Chapter 31: Findings
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Hadrian stared at Edwin, who was writing at a quick pace. The hedge healer would often smile at something or another and underline his writings. There was one of his undead birds sitting on the table. It was creepy how the healer stared at its lifeless eyes.

“Eddy, can you speak with these things?” Asked Hadrian, no longer able to hold back his curiosity.

“Not quite. I can see through their eyes. It is simply fascinating how much knowledge the Hafnons possess on the subject of virology,” said Edwin. He extended a sheet of paper and Hadrian looked at it.

Vaccines on patients with weak immune system:

Live vaccines are to not be applied with such patients, with some exceptions. But the gamble is not worth it and some patients show that…

“Eddy, what is a live vaccine?”

“Well, vaccines in general are made to fight germs and the illnesses they cause. With me so far?” Asked Edwin, taking his eyes off the bird.

“I knew that already. I am not Lucy,” said Hadrian with mock insult in his voice.

“Right, there are several types. Inactive vaccines, live vaccines, conjugate vaccines, to be fair, this one has various other names, toxoid vaccines and viral vector vaccines. They all weaken the germs, so it can reproduce poorly in the body. Two dosses usually last you for life,” said Edwin, and then he turned back to his paper and began to write again.

“Yes, but why are some of them alive?” Asked Hadrian, still confused.

“They are basically the germs, but feeble and still kept alive. That is why they have to be kept cool. Another thing we necromancers could do as healers, one of the few things, actually. Ben and the twins should have gotten the live vaccine for chickenpox. Are they still asleep?”

Hadrian looked towards the couch, where the children still slept in a pile. Their rashes had gotten lesser a while back, and Edwin said it would take them two to three days before they cleared.

“They can sleep through the end of the world,” said Hadrian with a shrug. Now that they were quarantined, their sleep cycle went back to sleeping during the night and being active during the day. Which was going to be hard on them once they had to go back to sleeping during the day because of Hadrian.

“Speaking of sleep, shouldn’t it be a thing you should be doing? You have been watching over the kids the whole day, a couple of days in a row. How many hours did you even sleep?” Asked Hadrian. He was ready to pick Edwin and swing him over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes if he said something like four hours.

“Three hours, I think. But I am used to it and…”

And that was it. Hadrian marched to Edwin and picked him up and indeed swung him on his shoulder.

“Hadrian Deranges, let me go!” Hissed Edwin quietly to not wake the children.

“Harry, not Hadrian. And you can’t go on three hours of sleep. I am tucking you in and staying next to your door the entire night, if I have to, just so you wouldn’t sneak away,” said Hadrian. For once, even though his words were light, he was not joking. Edwin couldn’t be allowed to drop dead from exhaustion. He couldn’t be allowed to die from anything but old age.

When they entered Edwin’s room, Hadrian unceremoniously deposited him on the bed, under the covers, and then tied the comforter with rope, so Edwin couldn’t do anything but gape at him.

“Why is there a rope in my room?” Asked Edwin. He was staring at Hadrian with suspicion as the vampire grinned.

“Better to ravage you with, obviously,” said Hadrian with a devil-may-care smile. Edwin yelped, got his arms out of his cocoon, and chucked a pillow at Hadrian.

“I don’t do such things!” Said a blushing Edwin. Hadrian tilted his head to the side, like a confused puppy, and spoke.

“What? You have given me blood before. What did you think I meant? And I was just joking. I would never force a feeding on you,” said Hadrian. He then went and got Edwin’s arms back in the comforter and laid beside him.

“It is just that…never mind,” said Edwin, stubbornly looking up at the ceiling. Hadrian was Harry. He was his best friend, nothing more and nothing else. No matter how, everyone would send them knowing looks when they went pass them.

“Well, as long as you are not mad at me,” said Hadrian, and he got on his side and put an arm around Edwin. “Just so you don’t get away. We will put the blinders on the windows tomorrow, and you can write all your stolen tidbits of knowledge while I watch the children.”

“I had a wife.” Blurted Edwin. Hadrian nuzzled at his side.

“And now you have a friend with whom you rise three wonderful children. Not the same or even as good as, probably, but all I can give you. Goodnight, Eddy. Dream of live vaccines and measles patients or something,” said Hadrian as he closed his eyes.

“Measles is a live vaccine type virus. Good guess, Harry,” said Edwin as he closed his eyes too.

“Ha, I'm capable of becoming a hedge healer too, one day. A specialist in bloodletting,” said Hadrian smugly.

“Well, your bite does have certain numbing properties that would be a good substitute for anesthesia. But only for small things. Maybe a first aid solution?” Began to theorize Edwin. “Just imagine, vampires as first response paramedics. I have decided. You are taking healing lessons with Lucy from now on!”

“Sleep,” commanded Hadrian, slightly insulted to be put on the level of a three-year-old. “And if I become a healer, you have to become a rogue. With you being a necromancer, and one that doesn’t play by the rules, you just might need to get yourself out of prison someday.”

“I don’t get caught,” protested Edwin. Hadrian snorted.

“Because a king covers for you,” he said in a sing-song voice.

“Fine, I’ll make a hedge healer out of you, and you will make a thief out of me. Then we will be like two peas in a pot,” said Edwin with a huff.

“Aren’t we already? Five peas, though. Don’t forget the children now, Eddy.”

Silence followed that statement. Edwin smiled softly. He had lost a wife and three children, but the Gods had given him a best friend and three children. He could take what he could instead of only having his mother as a precious person.

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