"Achoo-"

Elysia sneezed again as she and Tracey studied the antidote together.

She''d already sneezed several times in a row!

Rubbing her nose, Elysia grumbled, “Ugh, is someone out there talking smack about me?"

Tracey nced at her, saw her rosy cheeks, and shook her head. "You definitely don''t look sick. Did you make an enemy out there?"

Elysia thought for a moment. Well, every woman crushing on Tarquin probably hated her guts. They were practically chanting online: "Homewrecker! She''s public enemy number one!"

But if she had to name names, it''d be N ter and her daughter, Daphne Thorne and her daughter.

Oh, right-Sabrina, too.

Before she went back to the countryside, Sabrina had made it pretty clear she wasn''t a fan.

Suddenly remembering Sabrina, Elysia frowned. "Grandma, have you ever heard of the Stevenson family?"

Tracey turned to look at her. "You got beef with the Stevensons?"

"No, just curious."

Tracey let out a deep sigh. "Yeah, I know the Stevensons. Actually, I was about to ask you—if we''re dealing with this virus, shouldn''t Victor Stevenson be able to handle it?"

For a regr doctor, it was understandable if they couldn''t solve this. And Elysia, still learning, wasn''t expected to crack it either.

But Victor was the head of the Medical & Pharmaceutical Association-the best doctor around. If he couldn''t do anything about this virus... well, that was pretty worrying for the whole medical field!

Sure, this virus was tricky, but it was somewhere between a fourth and fifth generation strain. If even that was unbeatable, then forget about ever dealing with something truly dangerous in the future.

Elysia shrugged. "I honestly don''t know if Victor can solve it. Far as I know, he hasn''t even joined the research team. The Association put together a special task force, but Victor''s not in it. Do you know him, Grandma?"

"I worked with him a long time ago, before I retired. I know what kind of person he is, but we''re not close."

"So what do you think of him?"

Tracey thought for a moment. "Hard-working, talented-he''s a natural when ites to medicine. He loves it, lives and breathes it."

"So you think he deserves to be president of the Association?"

Tracey frowned, considering. "Honestly, I don''t see anyone else who could do the job right now."

Our country''s medical field wasn''t exactly booming; even with all the funding, good doctors were in short supply. Victor was basically the g-bearer for the whole

Elysia asked, "Is that job hereditary? Is it always going to be the Stevenson family?"

"Of course not!" Tracey replied. "They hold a vote. Whoever''s best for the job gets

it."

"Oh, good." Elysia looked relieved.

Tracey watched her closely. "Why do you ask?"

Elysia kept her eyes on the herbs she was mixing, muttering, "I''m just worried Victor might try to hand the job to his granddaughter. I''ve met her-she''s really not cut out for it."

"She''s not capable, she doesn''t care

about patients, and honestly, her

morals are out of whack. If she ever

rue Association, we''re imbig

trouble!"

"And not just the Association—the whole medicalmunity would go backwards, not forwards."

Elysia wasn''t one to gossip, but she genuinely worried about the future of the Association—and medicine itself.

Tracey asked, "This is Victor''s real granddaughter?"

"Yeah, her name''s Sabrina. From what I''ve heard, Victor''s been grooming her for the position."

Tracey''s face darkened. She didn''t care if the whole world agreed-if she said no, Sabrina wasn''t getting the job!

But... it was a bad sign for the future.

"If even Victor can''t train a worthy sessor, who''s going to lead us in the next generation?"

Elysia frowned, too. It was a real problem.

Without someone to carry the torch, even if the field didn''t copse outright, it would definitely fall behind.