Welcome to the Plague

"Let's go see him," she smiled. She told a healer she was going to be gone for a few moments but asked that they make sure Khaat's patients, including Emmeline, were comfortable. She motioned the man to follow her and she took him to the elevator and then down to the lowest level of the hospital. The sub basement. Rarely were there ever people here who weren't employees. The hallways were largely empty except for a security guard now and then or staff who were helping with the research.

She got to the very large, imposing wooden door and opened it. The stone stairs going down into the lower levels of the lab were dimly lit but the lower levels were lit up, as Khaat's American friends might have said, "like a new saloon." The lights were dazzlingly bright as staff members worked very quietly but swiftly at her father's direction. And in the midst of it, he was hard at work at his potions table. He added a pinch of an ingredient to a small cauldron in front of him and got a small pop and a puff of smoke.

"Buggar," he sighed. He waved the cauldron away and waved a new one to float in front of him. Khaat motioned her new acquaintance to follow her down the stairs. When her father heard her stilettos on the stone, he looked up. He motioned her to come down. When they reached him, he frowned at her.

"You didn't bring coffee?" he asked.

"Oh, sorry. Your paper bird is in my pocket. I forgot to give it to Hannah. I'll fix it," she said. "I want you to meet someone. He's interested in going after the moonfish."

"Really?" That peaked his interest. He turned his attentions to the young man and offered a handshake. "Robert Lupin, Chief of Staff. And who might you be? "

Khaat watched the exchange between Kirby and her father. They seemed to get along from the outset. Her father enjoyed working with people with keen minds and this seemed to be just his cup of tea.

"Well, then. It sounds like you're set. Just sign the Ministry contract so I can pay you," her father told him. "Then you should be good."

"I have some contracts upstairs in my office," Khaat said.

"Be off with you then, and send Hannah with some coffee," Robert said. "Several gallons ought to do it for this crew." Khaat laughed.

"Several gallons for you?" she challenged.

"No," her father said. "Not my style, and you know it. That's your style."

"I'll send it straight away," she said.

"Good luck, Mr. Byron," Robert told him. "Khaat will keep a good eye on Emmeline for you while you're gone."

"Let's go sign your contract," Khaat said to Byron. He was literally going to go from one end of the hospital to the other. From the sub basement to the top floor. Well, that was one way to get acquainted quickly.

"Absolutely. I'll take you back up to Emmeline, and you can talk to her. I'll go up and get the contract and the owl and bring them back to you. How are you on gear? Do you have enough? Do you have a wizarding tent and plenty of nonperishable food and all of that stuff? If not, we have plenty. I can loan you some. It isn't a problem."

She returrned him to the emergency ward.

"Director," Hannah stopped her. "I took it upon myself to bring Emmalene a dietary sheet in order to give her some guidelines of what and how she might eat with a lot less discomfort. And I had them bring her up a mug of the chef's cheddar cheese soup."

"Good. Thank you," Khaat said. She looked at Kirby. "We are very fortunate to have a five star chef here in our kitchens. The cheddar cheese soup is one of our biggest sellers. Between the tea and the soup, it may have eased her stomach considerably." Khaat was predicting that as lousy as Emmeline felt, it would not be unexpected for her to be getting sleepy if all that distress had finally stopped for her. "Take your time, Kirby," she said. "I'll be back in a moment."

She left him there and went upstairs. She filled out the contract and prepared it for him to sign. Then she went to the owlery. She chose a beautiful barn owl named Milo. He was white with beautiful tan wings. He was one of the best trained in the owlery and he had a tendency to want to be a companion. Serving in the hospital owlery wasn't always well suited to him because he so wanted to be a strong companion. The healers often would walk around with him on their shoulders because he so grieved being alone. And when Khaat took him from the owlery he seemed delighted to be in service. She took a little drawstring back of the owl treats that he liked. They were a sort of a fish cracker. She fed him one and took him downstairs and waited outside the room where Kirby was visiting with Emmeline. She felt that Kirby should take all the time he wanted with her.

One of the healers who spoke to animals helped Khaat relay to Milo that he was going to go with a friend and that Milo was to serve him as a companion and as a messenger. In whatever way he could serve. The owl screeched and flapped its wings. Khaat took it as excitement on Milo's part. She was hoping that this adventure with Kirby might be perhaps something that would fit him better than waiting in the owlery to deliver messages.

Khaat saw Brian coming down the hallway. He was a sight for sore eyes. She had lost two patients already today in the Intensive Care Unit. They'd died of this terrible plague. She was glad to see a friendly face. His smile told her that he had seen that it hadn't been the easiest morning.

He came up to her and kissed her. "Miss me?" he asked.

"I'd love to say yes, but I haven't had time," she smiled. "No offense."

"None taken," he laughed. "But...I have something for you."

"For me?" she frowned.

"You haven't even missed them," he laughed, amused. He reached into the pocket of his suitcoat and withdrew her rings. "I found them in the surgical scrub room earlier, on the sink. I thought you'd miss them eventually."

"Thank you," she said, relieved, as he took her hand and put the large diamond and emerald engagement ring on her hand, along with her wedding ring and the guard that held them together, all fitting into a large cluster of diamonds and emeralds. She had initially found them a bit cumbersome, but he had sworn to her to treat her like his queen. And he had.

"What are you doing with Milo?" he asked her.

"Ah, well," she said. "we have a new searcher. And he needs an owl. I think Milo will be a good fit for him."

"Milo just needs to be with someone," Brian laughed. "Its probably a good thing to send him on a search. Othewise, I was probably going to have to adopt him. Who is this new guy?"

"Kirby Byron. He's just catching his girlfriend up on his plans. I get the feeling he could use a bit of an income," Khaat said.

"Well, I trust your judgement," he said. Then he teased her. "Most of the time, anyway."