It’d been a month since I’d had my last treatment. I wasn’t sure where to go from here. I’d missed four weeks of class, and hadn’t seen a single soul in person, besides Ethan every now and then. I was on the precipice of losing my mind, and feared I was already there.
On the morning of February nineteenth, I awoke to Tygrys pawing at my face. I brushed the hair back from my eyes and blearily sat up, feeling like I was going to puke.
“Tygrys, what is it?” I moaned. I longed to go back to sleep, get a few more hours of respite from my pain.
Just then, there was a sharp knock at my door. Feeling lightheaded, I stumbled to the door and cracked it open, wondering who wanted to bother me now.
My heart dropped into my stomach when I saw a large white box outside my dorm room door. It was the same packaging that my medicine came in.
I didn’t care where it came from or how it showed up. I grabbed the box and snuck it back into my dorm before anyone saw. I ripped open the packaging and began ruffling through the bubble wrap. I cried out in relief when I saw that there were four bottles of plasma lying at the bottom, along with all the supplies I needed.
I almost wept with relief. I sat back on my knees and put a hand over my mouth to hold the tears in. Tygrys, who was fascinated by the bubble wrap, began popping the bubbles one by one by bouncing on them.
It didn’t even cross my mind to hesitate. The medicinecouldbe poison, dropped off by Gabby— it could be a trap.
I was so desperate I didn’t even care. I hurried to get the medicine in my system. I usually hesitated to put the needles in, but I shoved them into my stomach as quickly as I could, not caring if it hurt or not. I turned the button on my infusion pump, and gave a sigh as I felt the medicine slowly enter my system.
I sat back against my bed, enjoying the feeling of comfort the medicine brought me. I didn’t expect this kind of instant relief. I thought the medicine would take time to take effect, but it was like energy and vitality went rushing back into my system the moment the plasma began infusing.
Gods, it was like I was addicted to this medicine. The doctors weren’t lying when they said I needed it to survive.
My mind unraveled as I tried to figure out where the medicine had come from. Everyone had been trying so hard to get me what I needed, but it’d been beyond our reach. Whoever had helped me, it had to be someone who was in charge.
There was only one woman I knew who had that kind of power.
The moment my infusion was done, I washed my hair and got dressed. I slipped a hat over my head that Odette had knitted me, to hide the thinness in my hair. I hurried down the hallway to Lady Magdalina’s office. I was protected now— I didn’t need to worry about infections as badly as I did before. People’s heads jerked to the side as I walked by. They’d all heard of my situation, and were surprised I was out, but I ignored them. I wound up the winding staircase to Lady Magdalina’s office, and let myself in. She was sitting at her desk, turning pages in a book and scrawling something down on a collection of papers.
Her expression brightened as she looked up. “Emmaline. Good to see you up and about. I trust you received the shipment I sent from the pharmacy.”
“I’m feeling much better,” I said, before I hesitated. “Though I’m not sure how long it will last. I only received a month’s worth of treatment.”
“Yes, well, you don’t need to be concerned,” Magdalina said quaintly. “The school board has approved a healthcare program for all students who are currently attending Arcanea University. Your insurance is covered until you graduate.”
My mouth dropped open. While I was gaping, Magdalina scribbled something down and said, “I’m sorry for the wait. I tried to get it approved as quickly as I could, but these things can take time to push through.”
That meant Magdalina had bullied the school board into giving in so she could get her way. “But—” I stammered. “Won’t the king and queen just forbid the new program?”
“The king and queen have no authority on what goes on inside the university,” Magdalina replied. “There is a very old law that was made when the university was founded that the current monarchy cannot dictate the rules of a private institution.”
“But it’s a college.”
“And not a public entity. Arcanea University is run by donors, Emmaline, not funds from the government. The majority of our funding comes from wealthy alumni. We don’t accept a cent of taxpayer money. Therefore, the royal family has no say on what we can and cannot do here, and it has been that way for centuries. If the king wishes to change this aspect of our society, he is going to have to change one of the grounding rules of the Malovian Code of Law, and I daresay that will take him a very long time.”
“Th—thank you,” I blurted out.
“It is nothing. I am merely providing for my students’ welfare.” Magdalina winked. “Now, off to your friends. I expect to see you at the rink first thing tomorrow morning.”
Giddiness leapt in my chest. I nearly cried with relief, but I pulled myself together and took off down the staircase. The possibilities of my new chance at life jumped out at me from all directions. I could still save my classes. I’d taken so much time off, but if I worked hard, I could still scrape by this semester. We could get back to looking for the stones, and I didn’t have to worry about where my medicine came from for at least another two years. It would give Ethan and I time to work on a plan.
My friends were sitting on the couches in the Rec Room in front of the TV. Gods, it felt so amazing to see them. The weight crushing my insides lifted when I recognized their faces. I ran toward them. Ethan, who was with them, got white-faced when he saw me coming. He leapt up from his seat and grabbed me by the shoulders before I could get to the rest of them.
“Emma, you need to get back in your room. It’s not safe,” Ethan said.
“I already took my medicine. Magdalina took care of it,” I said. I hurriedly explained what she’d done for me. Everyone’s expressions brightened when I reached the end of my story.
“Thank the gods!” Odette squeaked, and she threw herself on me. “See, Emma? I told you everything would work out.”
“This is such a relief.” Ethan brought me in for a one-armed hug. “I’m so happy to hear that you’re finally taken care of.”
