Grandpa Lián Liwei had a bandage on his arm.

  “What happened there?”

  He looked down and shook his head. “I forgot about that…” He tilted his head to the side. “How did I forget about that? Last week, before we started staying inside, I went to the weekly go with the old chaps down at the academic pub. I scratched myself on one of the tables.”

  “You should have told me. I could have healed a scratch easily.”

  “It slipped my mind for some reason…” he murmured, looking down at his arm. He staggered suddenly, and Lián Xīng caught him.

  “Why don’t you rest? I’ll come and check on you before dinner.”

  When she checked on him two hours later, she found him with a fever. Worried and with some suspicion, she checked his wound. It was glowing neon blue.

  “The infection.” She whispered before looking at her grandfather.

  At this point, they might all have come into contact with the infection through him. They would have to quarantine officially now.

  She hovered her hand over his arm and focused the energy to heal him, but the wound still glowed. His body must be trying to fight off the infection, she wouldn’t know until the fever passed. She might have to wait until she could heal him, until the infection either stopped spreading or he woke as a super-powered individual. She didn’t like either option, she didn’t like seeing him so sick.

  All she could do now was keep him comfortable.

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  She kept him wiped clean of sweat before she went to check on the kids, closing the door behind her, hoping that would deter him in the case the infection took over.

  She washed her hands before going to see the children waiting for her in the dining room.

  She reheated their food and set it out.

  “What’s wrong?” Huáng Mùchén could always tell when something was going on.

  “Grandfather has a fever…he has the infection.” Lián Xīng spoke carefully, not wanting to scare them but also not wishing to lie.

  “The one that’s going on outside?”

  She nodded. “His body seems to be fighting it off right now, but I won’t know until the morning whether I need to heal him from the infection or if…”

  “If?” Huáng Měi Lán piped in.

  Lián Xīng sighed. “There are two possibilities. Either the infection takes over his whole body, or he wakes up with superpowers.”

  Měi Lán whimpered. “I don’t want Grandpa to die.”

  “I will do everything I can to make sure he doesn’t from this. But I’ll need you two to stay away from Grandpa’s room for now. I’m not sure how the infection spreads yet; we need to be careful.”

  It took two days and two nights before Grandfather woke. He was changed but no longer seemed to be infected. He oddly looked stronger, more buff, and the wrinkles seemed almost to be sweat away. He no longer looked like he was in his seventies, instead he looked like he was in his early forties.

  “Grandfather?” She spoke softly, not sure how sensitive his senses were as he woke.

  He blinked.

  “Everything is clearer. I can hear the children talking in the other room, they are worried about me. I can smell…” He chuckled, “I smell awful.” He looked at his granddaughter, “So what’s the verdict, did I beat this thing?”

  She chuckled before placing her hands over his body, sensing any malady, but it seemed the infection was gone. He’d fought it off and awakened his abilities.

  “It seems you are to be one of the first awakened.”

  He ran his hands over his face before scrunching up his features. “What’s going on with my face?”

  Lián Xīng ran to get him a hand mirror before showing him his younger features.

  “Oh, well, that will get some getting used to.”

  She giggled, relieved to still have her grandfather aware, “Yes, I’m sure looking younger will be a great trial for you.”