Strangely enough, Derek knew the moment he saw the young woman that she was different. He felt that there was something mystic and transcendent about her, otherworldly, and he knew that his brother was going to be healed by her—completely and utterly healed—and he felt a sense of hope and anticipation rising in his chest.
Once she pulled the curtain closed, separating them from everyone else in the room, giving them a sense of privacy, the young woman leaned toward Grant and said, "Good afternoon, Mr. Porter. I hope the journey didn't bother you too much. I know riding in a carriage isn't as pleasant as a car, especially with you being so injured and sick like this, but well, we're still very primitive in terms of roads and transportation. I promise, however, that'll soon change. Now then, let's take a look at your injuries, shall we?"
She unzipped the sleeping bag, and after pulling the top away, she removed Grant's clothing with the aid of Tiffany. Once the bandages were removed, revealing the ugly gash which even Derek himself found hard to look at without feeling nauseated, she said, "You're a strong one to withstand this. It's very infected, isn't it?"
Infected? Derek wondered what that meant.
She turned to Tiffany and said, "I need to obtain some samples."
"Yes, of course, my lady," Tiffany said as she handed the young woman a pair of tweezers.
Derek watched as she picked off a bit of the wounded skin and then dropped it into a small bottle.
"Now, I'm going to examine your blood," she said.
Examine blood? Derek frowned, wondering if she was doing a bloodletting like those other healers in the capital routinely practiced on sick patients using leeches. But as he glanced around, he could not find the bloodsucking parasite anywhere.
Tiffany handed her a slim and straight device, which she took at the same time she grabbed Grant's finger. She said, "Just a little prick, all right?"
Pale and frail, Grant nodded.
Derek, as well as his family, watched as the young woman pressed her thumb on what looked like a small nub, and Grant jolted. When she moved the device back, there was a dot of blood on Grant's finger, and Derek realized that the device was something akin to a needle. But he did not see any needle at all. Perhaps it was hidden inside.
After handing Tiffany the device, the young woman gently moved one of her hands, and suddenly, materializing in the air was a magic circle, and Derek froze while his family members gasped in shocked surprise.
"It's magic," Natalie whispered under her breath.
"Magic, Mama," little Cora said. "It's magic."
"Indeed, it is magic," the young woman said, smiling at Cora, who blushed hot on the cheeks at receiving attention.
The woman then squeezed Grant's finger, allowing a little more blood out and letting it drop into the magic circle. Within moments, Derek saw writings in the divine language appearing. The woman then touched those writings and moved them in the air as if by will, which fascinated him.
She said, "As I suspected, you're severely infected with a strand of bacteria." She turned to Grant, a lovely smile on her face. "Isn't it great that Vicky has already identified the strand and is making an antibiotic? As expected, you're also deficient in a lot of vitamins and minerals as well, but of course, we'll get that fixed for you. Now, while we wait for an antibiotic, let's get this nasty-looking thing gone."
What was an antibiotic? Bacterial? And what did she mean by getting that nasty thing gone? Did she mean the wound?
Derek had no time to register what was happening next when the young woman hovered her hand just above Grant's side, and then Derek saw something glowing. Right there before his and his family's very eyes, Grant's gash was closing and his skin healing, and Derek stared in astonishment, until Grant's skin was completely normal. Suddenly, Grandma Liz burst out crying while Grant looked up to the young woman and said, "I'm healed?"
The woman said, "Physically, yes, but you still need to heal inside, too. There are still those nasty bacteria inside your body, and this"—she grabbed the two small bottles that materialized within the magic circle—"should do it." She continued, showing Grant one of the bottles. "This is the antibiotic. Take one tablet a day for the next seven days. You must complete the course to completely heal."
Grant nodded.
"And this one"—she showed him the other small bottle—"is your supplement. Take one a day for the next seven days. You must complete the course as well to fully restore your health."
Again, Grant nodded, still looking very dazed.
"Now, I'd like you to stay in the clinic for the next two days since I want to make sure you're healed properly." She turned to look at the family, a grin on her beautiful face. "Of course, the family can visit during visiting hours." She turned to Tiffany next. "Look after him well, Tiff."
Tiffany curtsied. "Of course, my lady."
The woman turned on her heel then, and Grandma Liz and Grandpa Joel rushed to inspect Grant, who was staring at his side, wondering where that gash had disappeared to as he touched his skin.
Little Cora toddled up to the young woman before she could leave and pulled at her wrist as she asked, "Are you a goddess?"
The woman turned, surprised by Cora's question. She got down on her knees and said, "No, I'm not a goddess."
"But you just did magic," Cora said. "Only goddesses do magic."
The woman tilted her head to one side. "Well, this non-goddess can do it, too." She leaned in close and asked, "What's your name?"
"Cora, goddess," Cora said.
"Not, goddess. Just call me Lady Quinn, all right?"
Derek widened his eyes at hearing the name. He knew it! She was the much talked about Lady Norsewood, Lord Aldric's bride. And it appeared she was blessed with a healing ability, and perhaps more.
"Is she...?" Natalie asked him.
He nodded. "It appears so."
"Oh my," Natalie said. "Lady Norsewood herself healed Grant. We are truly blessed."
At Cora nodding, Lady Quinn said, "Say, Cora, would you like a toy?"
Cora said excitedly, "A toy? Yes, please."
"Then what animal do you like?" she asked.
Cora thought for a moment and then said, "A rabbit. A big one."
She chuckled. "Then a rabbit it is." She lifted her hand, and suddenly, a magic circle appeared. Materializing out of it was a big rabbit toy that looked very soft, like a pillow filled with goose feathers, and Derek and Natalie were amazed. But, of course, they realized that they shouldn't be surprised since the lady could heal using magic.
"It's yours," she said.
Little Cora eagerly grabbed the toy and hugged it against her chest, her eyes bright and her cheeks crimson. "Thank you."
She said, "My pleasure." She turned to young Steven and asked, "Would you like one?"
Steven said, "I'm too old for toys."
She ruffled the boy's hair as she said, "Boys in this world mature so fast, don't they?" She stood, nodded at Derek and Natalie, and then turned on her heel. Pulling back the curtain, she headed toward the other injured person in the next bed.
Derek was stunned and simply didn't know what to think. While his parents were fussing over Grant, inspecting his entire body for any other signs of any injuries remaining that still needed healing and crying their eyes out, since they couldn't believe that their youngest really did survive and was completely healed from a deadly injury, Tiffany said, "Please, the patient needs rest. I assure you my lady's healing ability is beyond compare. And you should be getting your family registered soon before it grows late. I'll ask one of the girls to show you to the registration hall." She turned and called out, "Lucy?"
A few moments later, Derek and his family were following Lucy out the door, heading toward the registration hall. Here, there were still many people about, and his in-laws were among them.
"How's Grant?" Rory asked.
"He's healed," Grandpa Joel said. "He's completely healed, Rory."
"He's healed?" Gemma asked, seemingly astounded. "How?"
Natalie was about to explain when Mark spoke up. "The Porters and the Etons, please."
The families went forward, crowding over Mark and his desk in an instant. Hence, registration commenced, with full names, ages, and genders added to the database, and soon, Mark said, "Your families' units will be on the fifth floor, Block A. Here are your keys." He handed one to Derek and one to Rory. He then turned to look over his shoulder and said, "Can someone show them to their units, please?"
A boy jumped up and said, "I'll do it."
Mark widened his eyes and asked, "Max, what in heaven are you doing here, lad?"
"I want to join the administration department when I grow up, and Lady Quinn said I'll be a fine admin man, or something like that," Max Dodwell said. "So I'm learning the ropes bright and early—whatever bright and early means in this case. I mean, it's not even that bright and early because it's late afternoon already."
Mark looked heavenward. "You're too young, lad. We don't take anyone under fifteen in any departments for work."
"I'm eleven," Max said. "I'm not young. I'm old enough to start learning the ropes."
Behind them, Jacob Morton chuckled and then said, "Let him be, Mark. The lad wants to learn, let him learn."
Mark sighed. "Very well. Their units are A5-16 and -17."
"Units A5-16 and -17, got it," Max said. And to the Porters and Etons, the boy grinned brightly and said, "Follow me, please."
Derek was astonished that they'd let an eleven-year-old boy take them to their units, whatever that was. Then again, everything here astonished him. To say he was culturally shocked was an understatement. Not just him, but his family and everyone who had just arrived, in fact.
At the foyer, Max said, "This is an elevator. It's a small magical room that takes you upstairs instead of you having to climb up the stairs. I really like the elevator. It's the best, especially when you're in a hurry." He pushed a button as he said, "You have to push on this here to tell the elevator that you want to get on and go up or down the floors."
The door dinged and opened, and there were gasps of pleasant surprise all around.
"It's magic," little Cora said.
"This whole place is magic," Max said. "Let's get in." Once everyone filed in, taking up every inch of the space, Max continued. "See these buttons here? They are floor numbers. Your floor is number five, so you push on this one here, the second one from the top."
Young Steven asked, "So the bottom is floor one, the second one up is floor two?"
"Yes, that is correct," Max said as he pushed the button. The door closed, and they felt a little lift, which Max explained, "It means we're moving up." Moments later, the door opened, and the boy walked out. "We're here."
"That quick?" Grandma Liz asked.
"Mm-hmm." Max nodded. "It's very fast because it's magic." He turned on his heel and said, "This way." They followed him as they marveled at the places, noting how grand, new, and luxurious everything was, and the people here and there.
"This is the residential side of the lodge," Max said. "Block A is where we are right now." He pointed to the one diagonally across. "That's Block B and Block C. That there is the common building where the dining hall and kitchen are on the first and second floors. Some of the classrooms are on the third and fourth. On the fifth floor, there is what is called the common room where people go to meet and talk and drink hot cocoa. The adults like it there. There's also the library where people go to read books. There are lots of books there. There's what is called a movie room, too, where there are sofas and what is called beanbags, which I like to sit on the most. Us kids like the movie room the most because we get to watch lots of movies Vicky made for us. We learn lots from the movies, you know. Oh, and there's a rooftop terrace on the common building as well."
He pointed to the place in the distance. "See? Some people go there to eat when the dining hall is too crowded. Oh, and you have to clean after yourself like a good Norsewood Lodge resident when you eat or drink outside of the dining hall because littering is bad. If Grandpa Keith sees you leaving rubbish about and not cleaning after yourself, he'll get mad and make you clean while he watches. He said Norsewood Lodge is sacred ground and should not be tarnished with filth. He also said if Lady Norsewood sees how ungrateful we are and ruining the splendor of Norsewood Lodge, she will abandon us and leave us to suffer again, with no nice food to eat and no soft bed to sleep on, and most importantly, no more movies, so you hear me? No littering."
Derek was taken aback by young Max's passionate demand, and he, as well as everyone else, nodded.