Morning
Quiet.
Cold.
Levi had woken up early, as usual, not that he was asleep, he couldn't even hear the sound of his own footsteps, he felt that way whenever something was gnawing at him.
He went down to the clinic, moving quietly, Jun hadn't woken up yet. He poured the tea, set the mugs on the table and took care of the clinic's paperwork until Jun woke up.
Unlike Levi, Jun was able to get some sleep. He was used to sleeping sadly. He got up quietly, put on the grey t-shirt Levi had bought him, washed his face and went to the desk.
When Levi saw that Jun was awake, he took the teapot and poured hot tea into their mugs, both of them drank their tea without looking at each other. Hot drinks should be relaxing when they pass through the throat, but neither of them relaxed. The steam of the tea rose like a smokescreen between them, as if the steam existed to hide the words.
Levi finished his tea and went back to the paperwork without saying anything. Jun finished his tea, washed the mugs and started to organise the medicine cabinet.
They didn't see eye to eye, nor did they speak a word...
Later, the door of the clinic opened and a familiar person entered.
Levi stopped for a moment, the person who came in was familiar. Very familiar.
The person who came in was wearing a thin long black coat and a fedora on his head.
His name was Edgar Whitmoon.
He was an old friend of Levi's from the medical academy.
-'Levi! It's been years... good to see you,' Edgar said as he walked in.
Levi smiled slightly, tried to smile.
-"As always, you come unexpectedly," he said.
-"I was passing through town and I remembered you were here. I thought I'd drop by... how's it going?".
-"And... so you've got an assistant now, how nice," said Edgar.
Edgar turned his eyes to Jun.
Jun slowed her movements, he was used to strangers, but he was very sensitive right now.
Levi didn't look in Jun's direction. And quickly replied to Edgar.
-'Yeah, he's helping. He's a temp.'
He's a temp.
Jun heard that.
Nothing went through him. No hurt, no anger, no surprise.
He just quietly put the glass bottle back in his hand.
Edgar stayed for a while longer, talking about the clinic, the new treatment methods, reminiscing about the old days. Levi sometimes listened, sometimes pretended to listen. At that time Jun was like an invisible person in the clinic, but Edgar was looking at him from time to time, measuring and weighing things.
Who is this boy?
Why is the silence so deep?
When their conversation was over, it was time for Edgar to leave. As he picked up his hat and put it on his head, he said:
-'Be careful, Levi. Towns aren't as big as cities, anything that happens here will spread fast and get you in trouble.'
Then he left.
The door closed.
The clinic went quiet again.
Levi couldn't move from where he was.
Jun remained silent.
Not a word was spoken that day.
But that one sentence - "A transient".
It was the loudest thing in the clinic all day.