Grandpa Max got there. Max held Gwen's hand and checked her forehead.
Aya got him a chair.
They sat there in silence for a while and thought about everything Ben and Aya told him.
Max looked at her huge scorpion tattoo. Then looked at Gwen sleeping. Appearently she will stay that way for forty two days. He told Aya "This will be a problem. Gwen's parents don't know that she's a witch".
She didn't like hearing that "It's about time they knew".
"It's not my place to tell them".
"Look, they probably know she's capable of magic, so it won't be a big surprise".
Max tried to explain "I don't want them to know until she's ready to tell them herself".
Aya had an idea, but she wasn't sure it's a good one. "I don't recommend it, but I can use my magic to rejuvenate her. That way it should take four days".
Ben said "No, but that would overdose her, right? You said she can only have six".
"That's right, Shapeshifter,"
Max chuckled "Shapeshifter? That's a new one"
Ben said "I know, I started off as Demon".
Gwen is going to be okay either way. Now it's just a matter of how fast she will wake up. Laughing a bit was a good thing. They weren't used to the gloomy feeling.
Aya told Ben "More than six a day would overdose her. But she only needs twenty to wake up. Which is why you can give her five a day for four days. She'd be good as new"
Max asked "Then why don't you recommend it?"
Aya set up, confident "hmm, Mainly because that's a waste of my magic. But also because it's best to let the body heal itself in this case".
"Will it have side effects?"
"No, it should be fine".
"Then we would like to have the four days option"
Aya laughed "You overestimate my kindness. How much cash do you have on you?"
Max sighed, pulled the bills out and started counting. "$562"
"Great" she held it gently and Max eyed her angrily
"Hey. Don't look at me like that. You asked for some expensive medicine and I'm giving you 75% off. You don't have to buy it"
Max grind his teeth "I'll take it"
"Then I'll take this" she pulled the money out of his hand. She got an empty pills box from a shelf. Her scorpion tattoo rose up from her arm and stood on six little legs. It climbed down her arm and put his stinger in the box. A rattling sound now filled the creepy garage as the scorpion's tail shot out mist that formed into nineteen pill-sized black cubes. They landed one by one.
She gave it to Max and said "So, no more than five a day, and try to wait at least an hour between every pill. Nothing in the next twenty four hours. Keep out of reach of children"
Max grinned at the last instruction. Aya was worried. "No, listen, in liquid form, this thing kills a thousand humans. In cubes it won't dissolve. They have the same density as glass. but if they break, the smallest cut can kill you. Keep away from open wounds, eyes, mouth"
Max looked at it suspiciously "This thing is poison"
"Yes, but witches produce it naturally. We're immune"
"Prove it" he gave her a cube.
She pressed it to her palm. Then produced it from the other palm and put it back in the little box.
Ben asked Max "What now? We take her back to the van?"
"It's not that simple, Ben. She needs to be looked after"
"Can't we look after her?"
"I don't think so" Max turned to Aya "How does this" He gestured to Gwen being asleep. "...work?"
Aya approved what he thought was right. "This isn't a Sleeping Beauty kind of coma." Aya touched Gwen's head. "Gwen here needs to be fed and have her teeth brushed and temperature monitored."
"Oh" Ben sort of assumed this was a classic magic coma situation.
"The difference between this and a usual coma patient is that her head is fine, and she's guaranteed to wake up".
Aya gazed in the direction of the hospital where she works. Where there are real coma patients. She felt the need to add "She'll wake up good as new".
Max asked "Can you take care of her at the hospital?"
"No. But there is a witch family that can take care of her. They're called the Brierwood Sisters. I send patients to them often." Aya looked at Gwen. "This is a common side effect of using magic recklessly". She double-tapped Gwen's spellbook for emphasis "Especially this kind of magic".
Max rubbed his neck "I don't know… I don't like leaving her with people I've never met"
"You don't have a lot of options. But you don't have to leave her, you can stay in the area, you have a van, don't you?"
"I guess you're right".
He got the Witch family's details from her. She gave him her phone number in case anything changes. Max thanked her for saving Gwen's life.