CHAPTER 44: CHAPTER 43 HORACE AND NEXIA

"She’s called Nexia, the head nurse of the Medical Team and also the deputy leader!" Maximus shouted loudly.

Nexia, a Greek female slave, was bought by a steward from a nearby farm to be a concubine, suffering various abuses and experiencing two miscarriages. When the rebel army attacked the farm, she incited the slaves there, directly killed the steward and his subordinates, and joined the rebel army. Though she appeared fragile and was good at social interactions, she was strong-willed and very enduring.

At this moment, upon hearing Maximus’ words, Nexia felt both surprised and puzzled, "What is a head nurse?"

"Soldiers who care for and tend to the wounded are called nurses, and the leader of these nurses is called the head nurse." Maximus deliberately distorted the meaning of ’nurse’.

Nexia and the other women immediately showed joy, being referred to as soldiers evidently elevated their status within the rebel army.

Nexia then asked, "If these injured soldiers behave... rudely towards us while we’re taking care of them, what should we do?"

Maximus sternly replied, "For each soldier who enters the Medical Team’s camp, they should be reminded in advance that if harassment occurs again, you can issue a warning, and if they continue, they will be expelled from the Medical Team. We won’t accept such soldiers!"

"Alright!" Nexia smiled, feeling satisfied with Maximus’ response.

Having heard Maximus’ request and fallen into contemplation instead of clamoring like other army slaves, Horace then asked, "Why do we need to boil water to soak the linen used to bind wounds?"

Maximus was well-prepared and said earnestly, "We often see tiny creatures in the bottom of some ditches in the wild, but these are just the ones we can see. There are even more that are invisible to us, living on filthy things around us. They can cause us to fall ill with high fever, but usually, our skin acts as armor, protecting us tightly, combined with strong health, so we live normally. But if wounded and weakened, they can easily enter our bodies through wounds, causing pus, high fever, and eventual death. High temperatures can kill these creatures, and a clean environment can also reduce their presence..."

Maximus’ words not only startled Horace but also made others nervously glance around instinctively.

With a matter-of-fact demeanor, Maximus made Horace half-believe, half-doubt. He eagerly asked, "From which physician did you learn these things?"

Maximus, unwilling to explain in detail any further, emphatically said, "Don’t worry about where I learned it; just try it out first, and see in some time if it works. If it works, continue implementing it; if it doesn’t, then go back to your original method of caring for the soldiers, alright?"

Horace, not being trained in medicine, did not adhere to any particular theory or reject other "heresies." Instead, he felt that Maximus’ words made some sense, and he, being a farmer by birth, didn’t find it troublesome to do more work.

"Okay, we will try it as you said first."

Horace’s reply made Maximus breathe a sigh of relief, having already decided: if Horace opposed, he wouldn’t mind replacing him with someone more compliant as the head of the Medical Team.

Maximus looked at Nexia then at Horace, speaking sincerely, "I hope you two can work together to make our Medical Team successful, helping more injured soldiers to recover!"

Nexia immediately stated, "I will fully cooperate with the leader, leading the sisters to do a good job!"

Horace, however, said, "I have never been a leader before, I don’t know if I can do it well, but I will do my best!"

An honest man! At their first meeting, Maximus had a good impression of Horace.

Next, the three of them, after making a simple plan for the Medical Team’s camp based on the severity of the soldiers’ injuries, began transferring the injured into the tents.

At this time, Maximus leaned close to Nexia and whispered, "Nexia, I have another task for you. While you and the sisters are tending to the injured, subtly persuade them to stay after they recover, to join our Supply Team."

This was another reason Maximus established the Medical Team. Since several leaders were unwilling to allocate more soldiers to the Supply Team, he decided to work on the injured soldiers. After all, the rebel army now used a voluntary principle for joining, but most people were unaware of the internal situation of the rebel army, so they could be directed. If the injured insisted on staying in the Supply Team, others couldn’t oppose. Moreover, those injured had already experienced battle, making them better qualified than new recruits.

"I understand, we will persuade them quietly," Nexia whispered, flashing him a flirtatious glance, "If I do well, leader, how will you thank me?"

Maximus felt his heart skip a beat at her gaze but replied evenly, "If you do well, it proves I didn’t misjudge you."

Her eyes fluttered over Maximus’ face, and Nexia burst into laughter.

Of course, moving the injured into the tents wasn’t solely the Medical Team’s effort, Maximus also called on the Guards to help, so within half an hour, the injured were all settled in.

Then, Maximus tirelessly visited each one, intentionally telling the injured soldiers: he himself had taken the initiative to propose to the leaders the establishment of the Medical Team, to ensure their full recovery throughout the process.

Since the start of their injuries, the rebel army had been busy for the past two days, resulting in neglect and no care, leaving them extremely low in spirits. Now, hearing that the Supply Team specifically sent women to care for them, they felt as if they had gone from hell to heaven, not only extremely grateful to Maximus but also promising to be as respectful as possible to the women who would tenderly care for them.

According to Horace’s instructions, several army slaves were chopping firewood and boiling water outside the Medical Team’s camp, preparing to wash and disinfect the linen. Horace then began carefully teaching Nexia and the others how to clean the wounded areas, stop the bleeding, and bandage wounds...

Seeing the Medical Team’s work getting on track, Maximus quietly left, thinking of the grateful looks on the injured soldiers’ faces just now, deciding: from now on, he would come here every day for a walk, continually earning the favor of the injured soldiers, which was a worthwhile and effortless task.

........................

The rebel army, numbering merely two thousand, could completely fit within the simple camp previously set up by the Roman army at the olive oil farm. However, even so, the soldiers were busy all day, only settling down late at night.

Early the next morning, Spartacus and Cross, leading the troops, escorted the hundreds of Campanian captives towards Napolet.

Napolet City was located in the northwest direction of the current rebel army camp, merely twenty miles away.

By midday, the troops had arrived at the city gates.

The Napoletans, already informed of the impending attack by the rebel army, had long sealed the city gates, with all City Guard soldiers deployed atop the city walls, treating it as a major threat.

Spartacus shouted loudly below the city, claiming: they rose in rebellion only because they could no longer endure the oppression of the Romans, originally without malice towards the Napoletans. However, Napolet assisted the Romans, dispatching troops to help the Roman army attack their camp. Now the Roman army had been defeated by them, and most of the Campanian soldiers, primarily from Napolet, had been captured. The rebel army decided to punish the Napoletans, unless Napolet provided five hundred sets of armor, five hundred short swords, five hundred long spears, and five hundred shields to exchange for these captives’ lives; otherwise, they would be executed here.

Spartacus’ proclamation caused a commotion among the Napoletan officials, council members, and City Guard soldiers observing from the city walls.

Through the defeated soldiers who escaped yesterday, the Napoletans were already aware of the Roman army’s devastating defeat. Having seen no soldiers of their own family return, the families of the Napoletan soldiers were already preparing for funerals, and the city echoed with grief.

Now, seeing so many Napoletan soldiers still alive, and hearing their pitiful cries from below the city, most people wanted to agree to Spartacus’ terms.