Chapter 12: Heart to heart

 When the prisoners came into the shack, they all looked hopeful. They were three, in total, but Edwin was confident that more would drink from the blood root mixture if these three, plus Ben, made it out of the shack with clear lungs.

"Ok, all of you sit down and await treatment," Edwin said. He looked at Ben who was retching in a bucket and sending him dirty looks. The boy looked less pale than before, and the prisoners were seeing this. Unfortunately, the only thing they seemed to care about was the full bucket.

"Why is the boy throwing up?" asked one of the three that had followed Hadrian here. He looked towards the door, but Hadrian went and blocked it.

"He needs to purge his body. You will go through the same. Sit down, already. You stick out like a stake," said Hadrian, and the three sat reluctantly next to the bed.

Ben got a mischievous look in his eyes and tipped his bucket towards one of the prisoners. Lightning-fast, Hadrian closed the distance between them and righted it. He hit Ben over the head gently and smiled.

"Cheeky brat," Hadrian said as Ben looked unapologetically at him.

"Ok, first there has to be a vibration treatment for all of you. Hadrian, if you would?" asked Edwin, getting into position and placing a hand on the nearest prisoner's back.

"On three," Edwin said, and so an hour and a half passed with the vibration treatment for all of them. During that time Ben had cleaned up from a water basin and was now jumping up and down.

"It doesn't hurt to breathe!" the boy exclaimed happily, as the prisoners smiled at his enthusiasm despite themselves.

"Now, for the hard part," Edwin said as he filled three bowls with the red blood root sludge. "Eat up. There is only one bucket in the shack, though."

As one, all three prisoners lunged for the bucket. It fell and got the floor wet with Ben's barf. One of the prisoners managed to both avoid getting covered in it and the grabby fingers of his fellow.

He took the bucket and hit his two fellows with it over the heads, so hard, Edwin worried he would knock them out. But when the grumbling prisoners stood up and went outside with their sludge, he relaxed.

The disgusting puddle on the ground was sidestepped by the victorious prisoner, and he too went outside with his prize in his hands. The sound of retching came from outside, moments later, and Edwin took some rags and began cleaning the vomit from the wooden floor.

"Hadrian, I've been thinking,"Edwin said as he scrubbed, used to the action from his first semester at the academy. Every healer trainee went through nurse duty, and frankly it was something Edwin didn't mind.

"Yes, Eddy? And call me Harry already. We are friends now," Hadrian said. Edwin shook his head.

"Harry is a goofball who steals because he sees shiny things. Hadrian is a respected hedge healer's assistant," Edwin said in an even tone.

"But Harry is still here and will be here long after Hadrian ceases to be," Hadrian said, kneeling and taking one of the few clean rags.

"What do you mean? Do you mean to settle here? Take care of Ben?" asked Edwin. It would be noble of Hadrian if he did so. Edwin could manage on his own on the road. He knew now how to heal the sickness, and he had a prime suspect for its source.

"No, I am a free spirit. But I will help the kid, mark my words," Hadrian said. He had a certain look in his eyes that promised to deliver what he had promised. Edwin had an idea.

"There is usually a reward for curing a plague-ridden town like this," Edwin said as he scrubbed. "Quite the hefty sum. By law, it is ten thousand golden coins. Buying a building to serve as an orphanage won't cost even a fifth of that. Setting aside money for tuition and food for the next ten to fifteen years should be within the boundaries of the prize money."

"Eddy, I can hug you right now!" Hadrian said, then he looked at his dirty hands. "But you will run out of clothes. That bag of yours is now on the empty side. Are you sure you will give away the prize money to the children of the town?"

"If the mayor gives it to me, they will have a roof over their heads by the end of the week. We just need to hire someone honest to look after the children," Edwin said. He looked down at the now clean floor. It still smelled strongly of blood root.

"Let's keep it under wraps for now. To stop Ben from getting disappointed. Just in case," Edwin added. Hadrian nodded.

"If we can't do this the legal way, then I can doctor some last wills and testaments of recently deceased nobles. Orphanages may not be ideal, but they are better than the streets," Hadrian said. Edwin looked at him with worry.

"No crime, Hadrian. Even if you are not caught, people will still point to you. I know that not helping is not an option, but…"

"But nothing," the vampire said sternly. "I take it you grew up with your parents?"

"My mother raised me. She is a wood's witch," Edwin said, not understanding where Hadrian was going with this.

"Well, my parents died when I was about three. And three thousand and fifty years ago, there weren't even any orphanages. I won't stand by and watch as more children go through what I did when I can prevent that. Don't ask me to, Eddy," Hadrian said, as he moved to the washing basin to wash his hands.

Edwin stood rooted to his spot. Well, that explained the stealing. It was done out of necessity, not out of vanity. The hedge healer vowed to do everything he could to get the orphanage the legal way.

 For Hadrian was not considering the fates of the families of the people he wanted to steal from. And Edwin had to stop him. For no matter how noble the goal, there was still going to be grief if they did it Hadrian's way.