Day 36
This morning was off to an awkward start. It started well enough, i awoke early, bright eyed and bushy tailed. The town hall was alive with talk for the first time since arriving, it would seem as if the Wiganers are finally beginning to warm to their makeshift accommodation. I ate breakfast with them all and went outside for a breath of fresh air, and then began the feeling of malaise. Sat alone on the stairs to the town hall was Professor Fenwick. I tried to scurry past her quickly, not yet ready for confrontation, but as i reached the bottom of the stairs she called out my name. I dreaded for the worst, perhaps Elizabeth had let slip of our plans, or perhaps she suspected me of stealing the box? But the worst i encountered was your average awkward conversation. She pointed out how we had no interacted much in the past few days, of which i agreed. An awkward silence followed soon after and once a few moments had past i quickly made my excuses and scurried off into the city centre.
I would’ve delighted to say that the days conflicted had ended there, however that would be far from the case. I stopped in an alleyway to calm my nerves and think things through when i was approached by a strange man. He was dressed in the clothes of a beggar, bound in linen wraps and with a makeshift brown leather hood. The man seemed far too over familiar for my taste, and as i tried to make my escape he quickly blocked my exit from the alley way, enquiring as to who i was. I figured there was no sense in lying to the fellow and so told him the truth, that i was a doctor and that i was currently staying with some refugees in the town hall. Upon mentioning my occupation his demeanour changed to one of legitimate friendliness, though i could scarcely take my eyes off the spool of garrote wire hanging from his makeshift belt. He insisted he give me a tour, and we spent the day marvelling at Manchester, much like i had the day previous, and talking about our lives. How i’d left my family for a life of science, and he spoke of how he had been saved at a young age by a doctor, and of all the dodgy streets a man of my standing should avoid.
He led me to a long cobbled street crowded with merchants of all kinds, and there i accidentally let slip to him of my work with the infection, and my attempts at making a cure. For a man just learning of the sudden emergence of the great plague he seemed awfully undaunted, and i soon found out why. He led me to a street urchin, selling newspapers. The boy addressed him as Wasp and handed me a paper free of charge, the headline read “Wigan fallen, Liverpool next?”. Apparently the first signs of the infection had begun to spring up in Liverpool as well, and there were already three casualties. I thanked Wasp and the urchin for their help and ran back to the town hall where i confronted Professor Fenwick.
I took Malidia into the alley and told her that i knew everything, about the box, about the limb and about Liverpool. She seemed surprised at first and after a lengthy argument i discovered her intentions. She clarified that she was indeed working on another antidote, but that the process was slow going and she had no wanted to involve me so that i wouldn’t get in trouble. I gladly offered my services and she accepted. I informed Elizabeth and told her that we would begin setting up a makeshift lab in our tent tomorrow and that we would begin working on the antidote as soon as possible, in the hopes of preventing the infection from spreading any further. It feels good to be on Professor Fenwick’s side once again.
-Christopher Earlheim