Through the small hours of the night, Aubrey tended to Caroline.
After sharing what he knew with George and Sophie, they helped him move her downstairs to her own sleeping cubicle. After that, Aubrey remained seated on a three-legged stool by her side as she slept an uneasy sleep. Twice she called out, without opening her eyes, making him start, and once she made jerky, warding-off motions with her bandaged hands. Risking personal injury, he took her wrists and held them firmly. She resisted, but only for a moment, before subsiding, muttering words that were ill-formed and unintelligible.
After breakfast had been served to the Enlightened Ones, Sophie parted the curtain and slipped in with a mug of tea for him and quiet concern for Caroline. She left, after patting him on the shoulder. He closed his eyes and brought the mug to his lips to savour it before tasting.
Caroline spoke. ‘If I ask politely, may I have some tea as well?’
It nearly precipitated a disaster. Aubrey’s eyes sprang open, he gasped and he tried to leap to his feet, all at once, while holding a container of extremely hot liquid. He swayed, wobbled, righted himself, then stared at his patient.
Her face was wan, but her smile was reassuring. She held up a hand, studied it, then put both hands together. Aubrey had done his best, but the bandages had made her elegant hands into bulky, gauze-laden mittens. ‘It appeared from nowhere,’ she said softly.
‘You were checking the antenna?’
‘I received some communication, then the interference was worse. I thought I might need to realign something.’
‘It was magic.’
‘Dr Tremaine?’
‘Or a magician underling. I can imagine it patrolling the ether and doing its best to ruin communications.’
‘And tracking down the source.’ Gingerly, she sat up. ‘I feel bruised all over.’
‘Your hands were burned. I did what I could.’
She held one out. ‘Let me see.’
‘I’m not sure that’s a good idea.’
‘I have more medical training than you, Aubrey. I have to assess what needs to be done.’
‘Are they painful?’
‘Somewhat. You didn’t put butter on them or anything like that, did you?’
‘George advised against it. He said it was folklore of a bad kind.’
‘He was correct.’
As carefully as he could, Aubrey began unwinding the gauze. She winced. ‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘I’m being as gentle as I can.’
She favoured him with an expression that was equal parts exasperation and the sort of tenderness that made him melt. ‘You’re doing a fine job.’
‘There.’
Caroline brought her hand up close. She turned it over to complete her inspection. ‘No blisters, which is a good thing. Red and sore, but no real damage.’
‘I’m glad.’
‘As long as I don’t have to engage in a serious tug-of-war in the next day or so, I should be able to manage.’
She began to pick away at the other bandage. Aubrey leaned over to help and, naturally, this brought their heads close together. Intent on working on Aubrey’s awkward bandage knot, she leaned so her forehead rested against his, which he thought an arrangement extremely close to perfection.
Some time later – hours? days? – she straightened and tossed the bandage to him. ‘Now, what about that cup of tea?’