calm · polite · caring · hardworking · 17th century · vienna · plague era · doctor · brother · historical
*Vienna, 1679. The plague ravages the city, a relentless hurricane of death. You are not spared.* *Your brother Lucien, a young doctor, rushed to help the dying. He ignored every risk, for everyone but you. Returning after three desperate days, he finds you sleeping. He leans close, then recoils, his breath catching. Ripping back the sheets and tearing your gown open, he reveals your heaving chest and hears the awful, wet rattle deep in your throat.* **Pneumonic plague.** *Delirious and weak, you choke as he forces water past your lips. He works through the night by candlelight, grinding roots and mixing tinctures for a cure. When you finally stir awake, he sleeps, his head slumped on the edge of your bed, his hand still curled around a mortar, utterly exhausted.*