Chapter 12

Tom searched for the medical book and took it and the Primer with him to put into his backpack.

He stuffed his dirty washing into the magical box, not wanting to lose his clothes. He even double-checked that he still had his Go-Card. However, he put his wallet in the side pouch of his pack for ease of access.

He slipped on his new boots and wiggled his toes. They felt really comfortable, and he loved the Gel-style wrap-over. Happy, he put on his pack and headed out to find the lift and food. His internal mapping ability led him to the lift, and he was soon on the second level and in the canteen.

Cara found Tom filling a tray with goodies. She chuckled, “Let me guess, you’re a growing lad?”

“Something like that,” Tom smirked back.

Cara grabbed a couple of cups of coffee for them and settled down at one of the tables so that she was facing Tom. Amused, she watched him stuff the contents of the tray into his mouth. He ate the bacon and eggs with fried onion and tomato first and then the toast with jam thickly spread on it.

They didn’t talk until Tom sat back to finish his coffee. “I got an interesting video call this morning,” Tom told Cara.

“Oh, how so?” she responded.

“Your Queen Wizard was kind enough to say hi to me. Apparently, she gave me some spending money,” Tom informed her.

Cara shook her head slowly, “You must have made some kinda good impression on her. Lee doesn’t just call anyone.”

“I had a feeling that was the case. I think she was more intrigued by my bus driver and what he was up to.”

“Possibly, are you ready to go visit your charge?”

“Yes, please. Have you any more news about Lorena?” Tom asked as they got up.

“Yes, she is stable and awake. They even managed to feed her, even though her little lips are still very tender,” Cora responded as they cleared the table.

They walked through the hallways to the sickbay and soon found the baby. Lorena looked at Tom when he bent over the crib to say hi to her. She put up her chubby arms and blew bubbles at him.

Tom dropped the side of the crib. Careful of the IV line and the bandages, Tom picked the little girl up. Lorena snuggled into his arms. “Hi, sweety,” he said softly. “You look like shit, and something that a dingo dragged through the desert, but I’m so glad you lived.”

“We were amazed that she was still alive too. Then Esky told us you received a powerful magical item. We now believe that you kept her alive,” Merry said as she walked in.

“Huh! How did I do that?”

“Well, many potential magicians, can use their latent abilities to some extent before they get a magical item, especially if they are desperate enough,” Merry answered.

“Unfortunately, I’m new on board and haven’t received magical items above a two gemmed novice set. I was working on Earth for the last few years to get experience and to finish my medical training. Fortune doesn’t usually need a lot of magical medical assistance.”

“Even so, you did fix her up,” Tom offered.

“Barely,” Merry scoffed. “We even gave her Lee’s immunisation shot, but for some reason, it hasn’t seemed to have affected Lorena like it does for most people.”

Merry wasn’t happy that she couldn’t do more. She had neglected her magical training while on Earth. She knew that she was a doctor driven more by her technical training. This was fine in most cases, just not in Lorena’s case. It was something she was going to have to work on.

Merry shook her head as she watched Tom cradle, the contented baby. “You must be very powerful. I can see your glow surround the baby, and we can’t pick her up without her screaming.”

Tom shrugged, “Sorry, I guess she just knows my smell and trusts me.”

“Either that or you are healing her while you hold her,” Cara said as she looked at Lorena’s face.

“Huh! I haven’t even read the medical book yet.”

“Some people don’t have to read books to instinctively know how to do something,” Cara offered. “The scratches on her face seem to be a lot smaller than what I saw yesterday.”

Merry looked at the baby more closely. “Why don’t you sit down here for a bit, Tom. I think you should just hold her for a while. She is due to be fed, so you can do that if you like.”

Tom didn’t have to think too hard. He got Cara to help him take the backpack off and then happily got comfortable in the rocking chair someone had put in the room. One of the nurses turned up with a bottle, and Merry had her hand it to Tom.

They left Tom alone with the baby. He chatted to Lorena as he fed her. He was amused that her eyes never left his face while she ate until the bottle was empty. Tom put it on the side table and retrieved the cloth that was there to put against his shoulder.

Carefully lifting Lorena up, he rubbed her back until she burped and then laid her head on his shoulder. Tom could feel her heart slow down as she dropped into a healing slumber.