Disclaimer: If you recognize it from somewhere else, it's not mine. This story is written for entertainment purposes only.


Wyatt leaned back in his chair, quietly observing the room around him, the meal sitting on the small table in front of him momentarily forgotten. The cafeteria in the basement of the hospital was a perpetually bustling place, regardless of the time of day, though the makeup of the group of diners varied depending on the hour. At the moment, the lunchtime rush of outpatients and hospital visitors was gradually dying down while the stream of doctors in their dark blue scrubs and white lab coats and the purple-clad nursing units was slowly trickling in, taking what minutes they could to grab a bite to eat or a quick cup of coffee. Medical students dotted the large room as well; their status depicted by their lighter-blue scrubs and shorter lab coats. A few hospital visitors still remained, mostly those who were staying with a family member or friend who was hospitalized, and he exchanged a brief smile with a young man sitting a few tables away that he recognized from the third floor.

DG's condition had remained remarkably stable the past few days, her temperature hovering in a low-grade fever that still left her constantly exhausted, though the waves of pain had settled enough that the medication she was on could keep them under control. She was in a persistent state of discomfort, however, as her body fought to regulate her temperature; the past two nights had been spent pulling the blankets over her shivering frame when she had kicked them off in her sleep, and they had needed to change her gown and sheets several times after they had been soaked through by her feverish sweat. Still, she'd been able to get out of bed and walk around each day, something that both Ivy and Doctor Gabriel had been insistent upon, and her appetite had returned enough that she was able to at least get some food down.

Which reminds me. He glanced at the clock on the wall and hurried to finish his food. He hadn't planned to even leave DG's room, but the princess had been sleeping and Raw promised to sit with her while the Tin Man went for a bite to eat. It was a system, he supposed, that he and the Viewer had fallen into. It was obvious that DG was more comfortable when she knew that Wyatt was there, and as such he only left her side when she slept, even though he preferred to not leave at all. Raw understood the connection that Cain and DG shared, and was never put off when the princess asked him where Wyatt had gone. He would merely hold her hand and comfort her until the Tin Man returned from wherever he was, and then would step aside and go elsewhere in the hospital to see if he could be of help.

Cain swiftly stood up, dropping his trash into a garbage can and leaving his tray on the stack ready to go back into the kitchens. Waiting by the elevator out in the hallway, his eyes scanned over the bulletins posted on the wall nearby. There was nothing of importance, as far as he could tell. A carnival for the patients in the children's ward was coming up in a few days, and a book sale benefitting the hospital was scheduled for next week. His brow suddenly furrowed as his gaze fell upon a sheaf of bright red posters that had been fastened to the wall, and he fought to keep his breathing steady as he walked up closer, cursing silently as he found himself staring back from a black-and-white photo alongside similar snapshots of DG and Raw. Reaching out, he pulled one of the "Lost" posters from the wall, trying to keep himself from snatching the entire stack and tossing it in the trash.

"You heading up?"

"Huh?" he turned toward the voice, recognizing the young man he had seen before holding the elevator doors open.

"Were you waiting to head up?"

"Oh, yeah, thanks," he muttered, his mind racing as he tried to keep his face hidden from the other man, every nerve suddenly on edge.

"No problem," the younger man stepped back as Wyatt entered the elevator, seemingly unaware of the Tin Man's dilemma. "I've seen you up on the third floor a few times, figured that's where you were going."

"Right, you're at the other end of the hall from us."

"Yes sir, the name's Asa Mercer," he extended his hand to Cain.

"Wyatt Cain," he tentatively shook the man's hand. "You're here with your daughter, right?"

"I am. She caught the blazerash before she could get the vaccine for it, so we had to bring her here."

"I'm sorry. How old is she?"

"She just turned five, so the doctor thinks she has a good chance of getting through it. How about you?"

"It's my wife that's sick. They're not sure what it is, so we're just trying to keep her comfortable until either it passes or they can figure something out. I'm just glad we were near the town when she got sick." At Asa's questioning glance, Wyatt sighed. "Our home was destroyed during the sorceress's rule, after she found out we were part of the resistance. We're having it rebuilt, but in the meantime we've been travelling. She wanted to see other parts of the realm."

"Where are you from?"

"Ronlin, though we just came from farther north."

"Don't suppose you've seen them on your travels, have you?"

"Who?"

"Them," the younger man nodded at the poster Wyatt held, and the Tin Man glanced at it again, trying to keep his eyebrows from knitting in confusion.

"Hard to say, we've met so many people in the past few months. Though it says they've only been missing a few days, and we didn't encounter anyone who looks like them."

"Rumor has it that they were kidnapped by rogue Longcoats."

Cain forced himself to chuckle. "Well, we haven't encountered any Longcoats, either. Things have been so quiet I'd guess that either the rumors are wrong or the Longcoats are just biding their time."

The elevator finally came to a stop, and the doors opened. Wyatt managed to hold back a sigh of relief as they stepped out onto the third floor and turned their separate ways, nodding to each other, though he came close to running for their room and locking the door behind him. He knew he had to keep calm, though, if for nothing else than for DG's sake, so he folded the paper up and stuck it in his pocket, planning on bringing it up with Ivy as soon as he could so they could get out of Farthin City the first chance they had.

He frowned slightly as he entered their room, realizing that Raw had disappeared. A tray holding a half-full glass of juice and an empty bowl sat on the table next to DG's bed, though the only other sign that the princess had stirred since he left was the fact that she was lying in a different position.

"Raw was needed down in the ER," her quiet voice broke the silence, her hand coming up to rub at her eyes as she glanced tiredly at him. "He said you'd be back soon, so I told him to go ahead."

"Was I back soon enough?"

"Yeah," she smiled slightly as he sat down next to her, brushing a few stray hairs from her eyes.

"How are you feeling?"

"Still tired."

Cain's hand gently framed her face, his thumb brushing her temple. She was shivering slightly, though her hospital gown was damp with sweat.

"You want to call Jenna in?" he murmured. "We'll get you cleaned up and changed into a dry gown?"

The girl nodded, and he reached over to the wall to hit the nurse's call button before he carefully helped her sit up and bring her legs over the side of the bed. She grimaced at the movement, a quiet wince escaping her before she could stop it. "Deege?"

She glanced at him, uncertainty written across her face. She had been up and out of bed a number of times since they had arrived at the hospital, but her pain hadn't flared up in two days. "It's okay, darlin'," the Tin Man sighed, leaning over and kissing her temple. "We'll tell Jenna that we need to change the dosage again."

"No," she said, shaking her head tiredly. "It's fine for now."

Wyatt opened his mouth to argue, but decided against it. He could understand DG's reasoning, at least he thought he could. With the outcome of her illness so uncertain, pain reminded her that she was still alive. It gave her the strength to keep going a while longer.

The nursing unit breezed in, carrying fresh bed linens and a dry gown for DG, and with a practiced efficiency she unhooked the princess from the array of machines that lined the wall by her bed, giving her one more boost of the painkiller before unplugging the I.V. tubing and flushing out the port in DG's hand. Cain took up the new hospital gown and tucked it under his arm, then steadied DG as she stood. The girl's legs shook as they made their way to the small bathroom, her muscles weak from lack of use, but the grip she kept on Wyatt's hand never wavered.

Closing the bathroom door behind them, the Tin Man helped DG sit down on the wide edge of the bathtub and knelt down to turn on the taps. Once the water warmed up, he dropped the stopper in the drain, his gaze turning to the young woman sitting beside him. Knowing they needed to uphold the charade that they were husband and wife did little to prevent the pink tinge shading his ears. Anyone, including the nursing units, could become suspicious if Wyatt left DG alone too much, even in the name of propriety. DG's cheeks colored slightly as well, though she was thankful he was still willing to help her regardless of how uncomfortable he might have been with it. But they had gone through this at least once in each of the past few days, ever since her doctor decided that she should get out of bed and walk around as she was able to, and they were at least familiar with how to make it best work if not completely at ease with it.

While they waited for the small tub to fill, Cain handed her one of the large towels that hung on the wall. Waiting until he turned his back, she shrugged out of her hospital gown and wrapped the towel around herself, carefully covering the electrodes and wires that still clung to her chest so that they wouldn't get wet. Toeing out of the bright blue skid-socks the hospital had given her, she couldn't help but smile a little. Parallel universe or no, some things never changed.

"Okay."

At her quiet voice, Wyatt turned back around and helped the princess turn so her feet rested in the few inches of water in the tub. He turned the taps off and reached for a washcloth he had left there the other day, soaping it up for her and simply keeping a steadying hand on her shoulder as she ran it over her feverish skin. It was only a few short minutes before she glanced at him, silently asking for help as her unusually bright eyes told him that the virus was quickly gaining strength again. Even just sitting up straight was taking its toll on her, and he couldn't miss the pain that flickered across her face as he rinsed away the last of the soap and washed her hair. Pulling the plug out of the drain, he grabbed another towel and quickly helped her dry off, trying to fend off the chills that were certain to run through her otherwise. He held the clean gown up for her as she slipped her arms through the sleeves, tying it in the back before reaching over to the sink to pick up her brush.

"You doin' alright, darlin'?" he asked quietly, rubbing the towel over her head again before carefully brushing through the tangles in her damp hair. She nodded, but raised a shaking hand to her mouth as her small frame convulsed with a coughing fit. Her chest gurgled, the sound growing louder as her lungs fought to get rid of the offending gunk, and he gently rubbed her back. "That's it, Deege, cough it up and spit it out." She finally leaned over, spitting into the tub as the last of the bathwater drained out, her flushed face drawn as she held her sides.

"That hurt," she whispered. Cain's brows knit together; that kind of pain hadn't happened before.

"How does it hurt, Deege?"

"Like . . . like something's wrapped around my chest too tightly." She rubbed one hand over her ribs. "It hurts to breathe in. Kind of like how it felt after the Grey Gale."

Wyatt was taken aback by the idea, though more than that he felt a twinge of guilt. He never wanted DG to remember the incident, and would have gladly taken away the memory of it if he could. Particularly now, when they both had better things to think about than the last time her life had been in danger. He sat down next to her, gently wrapping one arm around her and letting her lean against him, her head resting on his shoulder. Having her so close, he could hear the slight wheeze to her breathing; another problem they hadn't had before. After a few minutes, he kissed the top of her head, gently rubbing her side.

"Let's finish drying you off and get you back to bed."

"Can we go for a walk first? I'm not ready to go back to bed yet."

"I don't know if that's the best idea, sweetheart. You're startin' to get sicker, and your body needs to rest. I'll pull a chair over to the window and you can sit there for a while."

DG sighed, and Cain twisted his head so he could kiss her temple. "I know it's not the same, but we'll open up the blinds and let some of the sunlight in. I just think it's best if you take it easy."

The princess nodded. Wyatt kneeled on the ground and steadied her as she turned and set her feet on the tiled floor. He dried off her legs and put her skid-socks back on, then supported her under one arm as she stood. The towel she had wrapped around herself dropped to the floor, and he left it where it was; he'd pick it up later, he didn't want DG to try standing on her own just yet. Stepping back out to their room, he glanced around quickly, spotting one of the large armchairs that inhabited the space already waiting by the window, and he carefully led the girl over and helped her sit down. DG slouched against the low back of the piece of furniture, her head practically rolling forward and her chest heaving as though she had just run for miles. One quaking arm wrapped around herself, her eyes squeezing closed as a pained whimper finally escaped. Cain crouched down in front of her, his hands moving to gently brace her ribcage. "Deege, look at me," he murmured, catching her gaze with his when she was finally able to open her eyes. "You don't have to talk. Is the pain like it was before? Do you feel it all over?"

A silent nod was the only response she could give, and Wyatt carefully rubbed her side. "Alright, I'm going to go call Jenna back in, and we'll get either Doctor Gabriel or your aunt to come in here. Take a minute to catch your breath, but then I'm goin' to move you back to bed." She nodded again, her eyes falling closed again as the faint buzzing noise in her head increased volume into a high-pitched whine, the muscles leading down her spine tightening even as she sat there. Cain's touch disappeared, and she heard his voice talking into the nurse intercom though his words were muddled by the pounding in her skull. Then he was back at her side and carefully lifting her into his arms, an action that had her biting back a cry of pain. Her ribs felt as though they were broken, every inhale was a fight to take and every exhale felt as though that invisible bandage was being wrapped even tighter. "Easy, darlin'." His quiet reassurance made it through as he laid her down in her bed, pulling the blankets over her as his hand found hers. It was more on instinct than on conscious thought that her grip tightened around his as another rasping cough racked her lungs, and she was vaguely aware of him telling her to open her mouth, then the rubber suction bulb they hadn't had to use since their first day here was clearing away the viscous gunk she had coughed up.

Then there was a second voice, followed by a third, and a gentle hand resting on her shoulder as a cold stethoscope was held to her back. She forced her eyes open, tried to hold onto Cain's face as Jenna carefully pulled the tangle of wires connected to her chest up through her collar and reconnected them to their respective machines. A cool wave washed through her as the I.V. drip was hooked back up and turned on, and the throbbing pain calmed enough that her grip was able to relax around Wyatt's hand. He never took his eyes away from hers save for a time or two, when he turned away to answer a question. She thought she saw a flicker of uncertainty cross his face, but he nodded in response to whatever he had been asked, his free hand coming to rest on her forehead before gently stroking her hair. "Get some sleep, Deege."

She wanted to argue, tried to shake her head. "It's alright, darlin'. Let yourself sleep, I'll wake you up."

Her brow furrowed at that, but his words had the same effect on her that they'd had before.

"Promise?"

"Promise."


Wyatt scrubbed a hand across his face, his gaze falling on the tiny digital clock that took up the top-right corner of the heart monitor screen. Eleven forty-three. Despite the few hours earlier that day that had everyone walking on eggshells as the virus had quickly re-established its hold on DG, as the afternoon had worn on and faded into evening and the young princess had slept soundly, the nerves of everyone involved with her care had gradually settled.

Her breathing was still labored, the wheezing more noticeable than it had been that afternoon; a problem whose source had been found after chest x-rays and CT scans, but a problem that could not be solved. The Tin Man traced his fingers over the sleeping woman's forehead, tucking a few longer strands behind her ear and gently adjusting the plastic tube that fed oxygen into her nose. Her temperature had gradually increased over the course of the day, though the feverish dreams that had plagued her before seemed to have completely disappeared.

He hated to wake her up. After she had dozed off while he was talking with Doctor Gabriel, discussing what they needed to do next, she had woken up as they were prepping her for her chest scans and stayed wide awake throughout, trying to keep him within her sight. He had stayed as close-by as he was allowed to be, and her hand had closed around his the first second it could and hadn't let go until she fell back to sleep.

In all, she'd really only slept for six or so hours. She needed more than that, if this wave of the illness was anything like the last. But he had promised her. His fingers went to her wrist, checking her pulse as his thumb brushed over the back of her hand, his other hand resting on the pillow by her head and gently stroking her hair.

"Deege?"

Her brow furrowed slightly at his voice, but beyond that there was no sign that she had heard him. "Sweetheart, can you wake up for me?" There was a slight hitch in her breathing, echoed by the pulse at her wrist and the monitors tracking her heart and lungs; a moment where the beeping wasn't so regular, but then it passed. "Come on Deege, I need you to wake up."

Her eyes squeezed closed more tightly for a moment, and she started to turn her face into the pillow, but the bright blue orbs finally opened, blinking uncertainly and taking a moment to focus on him in the dim room. He smiled, his hand moving so she could hold it. "Hey, darlin'," he murmured.

"Hey," she whispered, her chest straining in the effort to take another breath. "What time is it?"

"About quarter to midnight. You don't have to stay up, go on back to sleep."

She shook her head, an action that almost wasn't there.

"I'm okay."

"Alright," he nodded, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. "Can I get you anything?" He glanced at the small table sitting next to her bed. "They brought a tray in for you earlier, must have cast a spell on it or somethin' cause the broth's still warm. Are you hungry?"

"Not really." One arm wrapped around her chest as a cough racked her lungs, her eyes watering in pain.

"Alright, Deege, I know it hurts." He rubbed her arm reassuringly. "You need another booster of your meds?"

She nodded mutely, her shaking hand reaching up to brush the tears away. Cain turned his gaze to the I.V. pump, glancing over it for a moment before spotting the right button. With the new symptoms she was showing and the effect the Codenerol could have on her breathing, DG had been put on a new pain medicine. It wasn't as strong as the other had been, so she was allowed a few boosters every hour along with the continual drip through her I.V. port. She visibly relaxed as the painkiller flowed through her, but her face was still drawn with exhaustion. In the diluted light from the hallway that filtered through the door's plate-glass window, Wyatt could see the glitter of a small tear as it trickled down her face. "Darlin', what is it? What's wrong?"

She blinked rapidly, an almost-fierce set to her jaw, as though she was determined to keep the oncoming tears at bay.

"Tomorrow's the tenth day, isn't it?" she whispered hoarsely, her arm wrapping back around her ribcage as her breathing hitched in her chest. Cain sighed, silently cursing the gods for the hundredth time for putting the young woman through this and berating himself for telling her how the virus worked. She had been nervous about that tenth day ever since, and it had begun to wear on her.

"Yeah, it is," he replied, reaching over to gently rub her back. "How'd you know?"

"You and Aunt Ivy have gotten quieter, and . . ." she was cut off by another rasping cough. "And Raw . . . Raw gets this look in his eyes whenever he sits with me." She took another wheezing breath, shuddering as she fought to keep her emotions at bay, though tears were falling freely onto her pillow. "Wyatt, I'm scared."

Gods, how he wished he could lie to her. He wanted so much to be able to look into her eyes and tell her everything would be fine. But that promise was one that no one could keep.

"I know, sweetheart, I know you're scared. I am too. It's hard not knowing what could happen, it's always harder not knowing," he leaned over and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "But you're strong, Deege, you're one of the strongest people I know. I don't know of many slippers who can get thrown into a world completely different from their own and save an entire kingdom in the course of a week."

A wan, watery smile crossed the girl's face. "I had you . . . and Glitch . . . and Raw."

Cain nodded. "Sure you did, but I vaguely remember you telling me that on no uncertain terms did you need my help."

A sound that could have been a chuckle escaped her, though the effort it took to breathe was quickly taking its toll on her already weak body. "Can you imagine how . . . lost I would have been if Glitch and I . . . hadn't found you?"

"You'd still be walking around in circles," he chuckled, allowing himself a grin.

"And you'd still be locked up in that metal box," her tired gaze searched his. "Letting you out of that goofy thing . . . was the best decision I ever made."

Wyatt didn't say anything for a moment, just let himself see her. Her blue eyes had taken on a deeper hue in the dark room, and though they were glassy with unshed tears they were also shining like two perfect sapphires.

"Can I ask you to make another decision for me, Deege?" he finally asked, taking her hand in his as he reached into the pocket of his duster, which he'd tossed over the back of the chair after a trip to town the other day. Her eyebrows knit together, her confusion obvious even over her exhaustion, but she didn't say anything as her hand tightened around Cain's when she saw the small box he took out of his pocket. "I told you before that I knew I loved you the moment I realized that Zero was coming after you, but it all started that day you let me out of that tin suit. You brought me back to life that day, you made me care about something other than my own need for revenge, and even then I knew that as long as I knew you my life would never be the same. I already made a promise to you, Deege; I promised that you would never be alone through this whole ordeal, and that I'd always be here for you. I believe that you are strong enough to get through this, and I'm hoping that once this fight is behind us you'll make me the happiest man on either side of the rainbow and marry me." He carefully opened the hinged box, and the light thrown from the hallway glinted off the simple silver ring and the tiny heart-shaped diamond that adorned it.

No way had he just asked her that. DG's tired mind scrambled to catch up with what had just happened, her gaze flickering between Cain's ice-blue eyes and the perfect, simple ring he was holding. Her mind had to be playing tricks on her, as some cruel side effect of either her illness or the medication she was on. But the longer she stared, the more she convinced herself that it was true, that Wyatt, her best friend and the man that she loved more than anything, wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, that he loved her enough to ask for her hand despite the uncertain future. She finally nodded, still half believing that it couldn't be true, but when the biggest grin she had ever seen nearly split the Tin Man's face in half and he slid the ring over her finger she found that she couldn't help but believe it. She held tight to his hand, not wanting to let go for anything, but when he leaned over and planted a gentle kiss on her lips she wrapped her arms around his shoulders before he could pull away, holding on to him in the strongest hug she could muster. He moved to sit on the edge of her bed, helping her as she struggled to sit up and letting her lean against his chest, trying to ignore the slight jump her heart's tempo took at the movement. They sat there for some long minutes, his hand ghosting over her hair as she listened to his heart pulsing next to her ear. When her breathing slowed, however, and she began leaning into him more, his gentle touch became more soothing as he let her drift into a light sleep.

"Lie down and get some sleep, darlin'," he murmured. "I'm not going anywhere."

She nodded slightly, but she held to him tighter for another moment.

"Will you lie down with me?" she whispered, the wheeze in her voice barely noticeable.

"Sure, Deege," he replied, kissing her temple. He helped her lie down, then stood and went around to the other side of the bed. He sat down on his cot for a moment, pulling off his boots and setting them on the floor before climbing onto the bed and lying down next to her, wrapping his arm loosely around her. She turned onto her side so that her back was facing him, her movements sluggish with exhaustion, but she gently tugged on his arm to get him to move closer. He scooted up behind her, and her arm rested on his.

"I love you, Wyatt," she murmured, sighing quietly as she finally drifted into sleep.

"I love you too, darlin'."


The quick shudder he felt under his arm pulled him out of the fog of sleep, and he propped himself up on his free elbow so he could rub his eyes. The room wasn't any brighter than it had been when DG had fallen asleep, and when he craned his neck up to check the time he wasn't surprised to see that it was barely four in the morning.

He hadn't been sleeping. Not really, anyway, just dozing; he wanted to stay awake in case DG woke up and needed him for something. Her arm tightened over his when it felt like he was moving away, and his gaze fell to the young woman. Her tired eyes were wide, almost in fear, and he wondered how long she had been awake.

"Deege? What's wrong?"

"Bad dream," she whimpered, her breath hitching in her chest, her grip around his arm tightening again.

He leaned over and kissed her temple, his thumb grazing over her wrist.

"It's okay, darlin', it was just a dream," he laid back down, resting his forehead on the back of her head. "You're alright, I'm right here."

She nodded, and the room went silent for several long minutes. He half expected her to fall asleep again, but her constricted breathing never calmed down even as they laid there. When her chest suddenly lurched and she nearly doubled over with another painful bout of coughing, he had to keep from tightening his embrace around her, instead sitting up and gently rubbing her back as tears streamed down her face. "Alright, Deege, cough it up and get it out of your lungs, let's get you another booster."

She managed to shake her head, holding tight to his arm as he moved to get out of bed. Caught between what the princess needed and what she wanted, Cain barely noticed a quick motion out of the corner of his eye until Raw strode around the bed and, taking a quick look at the I.V. pump, hit the button that allowed the healing medicine to flow. "Raw," the Tin Man's voice was urgent as DG began gasping for breath between coughs, and the Viewer quickly grabbed the rubber bulb as Wyatt cradled the young woman's head in his hand, holding her mouth open so Raw could clear out the viscous substance that threatened to choke her. Her throat finally cleared, the empath took her hand as her cough calmed, though her chest strained harder than ever to keep breathing. "You're okay, Deege," Wyatt murmured, exchanging a look with Raw. "Just breathe, you're alright." His free hand ghosted up and down her back, stopping to gently rub the back of her neck, and he glanced back at their friend. He hadn't even noticed when Raw had come back from his usual rounds around the hospital. "Thank you, Raw."

"Cain welcome. Raw stay here for while, DG wants to have friends close-by," the Viewer purred, though there was a troubled look in his dark eyes. Cain nodded, carefully settling down on the bed and holding himself close to DG.


It was another hour before Raw finally went to bed, but DG was still awake though Wyatt could tell she was struggling to stay that way. Her breathing had finally slowed down enough that he had stopped worrying as much about it, but it was obvious she was still fighting to take each breath. He kept his embrace around her as loose as he could, though she held her arm tightly over his.

"Deege," he murmured, propping himself up on his free arm and planting a kiss on her temple. "You need to try to get to sleep, darlin', it's not good for you to force yourself to stay awake."

"I can't," she whispered.

"Sure you can. I know you're scared, but I'm right here and I won't let anything happen. I'm not going anywhere." He watched as she blinked tiredly, her fingers twining with his, and he sighed quietly. "What can I do to help you sleep, darlin'?"

"Talk to me . . . I want to hear your voice."

"What should I talk about?"

"The story you told me . . . about the horses . . . where did you hear it?"

"That was somethin' my mother used to tell me when I was a boy, and I would tell it to Jeb when he was young. The story's been around for generations," he squeezed her hand comfortingly. "You lookin' for another story?"

"Maybe . . ." her voice trailed off for a moment. "It's silly, though."

"That's alright, there's nothing wrong with wanting to know something, even if it does seem silly."

The girl hesitated for a while longer, her brow creasing slightly as though she was debating saying anything.

"In Central City . . . they like the color green . . . And the emerald is . . . important to them."

"Right."

"I thought that's how it is . . . everywhere in the O.Z. . . . but here they like blue."

A small grin turned up the corner of Cain's mouth, and he chuckled quietly.

"Didn't you know? They changed everything to blue when they heard we were coming. The town matches your eyes this way."

Somewhere DG found the strength to roll her eyes, and the look crossing her face almost made her look healthy. "I'm just kiddin, sweetheart," Cain chuckled again. "But Central City is the only Zone city you've been to until now; they do like their green there, but here in Farthin City they prefer a certain shade of blue. The color of those socks you have is really the closest I've seen to it. There are several cities that are the same way, actually, each one is named after the color of a particular stone and is known for favoring that color."

She frowned as she turned her head and looked up at him, blinking in confusion.

"But, Central City . . . ."

"Was once called The Emerald City, back in the days of Glinda and your ancestor Dorothy. It was never actually green, but it was said to have shined so brightly that to keep from going blind everyone had to wear emerald-colored glasses. It made the city look green."

"How many other cities are there?"

"Nine. Aershron likes purple; Ronlin City likes red, Larentin likes yellow; Degrelle likes black; Shurolle likes yellow-orange; and Wendren, Golslin, Embra, and Vindrell all like different shades of white."

"What's with the weird names?"

"What do you mean?"

"Central City . . . sounds normal. . . . All the other ones sound like . . . a different language."

"The other cities all still have their original names from the times of the Ancients. Central City used to be called Zimtral City, which was the Ancients' word for 'emerald.' That emerald stone was found when they were excavating for the original city walls, so they named the city after the stone."

DG nodded, turning her head back so she could rest more comfortably. "The legend is the same for the other cities, as well; as the foundations for each city were being dug out, a perfect stone is said to have been found in the very location that one of the city's gates would later be built, though the emerald is the only one that's known to exist. Each city was named after the stone that was found there. A prophecy was said to have been revealed when the last city, Larentin, was finished, and the Ancients realized that the gates where the stones were found all pointed toward Central City. The prophecy said that eleven warriors would face off in a battle called The Last of the Ages, each armed with a stone designated for them. The outcome of The Last of the Ages would determine the true destiny of the O.Z., a destiny of either peace and happiness or one of turmoil."

"What were the other stones?"

Wyatt thought for a second. "Besides the emerald, there was lapis lazuli, crystal quartz, opal, amethyst, mother of pearl, ruby, pearl, obsidian, amber, and yellow sapphire."

DG grinned tiredly, her eyes finally starting to close. "Pearl and . . . mother of pearl . . . aren't stones."

"They are in this case. Those two stones were said to mimic the look of pearl and mother of pearl perfectly. No one knew what else to call them."

"You've been hanging around . . . Glitch too much."

"Tutor, actually," he admitted ruefully. "The Pooch likes to go off on tangents during our magic lessons, try to force as much useless knowledge into his teaching as he can."

"Lucky . . . ."her voice trailed off as she finally drifted into sleep, her words slurring together. "I only get . . . court etiquette . . . history lessons . . . . Wyatt?"

The last word was so quiet he almost missed it.

"Yeah?"

"Can we . . . visit . . . other cities sometime?"

"Sure, darlin'. We can go anywhere in the Zone you want," he murmured, kissing her temple as she finally relaxed against him. She sighed quietly as she slipped into a dream, and he simply watched her sleep, only looking up when the door opened slightly and meeting Ivy's gaze. He nodded, planting another kiss on the crown of DG's head before carefully extricating his arm from her grasp. She whimpered quietly at the movement, and he gently rubbed her arm until her brow smoothed out. "It's alright, Deege," he whispered. "I'll just be out in the hallway, I'll be right back."

She murmured incoherently and he slowly stood, quickly pulling on his boots and tying them, and went to meet Ivy at the door. "Ivy," he greeted her quietly, holding back yet another impulse to call her "Your Highness." As different as she might have been from her sister, he still had some difficulty not seeing the queen when he looked at the younger twin.

"Wyatt," she nodded, smiling as she glanced back in at the sleeping princess. Her gaze fell briefly upon the ring DG now wore, and she chuckled. "I suppose congratulations are in order. No doubt the two of you will create quite a stir when you return to Central City."

He shrugged. "Didn't think Deege would appreciate it if I decided to ask her parents for permission first; she didn't grow up believing that she needed approval from anyone but herself. And with how her parents acted, particularly her mother, I don't think she cares what they think."

"You do know that Lavender could dismiss her from court, don't you? DG might not be the heir, but she is still royalty."

"Yeah. She knows it, too," he shrugged again. "But again, she didn't grow up in this world, she lived most of her life on the Otherside and had all the freedoms that any non-royal young woman here would have, and then some." He turned to Ivy. "She's never been happy as a princess. Even before this damn illness got so bad, I could see it. She might not have been happy on the Otherside, either, but at least there she had her freedom."

The doctor stared at him for a moment, a small smile gracing her features.

"You're a good man, Wyatt, DG is lucky to have you."

"I'm just as lucky to have her."

"I can see that," her smile held for another moment before it finally disappeared. "I'm sure you're wondering why I've stopped by. There was something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Don't suppose that it's about this, is it?" he asked grimly, pulling the folded poster out of his pocket and handing it to the doctor. She took it, frowning a little, but laughed at the sight of the three pictures.

"I was wondering if this was you or not. I really had no idea."

Cain could feel his eyebrow rising on his forehead.

"Pardon?"

"You haven't looked in a mirror lately, have you? I mean, really looked in a mirror."

"Can't say I have; I haven't really thought about it."

"Well, I'm surprised that my sister didn't realize that this wouldn't work. Hospitals here in the O.Z. are very serious about the anonymity and safety of their patients. Every hospital building in the Zone has shields placed over them, and the second a patient, a patient's guardian, or patient's family member steps onto the grounds the shield works on them. It changes their appearance, but only to those who don't know who they really are, and if anyone except their assigned nurse or doctor reads or hears their name, that person will hear a different name. If you happened to look in a mirror, you'd see what everyone else sees."

He had to take a moment to wrap his brain around that one; he hadn't even known that spells that complex existed.

"So, earlier, when I met the father from down the hall, the one who's here with his daughter, and he told me his name's Asa Mercer, that's not what he was saying?"

"Exactly. And when you introduced yourself, he heard a different name than what you were saying. He also sees someone different from how you look. I know what you three truly look like now, because I've seen this and you've told me that it's you," she folded the poster back up and slipped it into her pocket. "But you are not in danger. Even if the queen's soldiers came here looking for you, which is a possibility, since they have no right to see patient records or privilege to enter any of the rooms they will not be able to find you."

"And this conversation?"

"To anyone walking by, we're talking about something completely different. No one except for Jenna, Doctor Gabriel, and I know your real names, and I'm the only one who knows what you actually look like."

Wyatt could feel himself breathing easier at the idea. He hadn't been thrilled to think that they would have to sneak DG out of the hospital. "So, all that aside, there is something that I need to talk to you about."

"Alright," he agreed, immediately on edge again.

"I need you to follow me, we'll just be down the hall."

Cain hesitated, but finally nodded and followed Ivy down the corridor. "Sarah," the doctor stopped a nursing unit on their way past the nurse's station. "Put up a notice that I'm in Screen Room Two."

"Yes, ma'am," Sarah nodded, and the Tin Man saw her write a note on a board as they turned the corner.

"In here, Wyatt," Ivy motioned him into another room, one about a quarter of the size of the room where they were staying, and she locked the door behind them. "I know you've already seen DG's scans from yesterday afternoon. Since you're acting as her official guardian, the technician and Doctor Gabriel are obligated to show them to you." She went over to a small keypad in the wall, typing in several numbers and patiently waiting until several large envelopes and three small disks popped out of a drawer next to the keypad. "But after I saw them and went over them again with Gabriel, we realized that there's something wrong with DG's diagnosis."

"What?!"

"Not in that way, Wyatt. DG does have Fangpox, and we're going to continue her treatment as planned. But this is what I wanted to show you." She pulled an x-ray out of one of the envelopes and stuck it onto a large screen, flicking a switch so that the screen glowed and they could see the scan better. "This is DG's chest x-ray. The white build-up in the bottom of her lungs is normal for a person with the respiratory virus. This is what causes the most trouble for patients with this form of the virus, because what often happens is that they end up quite literally drowning. No doubt she's been coughing up more just since this x-ray was taken than in the past few days."

"But we know DG has the respiratory virus. She got it while we were travelling through the Papay fields."

"But look at this," Ivy took out two other x-rays, placing one on either side of DG's. "These are x-rays that the patients allowed to be used for research. This one," she pointed to the one on the left, "is one from another patient with the respiratory virus. The other is from a patient with the muscular virus. You can see the striations in the diaphragm, in particular, but to see anything else properly you have to look at the CT scans." She motioned him over to three more screens, then fed the disks into a slot in the wall. Turning the screens on, she pointed out places on each of the three images. "Again, the center one is DG's, and the ones on the sides belong to the same patients as before. On the scan of the patient with the muscular virus, you can see the striations in the muscles surrounding the chest, where the muscle fibers were shortened and tightened. With the patient that has the respiratory virus, the striations are smaller and fewer in number."

Getting a vague idea for what Ivy was saying, Cain's gaze flickered back and forth between DG's scan and the ones next to it, his brown furrowing in realization.

"Deege has them, too, like the patient with the muscular virus," he breathed, his mind racing to comprehend what Ivy was saying.

"When you first arrived here, I assumed that DG had the muscular virus because of the pain she was feeling. The virus is the same regardless of which form a person has, but it attacks in different ways depending on how it was contracted. With the respiratory form, the cough always turns up first, then the muscular pain comes later, though sometimes not until about halfway through the active stage and never as severe as with the other form. With the muscular form, the muscle pain comes first, then the coughing and lung distress come later. But, again, the respiratory problems are never as severe as with the other form."

Wyatt rubbed his forehead, squeezing his eyes closed as he tried to process everything.

"So, every person who gets the virus ends up showing all the symptoms, but depending on what form they have some of the symptoms aren't as severe. The respiratory virus causes more severe coughing and build-up in the lungs, the muscular virus causes more severe muscle pain."

"That's correct."

He leaned back against a counter, everything finally falling into place. When he turned to face Ivy, her face was grim.

"DG has both forms."

"It would appear so, yes."

"But how? The only way to get the muscular virus is to be bitten by a Papay, isn't it?"

"It is, or so we've always thought."

"Deege was never bitten by a Papay, the only person that was anywhere near her who got bitten was . . . ." his voice trailed off as the full realization hit him. "Me. I got bitten, but I never showed any symptoms because I had Fangpox back when I was a kid."

"You still had the virus, Wyatt. It doesn't stay as long in a person who has already had it, but if you contracted it within a week before DG did, it's very possible that she caught it from you," Ivy sighed, slowly starting to turn the screens off and returning the x-rays and disks to their drawer.

"It was a week exactly. The day she let me out of the tin suit was the day I got bitten. Seven days after that, she was locked up and I had to give her CPR when we finally got her out. That would have been three days after she caught the virus in the Papay fields."

"By then, the virus would have already grown accustomed to her, so it wouldn't have needed any more time before it began incubation. Essentially, she contracted both forms of the virus at the same time."

"But it still doesn't make sense to me. I get that I would have had the muscular virus, but she still got it from me when I gave her CPR. Wouldn't that still be the respiratory form?"

"It didn't need to establish itself in her lungs at that point, it already had. The only other place it could go was her muscular system. The fact that it was already in the muscular-form mutation from you made it that much easier."

Wyatt sighed, nodding in understanding. "This doesn't change anything, Wyatt. We're going to continue treatment as we have been, and just focus on keeping her comfortable and help out where she needs us to. We're just going to take it one day at a time."

Cain nodded again, opening his mouth to say something, though whatever he planned to say was immediately forgotten when an alarm sounded off in the nurse's station. They glanced at each other, running out the door to find Jenna rushing past them.

"Jenna!"

"Doctor Ivy, fever-induced code blue in three twenty nine! It's DG!"