Gaius Lutatius Catullus, Roman senator and hero, ignobly coughed blood into his hands as his son entered his bedroom. "Salve, pater." Quintus said, bowing. The elder Catullus, though bedridden and on the verge of death, smiled. "Salve, mi fili. I'd embrace you, but I can't move my legs." Quintus almost laughed. His father had always been a stern, almost heartless man. But now that he was on death's door, it seems he was making up for lost time. And jokes, too, it seemed.

"So what do the doctors say?" asked Quintus, pulling up into a chair next to his father. "Oh, they were very grim. They said it could be any time now." Before Quintus could respond, Gaius said something that made Quintus' blood go cold. "Tell me about the slave girl." 

Even in his state, Quintus was afraid of his father. Still, he tried to compose himself and he told him everything that had happened in the slave market. Just when Quintus thought his father was going to yell at him, Gaius simply nodded. "Well, it won't be my money for much longer, so I can't blame you for spending it early. Maybe I'll get to meet her before I'm gone." Quintus decided not to push the issue, and they had a quiet and uneventful conversation after that.
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Quintus had to leave the room when his father had another coughing fit, and Quintus, twenty four years old, tribune and veteran of the III legion, felt like crying. His father had always been strong, and when Quintus was younger, he thought his father was invincible. Seeing the proud man reduced to such a state crushed Quintus on the inside. 

He heard footsteps down the hall, and Quintus quickly pulled himself together. It was Brennus, and behind him was... [i]her?[/i] Quintus almost didn't recognize her. [i]She looks so... sanitized[/i] thought the young roman. Brennus was clearly giving the young lady a tour of the villa.