Amber’s POV


    Mayor Gibson had a car waiting and gestured for me to join him. I had every intention to, but first, I


    turned toward Julian and Alice.


    If the disease affected children, thest ce I wanted Alice to be was near where all the sick children


    were.


    Julian seemed to have a simr idea. We spoke with our eyes, without needing words. He ced his


    hand on Alice’s shoulder and guided her a step backwards closer to him, away from me.


    “Alice and I will go for a walk around town,” he said. “We’ll take in the sights.” When Alice looked up at


    him, an unsure expression on her face, he added, “And get some ice cream.”


    That sealed the deal and she smiled instead.


    Realizing this wasn’t going to turn into a fight, relief filled me.


    “We’ll check in at the hotel and get everything settled there as well,” Julian said. “Meet us thereter.” He


    lifted his cell phone. “But please check in when you can.”


    “I will,” I said, then kneeled down to hug Alice. “Keep an eye on Julian, okay? We don’t want him


    wandering off on us.”


    “I’ll stick to his side like glue!” Alice promised.


    “Good<i>,</i><i>” </i>I said, giving her a smile. Then I let her go, stood, and followed Mayor Gibson to the car.


    The hospital was small, which wasn’t unusual given the lesser size of the pack. Under any other


    circumstance, given the poption, they wouldn’t have need for a bigger hospital, but with this sudden


    pandemic they now faced, the size of the hospital simply wasn’t enough.


    There weren’t enough rooms for all the sick children, so gurneys lined the walls of the hallways, with sick, coughing children resting on them.


    There weren’t enough beds either, so some had to be sat up in chairs, or stretched across a few chairs lined up together.


    It was a pathetic sight and turned my stomach to see it.


    It made me wish I hade much sooner than I had. I should have been here days if not weeks ago.


    But I was here now. I had to keep that thought in the forefront of my mind as I delved into the work.


    The mayor led me <i>to </i>the Head Healer, a middle–aged man who seemed so exhausted, he swayed on his feet. His mind was still sharp though, even if his body needed rest, and he quickly filled me in on


    everything they’ve aplished thus far.


    <b>It </b>wasn’t much.


    If this was a sinking ship, all they’ve been doing is using buckets to scoop the water out. Treating the symptoms was not a permanent solution.


    They didn’t even have a name for the illness.


    What they needed was a cure.


    <b>“</b>You must have some leads on what this could be,” I asked. “Have you done any research?”


    “We haven’t had time,” the Head Healer said. “You can see for yourself how many patients we have. It’s all we can do just to try to keep them from getting worse. But hopefully, with you here now…”


    “Your reputation proceeds you, Healer Amber,” Mayor Gibson says. “If there’s anything you can do to help our children, this pack would forever be in your debt.”


    “I don’t need your debts or rewards,” I said. “I just want to help these kids.” Looking back to the Head


    Healer, I said, “I need you to tell me everything. Every symptom. Every method you’ve tried to hold this


    disease back. I need an extensive list, do not hold anything back.”


    The Head Healer nodded. “Of course. Whatever I can do to help.”


    “Does this hospital have ab?” I asked.


    “It’s a small one,” Mayor Gibson said. “But yes.”


    Good. That at least gave me a ce to think, and hopefully the equipment I would need to work on a cure.


    “Show me,” I said.


    Julian’s POV


    Holding Alice’s hand, we walked down the streets of the small down. We passed through a residential


    neighborhood, with a park. But there were no voices, no childrenughing and ying on the swings.


    The yground was entirely deste, like a monument dedicated to all the sick children.


    Main Street was no better. Stores were closed. Even the bank had shut its doors. Perhaps the adults were


    worried about spreading the mystery illness. If no one knew the cause, they might even have cause to be


    <b>so </b>precautious.


    “Where is everybody, Daddy?” Alice asked me.


    “They are all home sick today<b>,</b><b>” </b>I told her.


    “Everybody<b>?</b><b>” </b>


    “Seems so.”


    Unfortunately, that also meant the ice cream shop was shut tight, with a sign reading ‘closed‘ hanging on


    the door.


    “No ice cream?” Alice asked.


    “I’m sorry, Alice,” I said. I had known they were struggling, but I didn’t realize things had progressed to this point. “Why don’t we just go settle in at the hotel. We can watch some cartoons instead.”


    Children are prone to arguing, especially when the promise of ice cream had been broken, but Alice must have been able to sense something was amiss in this town. Instead of arguing or whining, she just held a little tighter onto my hand and said, “Okay.”


    I didn’t want Alice to be frightened, so I scooped her up into my arms. She giggled as she <i>got </ifortable, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. Her good humor didn’tst long though.


    “What cartoons do you want to watch?” I asked, hoping to distract her. “Or maybe we could rent a movie?”


    “I like the one with the princess…” Alice started but then coughed again. I hadn’t thought much of itst time, everyone coughs now and then. A new ce meant new allergies, so it wouldn’t be unusual for anyone to have a bit of congestion.


    This, however, was more than a simple clearing of her throat. The cough was loud and deep, and wet, as ifing from deep within her chest. She covered her mouth with her hand, and when she pulled her hand back, there was red splotches in her palm.


    Blood.


    Alice was coughing up blood?!


    “Daddy<i>…</i>” Alice said, her voice wobbling. “I don’t feel so good.”


    I didn’t know where the hospital was, and there wasn’t anyone to ask. But I had seen the way the car went, carrying Amber and the mayor. Pointing myself that direction, I started to run.


    Halfway there, fortunately, a police car pulled up alongside of me. Apparently, running wildly while holding a child was not typical behavior.


    “Please!” I said, before the policeman could even utter a word. “My daughter is coughing blood!”


    “Daddy?” Alice asked, her voice weak and afraid.


    <b>“</b>It will be okay, honey,” I told her. Then to the officer, I said, “Can you take us to the hospital?”


    The officer cursed under his breath as he exited the car to open the door to the backseat for us.


    “Not another one,” he muttered. “Get in.”


    As soon as Alice and I were secured in the backseat, the officer went behind the wheel again and floored


    it, the car jolting forward at high speed. The policeman flicked a switch and the siren started wailing.


    Alice continued coughing. More blood.


    I held her, the only thing I could do.


    “It’s okay,” I promised. “It’s going to be okay. Your mom is going to fix everything.”


    I was frightened for Alice, as I was for all the children of this town, but I believed in Amber.


    She would solve this.


    With Alice sick now, she had to.