Page 36 of The Toymaker
After twenty minutes, Trig came to find him. “He’s sleeping in my bed now. Considering how long it’s been, he shouldn’t have gotten so worked up. For Elira’s sake.”
Kit squinted. “He was scared, Master.”
“You can relax with the title and sit on the couch if you want.”
“I forgot the title when I was with Riju in your room. I'm sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it. Special circumstances. Thanks for being honest.” Trig flopped into an armchair.
Kit made himself comfortable on the couch. “Did the physician do something wrong? A long time ago, I heard of one who’d been abusing his patients. I mean, not in Raven’s Landing. I can’t remember where it happened.”
“No, it wasn’t anything like that. Riju told me how when he was seventeen, he was found unconscious somewhere and brought to a physician since he’d been badly injured. He woke up and panicked, and he doesn't remember much overall, so I guess the physician and his assistant had to sedate him. The story got around later, so from what I heard, most of the bones in his right arm were broken, and he had other broken bones, bruises, and cuts. A physician can’t take care of everything at once.”
Kit gaped at him. He couldn’t even imagine how agonizing that would be. No wonder Riju said it hurt even though he hadn’t articulated why. Kit was pretty sure if he woke up in that much pain with strangers around him, he’d find the memory just as horrifying. He wouldn’t want to be reminded of it either.
“Riju woke up in a room later where they left him to rest once he was healed. They must have given him medicine to make him sleep, and it needed to wear off. After everything…he was terrified, so he snuck through the window. The assistant got a few people to look for him. He hid in the city, and they gave up after a bit. The assistant passed the tale around, and I heard it. I decided I’d keep an eye out for him, and I spotted him one day not far from the gate when he was nineteen. Not many have red hair like that, so he was kinda obvious.”
“Why did you keep an eye out for him?” asked Kit.
“I left home when I was fourteen because my stepfather kept beating on me,” said Trig. “I was homeless for a bit until an old carpenter took me in and made me his apprentice.”
“You were homeless too?”
Trig shrugged. “Yeah. I didn’t stay in carpentry, although I use what I learned for certain things I make here. I learned a lot of useful skills from him. Someone gave me a chance, and so I figured I should pass it on and give Riju a chance too.”
“How did he break his arm?”
“I’m not getting into it. Don’t ask him either. He told me what happened once, but he’s known me a lot longer. If seeing the physician dragged up bad memories and made him panic, he’s not going to want to discuss it with you.”
Kit could imagine what happened. Another homeless guy probably beat him up for his money or food. Some didn’t care about hurting anyone if it meant eating for another day. The person must have had a weapon too. Afterward, someone found Riju in the street and decided to take him to the physician. Crime happens every day in cities, and he'd been lucky since he hadn't been murdered.
“Does he have any lasting effects?” asked Kit.
“No. He says he doesn’t have any scars, and his arm has no issues. He must have been found not long after the incident.”
If an injured person didn’t get help fast enough, they could still be healed, but certain injuries might have lasting effects. A deep cut could scar, or a badly torn muscle might be left stiff and never quite the same.
“Why was the physician so rude about it? People like him shouldn’t take care of a person and call them crazy if they’re scared. I think I’d be pretty terrified too if I woke up in a strange place with a lot of pain and strangers touching me even though they’re trying to help.”
“A physician should have a better manner,” agreed Trig. “Riju’s not crazy, but they don’t know him either. Some physicians are uppity know-it-alls too, and after seeing so much sickness and shit, I think they get kind of hard in their head to the point where sympathy gets tossed out. I wish Riju had been more capable of calming himself since the physician only wanted to see him and how he was doing.”
“But he’s traumatized.” How did he expect Riju to act like it was nothing after seeing him years later? The way the guy hadspoken to Riju seemed odd to Kit too. It was as if he’d wanted to come and gawp at an oddity.
Some people were more bothered by things than others, and seeing someone could bring up bad feelings. The visit had been quite unexpected, and since Riju likely felt safe in the shop, Kit could see how it would be jarring.
“Still.” Trig waved a hand. “Make whatever you want for dinner, and I’ll save some in case Riju wants to eat later. It’s probably best if you go to your room afterward. He needs a quiet night.”
“Can I make the vegetable and potato thing we had a few nights ago?” Riju liked the sauce and the browned potato crust on top.
“That’s fine.”
***
Riju didn’t come out into the shop the next day and spent the morning in his room. In the afternoon, he went downstairs. The morning had been busy, and the afternoon slowed down. Once Trig got to work on the ledger, he told Kit he could do whatever for a bit.
“I’ll call you back in if it gets busy.”
“Can I see Riju, Master?”
