Alexander was relieved when Galen stopped crying. He touched his son's forehead; it was no longer hot. He took Galen's temperature again and asked, "Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"

Galen shook his head slightly and whispered, "I'm a little hungry."

"I'll get you something to eat," Alexander chuckled. Galen's hunger was music to his ears; it signaled a return to strength.

A few minutes later, the thermometer showed a normal temperature. Galen seemed stable. "Lie here while I get you something to eat. You can't get out of bed and run around, okay?"

Galen nodded obediently. "Can I visit Grandpa?"

Alexander wagged a finger. "No, Grandpa is sick and needs to rest. You can see him when he feels better, okay?" The older man's illness remained a mystery, its contagiousness unknown. Minimizing contact was best.

"Oh." Sensible though he was, Galen was clearly disappointed.

Alexander went downstairs, where Austin sat surrounded by a chaotic pile of medical books, some even on the floor. He seemed lost, aimlessly flipping through the pages.

"Is there food in the kitchen?" Alexander asked.

The simple question snapped Austin back to reality. He straightened abruptly, stared at Alexander, but remained silent, appearing disoriented. Alexander, realizing Austin didn't understand, shrugged and went to the kitchen.

"Oh... eat... food... Yes, yes..." Austin's mind seemed to clear; he nodded repeatedly and tried to stand, but his legs, numb from prolonged sitting, buckled, sending him tumbling back down. By then, Alexander was already in the kitchen. Austin called out, "There's some instant food in the fridge and a pot of soup!"

Alexander opened the soup pot. A foul smell hit him; speechless, he slammed the lid shut, but the stench lingered. The soup was spoiled—how long had it been there?

He checked the fridge. Plenty of instant food, but a jumbled mess; he couldn't identify anything or tell how long it had been there. He closed the fridge. He couldn't feed his son that. Since the older man and the servants fell ill, the disease wasn't the only problem; Austin's ability to manage food was failing too.

Alexander found a few packets of instant noodles in the cupboard. He started to turn on the stove, then stopped. "Forget it! I can't bear to feed my son this crap!"