Rehabilitation Therapist for the Broken Warrior

“The witch must be killed… She must be plotting something… Quickly… Quickly…”

Sion frantically searched for the holy sword.

I had to intervene before her delusions of persecution triggered a bigger episode.

“Sion, calm down. Are you saying that person is a witch?”

“It could be Kennis… That robe color… Body shape… Now that I look again, I’m sure… I have to stop her somehow… Kennis is alive…”

Failing to find the holy sword, Sion trembled, clutched her head, and started muttering to herself.

The witch, Kennis. I see. It was an episode from the original story.

She had worn a robe that always concealed her face, pretending to be friendly to the Hero’s Party, helping them for a long time, but ultimately betraying them and destroying the village.

The immense despair, fear, and betrayal Sion felt at that time… had they remained as trauma?

“It’s okay, Sion. The witch is dead. You killed her.”

“But the Demon King will return too!! How can you be so sure the witch isn’t alive?”

“The witch isn’t the Demon King. Think calmly, Sion.”

I held her shoulders, hoping to calm her trembling even slightly.

Sion, who had been convulsing with her head down, turned and leaned into my embrace when I held her shoulders, placing her hands on my chest.

“Director Hope… Please heal me quickly. I have to do what I must. Quickly, quickly… I’m so scared and trembling.

Why am I like this? I have to kill the witch quickly, but I can’t do anything!”

Despite being so terrified, she kept repeating that she had to do something about the witch.

What mental strength… Even with her broken body and crumbling mind, she still tried to fulfill her duties as a hero. Truly, Sion…

But now wasn’t the time to think about such things.

“It’s okay, Sion. First, you need to calm down. Just focus on calming down.”

“Haa, haaa…”

“There’s no witch here. So, calm down.”

Sion’s hands, resting on my chest, trembled and clenched, crumpling my clothes.

Her condition was worsening. Despite my attempts to soothe and comfort her with words and gentle strokes, it wasn’t very effective.

– Tap, tap

As I focused on Sion, Serin suddenly tapped my back, calling for me.

“Should I ask that person to leave?”

Serin whispered softly, ensuring Sion couldn’t hear.

I shook my head, signaling her not to.

If the situation changed for a patient experiencing delusions of persecution, their delusions could intensify, worsening their condition. I had to find a solution as things were.

Serin nodded in understanding.

“Sion, I know that person. They’re an adventurer who rehabilitated at our Center. They’re not a witch.”

If I told her they weren’t a witch, she would calm down, right? Please, let this work…

“If they aren’t a witch, there’s no reason for them to hide their face. Wearing that in this heat means they definitely want to hide their face!”

“They have severe burns on their face.

They were badly injured. It’s not because they’re a witch. Sion, think slowly.

There’s no way a witch would be in the middle of the kingdom’s Capital. Slowly. If you think calmly, you’ll find the answer.”

Sion clung tightly to my chest, refusing to let go.

Still trembling, she gently pushed me away with her hands still clutching my clothes and slowly raised her head to meet my gaze at close range.

‘Her expression…’

The expression on her face wasn’t one of fear, confusion, or tears.

Sion’s expression, as she stared at me with blazing orange eyes, was clearly…

“You’re being tricked by the witch…!”

…hostile.

No way. Had her delusions of persecution grown out of control?

I was speechless for a moment.

Nothing I said seemed to get through.

I couldn’t think of any other solutions.

Still, even so…

“Sion.”

I couldn’t stop talking.

Silence would allow her thoughts to race.

I couldn’t let Sion, consumed by delusions, think.

“Trust…”

If I stopped, that would be the true end.

I had to say something, anything…!

“Trust me.”

It was all I could manage to squeeze out.

Damn it. I couldn’t think of anything else to say…

“….”

Sion’s face hardened coldly.

What was she thinking?

I couldn’t even begin to guess.

All I could do now was pray.

Please, please let Sion calm down…

“Hope… Director Hope…”

The atmosphere around Sion, as she hesitantly spoke, seemed different.

At least, she didn’t seem as angry as before.

“Yes, it’s me, Sion.

Hope Harvey. Your rehabilitation doctor.”

“Hope… Harvey…”

Her breathing was ragged, but long. Had she come back to her senses?

“Director Hope….”

Sion, barely managing to call me, stared intently at me with trembling eyes and an expressionless face, then softly spoke again.

“My colleague. Director Hope Harvey.”

Colleague…

Sion just called me… a colleague…

“If you’re my colleague…”

I wanted to respond, but words failed me.

A tense moment. What would Sion say next?

Taking a deep breath, Sion slowly opened her mouth. And what she said was…

“If you’re my colleague, I can trust you. I trust you.”

“Sion…”

Thankfully, Sion said she trusted me.

I suddenly felt relieved, like I could finally breathe.

“Haa, haaa…”

I… I hadn’t been breathing. I hadn’t even realized it.

I was a rehabilitation doctor, but before that, I was also human.

While I acted calmly to reassure Sion, I wasn’t unaffected.

When she accused me of being tricked by the witch, I felt something I’d never experienced before. It felt like the sky was falling.

And the moment Sion said she trusted me, I could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

“Haaa…”

Breathe deeply. I needed to calm down first.

Okay. Now, Sion…

“Sion, I’m going to check your pulse. Hold out your hand. Can I hold your hand?”

“…”

Sion nodded silently.

With a nervous feeling, I carefully took her right hand, which was still resting on my chest, and checked her pulse.

Her heartbeat was strong and rapid.

About 24 beats per 10 seconds. Still a little fast.

Since taking her pulse was a calming action, if she stayed still, her heart rate would naturally return to normal.

I needed to give it some time. It would be okay.

It was gradually slowing down. Good. It was calming down. Now, if I could just reassure Sion…

“Are you feeling better? How are you? Are you okay?”

“Director Hope…”

Sion’s left hand, not the right one I was holding, was still clutching my chest, trembling slightly.

Although she seemed to be calming down, a faint tremor remained, and she couldn’t seem to unclench her hand.

“Your clothes…”

“Yes?”

Clothes? What was she talking about all of a sudden?

“What do I do… Your clothes are all wrinkled…”

Wrinkled? Was she talking about where she was gripping them?

If so, at least it meant she was aware of me.

It was a good sign, for now.

“It’s alright. My clothes aren’t important.”

“I want to let go quickly, but my hand… My hand won’t move. What should I do? It keeps trembling…”

“Sion, what did I say was important?”

“Important… What Director Hope said…”

Painful memories couldn’t be erased. The painful past couldn’t be changed.

I could only paint over them with new memories.

I needed to change the subject of her thoughts, so that Sion wouldn’t suffer any more.

“What’s important is you. You are the most important.”

And thankfully, Sion remembered my words.

“That’s right. So, stay still. Don’t worry about my clothes and take a deep breath. Remember what we practiced? We’ll breathe together. Okay?”

“…Okay.”

“Now then, breathe in… Whoooo…”

“Whoooo…”

“Breathe out… Haaaa…”

“Haaaa…”

Sion followed my deep breathing exercises well.

After a while, I no longer felt my own heartbeat against my chest.

My own anxiety and excitement had definitely subsided, and Sion…

‘About 19 beats per 10 seconds.’

Her pulse was almost back to normal.

But suddenly, Sion swayed where she sat, her head falling forward until her forehead bumped against my chest.

“Are you okay, Sion? If you’re awake, please answer me.”

“Haa… I’m awake. My… body just…”

“Are you dizzy?”

“Yes… I think so.”

Sion struggled to sit up, trying to move her head, but her dizziness seemed to prevent her from lifting it as she intended.

“Sion, it’s okay to stay still.”

“D-Director Hope?”

Moving, especially moving one’s head while dizzy, could worsen the dizziness or be dangerous. I wrapped my arms around Sion, holding her close to prevent her from moving.

“Don’t move. It’s dangerous to move when you’re dizzy.”

“But…”

“It’s okay. Lean on me. It will get better if you stay still.”

“…”

When I reassured her, I felt the tension leave Sion’s body.

She stopped trying to move.

She needed to stay still like this. If nothing else happened, I could relax

Stay still. Stay still….

I just had to stay still and pray that Sion would calm down safely.

**********

How much time had passed?

A long time had passed with no response from Sion. I called her name, but she didn’t answer.

Carefully lifting her from my embrace to check on her, I saw that she had lost consciousness, her eyes closed peacefully.

“S-Sion…”

I checked her breathing and pulse.

Breathing present. Pulse normal…

Thankfully, she was in good condition. I gently moved her back to her wheelchair.

“She’s fallen asleep. She seems to be alright.”

“Haaa… That’s a relief.”

Hearing that Sion was okay, Serin seemed to relax, closing her eyes and letting out a deep sigh of relief.

“Whew…”

I felt the same way. We had somehow overcome another crisis.

“As expected of you, Director Hope. When Sion gets like that, there’s usually nothing we can do…”

“Serin, thank you for the compliment, but please get me something to drink. Anything will do, just hurry.”

“Ah, yes!”

Serin immediately dashed off somewhere.

My breathing was still rapid, and my throat was parched.

That had been truly exhausting.

Was that a seizure caused by her delusions of persecution? I would have to be careful around magicians in robes who concealed their faces in the future.

I needed to be constantly vigilant about situations, objects, or people that could trigger her trauma.

More importantly, much more importantly…

“Haaaa…”

Exhausted, I collapsed face-down on the table.

It was just past lunchtime, but I felt like I had just spent a very long holiday.