As usual, the Medicus would be sitting on his chair, the stench of alcohol thick in the air as the old man downed a bottle of rum down his throat while closing his eyes to enjoy the rain's music — music that would soon be tainted by the sound of a set of footsteps entering his tent.
The old man opened his eyes and was about to grumble, his peace being disturbed, but then upon seeing the person in front of him, he couldn't bring himself to shout out. In front of him was no other than Spes, completely drenched in mud and rain.
"You okay, lad?" The old man immediately discarded his drink and rushed to inspect Spes.
"Just a punch to the cheek," Spes said, not wanting any further examinations from the Medicus.
"Take a seat, then." The Medicus pointed at the wooden chair next to him before rummaging at the back of the tent. It didn't take long for him to return with a towel and a bucket of water.
"Let's see what we're dealing with," the Medicus said as he dropped both items in front of the seated Spes.
Cracking his old knuckles, he got closer to Spes's face and checked the slightly bruised area on his cheek.
"The Captain did this?" the Medicus asked, as he passed his fingers over the wound, feeling for any anomalies.
Spes quietly nodded in response — actions that would make the old man raise an eyebrow, making him let go of Spes's wound and instead focus on Spes's general wellbeing.
"Anything happened lately?" the Medicus asked, noticing that the Spes in front of him and the Spes he recalled looked like two completely different individuals.
Last time Spes was with him, he begged him for tips on defeating the Captain. The young man had fire in his eyes, refusing to leave without a definitive answer. Yet now, the Medicus couldn't see any fire left in his eyes.
"Just had a bad day..." Spes sighed deeply, finally noticing the towel and bucket of water in front of him. Other than that frustrating feeling that gripped his heart, he also started to feel very uncomfortable from how dirty he was.
"I'll get you something to wear," the Medicus said, slightly smiling, seeing Spes start cleaning himself. The old man returned with a clean set of clothes and his bottle of rum in hand.
"So what's really troubling you, lad?" he asked as he handed the clothes to Spes.
"It's nothing... really." Spes lowered his head, donning the new set of clothes the Medicus gave him.
"Fits right like glove..." the Medicus said, his eyes slightly trembling upon seeing Spes in his new outfit. The old man, as if weaker, would slowly lean on the table next to him, quickly taking a mouthful of his bitter rum.
"These were my son's. One of his favorites," he said, pointing at Spes's new clothing.
Hearing him, Spes looked down to examine the clothes he was wearing. On him were a pair of white shirt and pants. Spes could easily tell why these were the Medicus's son's favorite. Despite looking simple, the clothes felt comfortable and durable. There were even beautiful flower patterns knitted on them.
"Where is he now?" Spes asked, his attention piqued. He hadn't expected the Medicus to be a father.
"He's... dead," the Medicus replied quietly, caressing a silver bracelet on his wrist, a flicker of pain passing through his eyes.
"I-I'm sorry... I shouldn't have asked."
"Don't be. He's been long gone, years ago..." the old man said as he chuckled, one small bitter laugh coupled with a sip of rum to drown everything along.
"You know, clothes aside, you kind of remind me of him... Those resolute eyes when you asked me of the Captain, just as stubborn as he was. And now, you come to my tent, having the same face as he did days before he died..."
"I-I..." Spes's lips parted, but he did not speak. The Medicus stood patiently, waiting for the young man to gather his thoughts.
After a moment of pure silence, Spes finally raised his head, asking the Medicus as he stared at the cold rain outside, "Why do I do all this?"
It was a question not turned at the old man, but towards himself. He did not know why, but voicing out his concern out loud, especially next to someone, somehow reduced the weight on his shoulders.
"The training, the efforts, all these falls... all for what? I told myself it was all for the sake of survival, a pursuit towards strength, but truth is... I don't even know why."
"I do not have the answers to your questions, lad..." the Medicus said after hearing what was troubling Spes.
As for Spes, he slightly sighed as he was met with the same response as Decus and Vota. The Medicus, noticing Spes's mood shift for the worse, could only pat the young man's shoulder in consolation.
"Just know that there is nothing wrong with not knowing. Just keep walking your path, just do what you do... and someday, reason will find you," he added, not wanting Spes to leave empty-handed.
"Have you found yours?"
"Ah yes, long ago... But now," the old man paused, swirling the rum in his hand.
"Now, I'm not different than you, lad, sailing the river of purpose in hope of hooking a good catch."
"So cheer up, it's not too late for you if even an old timer like me is even as lost as you are."
The old man then loudly smashed his drink on the table with a dull thud. His drink was finally finished.
"Anyways, enough with all this depressing talk. Tell me about that punch you took."
"I deserved that punch," Spes mumbled, recalling his pathetic display in front of the entire camp.
"Well, deserved or not, you really can take hits like a troll," the Medicus said as his voice grew considerably slower and both his eyes and nose slightly turned red. All the rum he was drinking had finally taken effect.
"I can take hits... like a troll?" Spes repeated the old man's words, not understanding what he meant.
"Something 'bout your physique... it's special... I'll tell you next time, lad, I'm kinda not in the mood anymore." The Medicus slowly walked to his chair and immediately slumped down, enjoying his drunk moment.
"What are you still doing here? Scram, brat!" he grumbled, lazily waving his hand.
Ignoring him, Spes didn't do as he said but instead turned in the old man's direction and bowed deeply at him.
"Thank you, Medicus," he said from the bottom of his heart, before leaving the old man alone with a small smirk on his face upon seeing the familiar back leaving the tent.