Chapter 17
"Giogris, help me hold Asistes down."
"Helps, fold the linen soaked in cold water and place it on his forehead. Then, use another piece of linen to constantly wipe both sides of his neck. "
"Hilos, wring out the linen that has been scalded in boiling water and wipe the area around the wound."
"Take out the knife from the boiling water and warm it over the fire."
When Devers took the knife, he hesitated. After all, the previous steps were common sense and modern people could do them. But this wound was wedge-shaped, and it had to be debrided. In his previous life, he had only seen farmers get injured in the mountain village. Sometimes, they would complain that the hospital was too far away and let the barefoot doctors do it.
He gritted his teeth and said, "Giogris, press tight!" As he spoke, he used the knife to cut open the skin.
… …
"He's quieter now!" Helps shouted in surprise.
Devers wiped the sweat from his forehead with his hand and looked at Asistes, who was no longer struggling. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief. "Keep wiping his forehead and neck with cold water, and … pay attention to the linen on the wound. If you find that it's covered with pus again, follow my previous method and debridement …"
"Yes, Devers!" At that moment, Helps' attitude was respectful, as if Devers were his teacher.
Devers glanced at the small piece of sawdust on the ground that had been taken from the depths of the wound and felt a sense of accomplishment.
When he, Hilos, and Giogris walked out of the house, the people waiting anxiously outside swarmed up and asked about Asistes's condition.
"He's much better!" Giogris said proudly.
The people cheered in amazement.
Devers quickly said, "Asistes is not out of danger yet. These two days are the most dangerous for him. He must rely on himself to fight against the disease. Helps will do my best to take care of him. "
The Devers then said to Antonios, "Make sure your nephew drinks plenty of water, but remember not to drink unboiled water, but boiled and cooled water. Also, when he's more clear-headed, make him some oatmeal. "
"But he will spit it out," Antonius said awkwardly.
"Feed him again if he vomits. He's consumed too much energy and needs food to sustain him. " Devers sighed, glanced at the people around, and said, "Asistes needs to rest quietly. Don't let anyone disturb him. Keep the room ventilated. It's best if you can make a fire to dry the air … "
Antonios took note of it seriously. In the end, he couldn't help but ask, "If everything is done, will Asistes recover?"
Devers fell silent. 'In my previous life, a bottle of antibiotics would have solved the problem.' However, this was an uncivilized era that lacked doctors and medicine. In addition, he was also a second-hand.
He couldn't come to a conclusion and could only say, "We'll do our best. In the end, he still has to rely on himself. "Looking at the respectful gazes of the crowd, he hurriedly took his leave.
… …
"I'm sorry, I have to go back."
"Wait a little longer. Devers will be back soon."
When Devers and the others returned to their dormitory, they saw Matonis dragging someone with all his might.
When he saw Devers, he shouted happily, "Hey, Devers, you're finally back! I brought Xenophon for you! "
'Xenophon?!' Devers's eyes widened, and the man was staring at him.
In Devers's eyes, Xenophon was about thirty years old. He wasn't tall and had a common Greek appearance. He had black curly hair, a high nose, a square face, and a thick beard. What was more special was that he had a rather wide forehead and a pair of intelligent and inquisitive eyes.
When Xenophon saw that Devers turned out to be a childish boy, he was a little disappointed. Soon, he discovered something special about this young man. The few people behind the young man were obviously older than him, but they surrounded him as if they were following a leader, which made him stand out from the crowd.
"Xenophon of Athens?" the young man asked.
"Yes."
"A student of Socrates?"
"That's right." Xenophon's curiosity grew. He was from Athens, and most people in the camp knew about him. Only a few people knew about Socrates's students. Most of the Greeks who went to Persia were poor people from Ionia, Thessaly, and Thrace. They had no money, no land, and it was difficult for them to make a living. That was why they came out to earn money. Of course, most of them were illiterate. Not to mention Xenophon, who was still a nobody, even Socrates, who was famous in Greece, was not known by many people.
"Which teacher did you study under?" Xenophon asked quickly.
"I don't know a word of Greek," Devers said frankly.
Xenophon was taken aback by his reply. His confident expression, as if being illiterate was no big deal, made it difficult for Xenophon to feel a trace of contempt.
"Devers, I specially went for a walk around the various camps today. I heard that there's someone called Xenophon in Proxinus's camp, so I brought him here for you. It should be him, right?" Matonis said as if he was asking for credit.
"This companion of yours insisted on dragging me over. He even said that I was someone that the 'Blessed' was looking for. He talked a lot about you along the way," Xenophon said with a faint smile.
"Thank you, Matonis!" Devers only felt grateful to someone who remembered everything he said casually and worked hard to accomplish it. He then said to Xenophon, "Matonis is a very passionate person. You can feel it after spending some time with him."
Matonis scratched his head in embarrassment.
Xenophon understood Devers's tactful apology. He shrugged to show that he didn't mind. Then, he stared at Devers and asked, "Then, is what he said true? The Blessed? "
"What do you think? In the land of Persia, will the gods still protect the Greeks? "Devers asked.
"Of course! No matter where we are, the gods have never given up on us! " Xenophon answered without hesitation, "I can come here because of Apollo's oracle."
Xenophon's answer surprised Devers. Didn't they say that the more knowledgeable a person was, the more they would believe in themselves and atheism?
He underestimated the extent of the Greeks' worship of the gods. So, he asked in surprise, "What's with Apollo's oracle?"
Xenophon began to narrate the story with some excitement.
It turned out that half a year ago, he had received an invitation letter from his good friend Proxinus in Athens. In the letter, Proxinus told Xenophon that Cyrus the Younger, the prince of Persia, was a great man who was full of goodwill towards the Greeks and recruited talented Greeks to work for him. Proxinus had accepted Cyrus the Younger's recruitment and invited Xenophon to help him in Asia Minor, promising to recommend Xenophon to the prince of Persia.
At that time, Athens had just ended the tyrannical rule of the "Thirty Tyrants" supported by Sparta. The democrats had adopted a moderate policy to restore order in the city, and at the same time, they had reached a reconciliation with Sparta. The peace in Athens made young Xenophon want to go to Asia Minor to broaden his horizons. However, he was hesitant, so he asked his teacher Socrates for advice. Because Sparta had defeated Athens with the help of Cyrus the Younger, Socrates was worried that Xenophon would be punished by the government of Athens for associating with Cyrus the Younger. So, Socrates sent him to Delphi to ask for an oracle.
Xenophon asked the god Apollo, "Which god do I want to pray to so that I can successfully complete the journey in my heart and return home safely?" The oracle told him the name of the god, and he followed the oracle and offered sacrifices to the designated god. Then, he set sail for Asia Minor and joined Proxinus's team.
"What is the name that the oracle of Delphi gave you?" Olivers asked eagerly.
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