a.d. IV Id. Iul. AUC MMDCCLXII

For once, the Chef did not wake up at his normal four o"clock rising hour. He instead was woken up about fifteen minutes early by a coughing fit from his beloved. For the last couple of days, Timora had had that sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head, fever type of feeling. And while she had protested the day before that she did not want to go to Riverview to see the doctor, Guill was too concerned for her health to allow otherwise.

So he put on a painter's disposable mask, for his protection, and gathered Timi up in his arms; there was no way he would trust her to walk with him to the Clinic. He took her outside and set her down gently in his cart; he did not think he could carry her himself for that distance. He started pushing the cart off towards Riverview, taking care not to hit any large bumps, as he wanted it to be a smooth ride.

Once he arrived at Riverview, around six o"clock, he gently lifted Timora out of the cart and carried her in, up to the front desk, where Phyllia Hawkwood was seated.

He smiles to Phyllia. "I hate to ask but is it possible to have Doctor Valkonan see her? Nothing against Doctor Dorst, mind you - I am sure that she is more than capable - but I would have a bit more peace of mind knowing that a good friend of mine is taking care of Timora."

Guill slowly followed the orderly as he wheeled Timora into the treatment room. After being sure that his beloved was comfortable, he settled down in a chair, and waited for the Good Doctor to arrive.

Concern lined Maranya's face as she swept into the treatment room. She started things off by gathering Timi's vital signs quickly and efficiently. Next, she flipped through her mental Rolodex to try to cross match the symptomology that presented itself with any probable causes.

Finally, after the sick young woman was settled in with a cooling blanket to reduce her fever, the Good Doctor turned to the concerned Chef who waited for a verdict on her condition.

"When did this start, Guill" Did you notice anything unusual?"

Maranya listened carefully to Guill while he recited the symptoms, and their progression. More information to be added to the equations in her head.

Symptom A plus Symptom B rules out Condition X, but not necessarily Condition M.

Her lips pursed, and her brows furrowed in thought. Then what some non-Scientists liked to term the Eureka Moment happened, as the mental puzzle pieces fell into place.

"I know what she has, Guill. First of all, it is treatable, and, because it was caught in time, I can without a doubt assure you of a full, unhampered recovery." Maranya took a deep breath before she continued on, "What Timi has is what we call Novel H1N1 Influenza."

She noted the confused expressions on her target audience, and clarified further, "In the common vernacular, it's referred to as Swine Flu."