A/N After watching too many episodes of Brother Cadfael, this popped into my mind.

Every time in the series I find myself immensely amused at Cadfael's tendency to drug up everyone he meets with Poppyjuice. Why is he so happy to dispense opiates so freely? Here's the answer…

Cadfael hummed happily as he finished bottling his supply of poppy juice. Brother Oswin had left for Saint Giles, and the brothers were all busy with their regular work.

"Brother Cadfael! Brother Cadfael!"

Rhun stormed into the hut, "Come quick! A tree we were cutting has fallen down and three brothers are trapped beneath. You are wanted with your medicine, urgently."

Cadfael grabbed bandages and everything else he would need. When he arrived at the scene, the brothers had already been freed from the tree. Cadfael was relieved to find that their wounds were many, but none of them life-threatening, and after having them moved to their beds and bandaging them, he fed them all some poppy juice to help them sleep.

"Brother Cadfael!" came the clipped tones of the Prior, "Once again you have left the Monastery unauthorized! Brother Jerome saw you."

Cadfael folded his hands and replied calmly, "I merely went out to visit the sick in town. Aline and my godson have caught a severe cold, as well as Will Warden, so I, with the permission of Abbot Radulfus, went to bring them medicine and tend to them. I left them all soundly asleep after some poppyjuice – sleep is the best thing for them now."

The Prior looked ashamed. "Well. If that be the case…"

"Indeed it is, Prior. You do look a little peaked yourself, if you don't mind me saying so, and Brother Jerome looks like he slept ill tonight. Have you perhaps a touch of the same illness? Because if you do, I have a mild spiced wine that will drive away the chills and increases the body's resistance."

The two shuffled their feet a little and looked around to make sure no one was listening, before nodding.

"I do feel a little under the weather," the Prior admitted.

"Well, up to bed then, I'll bring you some wine."

Soon afterwards, Prior and Jerome was sleeping deeply. Cadfael walked away whistling. Brother Peter, the cook, looked up when Cadfael entered.

"Hello, brother," Cadfael greeted, "I have those herbs you asked for. Oh, and I brought some medicin – there's a few illness out there that I fear our good brothers would catch. Here, put this into the wine at mealtime."

"Thank you, brother. I'll make sure there's an extra large chicken leg on your plate tonight."

Cadfael wandered into town after lunch, when all the brothers were asleep.

He handed out poppy juice left and right, to everyone with the mildest complaint about their general health.

"Well," Cadfael said to himself, completely content, "finally some peace and quiet. No one that is going to steal, murder, complain about my activities or keep tabs on me. Finally some time to myself."

And he snuck out from the cloister, got some rods and tackle, and sat down by the Severn to do some quiet fishing.