Page 28 of A Healer for the Ruthless Highlander
“Daenae worry. I like a challenge.” She gave him a conspiratorial smile. “Can ye tell me how ye’re feelin’ right now?”
“Dizzy,” Hunter replied immediately.
Leana nodded. “Other than that, do ye feel tired? Any pain anywhere in yer body?”
“Me chest hurts, me throat hurts, and me head hurts a little,” Hunter said.
“Well, that could be the cough.” Leana lifted a hand and ruffled his hair. “The headache… is it like a stabbin’ sensation, like lightnin’, or is yer head spinnin’?”
Hunter laughed. “Ye say some pretty funny things for a healer. It hurts like I was playin’ spin and fell to the floor.”
“All right. Just play along a little longer,” she encouraged, smiling.
But it was clear that her questions were making everyone nervous. Maybe it was because the castle wasn’t used to the methods of a more empathetic healer, or maybe it was because they didn’t understand what her questions were about.
But for her, their interaction was helping build a clearer picture of Hunter’s illness. For example, by holding his hand, she could check if his pulse was too fast or too slow. She could also check his temperature by brushing his hair back from his forehead.
Everything she did around him, from the games to the smallest gestures, was part of the diagnosis, but only she knew that.
However, she needed to process the information a little more thoroughly. She needed to know if something in his environment was really affecting him.
“Hunter, I think I want to play another guessin’ game with ye, but alone. Some secrets arenae meant to be shared,” she whispered, wiggling her eyebrows.
It was a new idea for him, exciting and fun. “Sure!” he replied.
Leana turned to Valerie and Brenda. “Do ye mind givin’ us some time alone? Hunter and I have a secret or two to share,” she requested.
She didn’t want to pull a worried mother away from her sick son, but she needed to know what was going on, and she understood that Hunter might be afraid to say some things in front of his mother. If his illness involved mischief, for example, he wouldn’t say anything unless he feared a scolding.
At first, the request seemed to make Brenda and Valerie nervous. They turned and looked at Kenneth, as if to ask his opinion on the matter.
He nodded. “Let the healer talk to Hunter alone,” he ordered.
On the one hand, Leana was relieved that Kenneth was giving her space to treat Hunter as she saw fit. On the other hand, she was disappointed as she realized that Kenneth probably wouldn’t leave his brother’s side.
“I’ll be back soon, dearie, and we’ll read a story together,” Brenda promised, kissing her son on the cheek.
“Or we’ll do somethin’ more fun than readin’, like playin’ pirates,” Valerie joked as she tickled the little boy.
He couldn’t help laughing, which calmed his mother and Valerie. But he wasn’t fooling Leana. She could tell that he was faking his laughter, even exaggerating some of his movements, probably because he did not want to worry anyone, especially his older brother.
As soon as Brenda and Valerie stepped out of the room, Leana ruffled Hunter’s hair. “All right, then. Secrets,” she intoned, as if they were in on some kind of conspiracy.
Inching a little closer, hoping Kenneth couldn’t hear her, she asked, “Have ye eaten anythin’ strange lately? Like pastries from the kitchen or strange berries in the woods?”
“Nope.” Hunter shook his head.
“Nothin’ new, then. Have ye nae tried any special snacks lately?”
Hunter shook his head again.
“Well, if that’s the case, what do ye usually eat?”
As Hunter described his meals, Leana made a mental list of all the possibilities.
Once, years ago, she had cared for a patient with similar symptoms. An old woman who had developed a strange allergy to eggs because her chickens had a disease that she caught by not washing the shells before cracking them. But that didn’t seem to be the case.
“What about the escapades?” Leana asked in a whisper, her eyes wide as if they were on an adventure. “Have ye been explorin’ the castle at night, naughty boy?”
