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Age 4
He hated being sick. Being sick meant that he couldn’t go play in the garden, they would not go the park either, and Mummy made him swallow all kinds of nasty stuff that she said would make him feel better, but Dev always thought then they should have made sure it tasted fine, too, because otherwise what was the point?
Still, Mummy had had a difficult week and he knew she missed Daddy (he often tried very hard to act like he remembered Daddy when Mummy read him his letters because it made her happy, but when he thought of him, Dev only smelt smoke even though he didn’t know why) so he acted like he was supposed to. He swallowed the medicine and stayed in bed and tried to get better.
Only it wasn’t that easy. Why couldn’t one just get better because one wanted to? It was unfair.
“Hello”, Soft fingers began carding through his hair. “How are you feeling, dear?”
There were some people, he had learned, who didn’t like being told the truth; they just asked the question and expected to hear that everything was fine, and that there was nothing to worry about, and otherwise, they got irritated; but Mummy wasn’t one of them, and so he said that he still felt poorly but a little bit better, and that he was mostly bored.
She chuckled, which he thought was a strange reaction, but then, grown-ups often had strange reactions Mummy, who was the best of them, included. ”I’m sorry to hear that, but you know what then doctor said. You have to be patient.”
Dev knew, but he hated being patient, especially when he was feeling bad.
She stroked is hair again. “How about we read Robin Hood again?”
Mummy always knew how to make him feel better.
“Do you remember where we – “
“Robin Hood just escaped the Sheriff of Nottingham again!” he interrupted her even though it was impolite but he felt certain that Mummy wouldn’t mind, not when he was sick.
“Did he? Well, he was almost as clever as you, that Robin Hood! And then” she brightened up in a way she only ever did when speaking about one thing, so he wasn’t surprised by what followed, ”We can read daddy’s newest letter! It arrived today.”
He didn’t dare tell her that he still didn’t really remember Daddy. He was gone all the time, and he only ever visited for such as short time.…. when he thought of him, he mostly thought of smoke because that was what he smelled like, to Dev anyway. So, as usual, he smiled and told her he was happy, and it was not a lie because he was happy when Mummy was happy.
As he drifted off to sleep, he decided that perhaps, being sick wasn’t all that bad.
And if the plumbing of the neighbours acted up until he was well again due to talents no one yet knew he possessed, that was another matter entirely.
Age 17
He blamed Sam, which he felt was his prerogative as the older brother who had nursed him during his illness a few days ago; at least he was now old enough and had been studying his magic long enough to make sure it didn’t do anything strange, as it had when he was ill as a child.
“How are you, dear?” He briefly thought about lying and telling her he was doing better, but this was Mum they were talking about, and she would know immediately, since she always did. “About the same.”
She ran her fingers through his hair as she had done back when he was small. “I’m sure the fever will go down soon.”
He wasn’t so certain. Rather, he had found himself wondering if he was dying a few times already.
“I know, dearest, I know.” She sighed. “Would you mind terribly if Sam came in for a few minutes? He feels terrible about tis.”
And just like that, Dev himself felt even worse. He had no right to blame anyone; after all, he had been more than willing to look after Sam, and really, all of this was more luck than anything else, anyway.
“Of course” he croaked “I’m always glad to see Sam”.
She smiled and he knew he had done the right thing. She kissed his forehead once again. “I’ll send him in right away.”
When his brother arrived, he looked so very contrite that, even if he had still been holding on to any resentment, it would have been done away this very moment. So he simply said, “Don’t come too close, Sammy. The last thing we need is creating a vicious circle of this.”
He didn’t listen to him – he wase almost tempted to says of course – but instead moved even closer, sniffling. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you sick, Dev.”
All of his anger was done away in an instant. “It’s fine” he wa quick to assure him, feeling rather angry that his voice still sounded as bad as it did, “I am sure I will – “
“Wanted to come earlier. Mum wouldn’t let me.”
While there were undoubtedly some teenagers who could have withstood such words, Dev was most definitely not one of them; and so he quickly opened his arms. “Come here”
He all but dived into his arms.
Dev squeezed him. “Now, now. No reason to be upset. Mum will have me up and about in no time, just like she had you.” After a pause, he added, “and then we can go back to our reading.”
Sam’s face lit up, like he had hoped it would. “Really?”
Feeling even guiltier – apparently his brother had believed he was angry enough never to read with them again – heb nodded once more. “You know what, you can even pick what we are reading.”
Not that there would be much of a surprise – when it came to Sam at the moment, it could only be –
“Treasure Island?” he suggested as expected, and <dev laughed, no matter that it hurt his throat.
Age 30
Even though he pretended to himself that it wouldn’t happen, he was just waiting for the inevitable.
And, just like he had foreseen, it happened after his tenth sneeze in half an hour.
Peter, who had been going through some files in Dev’s office, because his friend had never seen the need to acknowledge that their offices were in fact, two separate spaces, although he knew which items and drawers to keep away from, raised his head and said, in a voice that brooked no argument and rather reminded him of his mother (while the pain had dulled somewhat over the years, the thought still gave him a pang) “you really should have stayed in bed today.”
“Can’t. I have a meeting with the Chairman later today…”
Peter winced in sympathy (as if, Dev thought, he had not fully been aware of said meeting), knowing quite well that there was nothing he could do about that particular appointment. Peter knew as well as he himself that, when the Chairman wanted something, he couldn’t be gainsaid.
Therefore, he was not surprised when his best friend said nothing further.
At the same time, there was a part of him that remembered falling ill during his studies, and a cold hand trying to give comfort despite clearly never having done so before.
“Alright, but maybe go home right after?”
“Fine” he conceded, mostly because he couldn’t tell what he had been reading, even though he had been working on the file for over a quarter of an hour now.
“Ah, Captain., Commander.”
The Chairman, it seemed, had once again set out to prove his ability to surprise them; certainly, when he glanced at Peter, his friend’s expression told him that he had been as unaware of the Chairman entering as Dev himself.
“Chairman.”
“I see the Commander is still busy… I assume this can be dealt with later.”
It was not a question, and they were all aware of it.
There was nothing to it but to obey. “Of course, sir” Peter said smoothly, gathering his files and withdrawing.
He sat down again only after the Chairman had done so, of course.
Then, he was the one to surprise them both by asking, “Are you sure you feel good enough to work?”
They looked at one another and Dev knew they were both thinking of the same thing.
“I – “ he shook his head and reminded himself that he had responsibilities, and those included knowing when to step back “I’ll go home after this meeting”.
The Chairman nodded, seemingly satisfied, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
It was not as loud as Peter’s later that day when he actually went home though.
Age 34
A part of him – a rather foolish one, he would admit that when he felt better – had hoped that, now that he had returned to his family, everything would be fine forever. But if course this was not to be.
And so, on this otherwise fine morning, Mum looked at him and announced, in the old voice they remembered from their school days that brooked no argument, “I don’t think you should go into work today.”
Somehow, he had expected it, and yet he tried to shrug it off (Peter would say he had grown used to doing so since for years, and he couldn’t deny it). “I’m fine. And anyway, we’re supposed to go over the budget today…”
He really should have known better, but the years spent apart had somehow let him forget that this was still his mother they were talking about, and there were some things she would not tolerate, no matter what was going on.
“Surely not when you are sick! Off to bed, young man.”
He could have, and probably should have, protested, but the way she looked at him – like she had when he was a small child – made him speechless wince it had been so long since he had seen that expression on her face, and before he knew it, she had paraded him back into his and Sam’s room. There had been a hint, when he had first moved back in, that they might want separate rooms now that they were grown; but neither of them had agreed.
“But Mum…” he pleaded helplessly.
“No, no, Dev, you really shouldn’t go out when you’re sick. I’m sure everyone will understand…”
They would, but as or the Chairman… he wasn’t so sure.
“Just lie down and rest for a bit.” She ran her fingers through his hair as had been her wont since he was a small child, and of course, he gave in, He had been living without all of this for too long not to do so.
And Peter really would be able to lead the Guard for a day or two.
So, he made the calls and went back to bed, which naturally (how wonderful it felt to use words like “of course” and “naturally” again when talking about his family) led to Joan and Sam being late for work because they “checked up” on him several times before leaving for the Guard.
When Mum brought him tea and a light snack, it felt like back when he had been a child, if only for a moment. “Here, dear. I’m sure you’ll feel better soon.”
How could he not, when he was looked after like this?
And, really, he had not been ill for quite some time now; everyone should understand….
As it turned out, they did.
He had dozed off again when Mum knocked ever so quietly and entered the room once more, “Dear, this just arrived on the doorstep-- well, it appeared when someone knocked and I opened the door.” She held up a small bag. “It says to put a spoonful in your tea.”
He recognized the Chairman’s handwriting, but decided to worry about that on another day.