Elinore walked down the street, her skirts clutched in one hand to keep them out of the mud, her books tucked under the other arm. She hurried, not wanting to be late. Walking to the end of the street, she turned and climbed the steps of an old schoolhouse, one that seemed unused, but was definitely operating.
This school was the closest a girl could get to studying an actual profession. Most girls her age were already married, some with kids. Being nineteen, she was lucky she was still going to school. Because she was an Aurae, her life was definitely different than most girls her age.
The one room school was filled with kids, most a little younger than Elinore. This was one of the final times she’d walk into this room, and she knew she would miss it. Graduation was only a month away, and then after that, the midsummer night’s festival, where she and the rest of her class would celebrate their new title as full-fledged Auraes.
A couple of other girls stood in a corner, talking. She walked over to them, smiling. Elinore had met Shareece and Elizabeth on their first day of school together, and had quickly bonded. Since that moment, they had been together. “Hello!” she exclaimed happily as she joined the two.
Shareece, the dark haired girl, replied by saying, “Good morning Elinore. How are you today?”
“I’m fine. How about you girls?” she asked. Shareece nodded with a smile, telling Elinore that she was okay. Elinore looked to her other friend; she had auburn hair and lots of freckles across her cheeks. She looked pale today, making the freckles stand out even more. Seeing her red eyes and tired looking expression made her worry. So many people got sick in the colder months, and even though it was spring now, it was still cold, and would be for a few more weeks. Elinore had always known it was just a matter of time before one of the three got sick.
“I’m fine… sort of. Just a cold,” Elizabeth answered, sniffling. I hope it’s just a cold were the unspoken words amongst the three. A cold shiver ran down Elinore’s spine.
“Well, I hope you get better soon. Graduation’s coming up! You can’t be sick for that!” Elinore said, trying to lighten the mood by talking about something positive. Just then, someone behind her began coughing violently. Elinore tried to ignore it, but couldn’t. She turned to see a younger boy standing behind her. Every cough racked his whole body. His face was turning red, and it looked like he was struggling to breathe. The teacher came up and led him out of the building.
“I hope I don’t end up feeling like that,” Elizabeth muttered, her worry plain in her voice.
“You won’t, Ellie. You’ve only got a cold,” Elinore muttered, trying to sound firm to reassure her friend, but she didn’t even convince herself. That was the fourth student who had left the school coughing like that. The first one had died last week, his aura completely drained, with no explainable cause. The other two hadn’t returned. Now, another student was missing from the small classroom.
It was strangely silent in the one room school. No one dared talk about the boy, it was too frightening, but no one wanted to return to their previous conversations and seem like they didn’t care about him.
Eventually the teacher rejoined them, looking tired. She motioned for everyone to take their seats, which they promptly obeyed, grateful for the distraction.
“Students, I have something very important to tell you. No doubt you’ve noticed how many kids have been leaving the school sick. This is because recently a new disease has developed. It’s highly contagious. Those who have it are being quarantined, but we can’t seem to control it, even with quarantining.
“I have a list of symptoms, I’ll have it here on my desk; if you have any of these symptoms, please, let me know right away. Even if you think it’s just a cold. Until we know more about the disease, anyone with any of the symptoms must stay away from other Auraes. All we know now is it seems to drain a person’s aura, and is fatal. I don’t mean to scare you, but we may be on the verge of a plague. Luckily, those without an aura seem unaffected, as the disease affects the aura. That is all.”
Elinore glanced at the people around her, wondering just how many of them would get sick. She had heard of plagues before, and the thought of one happening now terrified her. Plagues were nasty things. The Auraes were young and their numbers few; a plague could wipe them out overnight.
She noticed Elizabeth go to the teacher’s desk, and then she went to the teacher, whispering quietly to her. Then she turned and left the schoolhouse. Elinore noticed as she walked past, she looked like she was on the brink of tears. Does she have it? Is Ellie going to die? Elinore thought. Then another thought had come to mind; she had spent a lot of time with Elizabeth the last couple of days. Was she going to get sick now? And what about Shareece? She too had spent plenty of time with Elizabeth. Would she get sick too? Her thoughts raced with millions of questions for the rest of the day, making it difficult to concentrate on her studies.
Eventually, the grandfather clock in the corner chimed, letting everyone know it was three o’clock. The teacher dismissed the class. Elinore gathered her few belongings and walked out the door. She stayed clear of the other students, afraid that if Elizabeth was sick, and she had gotten it from her, she might make more people sick. She went straight home, where she wouldn’t have to worry about getting sick; the rest of her family didn’t have auras.
Just weeks later, the sickness had escalated to a full-fledged plague. Auraes fell sick left and right, and everyone was getting extremely nervous. Elinore sat in class again, looking over their shrinking numbers. There were only 12 kids left, her and Shareece amongst them. Elizabeth had fallen sick with the plague, as Elinore had worried she would.
The teacher was talking in front of the class, but Elinore couldn’t concentrate. Suddenly the teacher started coughing. Not her too! She stood to help her. Soon after the disease began to spread, the teacher had asked Elinore, because she was the oldest student, to help the students who fell ill if the teacher couldn’t. She figured that included the teacher. Careful not to stand too close, she led the pour woman outside, where she had no clue what to do next.
“Just… go back inside… I’ll… I’ll be alright,” her teacher huffed as she attempted to catch her breath after she stopped coughing. “Please… I don’t want to get you sick.” Unsure of what else she could do to help, Elinore slowly turned back to the school. How many more will I see fall? How are we supposed to stop this? She thought as she stared at the small, half empty room.
“Is she alright?” one boy asked. He was one of the older students. She recognized his dark hair and gray eyes; his name was Densin, one of the kids approaching graduation along with herself.
“She says she’ll be fine. Just a cold. I guess… I guess we can go home early. I don’t know. I doubt she’ll be teaching us any more today,” Elinore answered. Or ever, she added to herself, but then quickly pushed that thought away, unwilling to believe the people that were sick wouldn’t get better.
“Another teacher will be assigned to your school,” a man’s voice said from behind Elinore. She turned towards him, just a bit surprised. He was tall and strong looking, with thick brown hair. He had a short, well-trimmed beard like most men his age, and a thick mustache. All of the hair hid most of his face, but she could see his green eyes. Elinore quickly recognized him as an Aurae when she sensed his aura.
“Do you know what’s going on mister?” one girl asked, sounding a little frightened and confused.
“I do. In fact, I think I may have an answer to this increasingly problematic disease. That’s why I came here, and my timing seems perfect. We need young people with fresh auras to help us in our experiments. Every able bodied person who is willing to help must do their part. I am here to help gather the Auraes. Now, who is willing to help?” he explained.
The room remained quiet for a moment. Then, Densin stood and stated, “I will gladly help.”
“Thank you my boy,” The man said with a wave of his hand, gesturing for him to join him by the door. “And what would your name be?” he asked.
“Densin. Densin Jones,” he answered as he walked to the man’s side. Elinore smiled at the boy’s bravery.
“I would like to help too,” Elinore announced, taking courage from Densin. If it meant she could save her friends who had fell ill, she would do whatever they asked them.
The man nodded. “Anyone else?” Eventually, there were six of the twelve standing by him. He seemed to get more and more excited every time a new person joined them. The other six were unwilling to help.
“Alright, come with me. The rest of you can go home; tomorrow your new teacher will be here.” The man turned to leave. The six kids that said they would help followed him out. “Your parents will be notified. They already know we are looking for volunteers. After today’s work, if you’re still willing to help, then you will move into the facility, and stay there until we no longer need your help. Understand?” Elinore nodded along with everyone else. “Good.”
They walked for about ten minutes. When they reached the edge of the town, the man turned down a path that led to the surrounding forest. After another twenty minutes, they came to a big, brand new building. It had been hastily made, and Elinore could see that the building was actually made out of the surrounding landscape, complete with clumps of grass and shrubs, and what looked like pine needles imbedded into the walls and roof. They must have used Elemental Magics to create it, she thought, recognizing how the land had bended to create the building. I would have liked to see them make it. That would have been amazing.
There were no windows, making Elinore wonder how they lighted the place. She knew that it would be hard to keep the place light enough to work with only candles. The Auraes had left a small walkway of earth that lead to the door. The doorway was small, only big enough for one person to enter at a time. There was no actual door; the entrance was just covered with an old blanket.
The group walked through the entrance one at a time. Inside, Elinore looked around in surprise; the room was as light as midday, though she saw no candles. Looking up, she saw a swirling ball of light that pulsed many different colors floating against the roof. Despite the brightness, it didn’t hurt her eyes to look at it, almost as if the light dimmed when she looked at it. “What’s that?” one kid asked, pointing at the ball.
“It’s our version of the sun. We created it with our auras, so we wouldn’t have to worry about light. As you can see, the building lacks windows, so it was the easiest solution for lighting,” the man answered. Elinore stared at the ball with amazement, wondering how they had created it. “Come along, we have work to do,” the man added, so she reluctantly tore her eyes from the ball of light and followed him and the rest of the group.
Looking around, she saw a large group of Auraes completing multiple tasks. They worked on tables, or at desks, all doing something hastily, their stress and worry clear in their faces and actions. They ignored the group and kept working, obviously very busy. She couldn’t help but wonder what they were doing.
The group followed the man to a smaller room in the back where there were more kids her age sitting on the floor. He told them to join the group on the floor, so she did. After finding a place to sit, she looked around. She knew none of the kids, except for the five that had come with her. After quickly counting, she concluded there were around forty kids.
“So, what do you think they need us for?” A boy next to her asked. She turned to see it was Densin.
“I have no idea,” she answered with a shrug. “I hope we can help though.”
“Yeah, me too,” he agreed.
After a moment of silence, she said, “You know, I noticed back when that guy was looking for people to help, no one seemed to want to volunteer. You were the first one. You gave me the courage to help, and I’m pretty sure you helped everyone else that volunteered. I just wanted to thank you for that. It seemed so easy for you.”
“Oh…” he muttered, blushing a little. “Well, my dad’s a doctor. He does his best to help people. I’ve always wanted to be like him.”
“Well you’re good at it,” Elinore complimented with a smile. He smiled back, just as the man from earlier called for their attention. Elinore turned to listen.
“Thank you again for coming,” he began, “Let me introduce myself. I am Dr. Redro. You will meet several other doctors why you are here. We have been working on a cure for the disease that has been plaguing us for the past month.
“As you already know, we brought you here to help. We needed younger people with fresh auras to help speed things up. Plus, we may have found a cure—which will be explained to you later—but we are having trouble getting it to work. It has to be grafted to an aura, but all of the people we have tried connecting it to have either died, or rejected the change. We have concluded that those with more developed auras can’t accept the change; their aura has already developed its different abilities and the change is too drastic.
“Younger people haven’t developed their aura as much, making it easier for them to accept the change. We are looking for auras with no chosen specialty. Some of you may have that aura. That is why you were brought here. Doctor Ashcroft will explain the cure in more detail.” Dr. Redro backed away and a woman stepped forward.
She was surprisingly tall for a woman, with hazel eyes, brown hair, and a determined, strict look to her face. Elinore could tell that she cared deeply for the people she was fighting to save just by listening to her explain the cure she had helped create. “The cure is what you might call an artificial aura; we created it. The first to have this aura will have to have it grafted onto their current aura, as Dr. Redro explained. This new aura has the ability to take the sick person’s aura, leaving just enough for the person to survive. Then, the Aurae with this new ability can purify the sick person’s aura, ridding it of the disease, and then return the aura to its owner. After plenty of tests, we have proven this outcome.
“Now, all we need to do is give this aura to a person, so they can start the healing process. We plan to give it to multiple people, but only certain auras are compatible. As we speak, Auraes are spreading out through the known world, searching for more people with these auras.” She paused to let this information sink in, and then added “Any questions?”
“How does the purifying work?” One person asked. Elinore too had wondered what it was like.
“It works kind of like a spell. When the one doing the purifying takes another person’s aura, they see the aura in their mind, like you would a spell. The sickness is like a dark, dead spot in the aura. The cure repairs this damaged spot, restoring the aura to health. Does that answer your questions?” The person nodded. “Any other questions?” No one said anything.
“Good, let’s get to work,” Dr. Ashcroft instructed. “To start off with today’s work, each of your auras will have to be tested to see if they may be compatible for the grafting. We will start with that now. Dr. Redro will take all of the boys into that room; all of the girls will stay here with me.”
Next to Elinore, Densin stood up as all of the other boys did. “Good luck,” he whispered to her.
“You too,” she whispered back. She watched all of the boys leave, and then waited for her instructions.
“Alright girls, line up in front here,” Dr. Ashcroft said. They stood and did as they were told. “Now, one at a time, I’ll call you off to the side and scan your aura. We’ll start with you,” she said, pointing to a girl at one end of the line. She walked over to where Dr. Ashcroft was headed. Elinore noticed another woman standing nearby with piece of paper. She seemed to be writing down things Dr. Ashcroft told her.
Elinore silently waited her turn, trying to keep herself occupied by tracing the embroidery on her dress with her finger. After what seemed like forever, it was her turn. She walked over to Dr. Ashcroft and the other lady. “Alright then, I need you to let your aura be free, so I can read it,” the doctor told her. Elinore nodded and allowed her navy blue aura to swirl around her. Dr. Ashcroft’s maroon aura alighted too, and she closed her eyes. A sensation like bugs crawling across her skin washed over Elinore. She tried not to shiver, but the feeling freaked her out.
Eventually the feeling subsided, and Dr. Ashcroft opened her eyes. “You’re aura won’t work,” Dr. Ashcroft informed her.
“Oh,” Elinore muttered, feeling deflated. “Why not?”
“You seem to have quite the proficiency in the Elemental Magics,” Dr. Ashcroft explained. “Don’t worry though, you can still help us, if you are willing. We need more Auraes to make the cure. You could stay and assist.”
Elinore brightened. “I will, then,” she accepted. Dr. Ashcroft nodded and thanked her. Elinore walked over to where the other girls who went before her were standing.
After a little while longer, they were finished and all of the kids regrouped into the first room. As they were told to sit, Elinore looked for Densin, him being the only other person here she knew. She didn’t see him, so she just sat on the side.
She looked over the crowd, wondering where he was. Just then he walked into the room. He stopped and scanned the crowd, looking for someone he knew. His gaze found her and, seemingly deciding she was the only one he knew, he came and sat next to her. He seemed excited; she could see it in his eyes. “My aura will work,” he whispered as he sat down.
She smiled at him, and then turned back to the two doctors standing at the front of the room as they began to talk. “We have a list of those who can help us. The rest can stay to assist in the tests if they want. Anyone who isn’t willing to help anymore can leave now; there will be a man at the door to escort you home. Know that this process is not risk free; there is a small chance that your aura could still reject the change.” She glanced over at Densin, wondering if he was worried at all. He seemed content to risk himself to help others; this, and the fact that no one left, made Elinore smile. She was glad so many were willing to help those who were sick, no matter what happened to them.
Dr. Ashcroft smiled, obviously noticing that no one got up to leave, as Dr. Redro continued. “Thank you again for your help. Those that have been informed that your aura will work, come with me, I’ll escort you to collect your belongings, and set up your living space as you work here. The rest will go with Dr. Ashcroft and others.”
Three days later, Elinore rushed to her work space, already behind, even though she had been working hard all morning. There was so much to do, and so little time to do it. As much of the cure needed to be made as possible, and creating even one drop was a long and grueling process.
She was tasked with storing finished cures or taking them to one of the many doctors. Dr. Ashcroft had just informed her that they were ready to attempt a graft, so Elinore was taking a bottle to the awaiting doctors at the grafting area.
She walked faster, her excitement making her hurry. She thought of all of the people at home and around the world that were sick that she was helping, especially the people she knew personally. Ellinore. Her teacher. Shareece, who she had heard had fallen sick just yesterday. This is for them, she thought as she slipped under the blanket separating the grafting area from the rest of the work space.
She headed over to a doctor standing in the corner. “Here,” she said, handing the doctor the cure.
“Thank you. Could you stay and assist me?” the doctor asked as he took the bottle.
“I was told to, if you need me,” Elinore answered. Even though she was here to help, she felt a little nervous; she knew they hadn’t yet completed a graft, and she really didn’t want to be present if something went wrong. She didn’t know what she would do if something bad did happen.
The doctor nodded, happy for her help, and then said, “Alright, we’re ready; bring him in.” A nurse lifted a corner of the blanket and Densin walked in. This surprised her a bit. She hadn’t expected to know the person they were attempting a graft on. She couldn’t help but wish it was somebody else, in case something did go wrong.
The doctor told Densin to lie on the table in the middle of the room. “We’re going to have to strap you down. It’s just a precaution, don’t be nervous.” Densin nodded, accepting it easily. The doctor wrapped a strap around his arms and legs, pinning him to the table. Elinore couldn’t help but wonder what could happen that would make the straps necessary.
She walked to the side of the table and stood at his side. Densin noticed her and grinned. She smiled back. He seemed nervous, but excited. Suddenly, she was worried. It made her bight her lip, and she had to look away from Densin, not wanting him to see her worry. Instead she watched the nurses prepare silently around her. Why am I so worried? These doctors know what they’re doing. She shook her head, forcing herself to believe Densin would be fine.
The doctor turned to her and handed her some gloves, distracting her from her thoughts. “Here, put these on, and put your hair up. The process tends to get a little messy sometimes; these should protect your skin.” He said it quietly enough that Densin wouldn’t hear him. Elinore nodded. As she quickly pulled her blonde hair into a tight bun on the top of her head and pinned it there, she couldn’t help but think that those sometimes where probably when it went wrong, and probably the reason for the straps. She then pulled on the gloves. They were long enough to cover the cuffs of her sleeves, keeping her hands and arms completely covered.
The doctor stood next to her, studying the bottle. With a sigh, she heard him mutter, “I hope this works. Please let it work.” She could see now that he was nervous. Not a good sign… she thought. “Alright then, let’s get started. Densin, whatever happens, you must follow every instruction I give you, or something could go wrong. Understand?” Densin nodded, looking a little more nervous. She could tell though, no matter how scared he got, he was going to go through with this. She respected his strength, and willingness to sacrifice himself for others.
She moved around the table to stand near the doctor, hoping that she could help Densin. She wanted to tell him that everything would work out, but she wasn’t sure it would, so she just smiled, trying to hide her nervousness.
“Hold this.” The doctor handed her the now open bottle. She took it in one hand and looked down at the swirling liquid. It was a murky green color, and shone with its own light. “Densin, let your aura be free,” the doctor instructed. He nodded, and a blue gray mist surrounded him. The doctor sighed one more time, and then allowed his own aura to come alight. Its yellow glow lightened up the room. One by one everybody else except Elinore stood around the table with their auras alight.
She watched as the doctor reached into the bottle holding the cure and seemed to grab it, his yellow aura swirling around the liquid and holding it in place in his palm.
Together, the Auraes surrounding Densin started chanting a few words in the Auric language. The cure slowly spread from the doctor’s hand to surround Densin in a thin mist, encasing his aura with him. They started chanting a few more words, faster this time. In her mind, Elinore too repeated the words over and over again.
She didn’t realize it, but the power in the make-shift room and the words she chanted had brought her aura to light. It swirled around her, adding to the other’s auras. The doctor glanced at her once, a look of surprise on his face, and then turned back to his work. She didn’t understand the look, but didn’t think twice about it as she watched them work.
As they added the new words, Elinore watched as Densin’s aura slowly started to blend with the cure. As it did, his face contorted with pain. “Is he all right?” she wondered out loud.
One of the nurses standing next to her stopped chanting briefly to say, “This is normal.” She nodded, even though she was unconvinced, and even more worried.
Their chanting changed once again, and the line between Densin’s aura and the cure blurred more. He hissed in pain, squeezing his eyes shut. She reached out and gently placed her hand on his arm impulsively, suddenly needing to stop the pain, to comfort him. He briefly opened his eyes to look at her. As best as he could, he reached for her hand, but the straps prevented him from taking it. She wrapped her hand in his. He held on tight to her hand, needing something to ground him. He squeezed his eyes shut again, fighting the pain. Please let this work, she thought, repeating the doctor’s words from earlier, now with a more desperate note to them. Let him be okay.
As the chanting continued, and the cure and his aura became one, she could tell every second for Densin was pure agony. She squeezed his hand, silently telling him that she was here for him. His breathing became ragged, and he moaned weakly. When he started thrashing back and forth, she understood what the straps were for. She glanced at the doctor, wondering if this was all supposed to happen. The doctor still looked nervous, but determined, so she hoped everything was going as planned.
As the last of the cure and Densin’s aura blurred together, the chanting stopped and he sighed in relief. For a few minutes, he lay still on the table, his eyes closed tightly. The only signs that he was still alive were the warmth in his hand and the gentle rise and fall of his chest. Her heart skipped a beat. “Is he okay?” she asked again.
“I’m… alright,” he whispered, barely loud enough for her to hear. She sighed in relief. He opened his eyes and looked at her. Their eyes met, and she could see the relief in his eyes, and his gratitude. She smiled. Thank you for staying. For being here, with me. She heard the words, but he hadn’t said a thing.
She blinked in surprise. What was that? She thought.
I’m not sure, but I think because you were touching me as the change happened, our auras created some sort of connection. I can hear your thoughts, and you mine, Densin replied.
Oh… She wasn’t sure how to feel about the realization. She panicked for a brief moment, not sure she wanted such a connection with somebody. Hopefully it’ll wear off, she told herself, not wanting to worry about it too much.
I don’t know that it will, Densin told her, surprising her again. She had to try really hard not to jump every time she heard his thoughts in her mind.
Oh… she repeated. She hadn’t expected him to hear that. Deciding they’d figure out the details later, she changed the subject. Well, you’re welcome. I felt I had to stay.
He smiled a little. I know. I felt it. If you hadn’t have stayed, I don’t think I could have survived. That was the worst thing I’ve ever felt in my life.
The doctor moved closer to remove the straps binding Densin to the table, so Elinore let go of his hand and backed up to stand outside of the group of people, up against the blanket wall. Free of the binds, Densin carefully sat up, seeming a bit dizzy. He stared at his aura swirling around his body, which was now a gray green color.
“How do you feel?” the doctor asked. Elinore could tell he was struggling to hide his excitement.
“Sore and absolutely exhausted… but something’s different.” Besides the fact that I can hear your thoughts, he added silently.
The doctor nodded vigorously, absorbing this information, and then pressed for more details. “What else has changed?”
“I feel… stronger somehow… and I can see better; hear better too. It’s like the new aura enhanced my senses,” Densin explained.
The doctor nodded again, smiling. “An extra bonus. It seems that the aura benefits you as well. Now to see if the cure will work.” His excitement was obvious now. He seemed ready to rush Densin off to work, but then he paused, and frowned slightly. “I should give you time to rest first,” he muttered, half to himself. “Take a day or two, and then if you’re ready we’ll get to work.”
Densin nodded. “I’ll be in my room then,” he informed them, and then attempted to stand. He swayed on his feet for a moment, visibly shaking from exhaustion, before falling back down onto the table with a thud. He sighed, almost in embarrassment, and said “It seems like I’m going to need some help.”
“Elinore, take Densin back to his room,” The doctor instructed absentmindedly. He had turned from the two and began an excited conversation with the nurses, already discussing the next graft.
Elinore nodded, smiling slightly at the doctor’s scatterbrained ways. As she walked to Densin’s side, he let his aura fade. She gasped and stopped, noticing another change that she could see now that his aura wasn’t alight, glowing against his skin. He abnormally pale. What? he thought, sounding surprised.
You’re so… pale, she replied.
Really? I wonder if it’s permanent. Is it a bad thing? Am I… creepily pale? He wondered.
Even though he was weirdly pale, she didn’t consider it creepy. No, just really pale. I like it. When she realized what she had just thought, she hoped he hadn’t heard the last part, but she doubted he would have missed it.
He smirked. Nope, I didn’t miss that. She blushed. His smirk turned to a smile. I like it when you blush. He thought playfully. She blushed more, and he tried not to laugh, knowing that the doctor and nurses would probably think something was wrong with him if he randomly started laughing.
She walked the rest of the way to his side. He slipped his arm around her shoulders. She wrapped her arm around his middle to support him. She helped him to his feet and started leading him to his room as he directed her.
As she helped him stay on his feet, she tried not to blush again, still thinking of their previous conversation. She tried to hide her thoughts, but she noticed his grin. She knew he was enjoying her attention. “This is going to be weird, she grumbled.
I know—I’m going to know everything you’re thinking. Even the things you don’t want me to know, he agreed. He seemed to think speaking about their new connection out loud wasn’t a good idea, so she followed suit and spoke to him mentally.
That’s if it’s permanent. I guess if it is, we’ll figure something out. Maybe there’s a way to keep our thoughts to ourselves, she thought hopefully.
I hope so. It’ll be strange knowing your every little thought, and you knowing mine, he agreed. I’ll look into it, after I sleep for a few days.
She laughed a little at the last part. For a few days? Don’t you think that’s a bit long? She teased.
“Seriously, I think I could sleep for two years, if given the chance,” he joked, slipping back to spoken words as to not confuse people with their laughing.
This time, she laughed openly. “I don’t believe that.” He laughed with her.
When she reached his room, she helped him sit on his bed. “Well, I better go. There’s a lot of stuff I still have to do,” she said. He nodded, sinking down onto his bed. She stayed for a minute more, making sure he would be okay. I’ll be fine… Go… ahead and get… back to work, he thought groggily, as if he barely had the energy to tell her.
Okay. Sleep well. As she slipped out the door he was already asleep.
She walked back to the grafting room, not sure what else to do. The doctor was the only one still there. “Elinore, I’m glad you came back. I need to talk to you.”
“I’m listening,” she invited politely, curious as to what the doctor wanted to tell her.
“As we started the graft, I noticed your aura came alight. You were helping us; I could feel your power. You’re lucky nothing went wrong, because you aren’t trained to do the grafts.” He seemed a bit irritated.
“I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t mean too. My aura just did it on its own. I didn’t realize thinking the words was enough to take effect,” she explained apologetically.
“Well, it’s okay now. I think you may have actually saved the boy. He wasn’t doing very well. I could feel the change tearing him apart, like every other graft had done to every other person. Your extra power must have been just what we needed.” She stayed silent, not knowing what to say. After a moment, the doctor said, “I want you to train to help with the grafts; I think you have a gift, Elinore.”
She smiled, “Thank you sir. I will.” Helping with the grafts will be a lot better than helping elsewhere, she thought, excited. Especially if they keep working out so well.
“Alright, I’ll get you a trainer. You can start tomorrow,” The doctor instructed with a smile. She nodded, happy that she could help more.