Kallias had spent the last two days in near constant attendance on Drusilla. He’d then stayed up late each night attending to the other patients in the palace: a kitchen worker with a tooth abscess, a maid with an eye infection, a gardener afflicted by an itchy rash from one of his plants, and others.
His greatest want was time. Too often, he was stuck in endless attendance on Gaius or Drusilla. But if he had someone else—an assistant he could train to share the work of mixing and grinding and stewing remedies—maybe he could put his time tobetter use.
Someone like Sextus. The youth had displayed great calmness in the aftermath of his father’s accident, holding him steady while Kallias reset the shoulder. He was skilled at identifying scents, which would be very useful when it came to mixing remedies. And he seemed to have a great interest in all things medical, from the curious way he was investigating Kallias’s supplies.
“What is it you do for work?” Kallias asked Flaccus in a casual tone as he tested the tightness of the sling. He wanted to assess if Sextus would even be in want of employment. Though he suspected the answer would be yes, by the humble way the family lived.
“My brother runs a farm outside the city,” Flaccus answered. “We help him sell his wares at the markets here and split the profits.”
“I see. And Sextus helps?”
Flaccus nodded. “Though there’s not always enough work for two people. Now that he’s grown, it’ll soon be time for him to seek his own trade.”
That sounded promising. Kallias glanced at Sextus, who hastily set down the spool of silken thread he’d been examining. “Forgive me if I overstep, but I’ve been considering taking on an assistant.”As of a few moments ago.“I was wondering if your son might be interested in working for me.”
Sextus’s eyes widened. “Work—for you? But I don’t know anything about doctoring.”
“Neither did I when I first started. I’d teach you. In a few years, you could be a physician in your own right, if that’s what you wanted.” As Kallias spoke, he realized that Sextus couldbe helpful not just in the short term, with handling simple but time-consuming tasks, but also in the long term.
If Kallias could turn Sextus into a skilled physician, if he could build the same level of trust with Gaius…Sextus could replace him one day. Kallias could finally convince Gaius to let him leave.
It would take years, but it was the closest thing to an escape plan Kallias had ever come up with.
And when he was truly free…he could find work that was both interesting, from a medical perspective, and fulfilling, in that it helped those who needed it.
The image of Penthesilea rose unbidden in his mind. Perhaps he could seek a position as a ludus physician, tending to gladiators and their various ailments and injuries. That would give him a steady wage and interesting work, no doubt.
“My son, a physician?” Flaccus exclaimed, pulling Kallias’s thoughts away from the indistinct future.
“Can you read and write?” Kallias asked Sextus. It wasn’t a deal-breaker if he couldn’t, but it would be helpful to read the labels on all the various ingredients Kallias kept.
Sextus gave a hesitant nod. “I know the letters, but I haven’t had much practice.”
“I don’t suppose you know Greek?” Kallias kept most of his notes in his native Greek, but he could easily switch to Latin.
Sextus shook his head. “Sorry, sir.”
Kallias waved a hand. “It’s not a problem.” Among the elite, nearly everyone was bilingual in both Greek and Latin, but he knew those of the lower classes wouldn’t have the same education. “I propose a trial period of one month, if you’re amenable. The wage would be a hundred sestertii a week.” Kallias wasn’tentirely sure what a fair wage for a physician’s assistant was, as he’d been enslaved when he worked in the role, but it seemed in line with what a youth could earn elsewhere.
Sextus and Flaccus exchanged an excited glance, and Kallias sensed he’d hit on the right number.
Behind him, the door to the apartment opened, and Kallias turned to see Vibia entering with a basket full of bread, eggs, and other foodstuffs on her arm. He rose respectfully, greeting her with a nod. Sextus jumped up, relieved his mother of the heavy basket, and told her of Kallias’s offer.
“A physician?” Vibia repeated, coming to stand beside her husband.
“I’m only proposing a one month trial to start,” Kallias said. “But yes, if all goes well.”
Vibia’s considering gaze ran over Kallias. She seemed less immediately enthused than both Sextus and Flaccus had been. “Who is your employer, sir? I don’t believe you said.”
No, Kallias had been careful about not mentioning his association with the imperial family, but now it couldn’t be helped. “I work at the imperial palace,” he said calmly, ignoring the shock that took hold of their faces. “I see to the staff, the guards…as well as Gaius Caesar and Julia Drusilla.”
“Theemperor?” Sextus gasped in what sounded like a combination of terror and delight. “You take care of the emperor?”
Kallias nodded. “I’ve worked for his family since I was about your age.”
“Fucking Dis!” Flaccus exclaimed, earning himself a swat from his wife for his language. “To think—I’ve been treated by the same hands that touchedan emperor!”
Vibia swatted him once more. “As if your ego needed any more inflating.”
