Chapter 10: Poison

Did I do something wrong?

This was the thought lingering in my head while on the car ride back to the apothecary. I must have done something wrong dahil mukhang nagalit si Zackary sa'kin.

Dumaan ako sa infirmary para ipaalam kay Senior Violeta na nakabalik na ako. There were two orders waiting for treatment at mukhang wala pang staff na nagaasikaso sa kanila.

"I'll call a staff to treat you."

"Hindi na kailangan. If Sir Zackary could trust you with his wounds, we could trust you too," said one of them. "Pasensya na sa naging asal ng mga kasama ko."

They're saying sorry... to me? "Okay lang," sagot ko. "Naiintindihan ko."

Ilang araw din ang lumipas bago tuluyang bumalik sa pagiging tahimik ang apothecary. The border incident was taken under control pero kailangan parin itong pagtuunan ng pansin, considering these types of tasks are for an alpha.

"He's basically the acting alpha now," Anabeth told me while we're preparing for another foraging. "Official transition nalang ang kulang pero kung tutuusin, ilang buwan na niyang hawak ang responsibilities ng isang alpha."

Zack as an alpha... the title didn't dawn on me. Maybe that's why he treated me indifferently in the last minutes I was in the mansion. I've overstepped my boundaries.

Matapos maihanda ang mga gamit para sa foraging, we took the path towards the forest. The entire apothecary was unusually quiet since yesterday since half of the staff were in a quarterly visit in the northern part of town.

We spent another clear day at the forest, checking the seedling's growth from last time, recording them, drawing illustrations of new plants I came across with, and searching for plants and herbs we needed for the apothecary. Big cotton candy clouds hovered across the sky, above the towering tree branches.

Pagbalik namin sa apothecary bandang hapon, napansin agad namin na may hindi tama. There were no staff in the greenhouse or garden at nagkakagulo ang lahat sa loob ng tower.

"What's happening?" tanong ni Anabeth pagpasok namin.

Nagmamadali ang lahat ng masalubong namin na staff sa hallway. "There's a poisoning outbreak in the northern part of town," one of the senior staff informed us.

Poisoning?

"Kailangan nila ng mga bagong staff to help control the outbreak since most of our staff in the area were poisoned too." Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Anabeth.

Nasa gitna sila ng paghahanda ng mga gamit na kailangang dalhin sa lugar, all the remaining medicines and small equipment needed to make the antidote.

"You two need to come with us."

Tahimik sa loob ng sasakyan nang magsimula kaming magbyahe. Anabeth and Senior Violeta was with me in the car. Walang umiimik sa'min maliban sa ilang paalala ni Senior Violeta. The whole ordeal seems pretty serious.

Mahaba ang naging byahe namin dahil sa hindi maayos na daan. The northern part of town was barely accessible at kinailangan naming mag-trek ng kalahating oras para marating ang village sa bundok. Good thing we were used to foraging that even the senior staff didn't mind the trek.

According to Anabeth, the people in this part of town were one of the early families who settled in Van Zanth noong pasimula palang ang bayan. They were considered as important residence of the Van Zanth family.

"Mas okay sana kung lilipat sila sa mismong bayan para mas madali silang naaabot o natutulungan," sinabi ni Anabeth sa gitna ng pagtawid namin sa mababaw na ilog.

"They're pretty traditional families of hybrid," sagot ni Senior Violeta. "They rarely interact with normal humans and would rather keep to themselves."

We reached a clearing where the entrance to the village was located. Sa paanan palang may nakaabang ng mga residente at ilang orders na pinadala ni Zackary. Sinabi ng natitirang staff ng apothecary ang kasalukuyang sitwasyon habang naglalakad kami papunta sa hall, the only establishment in the small village wide enough to cater to the patients.

Bawat madaanan namin may mga batang umiiyak at mga taong nagaabang sa labas ng hall. The houses in the village were concentrated in this part of the mountain. Pagdating namin sa loob ng hall, nadatnan namin ang iilang nurses mula sa hospital ng bayan at staff ng apothecary na pilit inaasikaso ang mga pasyente.

People lay on makeshift beds that filled the floor, most of them unconscious or having difficulty breathing, including old people and children. There's probably thirty of them, along with the staff na naging biktima din ng lason.

Dumeretso si Senior Violeta sa isa sa mga head nurses while assessing the situation. Even Anabeth was shock, standing beside me, hands clasped on her mouth.

"The initial report was an isolated case," I heard Senior Violeta said to the head nurse.

"'Yon din ang nakarating sa'min, pero noong dumating kami dito kahapon may sampong bagong pasyente and they kept on coming until our staff were contaminated too," she answered, voice wary.  "The antidotes you've provided with your team were only enough for fifteen cases."

"And you want my staff to make them?" confirmed Senior Violeta.  "You know antidotes don't come in a blink. May prosesong sinusunod dito para masigurado ang bisa nito and those processes normally take hours and even days."

"Anything would do to lessen the symptoms of the patients, Senior Violeta. Some of them are suffering worst symptoms lalo na ang mga bata."

Matapos ang paguusap, pinuntahan kami ni Senior Violeta. "Did you bring the newly forage plant like I instructed?" Pareho kaming tumango ni Anabeth. "We need to make them to antidote in less than twelve hours."

"Pero Senior-" exclaimed Anabeth, who was well aware of the processes it takes to make an antidote. "They're just plants we got this morning."

"We need the extracts from the third phase." Bumaling si  Senior Violeta sa'kin. "Eleanor, we need you to help with the patients symptoms. Anabeth, you lead the process in making the antidote for now."

Nagalangan si Anabeth, panay ang haplos sa nanginginig niyang mga kamay. "Yes, Senior."

Bago tumungo sa mga pasyente, tinulungan ko si Anabeth na ihanda ang mga gamit na kailangan sa paggawa ng antidote sa isang kwarto sa likod ng hall.

We brought the burners with us, the clear glass containers, the flowers from our forage. Hindi mapalagay si Anabeth, having to lead the entire process. I could see panic in her eyes even if her movements were swift and deliberate.

"What if I mess up, Eleanor?" tanong niya.

"You won't. You're one of the most talented staff in the apothecary."

Kinailangan kong iwan si Anabeth para tulungang asikasuhin ang mga pasyente. There wasn't proof yet kung saan nila nakuha ang lason but the common symptoms were dizziness, nausea, heart palpitation and difficulty breathing... and the worst case we were watching for was the tendency for the heart to stop.

Pero saan ito galing that even the medical teams got it?

I aided several patients with breathing difficulties, including a little girl who's around eight years old and had been crying since we've arrived. Umupo ako sa harapan niya, marahang nilagay ang palad sa paanan ng kanyang puso, hanggang sa naramdaman ko ang dahan-dahang  paghugot niya ng hininga. Ang magagawa lang namin sa ngayon ay pakalmahin ang mga sintomas hanggang sa magawa ang antidote. Our skill wouldn't allow us to remove any foreign object from a patient's body.

We spent the rest of the day helping patients to manage the symptoms. Most of the staff were barely eating and only drinking water to sustain their strength.

Mag-uumaga na nang isa sa mga staff ang biglang nag-collapsed. Senior Violeta and the rest came to her assistance. The staff was having difficulty breathing at nasusuka ito. There were a general panic in the hall. Kasama lang namin ang staff kanina sa pagpunta dito. We were barely here for twelve hours.

Mahinahon na inihiga ni Senior Violeta ang staff sa isa sa mga makeshift beds. "What did she consume?"

"Nothing," sagot ng kasama niya. "We've barely eaten anything since we came here."

Bigla akong napatayo at lumabas sa hall. Tinanong ko ang unang residente na nakita ko sa labas. "Saan po nanggagaling ang tubig niyo dito?"

Nagtaka siya sa biglaan kong tanong. "Sa water tank ng village." Tinuro niya ang isang tangke na makikita sa likod ng mga punong nakapaligid sa village.

Sinamahan ako ng babae na marating ang tangke sa likod ng maliit na water processing station. The tank was enough to provide drinking water for the village, along with several mountain streams and creeks in the area.

"Nalilinis at sinasala dito ang tubig galing sa bundok."

Humingi ako ng baso ng tubig direkta mula sa tangke pero sa halip na inumin ito, pumunta ako sa malapit na batis. I run my hands to the clear flowing water and tried to take a small sip from my palms. Makalipas  ang ilang segundo, sinunod ko ang baso ng tubig na nakuha ko sa  tangke.

There's a difference. The water from the tank had a sweeter taste. Isang bagay na mapapansin lang kapag kinumpara ito sa ibang tubig. Pinagmamasdan ko ang ilang taong malapit sa'min na hindi tinamaan ng lason.

"Is the water in the tank consumed by everyone in the village?" tanong kong muli sa babae.

Tumango ito, kasabay ng pagaalala sa mukha niya. "May problema ba sa tubig namin?"

I couldn't confirm it. Kung ginagamit ito ng lahat, bakit pili lang ang natamaan ng lason?

"They didn't listen to the boy."

Isang matandang lalake ang lumapit sa'min mula sa likod ng mga nagtataasang puno. Mukhang kanina pa siya nagmamasid sa'min. Naglakad siya palapit, his cane scratching the dry ground. "Sinabihan niya tayo pero ilan lang ang nakinig."

Tahimik na sumagot ang babae sa tabi ko. "Paano siya pagkakatiwalaan ng mga tao dito? His family brought shame to this village. Pasalamat nalang tayo at tinuturing parin tayong residente ng mga namumuno sa bayan."

"M-May nangyari po ba?"

The woman lowered her gaze before mumbling. "Isang pamilya sa village ang nakipagsabwatan sa mga taga-labas. They let outsiders penetrate the town through the border next to the village. Isang taon na mula noong nangyari ito pero nag-iba ang tingin sa'min ng mga taga-bayan dahil dito."

"The person... the one who tried to warn you... is his name Alexander?"

Tumango ang babae. "Siya ang anak ng pamilyang nakulong dahil sa insidente. Alam namin na wala siyang kinalaman, pero hindi lahat ng mga tao kaya siyang pagkatiwalaan. Our village was cursed kaya nangyayari sa'min ito."

The woman broke down in tears. Pilit ko siyang pinakalma. This isn't a curse or supernatural cause. Someone must have contaminated their source of water.

Sumisilip na ang araw sa likod ng mga nagtataasang puno nang bumalik ako sa hall. Napansin ko na maging ang ilang nurses at staff ay nanghihina na din. Hinanap ko agad si Senior Violeta sa gitna ng mga pasyente at staff. I told her what I discovered about the village's water source.

"Are you sure about this? Stopping the village's source of water even for a few hours is a big move, Eleanor."

"Alam ko po... pero... ang tubig, alam ko ang lasa ng lason sa tubig."

Pinagmasdan niya ako, nagtataka. "Paano mo alam?"

It took me a few seconds bago sumagot. "One of my owners tried to poison me once."

***