Day 2 – Quest for a Cure

"We usually do not go through so many trash bags in a single day, or even a week. Or even a month." Anah telekinetically tossed another small bag into the larger kitchen garbage.

"Guess I came at a bad time," Troy said. "Moffitt just… woke up like this?"

The cobra nodded. "The flu always hits him hard and fast like this."

"Is he able to keep any medicine down?"

"No. I gave him something about an hour before you arrived and back up it came."

"Isn't there a potion you could make that'll cure him or at the very least get his stomach to calm down?"

"A cure will not do anything if it cannot stay down. There is something that might work at calming his stomach, though."

"What?"

"Guess." Anah grinned.

Troy sighed and rolled his eyes. "Tea."

"Yes. A very potent peppermint blend."

"Don't you already have this tea?"

"No."

"Where do we get it, then? The grocery store?"

"No. There is a tea shop here in Cambridge where Moffitt gets all of his tea—"

"Then let's shake it." Troy put his slouch hat on.

"Wait a minute, dear. This is no ordinary tea shop. You must demonstrate a basic knowledge and respect for tea."

"Then you shake it."

"Oh, but it will be so much fun going on this little tea quest together."

"No, this sounds more like you want to humiliate me. That, and someone needs to stay with Moffitt."

"We would not be gone long. And the horses are watching him through the bedroom window."

"What're the horses going to do, Anah? Neigh his sickness away?"

Anah gave Troy a very unamused look, and telekinetically yanked his hat over his eyes before slithering up his arm. "We had best hurry, dear, if Moffitt is ever going to get relief."

Troy adjusted his hat. "We should still tell him where we're going."

"Alright," Anah said with a sigh.

Troy didn't want to wake Moffitt if he was sleeping. He quietly opened the door, seeing the tall and lanky Englishman lying sprawled out in bed, a damp washcloth on his head, and a trashcan next to the bed. His face was sickly pale and his hair was badly disheveled.

"Poor dear." Anah's heart ached at seeing Moffitt like this. "We will get you some relief, do not worry."

"His only hope is you and me," Troy said. "Let's make it fast."

"Indeed."

The two headed off down the road toward the outer limits of Cambridge. Anah had become a regular sight, so very few people paid much attention to her. More people were looking at Troy than her.

"So, tell me a bit about this tea shop," Troy said. "What do I have to do to impress them?"

"You must know how to actually make tea, for one thing," Anah replied.

"Which I can't do. Can I just tell them that Moffitt is vomiting his guts out and needs that damn tea?"

"Troy, we are in Britain, not North Africa. Being a brute will get you nowhere."

"I was going to ask nicely."

"And then graphically describe poor Moffitt's condition."

"I was not going to do that. I'm just going to tell them that Moffitt's sick, he can't keep anything down, we need something to help. They can't be that stingy, can they?"

"With this tea? Absolutely."

Troy sighed heavily. "So, I have to prove that I can actually make tea, and respect tea, and then what? Am I going to get points off for not lifting my pinky when holding a teacup?"

"I am starting to think I should just go in and get the tea myself, dear."

"That's what we should've done all along!"

"Well, Vanora is at work and has the car. Using you as transportation is much quicker than if I decided to go on my own." Anah smiled before nuzzling Troy. "Besides, we get to spend quality time together."

"Oh, yeah. It's quality alright."

"Tell you what, you stand outside the shop while I go inside and buy the tea."

"Sounds good to me."

When they arrived at the shop, Anah climbed down from Troy's shoulders, then looked up at him. "Are you going to be alright out here, dear?" she asked.

"Yes." Troy took a pack of cigarettes and a lighter out of his pocket. "Just don't take too long."

"I know. See you in a few minutes." Anah opened the door telekinetically before disappearing inside. She climbed up to the counter, where a young woman was writing in a notepad.

"Hello, Anah," the woman said with a smile. "How are you today?"

"Oh, I am alright. Moffitt is not. He woke up with the flu this morning," Anah said.

"You looking for something that'll help with his symptoms?"

"Yes. I need the Powerfully Potent Peppermint blend, specifically."

The woman's eyes widened. "That bad, huh?"

"Yes. I cannot get any medicine in him."

"We didn't get a very large shipment this week. Most of the boxes have already been purchased, but you can check. If you can't find any, I have a few other teas I could recommend."

"Thank you, dear." Anah dropped down from the counter, and slithered over to the aisle she was certain had that powerful tea. As she did, a man in a black coat had taken a box—the last box—and slid it into one of his pockets before trying to make his escape. "Thief! Stop!" Anah lunged forward, hood spread and fangs unsheathed.

The thief panicked at the sight of the cobra, and made a mad dash to the door, knocking over a display to block Anah's path. Anah swore as she navigated the newly made obstacle course, and shouted, "Troy! Stop that man!"

Troy didn't need any further explanation. He tore off after the tea-thief down the street, and tackled him when he reached a crosswalk. Anah left the shop, moving as quickly as she could as she saw Troy's tussle with the thief was threatening to roll them both into the road. His opponent noticed that as well, and tried to move with Troy into the crosswalk.

Fear twisted Anah's chest as she shouted, "Get out of the road, Troy! It is not worth your life!" She looked away when she heard the squealing of brakes. "Troy, no!"

She couldn't bear to look, even though she hadn't heard anything characteristic of someone being struck by a car. Involuntarily, she shivered with fear, and cursed herself for not doing anything to stop the car. She only looked up when she heard footsteps approaching her.

"I got the tea back." A bruised and bloodied Troy held up the box.

Anah was torn over what to say, so she exploded. "You maniac! You could have gotten yourself killed! I told you to get out of the road, and you did not listen to me!"

"Anah, it's okay. Relax. The car stopped before it could hit either of us." Troy knelt down to pick Anah up. "I've had worse. I'm okay. You don't need to flip out."

"No, you are covered in bruises, and your nose is bleeding, dear."

"Moffitt's more important right now. Heal me at home. Let's pay for this tea and go give it to him before he throws up his lungs."

After the tea-thief was arrested, everyone in the store greeted Troy with applause. The owner even told him that he could have a year's supply of tea as a reward, to which Troy said, "Uh, no thanks. Give it to Moffitt."

Anah was still trembling a little over Troy's near-miss with the car. Once the tea was paid for, she and Troy headed back to the house. She didn't say anything until they were home, and she tried to keep herself distracted by brewing up the tea for Moffitt.

"You doing okay, Anah?" Troy asked. He was nursing some of his larger bruises with a bag of ice wrapped in a paper towel.

Anah didn't respond at first, pretending to focus on the tea.

"What's wrong? I know you're usually very chatty." Troy waited for her to respond. When Anah said nothing, he let out a sigh. "This is about the damn car, isn't it? I told you, I'm fine. Look—" he held out the ice, "I'm a bit banged up, but that's no different than what you saw every single day in North Africa."

"I know." Anah looked up from the tea. "I… apologize for my reaction. I was… terrified that… that—"

"I got hit by a car and died."

"Yes. That."

"Well, I didn't."

"That does not make it any less terrifying that in those few seconds, we could have lost you. I could have lost you."

"If you want me to apologize for what I did, you're out of luck. Moffitt needs this tea. I was willing to fight for it. As for scaring the crap out of you…" Troy made a face of reluctance, then sighed, "I'll apologize for that."

"I accept your apology."

"Thank you."

Anah couldn't help but smile. Once the tea was finished, she turned to Troy. "Alright. Let us hope this will help." She climbed up to his shoulders while Troy carried the tea into Moffitt's bedroom. Much to their surprise, Moffitt was awake, and hugging a trash can to his chest.

"Hey," Troy said, "Anah and I brought something that might help."

"I don't want to hear 'might,' Troy," Moffitt muttered. "I want something that is guaranteed to end whatever rebellion my stomach has incited against the rest of me."

"It is the special peppermint tea, dear," Anah said.

"Please tell me this is the Potently Powerful Peppermint blend."

"It is. The last box, too."

"Give it." Moffitt struggled to sit up.

"It is still hot, dear—"

"I don't care. This stuff works."

"Goodness, you are grumpy."

"Oh, well, it's not like I haven't been throwing up since I woke up this morning, now, have I?"

"Dear, be nice—"

"Aw, give him a break, Anah. He's had a rough day." Troy reached down to give Moffitt's head a pat, which earned him a gray, bloodshot glare—the nastiest glare Anah had ever seen him give.

"Troy, do me a favor, and never touch me when I'm sick again," Moffitt said.

"Honestly, dear, why did you do that?" Anah asked. "How would you like it if one of us did that to you while you are sick?"

"Remind me to do that the next time he gets sick."

"It was a test to see how well that tea works," Troy said, shrugging. "You're certainly acting like you're feeling better."

Moffitt kept glaring at him while sipping his tea. "Out of everyone, I can't believe you're my nurse today. I must ask, what happened to your face? It looks like you got in a fight."

"I did get in a fight. Someone tried stealing the last box of that potent peppermint whatever-it-is, and I went after them."

"He also nearly got hit by a car in the process," Anah added.

Moffitt shook his head. "I would have expected nothing less of you, Troy, and yes, that is a compliment." His glare was finally replaced with a smile.