Hazel didn’t have to wait long before she saw the two nobles enter the tavern. When they looked around to see if she was there, she nodded to indicate her presence. Leaning back in her chair, she crossed her arms loosely while the noblewomen took their seats across from her. Even though she was in a better mood this time, she still hoped the meeting wouldn’t last too long. She wanted to hurry up and get back to Simon before the thief fell asleep for the night.

Fortunately, Jane seemed to be on the same page as she was. Without wasting any time with formalities, the physician got straight to the point by asking her about how the new herbs had been working. Hazel met her gaze, appreciative of her straightforwardness. It was a quality she admired in anyone—even a soft-palmed noble, she supposed.

“Oh, there have definitely been results,” the herbalist reported proudly. “Over the course of the five days my patient has taken the new medicine, his energy has returned almost to normal levels. He’s no longer confined to a bed and can move on his own without trouble. I’m not sure if he can handle being strained by exercise, but I don’t want to test that this early on, just in case it has an adverse effect.

“In addition to being mobile again, my patient is also beginning to sleep a bit less. Before, he would only wake for a couple hours of the day in the evening, but now he consistently rises in the midafternoon and doesn’t go to sleep again until nightfall.”

“Those are great improvements considering your patient has only been taking this medicine for less than a week,” Jane said with interest. “Do you think we even need to refine the medicine if he’s recovering so well now?”

“Well,” Hazel shifted her weight. “The results haven’t only been positive.” Her eyes flicked towards Penelope for a moment. She wished the knight wasn’t around, so she wouldn’t have to worry about concerning her with the news that wasn’t as good. She just hoped Penelope was level-headed enough not to panic when she shared the next part.

“What do you mean?” Jane frowned contemplatively. “From what you’ve said, it sounds like your patient is healing quickly.”

“It does seem that way on the outside,” Hazel turned to her. “But I think this medicine is only covering his symptoms. Whatever is happening inside of him, whatever is killing him, has not been healed.” She pursed her lips, her blue eyes flickering subtly towards Penelope one more time before she went on. “I believe this because yesterday, he had another coughing fit that drew more blood than I’ve seen from him before. Based on that, I think it’s safe to assume that the more dangerous part of this illness is still active and has been steadily progressing despite the work of the medicine.”

“I see,” Jane narrowed her eyes slightly in thought. “There are a few different things that can cause a symptom like that, but in my experience, the most common one is blood clotting in the lungs. Since the herbs you’ve already been using have not helped, I’d say it is more than likely that this is the problem.”

“Is it treatable?”

“Yes,” Jane nodded. “As long as you catch it before the clotting becomes of fatal proportions, you can still cure it. And since your patient hasn’t even started coughing up blood daily, it sounds like you still have time.”

“What do I need to treat it?” Hazel asked, retrieving her journal to make notes.

“The turmeric you’ve already been using will help,” Jane began. “Try adding more of that, but also include ginger and feverfew. Those three herbs together should be enough to at least stop the clotting from getting worse, if not reverse it completely.”

“I know both of those,” Hazel said as she jotted down notes on a blank page. “I have a supply near here, actually.”

“Perfect,” Jane nodded.

Hazel finished her notes and put her journal away again. “I’ll try that this time, and we can meet in another five days to go over the results,” she said, looking between the two nobles. Her gaze lingering on Penelope a bit longer as she added, “Hopefully this will be the recipe that heals my patient of this illness for good.”