Author's notes:

Hi again, dear readers of this story! I'm so terribly sorry that I've left you hanging for this long, but I can only repeat what I said the last time-don't worry, not even for a second, that I will abandon this story-I will keep on writing until it's finished! And there are quite a few chapters to go! (I'm about three chapters ahead with no end in sight, if that's a relief!)

I have, however, been terribly busy. I'm freelancing for a living, I've been planning and hosting a wedding (not mine!) and my own birthday (which IS, in fact on MayDay, in some parts of the world at least. ;-)). I'm also taking scuba classes, and I've been on tour with a gospel choir. I hope, however, that things will be calming down a bit before the summer.

Each chapter of this story needs rather extensive research, in different ways and fields. For those of you who are writing HMC fan fiction, I can warmly recommend the HMC comics books (available from Amazon etc) and "The art of Howl's Moving Castle."

Your reviews are heartwarming! I don't know what to say, really, but your love for this story is overwhelming, even in my wildest dreams, I couldn't imagine this much positive response! Thank you so very much!

As for changing my summary-well, it might be an idea, but yet again, I don't want to give away too much of the plot, and from the look of it, this story does have a huge number of hits and followers, so I don't really see it as a problem. I'm certainly not offended, though. ;-)

I can't give you any promises when the next chapter will be out, but hopefully, considering that the two upcoming chapters will be much shorter, it probably won't be too long.

Lots of love, always!

/BoMD

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RAP! RAP! RAP!

"Market Chipping door!"

At the load knocking, followed by Calcifer's shrill cry from the kitchen, Sophie flew from the bed with a jolt, feeling strangely bewildered. Yet, she could have sworn she had not been sleeping at all. Howl's condition had not changed during the night. He'd been squirming in pain, rubbing his ribs, desperately trying to find a comfortable position. The only thing that seemed to be helping just a little was when she wrapped her arms around him from behind, softly stroking his chest while whispering comforting words close to his neck. But just as he was finally starting to drift off to sleep, he was suddenly overcome by another attack with pain or retching.

Though he was becoming dehydrated and there was absolutely nothing more to bring up, he kept dry heaving until he was on the brink of passing out. Never before had Sophie felt so helpless, but she had to suppress the urge to weep and scream with frustration, until her insides were a burning knot of pain.

"Market Chipping door!" Calcifer repeated, even louder.

Sophie ran to the bedroom door, yanking it open. "Can you please let him in? I'll be down in a moment!" she shouted in the direction of the stairs.

Turning around, she saw Howl stirring on the bed, his raven hair in a wild disarray, spread all over his pillow. He whimpered softly, squinting in her direction. "Visitors…?" he managed in a faint whisper.

Sophie went to his side of the bed. "Don't worry, we'll handle it… just rest now…"

Grabbing his crumpled blankets, she carefully draped them over him. He curled up tightly underneath them, clutching his midsection.

Quickly, Sophie changed into one of her most simple dresses, and grabbing the brush from her night stand, she drew it a couple times through her hair. She knew she wouldn't look her best, but at least, under the current circumstances this would meet the definition of "presentable". Returning to the bed, she kissed her husband's temple. He still felt burning hot to the touch. "I'll be right back."

She headed out the bedroom door and started descending down the stairs. To her surprise, the banging on the door continued, now even more determined than before. "Calcifer!" she yelled. "Why don't you open the door? It's not like you're confined to the hearth anymore! "

Calcifer gave her a grumpy look, defiantly holding onto the bronze figurines framing the fire place. "I'm a fire demon, not a door opener!"

Sophie nearly snapped at him, but composed herself, well aware of that he was suffering from sleep deprivation as well.

As she opened the door, there was no one there. She stepped outside, looking around, and quite a bit down the street, she saw the back of a man in a black suit, carrying what looked like a doctor's bag. "Hey!" she cried. "Doctor?"

The man stopped and turned around, but even from a distance, she saw that he wasn't smiling.

"Over here!" she said impatiently, waving for him to come back.

The man starting walking toward her, and as he finally stood before her, his expression was grim and exhausted, his eyes mirroring the same kind of numbness that Sophie had seen so many times before in people who had been exposed to the cruelties and the miseries of the war.

"Mrs Jenkins, I presume?" Even his grip around her fingers felt weak when he greeted her with a handshake. "I'm doctor Parker. I thought I was at the wrong house since no one would open the door for me. And judging by your… fire servant, or whatever you wizard kind prefer to call him, this call was supposed to be pretty urgent."

Sophie nodded. "I'm sorry. My husband is upstairs, and I was tending to him… he's very sick…"

"Let's see what we can do then."

Sophie gestured toward the door, and let the doctor into the kitchen. Calcifer, his arms still wrapped around the brass figurines, gave him a silent nod as they passed him on the way to the staircase.

On the landing of the stairs, they were greeted by Markl and Heen, and from the look of it, they both seemed to have woken up just moments ago. Markl, still in his night shirt and his hair on end, was squinting at the light. "What's happening, Sophie? Who's that?"

Even Heen looked suspiciously at the doctor.

"This is doctor Parker. He's going to see Howl, and make him feel better again, you'll see." Sophie stroke the boy's hair. "How are you doing today, Markl?"

Markl reconsidered for a few moments. "I'm hungry…"

Sophie smiled–a genuine smile of relief this time. "Go and get dressed, and then downstairs. Calcifer will help you with the breakfast. Make him cook some oatmeal for you. Let the doctor work undisturbed."

Markl nodded. "All right." He headed back to his room, Heen at his heals.

Sophie opened the bedroom door. "In here," she instructed the doctor.

"Howl…" Sophie started, approaching her husband who was still curled up tightly under the blankets. Even from a distance, she saw that he was shaking slightly. She leaned over him, stroking the bangs from his face. "Listen, dearest… I know you might not approve, but you're very sick… and we're worried about you… so we brought doctor Parker here to see you…"

At the word "doctor," Howl whimpered slightly, curling up even tighter, but there were no further objections.

"Well," the doctor broke the silence, placing his case on the free side of the bed and opening it. "I must say this is a first for me. I've never tended to a so called wizard before, and to be honest, I never thought I would, since I believed you considered your magic strong enough to cure just about anything."

Sophie bit her tongue, but composed herself once again. "Obviously, we're in the dark here…" she said, just a bit of sarcasm mirrored in her voice.

"All right." Doctor Parker took a stethoscope from his bag. "Then we'll keep to normal procedures… You might have to undress him just a bit and help him sit for a moment, if possible, so I can have a look at him."

Sophie sat herself down on the bed beside Howl. She made certain that the blankets covered his body up to his belly, but rolled up his nightshirt to his waist so that the doctor could easily get underneath it, should he be needing to. However, making Howl uncurl himself and helping him sit up did not prove to be an easy task. It took several pillows, propped behind his back, and Sophie's support, wrapping an arm around him while he was leaning heavily on her shoulder. Yet, he was moaning in pain and trying to squirm away from doctor Parker as he attempted to get hold of one of his arms. But as the doctor gave a heavy sigh, Howl resigned, finally relaxing a little.

The doctor pinched the skin of Howl's forearm, frowning as it took a few moments for the surface to smoothen itself out as he released it. "He's severely dehydrated," he stated. "What are his symptoms, and when did it start?"

Sophie sighed. "He's in so much pain… obviously from his ribcage area… he can't keep anything down… it's been… both ways, really…" She felt herself blushing slightly, but kept on. "And he's got quite a temperature…"

The doctor nodded, and lifting up the back of Howl's nightshirt, he placed the stethoscope against his back. At the touch of the cold metal, Howl visibly winced. Doctor Parker listened for a moment. "Try to take some deep breaths for me," he instructed, but Howl just shook his head. "Can't… Hurts…" he whispered.

"Hmm," The doctor shifted positions. "Let's have a look at your ribs, then."

Sophie lifted Howl's night shirt so the doctor could get a clear view of his chest. But at the lightest touch by the doctor's fingertips, Howl winced, trying to curl up, drawing up his knees close to his chest.

With a tired sigh, doctor Parker withdrew his hands.

"Please..." Sophie begged in a soft voice.

"Shall we try that again?" Doctor Parker made no attempt to mask the sarcasm in his voice.

There was no reply from the wizard, but as Sophie once again adjusted the covers and rolled up his nightshirt, he didn't object.

"Try and relax now... please, Howl..." she whispered, close to his ear.

Once again, the doctor put his hand on Howl's chest. The wizard grimaced with pain, but this time, he did his best trying not to move.

"Hmm…" The doctor kept prodding Howl's chest. "There's a slight swelling here, it appears… you haven't been in a fight, have you?"

Howl managed a weak shake of his head. "Hurts…" It was an almost inaudible whisper.

"Well, you wizard kind… never know what you'll do to your bodies, do we…" the doctor muttered, moving his hands to Howl's stomach, giving it a gentle push.

Howl gave a moan, and for a moment, he looked as he was about to get sick or faint.

"Definitely sore there." The doctor brought out his stethoscope once more, placing it on Howl's chest. "Elevated heart rate too," he stated.

Again, the doctor felt the wizard's chest. Howl whimpered softly.

"Has he always been this thin?" Doctor Parker gave Sophie a scrutinizing look, as if accusing her of starving her husband.

Sophie nodded, and though she felt her fists clenching inside the pockets of her apron, she once again managed to control herself. "More or less… he's always been on the thin side, and this… is not exactly helping…"

"Indeed."

"So… do you know what's wrong with him then? Can you help him?" Sophie inquired.

"Well..." The doctor sighed. "Has anyone else been feeling ill lately?"

"No–" Sophie started, but was interrupted by a weak hissing sound from Howl.

"Markl..." The wizard opened his eyes, casting an anxious look at his wife.

"Markl is fine, Howl, don't worry..." Sophie turned to the doctor again. "The boy was feeling a little sick las night, but he was just scared, I think... He's doing fine now, having breakfast with Calcifer and Heen."

At her words, Howl visibly relaxed, but the doctor gave her a sharp look. "You can never be quite certain, Mrs Jenkins." He turned back to the wizard. "So, tell me... when did you last pass water?"

Not really expecting a coherent answer from his patient, he looked at Sophie, who was more than well aware that her face was turning crimson red. "Ohh... well... I guess... not after late last night..."

Doctor Parker gave her a serious nod. "Indeed. That is not a good sign. However, it's not completely unexpected." He sighed anew. "Aside from the pain in his ribs, does he also suffer from occasional muscle cramps?"

"No, not really…" Sophie said, looking at her husband who confirmed it, shaking his head just a little.

"Hiccups while vomiting?"

"No?" Sophie gave doctor Parker a somewhat puzzled look.

"All right," the doctor said. "From your initial descriptions, I would in fact have suspected cholera. Though we haven't seen a real epidemic outburst in a couple months, it's quite common in the shadows of the war. But if you're telling me the truth here, it doesn't really fit the symptoms.

"So what is it then?" Sophie demanded. "Can you please help him?"

"There is something we could try, but I'm afraid I can't make any guarantees." The doctor opened up his bag again, and started rummaging around its contents. "Those wizards… meddling with all kinds of unnatural stuff, transforming their bodies… if you ask me… this could be anything, really."

"Now, look here–" Sophie was nearly screaming with frustration, but was interrupted by a load moan from Howl. His face was suddenly getting several shades whiter. She quickly reached out for the basin–not that it would be of much use, since he probably wouldn't be able to bring up anything whatsoever. Still, she placed it on his lap, leaning him forward. With one hand around his waist, she placed the other on his forehead, holding him steady, talking soothingly.

Howl heaved and heaved, a fruitless effort as he only produced small pops of air. The expression on his face was so pained that she almost wished he'd pass out, and as the dry heaves finally ceased, several minutes later, he was gasping and sobbing with exhaustion.

Sophie helped him lie down, and put the basin aside. Producing a cloth from the bedside table, she wetted it with some water from the jug, gently wiping his neck, upper chest and forehead. "Now," she said, eying the doctor, "see what I mean? Please… you must do whatever you can… at this rate…" Her voice was trailing off as claws of raw anxiety were clutching her chest.

"We must try and break the cycle of dehydration," the doctor stated. "I would like to administer two intravenous shots for the pain and the nausea."

Sophie felt her heart beat with anticipation. "Is there really such a thing? Will they help?"

"If this is just a common case of food poisoning or the flu, they should. There are no guarantees, however."

Sophie nodded. "But please, I beg you… just do it!"

The doctor nodded. From his bag, he produced two of the largest needles Sophie had ever seen. He attached one of them to a glass container with a push handle, and picking out another vial, breaking its seal, he inserted the needle through its membrane, draining the fluid from inside.

"Can you please turn him over?" The doctor made Sophie snap out of her near-trance.

"Oh! Where…?" Watching the needles, she felt a strange mixture of excitement and dread… well aware that this treatment might be the cure they'd been hoping for, yet, the shots reminded her more of an implement instrument of torture… and part of her would do anything to prevent them from even getting near her husband….

"One on each side of his lower back," the doctor instructed.

Carefully, Sophie helped her husband roll over, and once again, she lifted his nightshirt, adjusting the covers so that he wasn't exposing more skin than necessary. But suddenly, Howl turned his head a little, and caught sight of the needle, just before it was about to touch him. "Naaah!" he moaned, wriggling away, curling up.

The doctor sighed, rolling his eyes. "All right… we can do this the easy way, or the hard way… which one do you prefer?"

"Howl, please…" Sophie begged, quietly.

Positioning the needle, the doctor made another try, resulting in a new attempt from Howl to break loose.

"But for goodness sake, Mr Jenkins!" the doctor sputtered. "I'm not the one who's ill. It's your choice. You're such a spoiled lot, you wizards… aren't you? Acting like children at the slightest premonition of pain…"

"All right, all right…" Sophie burst out, unable to contain her irritation. "Both of you… calm down, and let's do this… now!" Gently, but firmly, she put her arm over Howl's back, holding him still. "Easy now…" she whispered, but had to close her eyes herself, taking a deep breath, as the needle penetrated Howl's skin.

As expected, Howl cried out in pain, squirming underneath her, but the doctor was quick, and within half a moment, the contents of the vial had been injected. Preparing the next injection, he briefly instructed Sophie to pull up the nightshirt on the other side. By now, Howl was becoming so drained that he hardly had the strength to object, and soon the doctor announced that he was all done.

Two thin trickles of blood were emerging from each side of Howl's back, but as soon as the doctor had been dabbing the entry wounds with some kind of coagulative tincture, the bleeding quickly ceased. And at the same moment, there was suddenly a long, relieved "ahhh" from the wizard, as he was visibly relaxing.

"Feeling better?" Sophie could almost hear her heart pounding in her chest, eagerly awaiting the answer.

"Doesn't hurt as bad now…" Howl opened his eyes, staring at the doctor and his wife with surprise.

"That's wonderful!" Sophie burst out, and realized that she could almost have hugged the doctor with relief, but instead, she sat down on the bed, taking Howl's hands, and squeezing them hard. He returned the affection, but as expected, he was very weak.

"I'm tired…" he whispered, and then, so quietly that only Sophie could hear, undoubtedly amplified by his last magical powers. "Sophie… I love you so much…"

"I love you too, Howl," she whispered in return, kissing his forehead. He already felt much cooler to the touch.

"Let him rest for a while now," doctor Parker suggested. "Then, in a bit, you should try and make him take some liquids. I do usually recommend a special rehydration solution containing salt and sugar, but unless, of course, that you've been using your wizardry ways to produce it, I wouldn't expect you to keep large quantities of white sugar in your pantry…"

Sophie shook her head. "I'm afraid not… But we do have some ginger tea, my mum always used to give it to me and my sisters when we were feeling unwell…"

The doctor nodded. "That will do. And broth, as soon as he can stomach it. Start with the tea, just try a little, and see if it stays down, and if it does, you'll give him some more, until he's passing water as frequently as he usually does. Had the hospital not been in ruins, he'd been admitted and we would have administered fluids intravenously, but as of now, it is not an option. We no longer have the equipment needed. But hopefully he will be able to keep it down on his own now, with the help from these injections. This is all that can be done under the circumstances, and he seems to be responding well to the treatment."

Sophie nodded. "Thank you so much, doctor. Would you like to have breakfast with us? We just have oatmeal, I'm afraid… and some tea…"

"Let's discuss business over a cup of tea then." The doctor quickly gathered his things, and stuffed them back into his bag.

Business. The word caused Sophie to shiver slightly with discomfort. The doctor was known to be expensive–but there was something in the tone of his voice suggesting that she would be in for a very unpleasant surprise. "Will you be all right if we're going downstairs for a bit?" she asked Howl, while tucking him in securely under the blankets.

Her husband gave a small nod, seemingly half asleep. "…'ll be alright…"

Judging by his breathing, he was asleep even before they reached the door.

To be continued...