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After a month or two in the castle as the Counts wife, Ellie takes up studying the local mutants in lieu of anything more useful to do and shares/discusses her studies with the still in stasis Doc Reiche (who really wishes he could get out of his tube and do some research himself). While they are fascinating studies; this really isn’t what she was trained for.

She begins to get restless and a month or two later, bored stiff and willing to risk it, asks the Count if she might visit the village. She can sense need down there, things that the local Doctor can’t or isn’t dealing with and it’s like a nagging in the back of her mind. She could tune it out but why should she. She has a gift, is trained in the use of it and now wants to put it into practice… surely, he can allow that… She hopes.

“I’m a Doctor and a Healer, my lord, as well as you wife. Please allow me to practice my arts among the villagers. I sense there is a need there. It’s been gradually building, nagging at me like an itch I can’t reach. There is something the local doctor can’t or won’t deal with but I probably can. I’d like to try at least. Besides, my lord husband,” she dared to lay a hand on his arm. “As your wife, I feel I have a responsibility to these people… power, when used correctly, should work both ways. This is how I was trained. You have a right to take what you need from these people but in return, a noble lord should see to the welfare of his people. Since you take what you need from them directly, without needing cash or produce, would it hurt to allow me to give back to them a little? I know they set us up on a plate for you but I can forgive that… who’s to say if I were a villager that I wouldn’t have done the same to divert attention from my family? I will venture no further than the lands surrounding the village to gather what I need. My lord would know if I attempted to leave his lands and I doubt I’d get far if I tried to run. Besides which, even though you are not quite what I would have chosen in husband, you are and I can’t change that… so at least allow me to fulfill my obligations to your people for as long as I am here…”

The Count cupped her chin and kissed her and she did not flinch from him. “Oh, are you going somewhere?”

“Only where all we mortals go in the end” she said with droll humour. “Mean time, I would very much like to do the job I was trained for.”

“The only ‘job’ you have now is to be my woman.”

“Then keep me Thrall tranced all the time, my lord, if you just want a play thing. I’m healer trained and a psi… we’re not made to just loaf around being decorative. You married a doctor and a healer and this is how we generally are. I can’t change, even for you.”

“And if I deny you this?”

“I can’t do anything about it… but I WILL keep asking whenever I am awake… and I will send the mutants out with medical herbs I’ve collected to the doctor or local wise woman, whenever I sense need. Not even you’re bite, my lord husband, can override what I am, and that is a healer. I need to help people the way you need blood. I can’t help that, anymore than you can. It won’t interfere with my duty to you. I will make sure of that.”