Rehabilitation Therapist for the Broken Warrior – Chapter 21

Chapter 16: A Quiet Sunday

After Zion’s event and hospitalization successfully wrapped up, it was the second day of the weekend. Sunday, a holiday, had arrived.

To maintain my routine of getting exactly 4 hours and 30 minutes of good sleep, I had to wake up at the same time, even on holidays.

“Hmm…”

As usual, I got up, tidied my blanket, washed my face, changed my clothes, and sat at the dining table.

I then grasped the doorknob of the room where Zion had been just yesterday.

All of Zion’s belongings and anything she needed had been moved to the ward or Serin’s place, but there was still some organization left to do.

“……”

Somehow, I felt like if I didn’t open this door, she would call my name from inside, asking for help.

But I knew that was just unnecessary sentimentality.

Zion wasn’t in there anymore.

– Click

I turned the doorknob and stepped inside.

The neatly arranged blanket that Zion used was the first thing that caught my eye.

She must have somehow managed to fold the blanket despite not being able to stand beside the bed.

I imagined Zion sitting on the bed, struggling to fold the blanket.

She would have pushed one side of the blanket to find the corners, overlapping them, holding it by the tip of one hand.

Then, with the other hand, she would’ve stretched the blanket out, folding it in half, grunting as she lifted it high… only to end up toppling over because she lifted it too high.

‘No way she fell over, right?’

Did Zion fall while trying to fold the blanket? Or did she manage to fold it safely?

Imagining her falling was just too amusing, so I decided to go with that scenario.

Barely managing to fold the blanket, she would place it on one side of the bed and then struggle to pull out the blanket underneath, fold it again, and fall once more…

Nah, even if her body was unsteady, she wouldn’t fall twice. But since it was funny, maybe I’ll stick with the falling part.

Anyway, after having enough time imagining Zion’s antics, I picked up the now unused blankets to put them back in the wardrobe, completely closed the window, removed the curtains so they wouldn’t gather dust, and took out towels and the trash can, putting all the miscellaneous items back in their original places.

With Zion gone, these things were left unused.

This room had returned to an empty state, devoid of anyone living there or anything.

“It looks tidy.”

Even after doing some chores first thing in the morning, I felt like I was enjoying a more relaxed morning than usual.

After all, Zion had been around.

Since the morning of the first day Zion came into our home, I had checked every day that she was awake, bringing her to the wheelchair, and followed her around the house to ensure she wouldn’t fall or call for me for help.

I even stayed by her side all day when muscle pain from sneaky workouts kept me from moving, taking care of her needs…

‘Is there really nothing more to do?’

Now that I think about it, what did I do on holidays before Zion came?

Sorting charts, interpreting data, creating manuals, training materials, curriculums…

Looking back, it seems like I was always busy, even on my days off?

Am I so used to an intern/resident lifestyle carried over from my past life?

– Knock Knock

The sound signaling the usual morning. That must be Mrs. Baker delivering bread.

“Hello… Wait? Serin?”

“Good morning, Teacher.”

When I opened the door, the person standing there wasn’t Mrs. Baker, but Serin.

“You came a bit early. The bread hasn’t arrived yet.”

“The bread is right here.”

Serin held out a bread basket, covered with cloth, keeping the contents warm.

I peeked inside, and the usual bread was beautifully arranged in the basket.

“Since Mrs. Baker is getting on in years, I’ve taken on the role of delivering bread to your house.”

“Does that mean… you stopped by the bakery before coming here?”

“That’s right. The bread for you is here, and the one for Zion is this way.”

Serin had another bread basket tucked under her arm for Zion.

Did she stop by the bakery and take on the delivery role to distribute the bread before coming over?

“Then I…”

“Serin, wait a moment.”

“Yes?”

Serin halted, turning back as if to return to the hospital.

But why did I call her?

I couldn’t recall why I had pulled her over.

Should I just brush it off and send her back?

“Um, is Zion… still sleeping?”

“No. I’ve confirmed she’s awake.”

She even had time to check on Zion’s condition at the ward.

I truly couldn’t gauge this person’s level of thoroughness.

“So, you’re going back to Zion now, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“Alright, then let’s go.”

I should be curious about my own reason for tagging along, but I coolly followed Serin as we headed to the hospital.

The truth is, I was just as curious as anyone.

It was a completely impulsive and sudden decision.

But well, it was to see Zion.

There didn’t really need to be any reasoning behind wanting to see her in the ward…

****

“Ah, Teacher Hop, you came too?”

“Good morning, Zion. How’s the ward? Did you sleep well?”

“Kind of okay.”

Kind of okay? Well, it was the first day of hospitalization, so expecting a refreshing sleep was probably pushing it.

“But what brings you here?”

“Well…”

Why was she asking? Did seeing Zion really need a reason?

But then again, I was always busy…

I even wondered if Zion saw me as an unwanted guest in her situation.

After all, she often whined to Mirae or Serin about the “horrible things I put her through while staying at the Teacher’s house… sob sob…”

Was leaving our home a happy thing for Zion?

“If the recover cool is ready, I can walk.”

“That’s in two days. Besides, weren’t you checking all the patients’ recover cools, Teacher Hop?”

Ugh. I was trying to use the rehabilitation skill as an excuse for a simple spell to fix status damage, but that didn’t fly.

This skill has a peculiar trait whereby the caster doesn’t usually pay a cost, but the recipient is subjected to a cooldown.

I had been meticulously managing all patients’ recover cools.

Of course, Zion, having spent three weeks at the rehabilitation center, would know this.

“Well… that’s not it. I…”

Why was I even coming up with excuses?

Why was I trying to create a reason for being here?

“I came to see if Zion was doing okay.”

I could just say it plainly.

Why did admitting that feel so distasteful?

It wasn’t even anything special, so why did I find it hard to accept…?

Really, I was behaving strangely today.

“You could have said that from the start.”

“Yeah.”

“Shall we eat some bread together?”

“Sure.”

I took out the still-warm bread from the basket and handed it to Zion.

The bed in the one-person room was in a sunny spot, making Zion’s dark hair scatter the sunlight into violet rays, creating a mesmerizing spectacle.

I always thought her hair was a bit frizzy when she stayed at our place…

Was it because Serin was taking care of her? After just one day, her hair looked remarkably different; it seemed like she had some special technique.

“It’s really warm.”

“……”

Freshly baked bread was not only warm but melted in your mouth, disappearing quickly even when stuffed in.

It felt like it warmed the inside of my body. The warmth I felt in my hands and in the air around us was enhanced by the morning sunlight streaming into the hospital.

Zion once said she wanted to eat this bread every morning because it was ‘warm,’ and it was beginning to dawn on me just what kind of warmth she was feeling.

“Oh?”

“How is it? Tasty, right, Serin?”

“…Yes. It feels like nothing I’ve experienced in the Empire.”

Even Serin, who was always so composed, widened her eyes at the taste.

Maybe the bread from the Baker family was more extraordinary than I had thought.

“Speaking of which, Teacher Hop.”

“Yes?”

“It’s a holiday today; what are you doing?”

“Um…”

When Zion was at home, taking care of her was my holiday routine.

Considering things from Zion’s perspective, she probably had never seen what I did during holidays when she wasn’t around; perhaps that’s why she was curious about it?

“I haven’t decided yet.”

“Is that so? I thought surely you’d have things to do even on a holiday.”

Zion hit the nail on the head. It seemed I was an easy book to read.

Or maybe not? I had emphasized how busy I was to her quite often, which could make it seem that way.

Actually, I did have plenty of things I could be doing. A mountain of tasks still loomed ahead.

The last three holidays had been spent tending to Zion, so I hadn’t managed to cut down on work either.

But today, I felt I should prioritize seeing Zion.

Without even realizing it, I…

“So, that means you have no immediate tasks right now?”

“Well…”

Yes, there were tasks. But does it really matter?

Tasks always pile up, and there was never a clear ending in sight anyway.

“Right. Nothing at all.”

Another lie. It seemed I was telling a lot of lies to Zion.

Yet upon hearing my response, Zion smiled as bright as the sunlight, as if it were a good thing.

“Then would you like to…”

And the reason was,

“Shall we go somewhere fun?”

It seemed she had finally found the words to say it.