"I suppose that makes a lot of sense, if you just can and it's easy for you. I wouldn't mind if you did or anything, I just also heard Gemma was busy this morning." 

"I'll have a look as long as we're here and I'm not doing any mad science with my reserves today..." Peek.

It does look worse than just some sniffles. More like the earliest stages of a flu-like illness than like a cold. 

"Yeah, no, that looks more like an outright flu to me - what was Gemma busy with -"

"I didn't ask, Tran mentioned it is all - hmm, maybe it was that Lord Leverance was ill." 

"With the flu?"

"I don't know, maybe?" 

:Gemma, I think Savil's got a flu, does Leverance have the same? Anyone else?:

:–Goddamn it. That makes five:

"Gemma says that makes five, Savil, I think we should cancel the meetings so nobody's breathing on anybody else."

"Are you kidding me? This is so inconvenient. I guess if you think it's a good idea we probably should, it's your specialty–" Savil freezes. "Belrun, were you poking around with your research or anything right before coming here?" 

"Not recently? I last moved my flus to new eggs more than a week ago, which I did as I always do with Fetching and never touching an infected egg."

Savil nods. "Hmm. Well, we should probably cancel the meetings - I'll pass word to all the Heralds, they can make sure everyone else know– Heya, Katha! Meetings cancelled today!" 

Herald Katha, sitting a couple of tables away with Sandra and Kilchas, half-turns. "Huh, why?"

"Flu going around."

"That's so inconvenient!" Katha gets up. "I'll go tell people." 

"Thanks. I think I'll go help Gemma. - Leareth, don't write off anything, if you feel slightly off tell me, okay -"

"Of course. Be careful - I know it is easier not to get sick as a Healer but still."

He walks with her until where the path splits between the inn where their guest rooms are and the building where Gemma's set up - they weren't expecting to badly need an infirmary but some of the lords on the Council are elderly and might have health difficulties. 

Belrun shows up and helps.

Gemma tells Belrun that she's shooed a few mildly unwell people back to their rooms after diagnosing them with the flu, with the usual prescription to rest and get lots of fluids down, but Lord Lathan has a bad heart and he's feverish so she's keeping an eye on him. Initially she was having people come here if they weren't feeling well, but she's now wondering if they should avoid bringing people through here who might not have the flu yet.

"Separate them, at least - do you have running water here - you could keep a pot of water on the boil, cycle handkerchiefs through it -"

"There's a pump out back, I think. Cookstove thataways, I haven't used it." 

"Pump is worse for washing everybody's hands all the time..." She puts a pot of water on.

Gemma checks on Lord Lathan, who doesn't seem any worse, and then digs out some spare sheets and gets up on a chair to clothespin them from the rafters as dividers. There are only two cots, but she divides up two more spaces that just have chairs, "for if people show up wanting to be told if they have the flu or not, although probably we should tell everyone to stay put if they just have the sniffles." 

"Agreed. Is anyone in more crowded conditions - spouses, kids -"