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[alt_poppy]

Frank: what report can you give us today? I trust that you and your small charge are getting on a treat.

I have little news to report from my end. I continue to wait for an official contact from St Mungo's in response to my report on our high incidence of flu and respiratory ailments here at the school. Clearly they are occupied with other, more pressing concerns. I did have an interesting follow-up call from the colleague with whom I chatted this weekend. It seems I may have opened the floodgates by encouraging her: she's in the middle ranks there and under a good deal of stress about the need to distinguish herself soon if she ever wishes to earn promotion. In any case, this business with the camps seems to have put her in a spin. She called to share that she ran the totals for the past week, revealing that they received files on 800 new cases last week alone. The numbers, she says, are doubling weekly.

For my part, I continue to have a ward full of sneezing, coughing and fevers. But I am not without helpers: all weekend I had Mr Boot's services, which made my work lighter in many ways, and just this afternoon, Professor Lockhart stopped in to bring me six or seven of his books--signed with kindest regards to me--and to suggest that I read his account of how he once saved the entire population of Borneo from pestilence by brewing a concoction he calls his 'Sumatran spritzer'. I promised to take a look at my earliest opportunity.

In the meantime, Pomona, Horace, and I have put our heads together about ways in which we might amplify the potency of our next batch of Pepper Up potion. I would hate to think that the commercial brands are in any way superior to what we can brew here, but it's possible that this past growing season may have yielded one or another ingredient possessing less natural vigour than usual. Of course, it may not be the fault of our medicines at all: perhaps we are simply confronting a stronger strain of flu this year.


More when there's more to report. Do keep well!

Comments

[alt_frank]

everything's to be expected here -- she's still got a good colour, seems to be keeping down more of her food than she spits back up, no fever. I'm fine too, although it's been a bit of an adjustment getting up every few hours again. tiny's a good sleeper, so he spoiled us early on. this kid, not so much.

and now we've got a record player, so she doesn't have to listen to me trying to sing. believe me, it's not pretty.

[alt_poppy]

I expect it depends what records you have whether it's an improvement or not.

I'm very glad to hear that you both continue so well: it is my sincere hope that we will have taken all these precautions only to have you both remain perfectly healthy at the end. (Though we'll do it all again, should you succeed in bring the second baby out of the camps.)

[alt_frank]

let's hope we are. I'd do it ten times over if I had to.

and it's not as if it's real hard or anything. if Al and tiny were in here too, it'd be a regular party.

[alt_kingsley]

I think I'd go spare if I were cooped up in one room for ten days, Frank. Particularly with no one but a baby for company. You're a much braver man than me, my friend.

[alt_frank]

haha. I'd rather be in here with a baby than with nothing to do, that's for certain.