Corvi was lost in a good book when he saw little Tavi in a near panic. He usually wasn't up this early but he got thirsty and had gotten up to get some juice. Not being able to go back to sleep, he'd gone to the library for a little bit. It was a few hours left to sunrise though so the palace was silent for the most part. Except for little Tavi rushing up the stairs. He set his book down on the side table and called up to her, "Tavi?"

The small girl spun around and ran down to the first floor.

"Corvi! I gotta get the knights up, somethin's wrong, Sarrika went and woke the COUNCIL!"

That put Corvi on edge. For a medic to go and get the council, especially at this time…it was bad. He knelt to Tavi's level. "Okay, calm down, Tavi. Now, tell me what gives."

"Blastus is really sick…he looks BAD!"

Corvi felt his heart stop and then speed up. Blastus was his mentor…no, more than that. Over the years, Blastus had become like a second father to the squire, especially after his own father was killed in combat when he was nine. More than that, Blastus had been there every time he needed him, whether he needed a guiding mentor or a playmate.

"How…how sick?"

"Sick enough Sarrika left him alone to go get the council! We needa get the other knights up!"

Corvi didn't deny that but he led her to the wall where he touched a small carving in the stone. A small doorway opened up. He had to duck to get in but Tavi was just fine. Once inside, they were met with a series of tunnels, passages, stairs and trapdoors. Tavi about panicked and headed back out when Corvi snagged her arm and pointed up one. "That'll end in a door that opens in Gumlittle's left wall. Go wake him. I'll go and find Plucki."

"How do you know it'll go there?"

"I've got Gummadoon's blue prints here." He pointed to his head. "Now go. It'll get you there a ton faster."

Tavi regarded the older gummi curiously but she did what he said and started up the stairs. She noted that these stairs were a ton steeper than the others. It was obviously made to get someone somewhere faster than usual. She suspected they might be emergency exits, created when the city was first built, for evacuation purposes. In any event, it certainly helped!

Arriving at her destination, she didn't even bother opening it quietly. She slammed the wall opening wide open and screamed,

"GUMLITTLE ! GET UP!"

Corvi tore up his own flight of stairs, urging his feet to go faster. He didn't know how sick his mentor was or even what he had but he knew that if Sarrika had, one, left a patient alone in sickbay then it was beyond serious. She made it her policy to never leave a sick gummi alone, for even a second. She always found someone to stay with them if she had to dart out. So the fact that she had left him alone made his heart go at the speed of a unicorn's hooves.

Secondly, she had woken the council. Corvi could only remember one time when they had woke the council and that had been when Illsi and Aldi had caught Fire Plague. He'd only been about five years old but he remembered that clearly. Blastus and the other knights had left to fight Zorlock and they had only been gone three days when first Aldi then Illsi had fallen ill. Sarrika had gotten the council then because of the threat of epidemic. Whatever Blastus had, it had to be contagious for Sarrika to get the council.

Corvi reached the top and pushed the wall in. He found Plucki easily. The knight was fast asleep. He hated to wake him but he needed to. He fumbled for the lamp and turned it on as high as it would go.

"Plucki! Wake up!"

"No improvement Sarrika?"

"Are you certain-"

"Yes, without a doubt." Sarrika bit her lip and wiped down Sir Blastus' face with cold water. He only trembled in response and rolled over, trying to get more comfortable and attempting to dull the pain no doubt. She was mixing up any herbal remedies she could think of to try but unfortunately, Sir Blastus was allergic to the main ingredient in the most commonly used potion so she was having to improvise.

Berrybottom added, "But if I remember right, didn't all our current knights catch Cubs Fever in their youth?"

"Yes, they did."

"How could he catch it twice?"

"I…I…I don't know, Councilor. I honestly don't know."

"Will he live?"

"I can't say."

"Well, I'd appreciate some answers, milady."

Sarrika turned and found herself met with Corvi, Tavi and Gumlittle and Plucki. The two knights had obviously just found out about their fellow knight being in sick bay. They had on their night slacks and their housecoats but no shoes. And judging by their faces and the swift way they entered, they knew little but that Blastus was sick. Plucki met Sarrika's eyes,

"What's going on?"

The medic responded softly, "Cubs' Fever."