Chapter 57: Day 75

Jillian was snuggled close to Tristan and had only managed a bare minimum of sleep when the bell rang, summoning her to Miri. She quickly got out of bed, threw on a dressing gown and slippers, and went to see the Princess.

"Tell Tristan I have what Matthias needs. You have enough time to say 'goodbye' properly before I need you."

Jillian smiled broadly. "I shall follow your most gracious command with alacrity!"

Miri laughed as Jillian quickly left the room and returned to hers. Tristan was tired, but he was not about to object to a proper 'goodbye' from Jillian. When they finished, he washed, dressed, and ate a quick meal of bacon, cheese, and freshly baked bread. After eating, he gave Jillian a kiss and departed Haven on horseback.

🎲🎲🎲

"It was wonderful!" Teresa declared dreamily when she got out of bed before sunrise. "But I must go."

It had been an intensely pleasurable night for all three, with the girls taking turns pleasuring Matthias and each other, and eventually the two girls pleasuring each other and him simultaneously. Unfortunately, work beckoned, so Teresa put on her gown and left the room.

Matthias and Tyra had the luxury of additional sleep and did not wake until well past dawn, and even then, they did not get out of bed for another hour.

"What would you say if I asked to bring Teresa to Newtown?" Tyra inquired as they got out of bed to wash and dress following a very enjoyable hour of pleasure.

"In what capacity?" Matthias inquired.

"As my lover and as Lisette's apprentice."

"I assume you've spoken to Lisette?"

"Yes, as has Teresa. Lisette wants to start an apothecary in Newtown, and having an apprentice is necessary if Lisette is to travel with the Company."

"Both Fulham and Newtown are in need of a proper healer and an apothecary that sells true medicines."

"True medicines?" Tyra asked.

"Ones that provably work. There are many, many things to discover here, which are well known in my OP. I know only the basics — First Aid, CPR, and the history of herbal medicine. But that knowledge, as simple as it is, surpasses what every so-called healer knows here. The work the surgeons do here is done by nurses or even medical students in my OP."

"Does Lisette know?"

"We've discussed some of it," Matthias replied. "There is much more I can teach her."

"What are those things you mentioned?"

"First Aid is basic treatment of injuries. CPR is a way of restarting someone's heart and breathing, and is very effective for someone who has just drowned. In my OP, it can be used to sustain life until what are called paramedics — usually firefighters trained in basic medicine — respond. They can use a special device to restore a proper heartbeat, and that saves many lives."

"Could you build such a device?"

"No. I am familiar with the basic operation, but it requires specialized technology and scientific advancements that are centuries away in Nystria. I could build other devices which are considered simple in my OP, but which are very advanced here."

"Like the windmills?"

"Yes. And indoor running water and flush toilets — self-cleaning privies; but more importantly, showers."

"Showers?"

"Water flows through the equivalent of a sieve, and you stand under it to wash. Doing that every few days, or when you are especially dirty, improves health tremendously, as does washing your hands before cooking or eating, and after using the privy."

"Why?" Tyra asked.

"Due to another thing that will take a long time to discover — germ theory. Small living things, which you cannot see, called bacteria and viruses, cause sickness and infections."

"How do you know if you can't see them?"

"Technology," Matthias replied. "By making use of specially ground glass, placed at the ends of a tube, you can magnify things. If that's not enough, there are even more advanced devices. The lenses and tube are called a 'microscope,' and you can use a similar idea to see things far away, with that device called a 'spyglass' or 'telescope'."