The art of healing comes from nature, not from the physician. Therefore, the physician must start from nature, with an open mind - Paracelsus

Mission: Complete

Birds sang their songs outside a partially opened window overlooking the city. A loud one, a red-breasted hornbill, perched on a nearby branch, was in full concert mode. His song reverberated through the sterile room, reaching the bed where Estelle was attempting to rest.

She played with the fringes of her white gown that opened in the back, her eyes kept wandering back to the bird whose concert began early in the morning. Now that morning had turned afternoon, Estelle had enough of the bird’s private performance.

Her eyes scanned the room for something to discourage the impromptu concert. A dull butter knife, still smeared with a bit of butter from her morning breakfast, caught her eye as a potential solution to the unrequested performance.

Estelle picked up the knife and ran her thumb across its dull edge. Despite the awkward angle to which the hornbill sat, she calculated that she could hit the bird or the branch it was on. With any luck, it would be enough to encourage him to move his solo musical recital to another venue.

Judging the distance and force needed, she thought as she flipped the butter knife with her fingers, it was best to hit the branch he was standing on.

The door opened and Heather strutted in with an armful of flowers. Heather placed the brightly colored bouquet on the nightstand next to her bed.

“I hope you are doing better,” Heather said as she picked up the medical chart and noticed that Estelle had a knife in her hand. “And staying out of trouble.”

Heather snatched the knife from Estelle and placed it on the table and rolled it an arm’s distance away.

“Given the current circumstances, I find myself, as well as to be expected,” Estelle replied, crossed her arms, and turned away from the window.

“Well, it’s my opinion, and the doctors, that you sit the rest of the season out, till we can determine why the nanobots shorted out,” Heather said and placed the chart back on her bed. “Honestly, what did you expect after antagonizing Upper Management?”

“It is Battle City, a place where we kill each other for the entertainment of others,” Estelle said as she reached for the knife.

“Yeah, but not permanently kill each other!” Heather snapped, and then she pushed the cart further away. “You are one lazy cat, just close the window.”

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Heather slammed the window shut and flicked her curly reddish-brown hair over her shoulder. She glared at the knife and then Estelle.

Estelle sat back and began to sulk.

“His birdie booty call was interfering with my medical recovery,” Estelle complained. “My intention was not to cause harm but merely to incentivize him to relocate to a different area.”

“It’s not a booty call…it’s,” Heather started to say as she stared out the window, she listened a bit to the song and her cheeks flushed. “Okay, it is a booty call, but still.”

She adjusted her round-rimmed glasses and pulled out a stack of cards sealed in mini-envelopes and placed them in Estelle’s lap. She ripped open the envelopes and read the cards.

“I’d be careful with that one,” Heather said pointing to a black envelope. “That particular one came from D.T. Jones along with an arrangement of point ivy and nightshade. I planted them at the fortress. Speaking of toxic, I almost forgot something.”

Heather plopped down a sealed jar covered in painted-on runes with a black steel medical alert bracelet inside. Estelle opened the jar and put the bracelet on.

“I’m so sorry,” Bee immediately said.

Estelle stroked the side of the bracelet with her thumb.

“I can only imagine the lies she’s telling you,” Heather said. “You really need to free her or melt down the bracelet or something. You can’t leave her like that.”

“I couldn’t agree more, but before the final decision is solidified, I would like to know about the status of the Demon Circle project. Have you begun preparations at the Boardwalk?” Estelle asked.

“Business as usual,” Heather said sitting down on the bed. “Well, there’s a bit of bad news. Two pieces of bad news actually.”

The door burst open and Tauru and Marko strolled in carrying more flowers.

“Any word on when you are getting outta Germsville?” Marko asked, leaning closer to hug her.

“In a week or so, after the doctors discharge me,” Estelle replied. “I for one, can use the rest and catch up on spell research.”

Tauru gave Estelle a long hug and handed her a dozen black and purple roses.

“So, you are going to miss the planning for the counterattack?” asked Tauru as he cracked his knuckles.

“Please clarify,” Estelle asked hesitantly.

“That’s what I wanted to tell you, Boss Kitty,” Heather said stepping back. “The first point is that I need a few days off, and the second bit of bad news. You know the last position you need for your Demon Circle, the Boardwalk?”

Estelle clinched her fist and her hand began to shake.

“Uh oh,” Bee said.

Marko stepped back and said, “Just rip the Band-Aid off, Heather. We lost the Boardwalk to the Queen Pins. They got this crazy strategy that…”

“WHAT?” Estelle yelled as she jumped out of the bed.

Operation Giga Pudding (D-100 hours)