9) Death in the Convent
The mood in the convent was sober. Everyone was clearly worried about the development of the Sweating Sickness. Rumours were flying about the place of new cases and the numbers of the dying in the city, but however large these numbers were, they were relatively small compared to those from other parts of Tortall due to there being so many with the gift in the City of Gods. Word had come through that Corus, the capital, was the worst hit. There were horrifying tales of bodies being taken out of the city by the cartload to be buried in mass graves or being burnt to try to reduce the numbers of infections. Alanna also overheard more than a few mutterings confirming the twins' thoughts of sorcery being behind the deaths.
Alanna was not normally interested in the news from Corus but since George had left the City of Gods to return to the capital where he was needed, she had suddenly paid more attention to the going on in that city. What she heard made her fearful for her friend's life and gossiping girls discussing the numbers of dead and horrific tales of symptoms and slow painful deaths did not help these fears.
Eventually, the Dark God came to the convent. A girl who was training as a healer, who Alanna knew and had talked to a few times was taken seriously ill and died during her second day of sickness. The whole of the convent was thrown into shock at the speed at which the illness progressed. Soon, five cases of the Sweating Sickness in the convent became nine and nine became fifteen.
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"Alanna." Maude shook the girl's shoulder gently as Alanna stirred.
Even though she was dazed from being woken up in the early hours, Alanna immediately knew that something was seriously wrong. Coram was standing a little way behind Maude and looked extremely grim and rather drawn.
All drowsiness was wiped from her mind as she realised: "Thom!" She leaped up and with her throat tight with fear, she asked, "How is he?"
"Bad," croaked Coram.
Alanna raced to Thom's room and just as she neared, she heard two healers talking, "– being so ill on the first day is definitely not promising."
"Pity really. He was turning out to be quite a promising sor-" he stopped as a stricken looking girl ran towards him.
"Can you do nothing?" she shouted. "There are so many people with gifts and yet you're already giving up! You should be in there doing as much as you can to help him. How dare you discuss his de-" her voice caught in her throat.
"Alanna?" a weaken voice asked.
She entered his room and walked up to his bed. "Thom? You really know how to wake someone up don't you?"
Thom's laugh quickly turned in a hacking cough. "I'll be fine. You don't need to worry – I've started to use my Gift. I'm sure I'll start to improve soon."
"Don't tire yourself out – you should be resting." Alanna saw that he was about to argue and so resting her hand on his forehead and helped him drift off to sleep with her Gift. She quickly brushed away tears that were forming in her eyes as she turned to the healers.
"Are you still going to just stand there?" she whispered fiercely.
"We've both been trying to help him all day. We've done as much as we can – we're both tapped out," a healer explained. "It's up to him now."
"No it isn't," Alanna growled. "Just because you've given up on him doesn't mean that I have to." She ordered them to bring heat bricks, honey and long list of other ingredients to her – she was going to try to save Thom using the remedies that she had been taught.
The healers hurried in with two servants on tow. The piled the heat bricks next to the fire to start warming up and set up the cooking equipment for Alanna so that she could make her coughing syrup. Maude saw what she was doing and came to help her.
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Thom woke up coughing violently throughout the night and every time, Alanna would pour a little more of Maude's coughing syrup down his throat and use her Gift to send him back to sleep. Each time this happened, she became wearier until she nearly collapsed with exhaustion. Thom was still shivering despite the fact that he was wrapped in many thick blankets and covered with hot bricks. Alanna was completely numb to anything other than Thom's laboured breathing and his grey face.
"Go lie down child. You asleep on your feet."
Alanna took a while to realise that someone was talking to her. She shook her head at Maude who was already exhausted from healing in the sick in the city, "No - I know that you're tapped out with healing others. I'll -"
"For once stop arguing. You should rest for a while at least. Coram will set up a cot for you. I'll take care of Thom for the moment."
Alanna wanted to disagree but her legs betrayed her as they buckled - Coram had to carry her to the cot.
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Alanna woke up with a start and had to remember why she was sleeping in a cot in Thom's room. One look at Thom's sweat covered face sent her reeling as she flew to his side. "Why didn't you wake me? It's morning! I slept through the night! How is Thom?" She was afraid to ask.
Maude smiled. "The worst is over. His breathing cleared about an hour after you went to rest and his temperature has just started to drop. He should be just fine."
Alanna sagged with relief and partly with exhaustion. She persuaded Maude and Coram to rest – both looked mortally tired and took up watch on Thom's condition.
Thom stirred when Alanna mopped his forehead. "Alanna?"
"Thom. Are you feeling alright?"
"I feel like someone's poured acid down my throat and bludgeoned my head with anvils but other than that – I fine. Actually, I'm not – but I would be if I had some water," he smiled and gulped down some water thirstily. "I told you I'd be fine didn't I?"
"I was worried about you for a moment there – you weren't looking too positive last night – thank the Goddess you pulled through though."
"I didn't now you cared," he teased and then looked indignant as he told his sister, "I wasn't about to let some sorcerer, who hasn't even given me the courtesy of showing his face, kill me was I? He probably only tried to kill me because couldn't take my competition."
Alanna laughed, very relieved that her brother was back.
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Alanna was fully recovered in two days with Maude's dreadful tasting concoctions and was now required by the healers to help in the infirmary with other patients since word had gotten round about Thom's miraculous healing.
After a tiring morning of preparing a batch-full of coughing syrup, she was called to First Daughter's Quarters. Alanna was rather confused as to why, since to her knowledge, she hadn't gotten herself into any trouble and she very much doubted that the First Daughter liked her company.
The First Daughter was talking with a messenger and when Alanna entered her study both turned round.
"I suppose I am right in assuming that you know that word has gotten round of your healing abilities."
"Yes ma'am but I didn't do mu-"
The lady stopped her with a raised hand. "What I don't expect you to know is that word has reached as far as the capital."
Alanna looked rather shocked and stared at the First Daughters words but caught herself in the act and tried to cover it up with a rather hurried "That was fast."
The woman continued, "This messenger had just informed me of a royal request of you to help treat the sick in the palace and inform the healers at the palace of you 'techniques'."
Alanna paled visibly, "The palace?"
"Yes – this is an honour for the palace to recognise your talents."
"When do I have to go?"
The First Daughter frowned. "You should be very proud – this is a real privilege."
The girl in front of her simply gulped.
"Since the number of cases are reducing here, Coram will escort you to Corus but Maude will not be joining you - her healing abilities are still required here. Get packed tonight, you will set tomorrow morning an hour after sunrise."
A/N: I'm trying to keep most of the main events the same as in the books - just under a different context. Does that make any sense? I just think that they're too important to Alanna's character to miss out. Same as ever: Please Review!