Veronica smiled. ‘Twas a sad smile, but‘twas a start. “Thank you. All of you.” She patted him on the hand.“And you’re a good man, Lachlan Gunn.”
He grunted. “Aye, I am,” he boasted. Hisexpression quickly grew serious. “So cease this guilt. Do it for meif you canna do it for yourself.”
She nodded. “You’re right. At this pointguilt is a wasted emotion. I just wish I could do something aboutall of this,” she growled, standing up and taking to pacing. “I’m agreat fighter, but there’s no clear enemy to fight. Now that I’vemet them I’ll have no part in killing survivors as a precaution.”She frowned as she came to a halt and looked directly at him. “Andneither will you. Promise me.”
He frowned back at her. Lachlan would belying if he proclaimed the thought hadn’t crossed his mind.Leastways, it seemed the easiest way to make the sickness go awayafore it rampaged.
“Promise me,” Veronica said again.“Please.”
“How do you ken it willna spread to all ofthe lands like it did in your future?” he asked, feeling defensive.He wished he’d brought Finn and Ramsay into the bedchamber. They’dtake his side no doubt. “Will Victor have the lot of us time travelto years gone by to escape it?”
She plopped back down on the bed again,sighing. “No. For whatever reason 1155 A.D. was the only year thatworked for Victor. God only knows how many more years it would takehim to figure out how to go back even further.”
“Then why are we considering letting thesickness spread? What if it reaches the people I am sworn toprotect?”
“It’s contained for now,” Veronica assuredhim. “I just wish we could keep in contact with Victor.”
He thought that o’er. “What of thelaptop?”
His wife’s eyes widened. “Of course!” Sheshot up off the bed and made her way to the chamber’s table wherethe laptop had been set. “Victor has the AI scanner with him andI’m still wearing the wristband he created for me,” she explained.“Don’t ask me how it works,” she muttered at his confused look,“because I really don’t know.” She scooped the laptop up, broughtit with her to the bed, and sat back down. “I’m keeping this openuntil we hear from him.”
“Tell me when you make contact with him,sister,” Catriona pleaded. “I shall be o’ercome with worry untilyou do.”
“Yes, of course. I’ll let you know as soonas I do.”
Lachlan inattentively glanced aboot hisnewly decorated bedchamber. Veronica had added tapestries to thestone walls, plus a chest of drawers and wardrobe for her newlyacquired belongings. He sighed for he kenned how absentmindedVictor could be whilst working on one of his projects. For his wifeand sister’s sakes, he prayed to the saints the mon strayed fromhis work long enough to inform them of his wellbeing.
*****
For the next few days, Victor studied thevictims, grateful the sick didn’t ask too many questions. Afterall, he had no notion how to explain the existence of his gadgetsor what they did without saying too much. He needed the stricken totrust him, not worry he was insane. The readings coming back wereincredibly hopeful. It appeared those who’d fallen ill with normalfevers dwelled the furthest from the communal well; they hadexperienced exposure to the virus in such small doses that it wasallowing a natural immunity of sorts to develop. Surely he couldcreate a vaccine with this knowledge.
Perhaps, at long last, he understood histrue purpose. Maybe he was supposed to be here all along.Perhaps—just maybe—inoculating those not yet sick in the here andnow was how he could alter the future. Some would be inoculated,while others would have natural immunity, both of which would passdown through the generations. No matter the method, the futurewould be given half a chance at survival.
He blew out a breath, appreciative that he’dbeen born when he had and not as little as fifty years earlier. Theadvancements in vaccines before DR-71 had hit were a vastimprovement over inoculations from the near past. Once a mother oreven a father was given the vaccine, any children born thereafterinherited that immunity from inception. Everything, all of thoseadvances, had been based on AI technology.
“How goes it?” James asked, popping his headinto Victor’s bedroom within the Campbell’s stronghold.
“Very well,” Victor said, taking off hisglasses so he could rub his eyes. “Much better than expected.”
James nodded. “’Tis a boon to hear foranother has been stricken with the icy fever.”
Victor’s head snapped up. His gaze bore intoJames’. “They live in close proximity to the well?”
“Aye.”
That truth further delineated hishypothesis. Those who’d had the most exposure to the well waterwere developing icy fevers; those who’d had minimal exposure werenot.
“You know what must be done,” Victor toldJames. “There can be no exceptions.”
“Aye. I ken my duty. I dinna have a care forit, but ‘twill be done.”
“I’m sorry,” Victor murmured. “I’ve neverbeen in your situation so I can only imagine how stressful it mustbe.”
“Never?”
He shook his head. “I was one of the luckyfew. A very lucky few.”
James inclined his head. “I will let you getback to your work.” He sighed. “And I shall go finish mine.”
