"I was taking notes," Austin answered patiently. He saw Dominic's puzzled expression, then retrieved his notebook and showed it to him. Dominic stretched, but was too weak to hold it, so Austin crouched by the bed and held the notebook for him. "I'll hold it for you," he said.

The older man narrowed his eyes and began to read. Austin's handwriting was neat and the book densely filled with detailed notes: dates, pulse readings, analyses, pathological speculations, and various possibilities. He clearly marked personal speculations as references only.

Dominic was surprised. As he read, Austin explained, "I've taken your pulse every two hours for the past two days and recorded my findings. I know the pulse doesn't change much in such a short time, but I wanted to see if there were any differences. This virus is unlike anything we've seen before. Since I can't do much else here, I figured I might as well try anything that could help, even if it's just noticing something we've missed."

"You must think it's foolish," Austin added, sounding helpless. He desperately wanted to help his granduncle and family but felt powerless against the virus.

Dominic shook his head, a hint of pleasure in his expression. "No, you did very well."

Austin was astonished. This was the first time Dominic had ever complimented him. He'd always considered himself a genius, believing Dominic's past criticisms stemmed from bias. However, the last two years had taught him the limits of his knowledge and the superiority of Lily's abilities; his ego had been the cause of past calamities. He yearned to make amends but felt largely incapable. This effort represented his best attempt; he never expected praise instead of mockery.

He felt emotional, close to tears. "You're... commending me?"

"Why? Would you rather I berate you?" Dominic glared, a snort escaping his lips.

"No, no, no! I just never expected praise," Austin quickly said, attempting a grin that faltered. Dominic was ill, and the situation remained dire. There was no reason to smile.

"Well, you've shown improvement," Dominic sighed, his tone softening. "You used to be impulsive and impatient."

Austin nodded. "Yes, you're right. I've reflected on your past criticisms and realized my mistakes."

"A common problem among young people," Dominic said, pausing before a smile touched his lips. "But you also have the drive and enthusiasm of youth. Though your methods are sometimes...unorthodox, you're doing a good job, okay?"