Evelyn stepped out of the infirmary and into the quieter stretch of corridor that led toward the main stairs. The cream had cooled the blisters, but a restless warmth still hummed under her skin. She rolled her shoulders once, trying to shake it off.
She passed a large rectangular planter set against the wall. Inside, a row of limp white flowers drooped against dry soil. As she walked by, the ones closest to her lifted their heads in a brief, silent ripple. Petals unfurled, color brightening for no more than two heartbeats before they sank back into their wilted state. Evelyn didn't notice. A first-year student coming the opposite way did. The girl slowed, stared, then shook her head and kept walking, already muttering something about being overtired.
Evelyn kept moving, mind still tangled in the feel of Professor Huxley's fingers on her back and the casual way he had spoken about Raven Bud. Heat. Restlessness. Vivid dreams. She pressed her lips together and tried not to think about the dream again.
A hand caught her elbow from behind.
"Got you."
Evelyn startled, then laughed when she saw Jane's familiar grin. Her friend fell into step beside her, backpack slung over one shoulder, dark curls bouncing.
"You look like you just survived a root canal," Jane said, already bombarding her. "Infirmary run? What happened to your neck? How's that allergy from yesterday?"
"Long story. Walk with me?"
They pushed through the side doors and onto the path that cut across the quad. Evelyn started at the beginning in detail not missing anything— the forest from the night before, the massive dog that had appeared out of nowhere, the thorns that had torn her fingers, and how she had plucked what she thought were medicinal leaves in the dark.
Jane listened without interrupting until Evelyn reached the part about the leaves. Then she stopped walking so abruptly her shoes scraped on the pavement.
"Wait. Back up." Jane rubbed her chin. "You put random poisonous leaves on an injured animal? And the symptoms include hallucinations?"
When she mentioned it the fog in her eyes cleared and she muttered.
"I was panicking. It was bleeding everywhere and I didn't have anything else. They looked exactly like moonshade. I thought—" Evelyn's fingers started to tremble as the full weight of it hit her. Her mind had been so wrapped up in her own embarrassment that she hadn't even connected the leaves to the dog until this moment.
Jane's expression shifted fast: amusement flickering first, then concern, then a flash of real horror that made her grab Evelyn's arm harder this time.
"Okay. Two questions." She held up a finger. "One: are you going to get in trouble for poisoning wildlife?" A second finger. "Two: how bad is Raven Bud for a big dog?"
She already had her phone out, thumbs flying across the screen before she finished speaking. Evelyn's stomach dropped.
"I didn't know they were Raven Bud. Professor Huxley just told me. He said even a thorn prick—"
Jane made a small noise and held the phone closer, scrolling. "Shit. Listen to this. 'Raven Bud (Corvus germinatus) causes severe blistering on contact. Ingested or absorbed through open wounds, it induces heightened sensory response, elevated heart rate, used in many parts of the world to enhance sexual needs—'" She stopped reading aloud, eyes widening. "This article is brutal. It basically says for anything bigger than a fox it can cause systemic shock. Heart arrhythmias. Neurological effects. The author even has case studies on wild canids."
Evelyn felt the blood leave her face. She had always been the person animals trusted. Stray cats followed her. Birds landed on the porch railing when she sat outside. Even the neighbour's aggressive rottweiler had once let her scratch its ears. And now she might have killed something that had come to her for help.
"God… what have I done?" She pushed to her feet, eyes wide with fresh horror. "I need to go back and find that animal. I can't believe I overlooked that."
Jane watched her panic take hold, then let out a short laugh despite herself. "Relax, Evelyn. I'm sure the animal is fine. It's not like you put the whole plant on its back."
"I did," Evelyn admitted, guilt thick in her voice.
Jane smacked her forehead and sighed. "Oh, Evelyn…"
"I can't just leave it like this. I need to check on it."
Jane placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Hey, we won't be any help if we charge in ourselves. If we really want to help the animal, we have to let the authorities handle this."
Evelyn gave her a horrified look, the kind that said she'd already pictured herself stumbling through the underbrush searching for a possibly dying dog. But the logic landed. She had already ruined enough. If she got involved personally again, who knew what else she might accidentally harm with her own hands.
She swallowed hard and nodded. "You're right."
Jane squeezed her shoulder once before letting go. "Thank you. For not making me feel completely awful."
They walked for ten minutes until they reached the turnoff for the forest ranger's office. Evelyn paused at the foot of the narrow path, nerves tightening in her chest. Jane, who had never been a fan of hiking, scanned the area and spotted a weathered wooden signboard with an arrow.
"Forest Office, that way."
Evelyn clung tightly to Jane's arm as they turned toward the sign. Despite the trepidation still fluttering in her chest, having her friend beside her made the next step feel possible.