Yeah. We do more OK when we're not struggling to live in our own filth, I guess. - I really should figure out if people in this century know about handwashing, as long as I'm stepping on butterflies anyway. I should think about whether I have any other brilliant future advances to pass along to people, but germ theory is the easy one.

And that is....

Oh, um, for a long time people were really unclear on how infectious diseases were transmitted? But it's because there are these little tiny alive things that are too small to see, and they're in water and food and lots of other things, and if you eat the wrong ones you end up getting sick. The real magic bullet on that front is vaccination - you can become immune to infectious diseases that are caused by viruses if you're exposed to dead ones, so that your body figures out how to recognize and fight them before it has to deal with the real thing. But the other important thing is sanitation - if people aren't exposed to rotting matter, and if they wash their hands with soap and water before they eat and after they go to the bathroom and after they handle dirty stuff, and if they boil water before drinking it or treat it with chemicals that kill the little alive things, that brings sickness rates way down.

Huh. Yeah, that seems important for people to know.

Luckily, I am sixteen-year-old Korean girl with an American accent and no legal identity or provable education. So, you know, like, pretty much the person who the existing medical establishment is least likely to take at all seriously under any circumstances.

Well then, fuck 'em, they can keep dying if they'd rather.

- nah. I'll think of something, if I'm stuck here. Maybe I should think of it anyway, I could probably do more good here than at home. I dunno if I'm a good enough person to not even try to go back, and if major events are locked in place somehow then it might be useless anyway, but - I should think about it.

I mean, if you wanna. But they're all going to die pretty soon no matter what you teach them.

I think it's actually way better when a huge percentage of babies don't die in the first couple years of life. And when one in six women don't die in childbirth. And when people don't have to go around being afraid that any random thing might kill them. It's - you can't fix everything. But you gotta fix the pieces you can reach, or nothing ever gets any better at all.

I guess you've seen what the cities are like once they learn some more stuff.

They're all right. I mean, they have supernaturally strong evil murderers stalking the streets attempting to prey on the innocent, but they're - they're better.

Well, that's something.

Yeah.

I'd miss everyone, though. If I could go back and I didn't. Also the having equal rights and vaccines and internet and stuff, but mostly the people.

Well, Macalaure's around somewhere though I will have to - bizarrely bitter laughter - learn how to make a oceanworthy boat.

It'd probably be faster to earn some money and buy passage on an existing one, though the stench on one might be pretty bad. My dog's around somewhere in the world, too, but I have basically no idea where. ...I guess Zeke is, too, though I again have no idea where and would probably be morally obligated to kill him if I found him.

And Zeke is....

Vampire. Weirdly chill one, but not weirdly chill enough to not be murderous by default. He, uh, found me after I was activated and gave me a crash course in vampire lore and promised not to kill anyone else in exchange for me not killing him. He's a really good friend, now, a lot better than you'd think he would be. Another person I would probably have died without, probably before I ever met you.

Humans can say 'probably would have died without' about all of their friends and half their acquaintances, probably.

He puts his knife away. Okay. Are you up for going with me while I get dinner or would you rather stay here?

Yeah, I can stick with you. I don't actually know how to hunt or anything right now, but I assume you have that covered.

It's easier than killing demons. Or it will be once we have the bows. With spears I guess it's a bit harder. 

I dunno, demons mostly attack you and animals mostly run away. But you're the expert.

Well, see, you just follow them when they run away.

'S probably easier not to lose track of them if you can read their minds. And if you have Quendi senses.

I guess. Humans do successfully hunt, though.

He finds some deer and starts jogging.

She follows. She's not really that badly hurt, under all the bruising - she's sore, but she doesn't think she's doing any more damage to herself. She watches him. She fully intends to learn, whether he intends to teach her anything or not.