The Fifth Healer

38.

Ainsley says, "So let me get this straight: the four of us-Wally, Niles, Nikolai and me-we have the power to heal?"

"The potential to," says Dr. Khan. "After you are instated as a chronopath, you will have access to a power far beyond that of the most skilled surgeon, the most expensive piece of medical equipment, or the most potent drug. Your influence will be unrivaled among ordinary Fourths, extending to victims anywhere on the planet."

"Does that potential power..." Ainsley pauses, absently touching the hair of her wig. "Does that include the power to heal, you know, ourselves?"

Dr. Khan jabs a finger in the air with sudden ferocity. "What you speak of-narcipathy-is strictly forbidden."

"But it is possible," says Ainsley in a small voice.

"Possible does not imply permitted," says Dr. Khan.

"But why-" Ainsley starts.

"To commit narcipathy is heresy," says Dr. Khan, evidently appalled Ainsley would even ask such questions. "Closing one's wounds means shutting the opening through which flows chronopathic power.

"Meaning...?" says Ainsley.

"Meaning if a Chronopath heals themselves, they can no longer heal others. Even more significantly, Narcipaths are declared damnatio memoriae-erased from official records, wiped clean from the ledgers."

Ainsley holds up her hands in surrender. "Whoa, whoa. I was just asking a question."

"A question is a step forward. Do not follow your questions down a path to your destruction."

"Jeez, okay. We get it," says Ainsley. "Self-healing is frowned upon. Noted."

"Just to clarify, Dr. Khan," says Wally, speaking slowly like he's working out a math problem. "So let's say someone has, like, an injury. If they healed themselves, they would lose their power to heal? Or they could keep the injury and stay a chronopath?"

"Yes," says Dr. Khan. "But it's not so simple a choice as that. Healing oneself means being cursed with exile. Cursed, Wally."

I'm going to make a wild guess and say Wally has some kind of injury. I already know Ainsley has cancer. Niles has his allergies. And I'm one foot below average.

"Let's discuss this over food," says Dr. Khan. "You all must be famished."

I look at Ainsley. She shrugs. We follow Dr. Khan into that arched hallway with bands of white light that reflect off the time-polished stone floor.

As I walk, I wonder if a healed version of my body would have two legs? I assume so. But different doesn't automatically mean defective. At any rate, I can't see myself risking these punishments for a change at a normal life. At least not before I see this thing through.

Still, I decide to ask the obvious question. Someone has to.

Walking quickly to catch up to Dr. Khan, I say, "Can't I just-I mean, do Chronopaths have the power to heal each other?"

Dr. Khan stops abruptly, her hair swishing as she turns on the heel of her leather boot. After the others catch up, she makes eye contact with each of us before speaking in a quiet but emphatic tone. "Let me be clear. It is not only forbidden to heal another Fifth. It is not worth the cost. Yes, it is possible for one chronopath can heal another. But the healed Fifth, devoid of trauma, loses their power just as if healed themselves. And they are still cursed in exile. But the chronopath who conducts the healing is also cursed and also forced forever into exile."

Wally pipes up. "So, chronopath-on-chronopath action is punished like the other thing..."

"Narcisside," supplies Dr. Khan.

"Yeah. Except both people get in trouble?"

"Precisely," says Dr. Khan.

Ainsley shakes her head. "But who gets to be the judge handing out all these punishments?"

"No one hands them out," says Dr. Khan. "Like side effects of a medicine, these are simply side effects of using chronopathy on a Chronopath. Heal yourself, you'll be cursed. Heal another Chronopath, you both will be."

"Why do we have to keep suffering while the civilians get healed by us?" asks Ainsley. "Seems unfair."

"It is highly unfair," says Dr. Khan, nodding. "As are all aspects of health and time. One person lives a century, another dies as a child. Our job as Chronopaths is not to bring about justice for humanity. Our job is to preserve it. To prevent extinction, ensuring the survival of the species."

Well, justice might not be her job. But it is mine.

Oh, and the big punishment for healing another chronopath is...the curse of exile? Exile from these sketchy Guild people who I wouldn't want to spend my life with anyway? Seems more like a reward, if we're being honest.

First, retribution. Then, once justice is served, I'll heal Ainsley-if that's what she wants, of course-and we'll do the exile part together.

We enter the library, tall, moody, and book-filled, just as before. The difference is now I know why these books.

"The books are medical texts," I say, gesturing at the shelved silo stuffed with ancient-looking volumes. "Because you all are healers?"

Dr. Khan stops and nods. "This room holds one of the most extensive libraries of historic medical texts ever assembled, housing over a millennia of learning. The Fourths may not understand chronopathy, but studying their collective knowledge of anatomy and understanding how this sacred knowledge evolved and grew through time assists us with the work we carry out."

Dr. Khan gestures for us to sit around the large circular wooden table in the center of the room. As we do, she looks at Sloan. "A spot of lunch, perhaps?"

Sloan nods once and leaves the room, heading back through the door we just came through, leaving us in the library, lit by the daytime sun coming through the circular skylight some thirty feet above and by the glowing orbs on the wall.

I think about what Dr. Khan said about closing wounds. She said such healing would remove the opening to chronopathic power.

"Dr. Khan," I say. "What you said earlier. About closing wounds and the flow of chronopathic power. So do we all..." I motion around at the four of us. "Do each of us...?"

Dr. Khan smiles with a barely perceptible turn of her lips as if pleased at my observation. "For a candle's light to shine through a clay pot-for the vessel to become a lantern-the pot must be cracked."