To all the reviewers who liked the first chapter, thank you for your kind words!
A review: This story takes place in Germany, around 1993 or so. Dr. Faust and his wife, Eliza, have been hired to care for a rich man's ill wife. We don't yet know what ails her…well, I mean…I do, but you people don't.
Faust's clothing is different only because he's not a psycho-death-rage-necromancer yet…he is wearing a clean white shirt under the doctor's coat.
The family is German, but still I don't know how to type and umlaut, so the name 'Muller' is pronounced 'MYU-ler'
Ursula's POV
Dr. Faust had called us together. He said that he knew what Mother was sick with, but he needed to ask us a few questions first.
"Mr.-excuse me, Sieger- and Ms. Ursula, Mrs. Friehilde has red welts, a fever, headaches, nausea, and a strained heartbeat which alludes to pericarditis. Am I correct?" He asked. It almost seemed like he didn't want to hear the answer.
Father nodded slowly. If the doctor himself didn't want to know, I surely didn't. My fists clenched on the arms of my chair.
"These symptoms are tell-tale signs of radiation poisoning." Eliza said.
I stared at her, uncomprehending. Father, though, had turned white as a sheet.
"We need to know if Mrs. Friehilde has ever worked in a factory requiring precision welding or if she ever worked with clocks in her younger days"
Clocks? Why would Mother ever work with clocks? I still had no idea what was going on. Father, apparently, did.
"Wh-when she was twenty…before she met me…she worked in her father's clock making business. That was where I met her. Mein armer, lieber Friehilde (my poor, dear Friehilde)…she usually painted the backs of clock faces, to make them glow in the dark." Father whispered.
Faust and Eliza looked at each other, before the man said, "The intake would be small enough to not affect her until now."
"Yes, but how could she have a child? The reproductive system is damaged."
"Perhaps the system only became damaged after Ms. Ursula was born. Or," he turned to smile at me, "is she really a miracle, sent to keep her dear mother happy while she is ill?
His eyes! Oh, they were beautiful! Somehow, his smile made me want to be responsible for every smile he ever wore. I felt much, much better.
"What is radiation poisoning, bitte (please)?" I heard myself say. What? I hadn't known I could speak!
The doctor's smile became tinged with sadness. He said, "It is a disease that can manifest itself hours, weeks, months, or even years-like you mother-after ingestion of a radioactive material. Your mother was a clock painter and, eighteen years ago, the glow-in-the-dark paint she worked with was the element radium. Radium does glow, yes, but only because of its radioactivity. For working in her father's show, your mother is dying."
Dying? No! She couldn't die! I tried to stand up, but everything went black as I fell into strong, comforting arms.
Faust's POV
I stood at the center of the room, and waited until the others were paying attention.
"Mr.-" I began, then remembered the man's request that I call him by his name, "excuse me, Sieger- and Ms. Ursula, Mrs. Friehilde has red welts, a fever, headaches, nausea, and a strained heartbeat which alludes to pericarditis. Am I correct?" I asked. No, no, I knew already, why did I have to put them through this?
Sieger nodded slowly. Ms. Ursula looked scared, her hands gripping the couch. Poor thing, to lose her mother so young…
"These symptoms are tell-tale signs of radiation poisoning." My Eliza said.
Ms. Ursula did not know of the disease, but Sieger, though, had turned very pale.
"We need to know if Mrs. Friehilde has ever worked in a factory requiring precision welding or if she ever worked with clocks in her younger days" I said in a low tone.
Ms. Ursula was more confused by the minute. Her father began whispering.
"Wh-when she was twenty…before she met me…she worked in her father's clock making business. That was where I met her. Mein armer, lieber Friehilde (my poor, dear Friehilde)…she usually painted the backs of clock faces, to make them glow in the dark."
Working with the element to paint clock faces. That would give her a small enough dosage to leave the effects dormant until then, something was odd.
Eliza and I shared a look, and I said, "The intake would be small enough to not affect her until now."
"Yes, but how could she have a child? The reproductive system is damaged."
"Perhaps the system only became damaged after Ms. Ursula was born. Or," I turned to give Ms. Ursula a smile, hoping to calm her down, "is she really a miracle, sent to keep her dear mother happy while she is ill?
I could see her start to brighten, and she sat up straighter, be fore she asked me, "What is radiation poisoning, bitte (please)?"
If only I wasn't the one to explain to her. Such a sweet girl, and I had to tell her. All I could say was, "It is a disease that can manifest itself hours, weeks, months, or even years-like you mother-after ingestion of a radioactive material. Your mother was a clock painter and, eighteen years ago, the glow-in-the-dark paint she worked with was the element radium. Radium does glow, yes, but only because of its radioactivity. For working in her father's show, your mother is dying."
I almost though she would scream, but as she began to go limp and slump forward, I caught her and carried her quietly to her room.
To Be Continued!
I am enjoying this waaay too much. Faust is so fun! Well, that's all for now, now please go and review!
