Chapter 8
The Witch in the Ward
Ailey placed her bag down and moved over to the sink. The sun had already set, but there was still so much for her to do. When she had finally reached the medics’ quarters, they had immediately given her the place where her mentor had stayed. As much as she wanted to begin looking for clues about what had happened to Ester, there was too much for her to do after less than one day in the city. There were about a dozen medics remaining in the city, with about half as many healers supporting them. Three of them were already showing signs of the ailment, and had moved to the area of the people who had only a few days left to live. They would do what they could for as long as they could.
After talking with the undertakers, Ailey had made her way through a city in the grip of fear. To her surprise, the entertainment districts had not ceased to function, giving her some hope that the city would eventually recover from its current despair. She had roamed the streets, looking for the signs that Ester had mentioned, and it was clear that it was more than just the people who were suffering. There was a thickness in the air that seemed to choke all living creatures. Plants hung limp or dead in their pots. The remaining living trees looked sickly, and there were far fewer animals roaming the streets than there had been on the only other trip she had made through the city. That had been more than a decade before, but it was like an entirely different place. She hadn’t been a fan back then, mostly because she didn’t like crowds, but it was certainly preferable to the city that it had become.
Having walked through the streets, occasionally stopping to talk to people about everyday life and getting a better understanding of what was happening outside of the plague, Ailey went to the medics’ area. It was easy to find because they had raised the sign over the largest building where they examined the people of the city.
The long discussions and questions had been exhausting, but Ailey refused to go to her quarters until she had finished an initial assessment. One of the healers laughed as the medic finished, and said that Ester had been exactly the same. A quiet fell over the group, and that was Ailey’s cue. Turning to the healer, she asked to be taken to her quarters.
The healer continued to talk about the plague and what Ester had done. “I was her assist, so if you have any questions, just ask.”
“What is your name?”
The young woman turned, her shiny black hair bouncy with the motion. “Zandra. And I’m not actually a healer, obviously. I’ve been here since the plague struck, and sitting idly by has never been something that I do well.”
“I can understand that,” Ailey said, her eyes taking in everything they passed. “So if you aren’t a healer, what are you?”
“I’m a bard.”
“I hope you don’t mind me saying, but you look a bit young to be a bard who has been here for over two years.”
The woman turned and smiled at her. “Thank you, that is very kind.”
“So what are you not telling me?” Ailey’s tone did not change.
“And you are direct like Ester, too.” She looked over her shoulder. “I hope that means you are as nonjudgmental as well.”
“It depends on what you mean by that.”
“I'm a witch. Not a powerful one, but enough that people tend to be a bit...” Her voice faded.
“Stupid.” Ailey smiled just as Zandra stopped and looked at her.
“Yeah. Well, no, I mean, I can understand the impulse. Thinking about the sorceress and sorceresses that nearly destroyed the planet, there is certainly something to their distrust.”
“You are a little too understanding. Be careful with that. There is cautious, then there is stupid.”
“You aren’t quite what I expected. A bit blunt, but you have a much more tempered outlook than Ester. It’s refreshing.” Zandra stopped at a door and held out her hand. “Here you are. The place is all yours. In the beginning we were sharing, but that isn’t necessary now.”
Ailey smiled at the healer, “Thank you very much.” She opened the door and was about to enter when something dawned on her. “Zandra?”
Zandra turned and looked at her. “Yes?” Ailey noticed the way the light reflected off the woman’s clear blue eyes.
Fighting back the memory that was trying to rise, Ailey asked, “Would you mind assisting me like you did Ester?”
“I can’t help you find her, if that is what you are hoping. If this ever gets resolved, and if I survive, I would like to look for her, but I really don’t know anything more than anyone else. I wasn’t even the last to talk to her. I’m afraid we argued the last time I saw her, and I’ve regretted it ever since.”
“What did you argue about?”
“It’s a long story.” Zandra flashed a weak smile, one that indicated she was embarrassed to talk about it.
“I have time, if you don’t mind.” Ailey opened the door wider.
Stepping away, Zandra shook her head, “I can’t tonight. There are still a few patients that I need to see before I am ready to call it a day.”
“Shouldn’t there be a medic with you when you do that?”
“The patients are in the end stages.”
Ailey nodded. “Give me a couple of minutes and I will join you.”
“There is really no need-”
“I’m not going to press you about what happened with Ester. I want to get an idea of the last stages. Ester believed that the answer was in later stages.”
“I know,” Zandra’s voice was less friendly than it had been. “I’ve been trying to find something, anything, but I just don’t have the background or knowledge.”
Ailey dropped the bag on the floor near the door, then shut it. “Alright, let’s go.”
“But you just got here.”
Ailey walked past her. “That is irrelevant.”
Zandra hurried and fell in step beside her. “But you are probably tired, and seeing what happens at the end can be discouraging to people who haven’t been here long.”
With a heavy sigh, Ailey looked at the healer from the corner of her eye. “What are you hiding now?”
Zandra swallowed. “I use magic to numb the pain.”
“That is very kind of you.”
The healer stopped in her tracks. “You aren’t mad?”
Ailey didn’t slow down as she continued toward the ward where people waited to die. “So that is what you and Ester fought about. She was my mentor, but we had different ideas about magic’s place in medicine. If it helps, I see no problem with it, just as I have no problem using leeches and nightshade.”
“Nightshade!” Zandra gasped.
“Sometimes all you can do is help them pass. But in small doses it also lowers the heart rate and lets you operate. It is a fine balancing act, so I only use it with the patient’s permission. And with full disclosure of the potential risks.”
“You aren’t like most of the medics that have come here.”
“Of course not. The first ones wanted to prove how good they were. When it became clear that it wasn’t a cut-and-dry illness, the ones who were eager to die came. The only people willing to come here now are the serious medics who know that the solution is well outside the norm. We know that the odds are not in our favor, so we damn well plan on making our deaths count.”
“How is that different from the wave of medics who sought death?”
Ailey looked over at the healer. “Because we don’t want to die, but we will accept it as the price to save an entire city.”
“That’s what brought you here?”
“In part. Honestly though, I am pissed that someone would abscond with the woman who could have solved this. I have her notes and know what she tried. Shame she didn’t use all of the resources at her disposal. I plan to, though, if you are willing to branch out a little.”
Zandra gave a little laugh. “If I’m being honest, if it is more likely to get me out of here, then I will try just about anything. Just don’t get your hopes up about what I can do. I’m not being modest when I say my abilities are basic.”
“As a person with no magical abilities whatsoever, anything you do is going to be an improvement.”
“Understood,” Zandra smiled for a moment. Then her expression became serious. “This is it. I can’t prepare you for what you are about to witness, but I can give you a-”
“I was at the last battle of the Cremera War.”
Zandra looked shocked. “You don’t look old enough to have been there. And that is a long way away.”
“I was just out of training and Ester thought it would be good for me to sink or swim.”
“I can believe it. Still, a battlefield isn’t quite the same, even the illnesses that happen afterward.”
“It’s fine. I can handle it if they can.”
Zandra pursed her lips and opened the door.
Ailey splashed water on her face as the memory of the last two hours lurked in the back of her mind. Dressing for bed, she took the notes and a candle to the bedside. Having seen all of the stages, she knew that there was something much worse than just a plague destroying the city. Ester had taught her to look for the abnormal, even when the solution seemed obvious. Missing the little things was one of the things that usually killed patients.
The problem was trying to figure out just what was going on. If the city had been cursed, there really wasn’t much that could be done apart from evacuate it. That would likely take a long time and a lot of convincing. Who could even say if there would be anyone left by the time that was accomplished?
There were hints that it was something else, though figuring it out was well outside of what medics learned in their training. Fortunately, Ailey had access to someone with a different kind of training. It was a matter of figuring out what spells would give her the answers.
Pouring over the notes proved to be more difficult than Ailey had
expected. Her mind seemed to have trouble focusing on the subject at hand. Deciding that fatigue was setting in, Ailey collected the notes and set them to the side. She would need some sleep anyway because the queen had requested the new medic stop by the palace as soon as possible. Blowing out the light, Ailey lay back in the bed. She expected to find it difficult to sleep as her brain wove in and out of everything she had learned.
Instead of going through the events following her arrival, Ailey’s mind went back to the night before. Her body relaxed as her mind replayed the conversation with Ash on the way to the inn. The way he seemed to jump around topics, losing focus as he did. A smile spread across her face as she rolled over on her side. A few minutes later, Ailey was asleep.