Chapter 314
Ann Family Estate. Hospital Section. Sub Level 28.
As soon as the elevator opened, the sterile scent of bleach and alcohol came into his senses first. Fluorescent lights lined the centre of the hallway at even intervals. The only time Gale had been under the Ann Family's estate was when Rachel took him to see her research. Seeing this sublevel, it felt like each floor had its own function.
Moving through the hallways for a whole 4 minutes, to their right was Lily's room, unit 28-62. Rachel pushed open the door without knocking.
Lily was lying in the hospital bed, propped up with a pillow behind her as the bed was reclined up. In her hand was a book with a green cover featuring a crow that decorated the front and a title that read 'A Court of Mist and Fury' in silver letters.
The moment she saw them, Lily shoved the book under her pillow as her face slightly flushed. She cleared her throat first before saying, "Hey guys."
Marine rushed to the side of the bed. "You feeling okay?"
"I'm doing much better now." Lily smiled. "Kind of."
Jeanne moved to the other side, crouching to see what was underneath her pillow. "What were you reading? That cover looked familiar."
"Nothing." Lily forced a smile. "Just something from Rachel's library."
Rachel coughed, drawing everyone's attention as she closed in on the bed. "So what do you exactly mean by getting better? Last time, you couldn't even stand on your own."
"That was only two days ago..." Lily muttered.
Erin floated forward, angling herself horizontally to be parallel with the hospital bed and Lily. "The blessing of the blue moon is in active purge of the affliction, hence, her body is winning the war. The affliction's complete eradication is a certainty, provided the energy transfer is maintained without interruption."
Everyone turned to look at Erin. By now, everyone had gotten used to her floating antics.
"Fascinating," Erin commented, though her deadpan expression showed no sign of fascination.
"How exactly is it fascinating?" Gale asked.
"There's a war inside her?" Kyle asked. "Like Osmosis Jones?"
"Idiot..." Lily commented.
"So is Lily going to live?" Clyde asked.
A magic circle appeared in front of Erin in an instant, aimed at Lily's chest. The patterns rotated slowly like gears, and the slight presence of essence could be felt as Gale tried to understand what the circle was for. But there were too many symbols and patterns he didn't recognize.
"The devouring of the affliction by her blessing is causing the quiet woman's ether pool to expand her pathways," Erin said. "However, in doing so, it is causing her ether volume to become incredibly low. Therefore, she cannot participate in missions for half a year until her body has fully eliminated the affliction and restored its control over her pathways."
"Half a year?!" Lily sat up straighter. "That's too long. I still need to take care of my family. I already miss my mom. And my dad's probably eating junk!"
"That is unfortunate. However, the war in her body is not stable." Erin's circle expanded. "One day, the war within your body may cause only 20% of your ether pool's resources. The next, it might drain 50%."
"And if it drops too low?" Marine asked.
"The affliction will take over completely and destroy her sanity." Erin dismissed the magic circle, fading it out of existence. "However, right now, she has a regenerative blessing cast on her by Lady Esther."
Kyle scratched his head. "Hold on, let me get this straight. Her body is Osmosis Jonesing itself of the affliction?"
"I do not know what 'Osmosis Jones' is. Do clarify your question."
"The idiot is asking how the blessing is able to fight off whatever this affliction is?" Marine said.
"I see. The loud one's terminology is quite interesting. However, you did not listen to my previous explanation," Erin said, turning to Kyle. "The blessing acted as a vaccine. She had prior contact with a similar affliction before, therefore, her body is able to Osmosis Jones its affliction."
"You don't have to say Osmosis Jones..." Rachel muttered.
"Are there any downsides to it?" Marine asked.
"Yes." Erin turned to face Marine. "The timer is set. Should her body run out of resources to produce ether, the affliction will win as it will completely suppress any more ether production."
Gale stepped forward. "So she just needs to eat more, right? Keep her energy up?"
"No," Erin said. "Ether cannot be produced via biological metabolism. Food will keep her physical body alive, but it will not fuel the war happening within her pathways."
"Then how?" Jeanne asked. "How does she get the energy she needs?"
"Your questions vex me. I've already explained everything, yet you repeat questions that have already been answered," Erin said, floating herself back upright. "She is currently in the Ann Family estate, being taken care of by Lady Esther herself. Their regenerative healing properties shall allow her to live through this ordeal. For science."
A pause.
"And for a price."
The door to the room opened.
Esther walked in, her fiery red hair tied back in a simple ponytail. She wore a different outfit, a more casual business like dress that held tight on her body. Gerard followed behind her with a teapot and teacup in hand.
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"Feeling better, Lily?" Esther asked.
Lily nodded slowly. "Thank you for... whatever you did. I can actually think clearly now. And read. I guess."
"Good." Esther smiled. "Every two days, I'll come by to reapply the regenerative blessing."
"About that..." Lily hesitated. "What's the price?"
Esther smiled. "That can be discussed later, once you're fully recovered."
"Grandmother." Rachel growled.
Esther turned to face her, still keeping up with the smiles. "We've already talked about this, Rachel dear. We aren't a charity house."
"But she's a friend that helped me get through the Tomb!"
"She is not family," Esther said firmly. "A friend is just a friend, no matter how precious they are to you. Unless they want to join the Ann Family business?" She looked around the room.
Everyone looked away except Kyle and Clyde, also Gale, but for different reasons. Rachel's mouth kept opening and closing, flabbergasted at what she just heard.
"Is it possible to add Lily's debt to mine?" Gale asked, breaking the silence.
The heat in the room immediately increased as Rachel's head snapped toward him. "Gale, you don't have to do that."
Esther's smile grew slightly wider. "It is possible. However, would either Lily or even Rachel want you to take on such a debt?"
Gale looked at Rachel. Her reaction was kind of... extreme, and the temperature was increasing even further until Erin snapped her fingers once to cool down the room. Turning to Lily, she also made a kind of forced smile.
"I appreciate it," Lily said slowly. "Really, I do. But I want to take my own life with my own hands. I'll pay for it myself."
Rachel sighed, her shoulders dropping.
Gale nodded. Those were his own words to her in the Eclipsed as well. Couldn't really argue with that kind of logic, especially since it was his own. "What about my own debt?"
"In time, the Ann family will call upon you when we need you. It's best you don't think about it now." Esther moved toward the door, glancing back at him while Gerard held it open for her. "This is the second time, after all."
She paused at the threshold.
"Gale is free to stay as long as he wishes. However, the twins and the Blue Witches will need to pay if they want to continue using up a room."
Kyle's hand came up behind Esther's back, middle finger extended. Clyde smacked his hand down before Esther could turn around.
The door closed behind her.
"That old hag," Kyle muttered. "How much is a night anyway?"
"$800 a night. It's not too bad if you wanna stay," Rachel said.
"Fuck no," Kyle and Clyde said simultaneously.
"That was already with a friend discount..." Rachel said.
"Some friend discount!"
"Sorry... I can't do anything about it..." Rachel said, then she turned to Lily, taking her hand into hers. "I'll take care of your parents while you're recovering. If that's okay with you."
"You don't really have to..." Lily trailed off.
"It's the least I could do, right?" Rachel squeezed her hand. "I'll make sure your mom only eats yummy healthy non cholesterol inducing foods while your dad actually eats food."
Lily chuckled a little. "Thanks, I owe you one."
"It's ok. Just treat me to a meal or two later," Rachel said.
Jeanne cleared her throat and turned to Erin. "Is there anything else we can do to help her recover faster? Any treatments or medicines or... anything?"
"There is nothing to be done. The affliction has no cure. Her body must Osmosis Jones on its own. Any external interference would disrupt the process," Erin said.
Kyle tried his best not to laugh, and then finally getting elbowed by Clyde beside him. "Guess we should get out of here before the old hag starts charging us then."
"It's still noon, she won't charge you until after tonight," Rachel said.
"Ain't risking it," Kyle said.
"This is why I hate Aur families," Clyde said, shaking his head as Kyle followed him to the door. They waved at Lily before closing the door.
Jeanne and Marine lingered for a moment, giving Lily a soft hug before departing.
Erin remained floating at the foot of the bed, completely still with a magic circle on her right eye focused exactly on her subject.
"Is that normal?" Gale asked, looking at Erin.
"She did that the whole night last night. Kinda hard to sleep because of it..." Lily said.
"Erin! Why aren't you letting her sleep?" Rachel shouted.
"Silence! The woman of fire does not understand the importance of patient observation," Erin said. "The strength of the Weber Conglomerate is in pharmaceuticals! Her body is ripe with scientific discovery."
Lily shook her head, sighing. "It's fine. I'll get used to it."
"But!"
"Woman of fire! You may depart immediately and leave the observation room."
Gale pulled at Rachel's arm softly. "Wanna go?"
"Sure..." Rachel's eyes narrowed as they darted from the floating bluey to Lily, who forced a smile. "Stupid floating bluey."
"The woman of fire's insults do not faze me. Be gone!"
Rachel stomped her way toward the door first while Gale followed her. As he closed the door behind him, he waved at Lily, and she replied with a wave.
Walking forward through the quiet hallway, it was just the two of them walking side by side in the quiet sterile corridor. The fluorescent lights' buzzing was the only sound that echoed along with their feet tapping on the tiled floor.
Gale stopped suddenly and leaned his shoulder against the wall.
"What's wrong?" Rachel asked, glancing back at him and then moving closer to him.
"I feel so weak..." Gale said. "Yuxuan completely dismantled my fighting style."
Rachel put a hand on his shoulder. "That's not your fault. You don't have much experience fighting against other factions. Or against other humans, for that matter."
"I know, but..." Gale stared at the floor. "My parents taught me more than that. They taught me how to fight... all kinds of styles. How to hunt and kill."
"Hmmm," Rachel smiled softly. "Can a 12 year old boy, or younger, really be taught how to kill effectively against real people? Maybe they just taught you the basics, and you know what, that's fine."
"I know but..." Gale said slowly. "When the Jiuling and Path agents were about to fight it out, I just wanted to leave. But those things Yuxuan said... I don't know. It made me really mad. I don't know what came over me."
"That's what happens when you start caring about people." Rachel reached out and placed her hand on his arm. "Lily is a friend, right?"
Gale nodded.
"If anyone else gets hurt, you'd do the same thing. You'd throw yourself into danger without thinking, just like you did today." Rachel squeezed his arm gently. "You also made us go through hell to rescue Clyde back in the Eclipsed. And you know what? We'd do it again with you. Every single one of us."
She moved to stand in front of him, forcing him to meet her eyes.
"Don't doubt yourself, okay?"
Gale looked at her. The way she said things, it was like she always knew what he was thinking. Like she was able to just easily create the words that he was feeling and what was happening in his head.
He pulled her in for a hug.
Rachel stiffened for a moment, surprised by the sudden contact. Then her arms came up and wrapped around his back, pulling him closer.
For a long moment, they stayed like that. The sterile hallway's scent disappeared as the fiery smokey texture of her hair was right beside him. And actually, he kinda liked that smell. It wasn't the rancid scent of a campfire that had no meat cooking. It was more like the scent of pure fire. Yet all of that faded into the background as he felt her soft steady breathing sync with his.
"Thanks for being there with me," Gale whispered.
Rachel's arms tightened around him. Her body temperature rose, the heat radiating off her skin in waves that would have been uncomfortable for anyone else. But Gale held on.
"Always," she said softly, pushing him away gently as her hands lingered on his shoulders before dropping to her sides.
He noticed her cheeks were flushed, though maybe it was from the heat that she created herself. Which reminded him, he still needed to ask about that.
"Um... about the heat-"
Rachel cleared her throat. "We should really get some sleep, right? We haven't slept in two days."
"Only two days?" Gale asked, completely forgetting what he was just about to ask. "Felt kinda longer than that."
"Felt like a week, but Lily did say it was only two days."
"Am I sleeping in the blue room?" Gale asked.
"Yup."
"You wanna sleep there too?"
"S-sure... I just need to do my night routine first, though."
"Sure, I'll wait for you. I'll sleep on the floor."
"Why not the bed?"
"The floor is more comfy."
"Really?"
"I still have to tell you the rift me and Erin went to. The stone floors were so comfy there."
"Don't tell me, Erin slept while floating horizontally."
"She did! How did you know?"
"Just a guess."