childhood-illness

In Chapter 1 of Dreamsnake, Snake, a healer with three serpents, tends to a gravely ill boy named Stavin in a desert tent. Despite the fear and suspicion of Stavin's parents and their community, Snake uses her serpents, especially the albino cobra Mist and the dreamsnake Grass, to diagnose and prepare to treat the boy's illness. The chapter explores the tension between trust and fear, the healer's skill and compassion, and the harshness of the desert environment.

In this chapter set in Warwickshire during May 1940, Eileen struggles to manage the paperwork and care of evacuee children amid the backdrop of wartime disruptions. A driving lesson with the vicar is interrupted by the discovery that Alf, one of the children, is seriously ill with a fever, prompting urgent medical attention and raising concerns about contagious diseases during the war. Eileen balances her responsibilities and personal worries, including a letter about her mother's illness, while navigating the challenges of evacuation and community care.