Chapter 24
"Kill the witch... She's plotting something again... Hurry... Hurry..."
Sion flailed about, still frantically searching for her Holy Sword. I had to intervene before her persecutory delusion triggered a full-blown seizure.
"Sion. Calm down. You think that person's a witch?"
"It could be Kenneth... That robe color... Her build... Looking closer, I'm sure of it... I have to stop her somehow... Kenneth's alive..."
Unable to find her Holy Sword, Sion clutched her head, collapsing forward and muttering to herself in tremors.
The witch Kenneth. Ah, so that's it. This was from an episode in the original story.
She always hid her face behind a robe, pretending to be friendly toward the hero party and aiding them for a long time—only to ultimately betray them and annihilate their village. The immense despair, terror, and sense of betrayal from that moment must have lingered as trauma.
"It's okay, Sion. The witch is dead. You killed her yourself."
"But you said the Demon King would come back too!! How can you be so sure the witch won't resurrect?!"
"The witch isn't the Demon King. Think calmly about this, Sion."
I gripped her shoulders to steady her shaking even a little. Sion, who had been convulsing with her head bowed, turned toward me as I wrapped my arms around her shoulders. She pressed both hands against my chest and clung desperately.
"Teacher... Fix me quick. I have things I have to do. Hurry, hurry... I'm shaking so much, and I'm scared. Why am I like this? I need to take out the witch, but I can't do anything!"
Even trembling in such terror, she kept repeating that she had to deal with the witch somehow. What kind of mental fortitude was this...? Her body broken, her mind crumbling—yet still trying to fulfill her duty as the hero. That was Sion through and through... But now wasn't the time to admire that.
"It's okay, Sion. You need to calm down first. Just focus on calming down."
"Haa, haaa..."
"There's no witch here. So calm down."
Sion's hands on my chest trembled violently, clenching and crumpling my shirt. Her condition was worsening. Despite talking to her, soothing and rubbing her back, there was little effect.
—Tap tap.
As I focused entirely on caring for Sion, Serin suddenly tapped my back to get my attention.
"Should I tell that person to leave?"
Serin whispered softly so Sion wouldn't hear. I shook my head—no, not yet. For patients lost in persecutory delusions, changing the situation could amplify the delusion and worsen things. We had to find a way like this.
Serin nodded as if to say she understood.
"Sion. That person is someone I know. An adventurer we rehabilitated at our center. She's not a witch."
If I say she's not a witch, she'll calm down. Please let this work...
"No normal person would cover their face like that. It's so hot, but she's walking around like that—she must want to hide her face!"
"She has severe burns on her face. Her injuries were bad. It's not because she's a witch. Sion. Think slowly. A witch wouldn't be right in the middle of the kingdom capital. Slowly. Calmly think it through, and the answer will come."
Sion clung tightly to my chest, refusing to let go. Still gripping my shirt with her trembling hands, she pushed me away slightly and slowly lifted her head to meet my gaze up close.
Her expression...
And the face before my eyes wasn't one of fear, panic, or tears. Sion stared at me with blazing orange eyes—clearly showing...
"Teacher's being fooled by the witch...!"
Hostility.
This couldn't be happening. Had the delusion spiraled out of control? For a moment, words failed me. Nothing I said would get through. No other ideas came to mind. Still, even so...
"Sion."
I couldn't stop talking. Silence would let her thoughts run wild in her head. I couldn't leave Sion, swept up in her delusion, to her own devices.
"Believe..."
If I stopped, that would truly be the end. Say something, anything...!
"...me."
That was all I could barely squeeze out. Damn it. No more words...
"......"
Sion's face hardened coldly as we stared at each other. What was she thinking? I couldn't even guess. All I could do now was pray. Please, please let Sion calm down...
"Hope... Teacher..."
The atmosphere from Sion as she hesitantly opened her mouth didn't feel like the anger from before, at least.
"Yes. It's me, Sion. Hope Harvey. Your rehabilitation specialist."
"Hope... Harvey..."
Her breaths were ragged but lengthening. Was her mind clearing?
"Teacher..."
Sion, barely managing to call my name, stared piercingly at me with trembling eyes and a blank face, then quietly spoke again.
"My comrade. Hope Harvey Teacher."
Comrade... Sion was calling me her comrade now...
"If you're a comrade..."
I wanted to respond, but no words came. Tense moment. What would Sion say next? She steadied her ragged breathing and slowly opened her mouth. Her words were...
"...then I can trust you. I trust you, Teacher."
"Sion..."
Thank goodness—she said she trusted me. Relief washed over me suddenly, like I could finally breathe.
"Haa, haaa..."
I... hadn't been breathing. I hadn't even realized.
I'm just a rehabilitation specialist, but before that, I'm human too. I'd been acting calm to reassure Sion, but I wasn't immune to panic. When she said I was being fooled by the witch, it was a feeling I'd never experienced before—like the sky was falling. Only when she said she trusted me could I finally exhale in relief.
"Haaaa..."
Take a deep breath. Calm myself first. Good. Now Sion...
"Sion. Let me check your pulse. Give me your hand. Okay if I hold it?"
"......"
Sion nodded silently. With tension, I carefully grasped her right hand still on my chest and checked her pulse. Her heartbeat throbbed intensely. About... 24 beats in 10 seconds. Still a bit fast. But measuring pulse like this is a static activity—forcing her to sit still quiets the excitement, and heart rate naturally normalizes. Just take some time. It'll be fine.
It's slowing. Good. Settling down. Now reassure Sion...
"Feeling okay? Back to yourself?"
"Teacher..."
Not the hand I was holding, but Sion's left hand still clutched my chest, trembling faintly. It felt like she was calming bit by bit, but the subtle shakes remained—she couldn't unclench her fingers.
"My clothes..."
"Huh?"
Clothes? What suddenly?
"What do I do... My clothes are all wrinkled..."
Wrinkled clothes? She meant where she'd gripped? At least it meant she was aware of me. A good sign for now.
"Doesn't matter. Clothes aren't important."
"I want to let go, but... my hand... it won't move. What do I do? It keeps shaking..."
"Sion. What did I say is important?"
"The important thing. What Hope Teacher said..."
Painful memories can't be erased. Painful pasts don't change. We just layer new memories over them. So instead of the trauma tormenting Sion, recall the times we've spent together. Shift her thoughts. So she won't hurt anymore.
"The important thing is me. I'm the most important."
And thankfully, Sion remembered my words without fail.
"Right. So stay still. Don't worry about my clothes—take deep breaths. Remember how we did it? Match my breathing. Got it?"
"...Got it."
"Okay then, whoooo..."
"Whoooo..."
"Haaaa..."
"Haaaa..."
Sion followed my deep breaths well. How long did we breathe together? The pounding of my own heart against my chest faded away. My excited state from the tension had normalized for sure, and Sion...
About 19 beats in 10 seconds.
Her pulse was nearly back to normal range. But suddenly, still seated, Sion swayed heavily, her head lolling forward until her forehead thudded against my chest.
"You okay, Sion? If you're awake, answer me."
"Haa, I'm awake. My... body won't listen..."
"Dizzy by any chance?"
"Yeah. Feels like... that."
Sion strained to sit up, trying to move her head, but with the dizziness, it wouldn't lift where she wanted.
"Sion. It's fine to stay still."
"T-Teacher?"
Moving the body—especially the head—in a dizzy state can worsen vertigo or be dangerous, so I wrapped both arms around Sion in my embrace, holding her tight to keep her from moving.
"Don't move. It's risky when you're dizzy."
"But..."
"It's okay. Lean on me. It'll pass if you stay still."
"......"
At my reassurance, I felt the tension drain from her body. Sion stopped trying to move. Just like this. Stay still. If nothing else happened, she'd be safe. Still. Still...
Just stay still and pray Sion calmed safely.
How much time had passed? With no response from Sion despite calling her name, I carefully lifted her in my arms to check. She had peacefully closed her eyes, unconscious.
"I-Is Lady Sion..."
I checked her breathing and pulse for vital signs. Breathing steady. Pulse normal... Thankfully stable, so I gently detached her from my body and settled her back against the wheelchair's backrest.
"She's asleep. Seems okay."
"Haaaa... What a relief."
Hearing she was fine, Serin closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh, as if her strength had given out.
"Whoooo..."
And me too. We'd somehow cleared another hurdle.
"As expected of you, Teacher. Whenever Lady Sion got like that, we never knew what to do..."
"Serin. Thanks for the praise, but first—get me something to drink. Anything, quick."
"Ah, right away!"
Serin dashed off at my order. My breathing was ragged, throat parched. That was truly exhausting. A seizure from persecutory delusion, huh. I'd have to watch out for robed mages hiding their faces from now on. I needed to stay vigilant about situations, objects, or people that could trigger her trauma.
But more than that, really...
"Haaaa..."
In the end, with all strength drained from my body, I could only slump forward, slamming my head onto the table.
Lunchtime had just passed, but to me, it already felt like I'd endured an incredibly long holiday.