Chapter 53 - Poor Physician

Michael continued on his way to the Alpha King's chamber. He would probably still be in bed.

He kept looking back to know if there was someone coming towards him. The bad scent of potion on him seemed to be growing worse.

He quickened his walk and got to the Alpha King's chamber without coming across anyone. He sighed in relief before he knocked on the door.

"Who is that?" the Alpha King asked from inside. For him to reply like that. He must be alone in there.

Michael crashed inside before he introduced himself.

"Michael?" the Alpha King was obviously surprised to see him. "What brings you early in the morning like this?" he stared at him in amazement.

Michael was dumbfounded. He stopped walking towards the Alpha King. He was expecting him to rush and hugged him but it seemed Martha had exaggerated her potion.

He felt the stench coming from his own body again. There was no way his father wouldn't perceive this.

"Michael, what is wrong?" it seemed he had noticed his awkwardness.

Michael was unsure of what to say. Nothing occurred to him in the meantime. He couldn't think.

"I have came so early in the morning because I couldn't wait till daytime" he said just to keep his mouth moving.

"So why have you come?" the Alpha seemed to be anxious about his presence.

Michael knew he must try to say something reasonable or what would happen would be the opposite of what he wanted.

"I couldn't sleep, I was thinking about it all night" he said to buy himself more time to think.

"What could have deprived you of your sleep?" the Alpha King asked eagerly.

"James!" Michael quickly pronounced as it conjured in his mind. "It's been a while I have set my eyes on him. I think you should know his whereabouts" he remembered Julia told him about his journey but he had not heard it from his father.

"So the issue of James was the cause of your sleepless night?" the Alpha King asked like he didn't believe.

"Yes. After all that he went through. That is a lot for anyone" he backed his claim.

"But James had left for more than two days. How come you just noticed that?" the Alpha King giggled. He must have recognized the fake sincerity in Michael's statement.

"He didn't tell me anything. And I have been hoping I will wake up one morning and find him but I have been disappointed more than three times" Michael explained.

"Your brother is alright. He is away for some time to take charge of his body and soul after the lot that he went through" the Alpha King said sarcastically. He was obviously thinking Michael was giving a show by coming early into his chamber.

Michael sighed. Nothing was happening in reference to the reason that brought him. He walked towards the Alpha King.

"You are sure he is safe?" he asked softly.

"Yes, he....." the Alpha King nodded, he couldn't finish his words as he had to cover his nose and mouth with his hand.

The stench on Michael had definitely reached him. Michael felt ashamed. He couldn't move further.

"I think I will come back.... I mean I have to..." he stuttered and shook his head. He walked back to the door immediately.

"Your Majesty" he bowed to conceal his awkwardness.

He was back on the hallway looking around fugitively as he had done before. He walked fast, almost running.

He wondered what Martha was up to. Maybe she had fooled him like Julia claimed. But he couldn't come up with any reason why she would do that.

"Is she playing pranks on me?" he thought she had done all that for fun. He kept calm and rushed on to his chamber.

Everything would be clear when he got there. He would know what she wanted from her reaction.

The Alpha King must have known Michael was the source of the strange odor. There was no way he would tell the real story to the Alpha King if he asked.

He was confused unsure of what to do next. He believed Martha would still claim that her potion would work.

"Did she want the King to see me as a dirty stinking fellow?" he asked himself as he pause at the door waiting to enter.

That still didn't make much sense. There was no way that would benefit her. He put his arm across his nose to check his body.

The stench is gradually fading away. He heaved a sigh of relief.

******************

"What kept you so long?" Queen Teresa queried the physician. "It has been some minutes now since I have sent for you" she complained.

"I tender sincere apology, My Queen" the Physician pleaded with a consequent now.

"What I need right now is not your sincere apology. Can you see with your eyes?" she pointed to the bed on which the Alpha King was sleeping on.

The Alpha King was visibly weak. He was breathing slowly and heavily like there were some creatures dragging his breath with him.

"What is wrong with him?" the Physician turned and asked Queen Teresa.

"Isn't that why I called you?!" she yelled back at him.

"I mean, did he wake up like this or I mean what are the signs you have been seeing?" he explained while Queen Teresa kept looking at him like a nuisance.

"What I have been seeing is what you are seeing right now" she said harshly.

"Okay" the Physician turned back to the King on the bed. "Your Majesty , can you talk?" he asked him.

The Alpha King moved his hand upward but it dropped back down before he could touch the Physician.

"I mean can you say something?" he repeated.

"He can't!" Queen Teresa said impatiently. "Why is that so hard for you. I wonder how you manage to be a physician" she chastised him.

"My family line had been physicians to the king and I am now the next one in line. He said slowly with joy to Queen Teresa who maintained a hard face.

" I'm sorry!" he quickly begged when he realized she was not interested in what he was saying.

"Look, lazy physician. I don't want to know what is wrong with him or not. What I want is what you will give him and make him feel better. That's all" she briefed him.

"I will find out what happened to him after......" he sat beside the alpha King on the bed. He opened one of his eyes wider. He stared into it for some minutes.

He did the same to the second eye. Queen Teresa gasped. She felt the physician didn't know what he was doing. She wondered how he had managed to be taking care of everyone since a long time ago.

Maybe his inefficiency was caused by aging. Once the Alpha King recovered. The Physician would be changed, she decided within herself.

"What's wrong with him?" she asked softly.

The Physician had moved from his eyes and was checking his legs.

Queen Teresa sighed. She stopped asking him further questions.

"The King has been poisoned" the Physician finally let out.

"Poisoned again?" Queen Teresa was not expecting that kind of response from him. "Is it the kind of poison he was poisoned with few weeks ago?" she asked quickly.

"No, this one is different. It is a poison only to him. When the king was small. He had this disease that I treated. Since then he has been allergic to some substances. I think he has been exposed to some of these substances and his ailment has resurfaced" the Physician sighed.

"So what is the way out of all of this, you treated him once, right?" she inquired, that was the only thing she was interested in.

"I think it has gotten a bit complex than that. We need to find this substance affecting him and use a counter measure, my Lady" he pressed his lips together. He was obviously expecting a backlash from the queen.

"Then find this substance and do what you have to do. And that is an order" she replied sternly.

Queen Teresa was a little bit relaxed that this wasn't another sorcery attack. She just have to show no leniency to this silly physician and everything would be sorted out.

"That should be now. What are you waiting for?" she scolded the physician who had remained standing after she gave him an order.

"Yes, my Lady" the Physician bowed and walked outwards.

"Henry, he said you have some kind of illness and allergies. How come I never knew anything about that?" she questioned the Alpha King who couldn't talk.

He turned his head toward her side. He obviously wanted to say something but he couldn't.

"Do not worry, you will tell me everything when you take back the control of your body. Go and sleep now" she stood up and patted him on the shoulder.