I only had days. Days, maybe even hours, to think of a solution. After that anything could happen.

I tossed and turned all night in the loft as I raked my brain. Nothing. There was nothing I could do without knowing how Elsa would catch Bone Fever. And I couldn't exactly go up to her and say, "I'm from the future and in a few days you're going to catch Bone Fever. How exactly does it happen?"

Her father came into the barn before sunrise to start work. He didn't realize I was lying awake in the shadowy half-light. He glanced up at me once, then crossed the floor to a wheelbarrow of tools. I watched him search through the tools for a couple of minutes as uncertainty gnawed at me. Should I offer to help? Would that offend him? My memories didn't give me any information about farming or how such a thing was done. I only knew the names of the tools.

He finally found what he was looking for. As he hefted the metal rod I squinted. It looked like a crowbar, but the bit at the end was shaped wrong. More like the teeth of a key than a flat wedge. Hours into my quest and I was already stumped; I had no idea what that thing was.

Now that he had what he wanted he left the barn in a hurry. After the briefest moment's hesitation I descended the ladder and opened the barn's side door.

The darkness wasn't as bad outside, but it was still next to impossible to see any details. I barely spotted Elsa's dad as he circled their house to the back, taking him out of my sight.

Elsa had told me to earn his trust. I could do that at least, even if I couldn't do anything else yet. I could vaguely remember that there was some reason for earning his trust. Right. The cure. He was the one who made the cure for Bone Fever. And I had to stop him from giving it to his dying daughter.

Great options I've got, scientists. Earn dude's trust so I can kill his daughter, who I also happen to be in love with. You guys really know how to have a good time.

I gathered what courage I had and crossed the yard. I couldn't hear the father, which meant he was probably on the far side of the house still. I rounded the corner quickly, mind swirling with apologies and how I would offer help without offending the man.

The back of the house was deserted.

I frowned, glancing around for any sign of where he had gone. There was none. The back of the house bordered on an empty field of dandelions and weeds that hadn't been planted this season. There was a door leading into the ground, probably some old basement, but it was sealed tight. There weren't any door handles. I poked and pried at the wood for a few minutes but it didn't budge. There was no way he went down there. Which left the question of where he actually was.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I circled the house a couple more times. I didn't dare go inside, not this early in the morning and without a good reason. The man was gone. Really and truly disappeared. Why? Where? I didn't know if I should be worried or not, but I felt worried.

"Jack?"

I spun around and flailed backward a few steps, eventually falling to the ground. Elsa squinted down at me as Olaf circled her feet. She was wearing ratty overalls today and her hair was in a long braid. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I was hoping to help out your dad," I explained as I scrambled back to my feet. How did I always get so flustered around this Elsa? It wasn't so hard with the scientist version. "I thought I saw him go around the back of the house, but there was nothing except some basement doors. Where do they lead?"

"The basement, I would guess." She leaned down, scratching Olaf's ears. "We haven't been able to open them. The original home owners lost the key. And the door handles. Dad tried to break his way in but the wood is practically indestructible. He hasn't given up yet. Every once in a while he brings out new tools to try."

"You guys are locked out of your own basement?"

"Yeah, but there's plenty of other space. Sometimes I wish I knew what was down there, but who knows if it will ever open. Like I said, indestructible wood." She straightened, grinning. "So you want to work?"

"If you'll let me. But I don't know how to do anything-"

"Oh, we're not working the fields. You can help me today. I'm going into town."

That seemed like a terrible idea, and a perfect place to catch Bone Fever. But if I had to stop that from happening then I might as well follow her. I wouldn't need to destroy the cure if she never got sick.