We were doomed from the Start.(CLOSED)

[CharlieBoyyy]

I sigh somewhat disgruntled. But it doesn't help my situation. I sat on the bed- not in it- and flicked through the medical journals.


"Colds are bad for the immune system" no shit, Sherlock.


"Red blood cells..." Zz


"What the brain really does" Falls asleep when it reads this drivel.


"The Leukemia tablet, giving patients extra vital years."- Bingo


"Hey, AZ, come look at this!" I say with a large grin.

 

[DeadnotSleeping]

I stir in the milk powder then the chocolate into the boiling water, and lessen the flame under. I put some spices into the hot liquid, and continue stirring, sometimes taking a second do find and line up the cups.


"What's that, honey?" I ask, pulling down the chocolate from the fire. I pour him a portion, and step to him...

 

[CharlieBoyyy]

"Thank you". He sipped his chocolate "apparently, there's a special tablet that, while it doesn't cure Leukemia, which is what Nie has, it still makes it more tolerable. Giving him years to live in a fragile, but very much alive state. How cool is that?!"


I show the knight the article. I scurry over to the medicine bottles we have.


"What's the name of the tablet? Can you read it to me?"

 

[DeadnotSleeping]

"Leukaemia? Didn't you say the curse was called cancer?... "


I still take the paper, and skim over tge text. Strange, it reads like a mix-up of Latin and English. I still not understand it, despite speaking both...


Well. We are in a spital, might be the healer's sacred language...


"Hey, you're supposed to stay in bed!" I put down the journal, and catch Mitchell. I can see and understand that he is excited, and I also am... so I decide that the misstep is forgiveable and only out back the kid into bed. But I also collect and bring over the ropes, not yet tying him up. Just a reminder.


"You read. I am browsing." I tell him, a bit excited myself. A magical pill, how wonderful! I start hoping again...

 

[CharlieBoyyy]

"I can't read it. It doesn't make sense... S... S... No.. Um... I strained my eyes to make sense of the words, but those letters just shouldn't go together." What to do... I started to spell it out.. "Istanbul... No, Imatinib, glivec. OR Nilo..Niloteleb or something, OR dalmationitab, no Erm dasatinib which can have nasty side effects by the brand Cecil or sprycel. Maybe even PornHubNips. I mean ponatinib which has been triald. Or something. I don't have a clue"

 

[DeadnotSleeping]

I furrow my eyebrows. This sounds like all gibberish to me...but then, some kind of magic is not in Greek, Latin or any real ancient languages. And this pill certainly sounds magical.


Maybe this is magical gibberish.


I'm rifling through every bottle. Nothing. I don't find anything by these names...


"Are you sure this is correct?" I light another candle, and bring it closer to the kid. "Let me see that. Maybe we can make sense of it together..."

 

[CharlieBoyyy]

"I don't know. You take a look, I can't make head or tail of it. It's flip it's jib" I hand her over the article and put my finger on the list of stuff. "All that stuff listed there. I can't understand these words, I mean. Why can't they just call a spade a frigging spade and call them Anti-Leukemia tablets or some shit. This is ridiculous."


I didn't mean to swear, but it was so frustrating for me.

 

[DeadnotSleeping]

"Language, Mitchell" I chide my liege's son. "Every single thread of magic has it's own language. Healing has its own language, too... we might be able to understand it. Just a little patience."


I look over the article. This is hard, but the words I understand still offers hope.


"I think these might be the names of the magical ingredient. And the others are the name of the potions. Hold on. I've seen a dictionary somewhere... "

 

[CharlieBoyyy]

I knew I had my work cut out at the mention of magic and potions. She still thought it was actual witchcraft... When it was just science. Perks of the job- I supposed. I learnt in my head to substitute "magic" with "science " and "potions" with "medicine " in my head which made my life a tiny bit easier.


Suddenly I felt extremely whoozy. Weird. Dizzy. I couldn't think what I could lie on. I forgot that pillows existed. I flopped onto the pile of dusty medical journals and fell fast asleep.

 

[DeadnotSleeping]

I hold up the dictionary triumphantly.


"Here it is!"


I smile, contented. This is hope right here. Magic pills, and magic is dangerous, but even that danger is better than watching my liege die...


My contentment only rises as the boy falls asleep. I chuckle softly, pulling out the tomes of under his head.


"Sleep, honey. I'll need that head tomorrow clear..."


I cover the kid, then lift another cup of chocolate. It is cool enough now... I sit next to my liege, and carefully make him drink, also giving him a witchcraft pill. Then I just sit next to him until I fall asleep...

 

[CharlieBoyyy]

I don't know what came over me but I slept solidly.


No dreams and nothing to speak of.


My brother continued to sleep like the lazy so and so he was.


It was worrying, he never slept this much usually. He always had so much energy. And now he had none.

 

[DeadnotSleeping]

I wake up refreshened, almost calm. Even though sleeping in that position is not ideal, my muscles are not that stiff... I get up quietly.


The others are still sleeping. Good. I have to take care of the laundry...


My suspicion was true. The water tank on the rooftop is full, and the water seems clean. No corpses or bones, and the pipes are still working... great! I carry down bucketfuls of the water to top up the tanks in the kitchen, and I heat up a portion. I wash up right there, using the looted soap, and I dress up in fresh clothes.


So much better...


I collect the clothes from the room, and start to do the laundry. I feel good... and I start to sing, happily, like I used to do at home...

 

[CharlieBoyyy]

Darius woke up. He didn't feel like moving much. His whole body aches. He was so tired. It occurred to him he hadn't properly rested in months. He figured just staying asleep was best. He turned over to his brother. He panicked when he realised he wasn't there. But then calmer when he saw him on another bed fast asleep.


Nigel was asleep too. Darius felt calm and safe again. He figured more sleep was good for him.

 

[DeadnotSleeping]

I step back with the basket full of wet clothes in my arm. I smile when I see that Darius is awake.


"Good morning, Darius. We talked with Mitchell yesterday, and voted for a few rest days. So, how a cup if hot chocolate and some more sleep sounds after a warm wash-up?"


I feel relaxed. I put down the basket, and summon flame on the cooker.


"Well?..."

 

[CharlieBoyyy]

Darius didn't answer. He was too tired to speak. He didn't want to seem rude or anything but he just grunted and shook his head at the thought of hot chocolate.


"Rest sounds good" he said and his grey face turned back into his bed and he pulled the cushions over him.

 

[DeadnotSleeping]

"You should still eat something and drink, at least water" I insist. "At least a smallcake. Then I'll let you sleep. Promise."


I'm a bit worried. He slept through almost all day yesterday... I touch his skin. No fever. Thank the powers that be...

 

[CharlieBoyyy]

"But I'm


Sleeping" Darius growled putting his arms over the pill ow over his head to block out sound. He soften and poked his eye through a hole between the pillow and the sheet. "Later yeah)"

 

[DeadnotSleeping]

“And yet you insist I treat you as an adult. Fine. But you have to take a bath then when you wake up. If not, I’ll personally see that you would be scrubbed down in one of those stone basins in the basement.” I poke the older boy. “You smell…”


Nie opened his eyes, dazed.


He had to think for a while before realizing were he was… he closed his eyes for a moment. The pain was a good old companion already; it started to not bother him that much. Even the weakness felt natural.


He was still a bit bitter, knowing he was alive still. He asked for release… this was not that. At least it was peaceful…


The dentist tried to move, without much success… it was tiring. Painful…


I perk up, realizing that my liege is awake. I leave the boy to sleep, and sit next to my lord, smiling at him.


“How do you feel, my liege? You should drink a bit…”


He still has a fever, it is easy to see, and he looks worse than before… and I am still hoping. Leaning forward, I touch his forehead.


“Be at ease. Everyone is all right…”


“Is that… so?... Mitchell… was injured… badly… you should… treat him…”


“I am. Do not worry. I am taking care of your sons…”

 

[CharlieBoyyy]

Darius woke up after a bit and stretched and yawned like nothing bad had ever happened.


"Mooornniiinnngggg" he sung, in a somewhat annoying manner.


"So..." He clapped his hands on his knees "did you mention Breakfast "


God. He was always annoying when he woke up. He was a morning person, once he'd gotten out of bed.

 

[DeadnotSleeping]

I jerk, and force a smile on my face as the boy gets up. It is somehow annoying, but at least makes me relieved. I finish refreshing the cold applications on my liege and Mitchell, and get up.


“Yes. Just smallcakes, and vegetable mash first. And hot chocolate or tea, as you want it. But only after you washed up. The water is still warm in that bowl. Come on. I even have a razor…”


Nie smiled, sincerely. Somehow it made his heart easier to listen to that perky voice. He closed his eyes for a moment.


Maybe his sons were really all right…

 

[CharlieBoyyy]

Darius got up and took off his shirt.


"As you wish" he said with a salute. He sat on the floor and began washing himself. The lady was right. It had been a while since he last washed and he stank. "He then proceeded to shave his beard off. It was getting stubbly. He couldn't grow his hair quickly like his brother, who was now beginning to once again resemble a cave man.


"Ma'am. Can I have some scissors. I'm going to cut my hair"

 

[DeadnotSleeping]

My liege has fallen asleep again… I sigh. I’ll make him drink something a bit later… now I’m just happy that Darius consented quite fast.


I nod, looking over the boy. I’ll be better clean this up before Mitchell awakens… but I hand him a pair of scissors.


“Here. Be careful, they are sharp… and here is some towels. And fresh clothes.”

 

[CharlieBoyyy]

"Great Cheers" Darius smiles and expertly cuts his own hair, without really looking much Into the mirror.


Once Cut, he used the razor to shorten it still, and once done it looked perfect.


"See, now I'm Darius. And don't look like poodle head over there." He says with a grin.

 

[DeadnotSleeping]

"Well. I think long hair suits him well. A shiny mane is manly" I smile, looking at the boys. My liege used to have long hair, too, so I might be partial to that... "Help me clean this mess up. Your brother would be very skittish if he sees that..."

 

[CharlieBoyyy]

"He's never been such a clean freak before " Darius queries. "But yeah sure, he's spent a long time cleaning."


He started brushing his cut off hair with his hands and collecting it in his palms.