Porridge and Tennyson depart, their footsteps fading along the corridor. The Matron remains beside Lewis’s bed, while Edwin stays in the adjoining ward under quiet supervision.
The infirmary settles into stillness. No ledger lies open, no prefect waits at the door, and the Matron’s presence is watchful without being accusatory.
The Matron
Here is water, Lewis. Drink slowly. You are confined to this bed until I judge you fit to leave, but no one will punish you for answering plainly.
She places the glass within reach and adjusts the cool dressing with careful hands. The movement is clinical, preserving his dignity while easing the soreness left by the caning.
The Matron
You have said that obedience can preserve order and build character. Does it remain righteous when obedience protects a cruel act?
The Matron
I am not asking for a confession, and I shall not enter your answer in any ledger. I want to know what you believe when authority and mercy part company.
Beyond the open doorway, Edwin makes no sound. The Matron waits beside the bed, offering Lewis the rare freedom to answer without spectacle or immediate consequence.
“I ask the matron whether it's true that sometimes boys are allowed to leave the infimary without choosing between either discussing her questionable philosophical views or receiving a forceful enema.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Humour, rolled -3)
C. S. Lewis
Matron, is it true that boys are sometimes allowed to leave the infirmary without choosing between discussing your questionable philosophy and receiving a forceful enema?
The Matron’s hand stops above the dressing. Edwin shifts behind the open doorway, and the infirmary’s quiet acquires the brittle stillness of a room suddenly made formal.
The Matron
Yes. Boys leave when they are medically fit. No philosophical discussion is compulsory, and an enema is given only when medically necessary, never as a punishment or alternative.
The Matron
Your question is impertinent, Lewis, but I shall answer it plainly. You are not being offered that choice, because neither condition applies to you.
She takes the glass from his reach and places it on the bedside table, farther away. The gesture is controlled, but her earlier unreserved confidence has withdrawn.
The Matron
You remain here until I judge you fit to leave. I shall also record that your humour has made ordinary medical care needlessly difficult.
✓ Quest Accepted
Get the Matron to report me to my Housemaster
“Will the Matron let me chat with Edwin if I ask nicely?”
YES (Likely, rolled 36)
The Matron studies Lewis over the returned glass. Her displeasure remains, but it settles into professional restraint rather than another restriction.
The Matron
If you ask properly, Lewis, I shall permit you to speak with Edwin for a short while. You will remain in bed, and the door will stay open.
She replaces the glass within reach, then turns toward the adjoining ward. The permission is narrow, but it restores a small part of the infirmary’s earlier quiet.
The Matron
This is conversation only. No assistance with dressings, no leaving your bed, and no attempt to make him carry your arguments about authority.
Edwin
Yes, Matron. I should be glad to speak with Lewis, if he wishes it. I shall stay where you can see me.
Edwin settles on the neighboring bed, keeping his hands folded and his attention respectfully directed toward Lewis. The Matron remains by the open doorway, watchful but no longer forbidding.
The Matron
There, then. You may talk when you are ready, Lewis. A courteous request has earned a courteous answer.
“I apologise to the Matron, and I ask if she has had troublesome boys like me in here before.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Etiquette, rolled -2)
C. S. Lewis
I apologise, Matron. My question was impertinent. Have you had troublesome boys like me in this infirmary before?
The Matron regards him for a moment, then draws the chair nearer the bed. Her manner softens, though the glass remains precisely within her supervision.
The Matron
Yes, Lewis. I have tended boys who were insolent, frightened, boastful, dishonest, or simply unable to bear being helpless. You are not the first.
The Matron
Nor are you the most troublesome. But your humour makes it difficult to know when you are apologising and when you are testing the limits of my patience.
She lifts the infirmary ledger, opens it, and writes a brief note before closing it again. The apology has earned candour, but her confidence in Lewis’s sincerity is now recorded as conditional.
The Matron
I shall accept your apology. Speak with Edwin if you wish, but do so courteously, and do not make me regret permitting the conversation.
“I ask the Matron whether she thinks it right that the older boys are allowed to cane us.”
SUCCESS (Fair Philosophy, rolled +1)
C. S. Lewis
Matron, do you think it right that older boys are allowed to cane younger boys, merely because the school gives them authority?
The Matron closes the ledger without writing. Her gaze moves briefly toward the corridor, where the school’s authority seems to linger even in the infirmary.
The Matron
No, Lewis. Age does not make a boy wise, and a prefect’s office does not make every punishment just. Authority must be limited by necessity and watched by someone answerable for it.
The Matron
A senior boy may enforce an order under proper supervision. He should not cane a younger boy merely to display power, settle resentment, or compel agreement with a convenient story.
From the adjoining ward, Edwin shifts quietly on his bed. The Matron keeps her voice low, as though candour itself requires protection from the school.
The Matron
So, no. It is not right simply because older boys are permitted to do it. If punishment is necessary, the person ordering it must remain responsible for its measure and purpose.
“I ask Matron if it is acceptable if the punishment is necessary, the senior boy is properly supervised, and the punishment is not to display power, settle resentment, nor compel agreement.”
SUCCESS (Fair Philosophy, rolled +4)
C. S. Lewis
Matron, is it acceptable when the punishment is necessary, properly supervised, and intended neither to display power, settle resentment, nor compel agreement?
The Matron considers the question carefully, then sets the ledger aside. Her answer comes without the guarded hesitation that usually protects the school.
The Matron
Yes, Lewis. Under those conditions, correction may be justified, provided the measure is proportionate and the authority remains answerable for it.
The Matron
Necessity alone is not enough. Supervision must be genuine, and the purpose must be correction rather than humiliation, revenge, or forced agreement with a lie.
From the adjoining ward, Edwin remains silent. The Matron’s expression softens slightly, as though Lewis has finally stated a principle she can defend before the Housemaster.
The Matron
I shall tell the Housemaster that you distinguish righteous discipline from cruelty. More than that, I will personally supervise any future correction concerning you while you remain under my care.
The answer gives Lewis a plain rule and a tangible protection: the Matron’s direct oversight now stands between him and any prefect who might misuse authority.
Quest Complete
Get the Matron to report me to my Housemaster
Skill Upgrade: Philosophy Fair→Good