and started pouring it on himself, letting out a sigh of relief.

Joe ran to the door and opened it. When he did, he saw a small, petite blonde woman with square glasses.

She had bright blue eyes and a stern look. "You're the sorcerer," she said in an accusatory, almost disdainful tone.

"I’m Joe," Joe said neutrally. He didn’t have time to correct her, and just wanted to get her to Rick as soon as possible. "Rick and Dave are in the kitchen."

Without another word, Patricia breezed past him, even nudging against him. She seemed a bit abrasive, but Joe followed.

"To the right over here," he said.

The doctor moved with quick strides and went to the kitchen. She halted, admonishing David who was pouring water on himself with an almost relieved expression. "What do you think you're doing? That water might have diseases in it. This is why you should have come to me straight away instead of going to the charlatan.”

Thomas said angrily from the locket, “That ungrateful little -”

But Joe cut her off. "Don't be rude. She's just doing her job."

The doctor walked around and asked, "Was this your doing? Putting the city's water on the cuts and wounds?"

Joe replied, "Yes, I don't know if you know about my power. But I purify the water."

The doctor scoffed and said, "As if that were possible. You’re no priest."

She walked over to check on Rick, who was still passed out but leaning against the table. Dave was holding him up with his back to him. Dave asked, "Should we not be pouring the water?"

Dr. Patricia looked at the bucket and said, "No, you definitely should not be."

"I have a solvent back at my office that can-" she exclaimed, pausing mid-sentence and fidgeting with her glasses. With a swift motion, she snatched the cup from Dave's hand, as if it was her own, and replaced it with a fresh one. With a scrutinizing gaze, she peered at the water, studying it from every angle like a detective on a case. She paced back and forth, as if her mind racing with possibilities. She took a small sip then spit it back out with a pout. Her eyes then landed on the injuries of Rick and Dave, and she prodded at the bruises with a gentle touch.

Rick shivered in his sleep, and then Patricia looked at Joe. "What kind of sorcery is this?"

He wasn't trying to get into an argument and said patiently, "It's not sorcery. I've been meaning to meet with you and show you my abilities at some point, to maybe think of a way to help Dylan's granddaughter."

Patricia frowned, like an opponent in a chess game reluctantly admitting she had been outmaneuvered. She said, "This water is useful, but it doesn't mean you know what you're doing."

Joe put his hands up and said, "I never said I knew what I was doing."

Patricia ignored him and walked over to the other side of Rick, checking his arm, lifting it slightly. Rick woke up from the movement and groaned out in pain. "Oh, doctor, nice to see you," he said in a strained voice.

Patricia was clearly not happy. She gave him a stern glare and said, "I told you to switch arms to hold your shield. The previous time didn't heal properly. And since you didn't see me directly and the way it's broken, I don't think it's going to heal properly enough that you’ll be useful."

Rick frowned and asked, "What does that mean?"

Patricia replied, "You know what it means. You won't be able to work as a guard. It'll heal, but it won't heal the right way."

Dave asked, "What about slings? You always make slings for us in case we get hurt."

Patricia shook her head and said, "A sling won't do. This has to stay in a fixed position unless you know a way to hold your arm in a fixed position for several months without it budging at all and do it in a way that is clean. Or we could get a healing done by a priest, but we don't have priests here at all."

But his mind was racing as he heard Patricia's words. He said, "Hey, wait a second."

Patricia gave him a blank stare, but Joe ignored her. He ran upstairs without another word. He went to one of the linen closets and grabbed a huge piece of linen and ran back downstairs. He took out his incredibly sharp knife and cut off strips large enough to cover a man's torso.

"I can use my power to do exactly what you said," he said.

Patricia blinked and said, "What are you doing?”

Joe cut another strip of cloth. He said, “If you can set the bone the right way, I can wrap this cloth around him and then enchant it so it does exactly what you said. It can stay in place for months at a time."

Patricia stared at him disbelievingly and then said, "If something like that had been possible, we would have heard about it by now."

Joe rolled his eyes in exasperation and said, "Listen, Rick is my friend. I want to help him. I am not a sorcerer. I am a wizard, a mage. Wait a second. I need to grab some rocks."

"Rocks?" she exclaimed.

Joe ran to get one of the buckets of pebbles that he had in the back near the garden. He had dozens of buckets of pebbles at this point, prepared for any future enchantments he might need them for. He placed the bucket next to the kitchen table.

Rick smiled at the Doctor, and reassured her. "Everything I've told you about him is true. I know how skeptical you are. But you have to see it for yourself. You saw the water."

Patricia turned her nose up in the air and said, "It goes against science."

Joe stopped what he was doing for a full second, floored by her argument. He said in an exasperated tone, "Science? That's the thing that you bring up now when I can do magic, and there's sorcery that can locate a Fire Spirit through walls and trap souls? You’re worried about science?"

Patricia glared at him and then said, "If this goes wrong, I'm going after your head."

Joe said, "Fine. I'll put it on a silver platter for you. Now can we please fix my friend before it gets worse?"

She said, "Okay. Fine."

Patricia said, "This is going to hurt."

Joe got the cloth ready, preparing to wrap it while holding several pebbles in his hand. As soon as that happened, Patricia said "One. Two. Three," and pushed the bones back together with what looked like an expert's movement. To his credit, Rick didn't scream out in pain. Instead, he gritted his teeth and ground them together.

Patricia commanded Joe, “Do whatever it is you said you were going to do!”

With a steady hand, Joe began to wrap the linen strips around Rick's mangled arm, winding the fabric. The linen bunched and folded as he worked..

Joe worked smoothly, his eyes fixed on his task. He repeated the process over and over, each layer adding strength and stability to the fragile limb. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead and back, despite the coolness of the room. He couldn't shake the feeling of nervousness that had taken hold of him, a fear that he might misstep and cause irreparable damage to his friend's arm.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the last strip of linen was in place. Joe surveyed his handiwork with a critical eye, his heart hammering in his chest. It was risky, but he knew it was worth it. Then, he placed his other hand on the bucket of pebbles, and transferred all of the pebbles’ stiffness to the makeshift cast.

As he stepped back, Rick grimaced in pain, and Joe's heart sank. He had done all he could, but the road to recovery would be a long one.

Rick looked half confused and half relieved, "It doesn't feel like it's off."

Patricia sniffed arrogantly and said, "Well, I wouldn't be a good doctor if I didn't know how to set your bone the right way."

And then she looked away a little bit, as if in thought. Then she glanced at Joe with an studious expression, pushing up her glasses.

Dave said, "I think she wants to say thank you."

Patricia shot Dave a glare and said, "I was going to say thank him anyways. I was just thinking how this was possible."

Dave threw up his hands, clearly frustrated, and said, "It's magic! He said it a million times, magic, magic, magic!" He sounded like a crazy person, but Joe was okay with it. Joe wasn't angry; he was just honestly delighted that his friend's arm was going to be okay.

Rick asked if it would stay that way for a couple of months while he healed properly. The doctor tested the stiffness of the cast by knocking against it lightly with one of her medical tools. Apparently, it would hold for a while. Patricia went back to being a stern doctor again, examining Joe's odd contraption, his makeshift cast.

She said, "I don't know how you did this."

Joe coughed, "Magic."

Patricia continued, obviously peeved, when she said, "This should definitely work. I don't know how you're going to clean it. It'll smell disgusting by the time you're done."

Rick waved at her with his other hand and said jokingly, "Don't worry, he does cleaning too”

Joe said, "Normally I charge a chest full of gold coins, but for you, I'll provide a discount."

Patricia seemed lost in thought. Joe breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "So, they're both going to be okay?"

Patricia nodded and said, "Yes. Luckily, none of the guards died from this incident, whatever it was. And honestly, I hate to admit it, but Rick's arm had been messed up from a previous injury. With it re-broken like this and set the right way, it should be better than before. If this heals properly..."

Hope glinted in Rick’s eyes. He asked hesitantly, "Are you certain?"

Patricia nodded. "Yes. Again, it goes against everything I know about science. This is the oddest form of sorcery I've ever seen."

David groaned and pinched the brunt of his nose. "For the last time, it's magic."