Benjamin was heading back to his office when he suddenly heard a familiar voice, "Dr. Benjamin."

He turned around and spotted Tarquin and Lowell. For a second, he just stared, surprised.

"Tarquin? When did you get back?"

Lowell jumped in before Tarquin could answer, "Tonight, Dr. Benjamin. What happened back there?"

Benjamin rubbed his temples, exasperated. "Victor''s really drawn the short straw with that granddaughter of his. She''s got zero empathy, no sense of ethics, no conscience, and the bedside manner of a rattlesnake. Total disaster. She''s arrogant, rude, and impossible to work with. Honestly, I can''t think of a single redeeming quality."

"She''s not evenpetent, but her temper''s off the charts!"

Tarquin frowned, skeptical. "You really think Sabrina can find a cure?”

Benjamin snorted. "If she manages to pull that off, I''ll eat my stethoscope. I know exactly what she''s capable of, and trust me, it''s not much."

"So why is she so confident?" Tarquin pressed.

Benjamin threw up his hands. "I have no idea what''s going on in that crazy woman''s head."

Tarquin nced toward the conference room, deep in thought.

As he and Benjamin headed down the hall toward the office, they kept talking.

"The situation''s getting out of hand," Benjamin said, voice low. "The first batch of patients are barely hanging on, and now we''ve got new cases popping up. This virus is way worse than thest outbreak we had. I suggested we call Victor in, see if he could lead the team. Sabrina shot me down immediately."

Lowell scoffed, "You''d think she''d want Victor here-it''d make her look good if he cracked the case! She must be nuts not to want him involved."

Tarquin smirked to himself. She wasn''t nuts-she just had her own agenda.

Elysia said Sabrina was a lousy doctor. Benjamin said the same. Safe to say, Sabrina just wasn''t any good.

Now she was making big promises and trying to take shortcuts, hoping to get the glory without doing the work. Tarquin figured it was only a matter of time before she tripped over her own feet.

Still, he had to admit, she was making things easier for him.

On the way here, he''d been racking his brain for a way to get the cure out there without exposing his grandmother or Elysia. Now, thanks to Sabrina, he had a n.

Plus, Sabrina hated Elysia. Even better.

"Sabrina says I''m just being

paranoid, Benjamin grumbled. "But I call it being prepared. You''ll see if

things keep going like this, we''re

headed

for disaster.

Benjamin was already feeling the pressure, anxiety creeping in as he realized just

how serious the outbreak was.

Tarquin didn''t reply until they reached Benjamin''s office. Then, quietly, he said, "We already have the cure."

Benjamin''s eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Say what?!"

It was just after four in the morning, and the lights at the Ashford family''s Number

One Manor were zing.

Tarquin had juste back from

the hospital after his talk with Benjamin. He hadn''t even made it inside when he heard Elysia and the Kidsughing.

Warmth filled his chest as he walked in. The house was filled with the smell of fresh pancakes and bacon.

"Daddy!” His daughter, Baby, spotted him first. She came running, clutching her stuffed bunny.

Elysia looked up, curious. "You''re back early."

Tarquin scooped Baby up with one arm and slipped off his shoes with the other, heading into the living room.

"All done at work,” he said, smiling.

He noticed Pam and greeted her, "Hey, Mom."

Pam was looking much better these days. Seeing Tarquin, she grinned, "yton, Tarquin''s home."

Tarquin was surprised-Pam had actually called him by the right name. She really was getting better.

yton was by the kitchen door,

wearing an apron and holding a

todle, looking every bit the docmet

grandpa. "Tarquin, you''re

home."

"Hey, Dad."

That single word made yton''s eyes crinkle even more, his smile growing impossibly wide.