CHAPTER 13 #2
“Yes, we do. The doc checked you out, said that you look like you’ve developed sepsis. That has a high mortality rate, and you know it.”
“Octavia doesn’t know that. She’s barely older than us, she’s in training, she doesn’t-“
“Well, she knows better than you and she knows better than me and honestly, whilst I love disagreeing with her medical diagnoses, mainly because it annoys her but also because it seems like she’s always trying to get me on bed rest, I think I’ll take her word on this one, which was backed up by the head doc, by the way. ”
It was true. Since we were kids, Octavia had always insisted on checking me up every time I injured myself before I could actually go to the healers’ base, and was almost always right as well.
“Now, when you feel up to it, get up and we’ll go meet Nikolas outside. Johnathan’s already grabbed your stuff. You’ll probably be staying home for a while.”
“Theo-“
“Save your breath” I folded my arms, jaw clenching, trying to make myself look stern.
Stryker glared up at me, then huffed and, achingly slowly, stood.
After a moment he took three staggering steps, and the next thing I knew his legs had given out without warning and he was on his way down to the floor.
I lunged forward and grabbed his arms, sitting him on the edge of the bed again, eyes narrowed in concern.
Once he’d gathered his bearings he made a futile attempt to get free of my hold. I just raised an eyebrow at him.
“I’m not…I don’t need-“
“Save your breath. And- Jesus Christ you’re hot, Stryker, what the hell-“
“Thanks” Stryker interrupted. “You’re not so bad yourself”
“Hah hah. You ready? Or are we gonna have a repeat performance?” I asked flatly, amusement dwindling by the minute.
Stryker just scowled, standing with the aid of my arms to hold onto.
“Have you started looking for the kids?”
I frowned, slowly shaking my head “you…were kind of the one who was supposed to organise that.” I pointed out hesitantly, trying not to make it sound like I was blaming him.
“Huh.” He nodded slowly “well, you do that. Look for them.”
I didn’t reply. I didn’t know what to reply.
“You gonna hurl or something?” I asked as we began walking. Stryker, dragging his feet with one hand pressing on his wound and the other maintaining a firm hold on my shoulder, frowned “no. Why?”
“You're pale as a sheet, dude. Matthew said that when Jack got all pale like that he almost yacked all over him. I can only imagine it was gross.”
“I thought you said you weren’t the squeamish type. Except for peeled bodies in the woods, that is.”
“I’m not.” I grumbled “Just…it’s gross. We all know it’s gross. It looks gross, smells gross, feels gross-“ I was rambling. It happened when I was nervous.
“Why are you talking about puke?”
“I dunno,” I shrugged. I fell silent for a moment, then caught sight of Johnathan, Matthew and Nikolas outside. I raised my voice to a yell “Sir! We ready?!”
Johnathan turned from where he was talking with Nikolas and I saw the immediate concern for Stryker cross his face.
“I’m fine” Stryker grumbled when we’d made our way over, “you’re all being dramatic-“
“Cut the crap” I interrupted “and don’t yack.”
“Why? You nauseous, kid?” Johnathan asked softly.
Stryker shook his head, scowling when he was passed from me to Johnathan “didn’t realise I was the parcel in the pass the parcel game.
Not fun, if you were wondering. I feel for the parcels.
Anyway, no, Theo just started going on about puke cause I’m pale, apparently”
“That you are, kid. What are you, dizzy?”
“…yeah. ‘N cold. Am I supposed to be cold?”
“Not really” I said, shifting uneasily “it’s…December, but…not that cold, honestly. You want, like, a blanket?”
“A jacket’s fine” Stryker grumbled moodily.
To be fair, if I were in his state, I’d be pretty moody about it too.
“Here.” I shrugged my own jacket off, about to toss it before thinking better of it and handing it over. Stryker didn’t look like he had enough stability to catch anything.
Slowly, wincing when his wound protested, he pulled the jacket on.
Nikolas led a horse over “you good to go?” He asked gruffly.
I watched Stryker struggle to mount the horse, then Johnathan climb on behind him.
“I don’t need-“ he started to protest, but Johnathan gave him a pointed look “don’t try that with me. Come on, let’s get you home.”
Nikolas nodded towards me and Matthew “you two coming?”
“Can we?” Matthew asked uncertainly.
The older soldier nodded once “may as well. You’re sharing the horse, though.”
I cheered triumphantly when I beat Matthew to be at the reigns, earning a disgruntled look from Johnathan.
Since the military base was higher up compared to the rest of the kingdom, the most of the journey was following a steep cobbled slope into the main square.
“You think it really is sepsis?” I asked Matt hesitantly. The other shifted in the saddle before replying “probably.” It was short, and I could immediately tell that he was just as on edge as me, plus he had slept even less.
“Are you okay?” I found myself asking. He seemed more than simply tired, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
“Fine, Danes. I’m not the one who’s ill.”
I bit my lip uncertainly. His warm breath fanned my neck from behind me, making my body shudder involuntary.
“If you’re sure-“
“I’m tired.” He repeated “please, can we…focus on the situation?”
I hummed, not convinced but aware that I wouldn’t be getting anything out of him, and all conversation between us dropped from there, apart from a few quiet comments of his on how much better Zeltron was, mainly to wind me up.
It worked, because in no universe was Zeltron better than Draelon. As if.
Halfway there, Johnathan pulled his horse to a sudden stop as Stryker leant over to the side and heaved up the little he’d eaten the day before.
I cringed. “Water?” I offered as I hesitantly pulled up beside them, only because Matthew had told me to.
Stryker shook his head weakly, spitting to get rid of the acidic taste, pressing his hand to the elk wound.
“He’s burning” Johnathan muttered, palm on his forehead.
“Johnathan” Stryker said weakly, “I- I want to go home. Please say- say we’re nearly- nearly home.”
I winced.
“Not long, Stryker. It won’t take long. In fact, I think-“
He was cut off by Stryker passing out. Jesus.
When we finally got to the Aisen’s household, Stryker was shivering badly and his skin was so pale it was scary.
He had stayed stubbornly unconscious until only minutes before we arrived at his house, and even then he looked so disoriented that the only thing he did was let out a quiet moan and press his hand to his wound.
Johnathan gently lowered him from the horse and kept him in his arms whilst I anxiously knocked on the door.
It opened on the sixth knock, an annoyed looking young woman folding her arms.
At first I thought she must be his mother, but she was way too young.
She was hot, too: curvy, with dark hair and milky skin along with sapphire blue eyes instead of dark ones like Stryker’s, but they shared the same intense glare that I’d been greeted with on my first day in the army by…
her brother? I recalled, in that very moment, that his mum had died when he was a baby, which left me to assume that this was his sister, Armelle.
“What happened?” She asked sharply after having taken in the scene, pushing past me as though I weren’t even there and rushing over to her brother.
“His wound got infected” Johnathan explained softly “might be sepsis. We thought we should bring him to his dad first. He’s in, right?”
“Yes, yes he’s-“
“Armelle?” Stryker asked blearily, blinking up at her.
“Yes, it’s- it’s me, yes. Gosh, Stryker, look at the state of you- DAD!”
“Armelle, I’m busy, who’s at the…? Stryker?”
“They think it’s sepsis,” Armelle said quietly. Their dad- a man that looked remarkably like an older version of Stryker, but with a short beard and Armelle’s eyes, jogged down the stairs and took his son off Johnathan to deposit him on the couch.
I hesitantly stepped in “you sure about that? Because the couch might get stained and it looks pretty expensive-”
Stryker’s dad waved me off, and Matthew leaned down to whisper that that was a stupid thing to say considering his son had sepsis.
He was right. I winced at myself.
“Can you get him a glass of water?” The man asked me, then he nodded towards Armelle “get the jacket and shirt off. Johnathan, run down to the healers, say it’s urgent.”
“Dad” Stryker said quietly “it hurts”
“Yeah, I know it does, Mischief, I know.”
Once Armelle had managed to get his shirt off, I watched her fight a gag, just like the rest of us had.
“It’s disgusting” Stryker said weakly, taking in her expression “I know. Infected injuries tend to be.”
Their dad shook his head slightly, thanking me when I came back with the requested glass of water and then immediately sending me off again for a bowl of warm water with salt dissolved in it and a cloth. I knew enough to put the kettle on instead of getting the water from the tap.
“Dad” Stryker muttered, eyes slipping shut and shivers wracking his body “‘s cold.”
“That’s just the fever, Mischief. And it’s a bad one, too. Here. Small sips.”
“I know that.” Stryker muttered, attempting to push himself up with shaking arms. His dad put an arm around his back to keep him steady, using the other to feel along Stryker’s activated lymph node chain.
"I've got you, Mischief. Try to slow down your breathing."
“Dad.” Stryker breathed “I’m scared, it-“
“I know” his dad said softly “I know, just hang in there- thank you, son.” He murmured to me.
I stepped back to stand beside Matthew, who was anxiously chewing his lip. I wouldn’t mind one of his kisses to ease the tension I felt in my every muscle right now.
“Okay, Stryker, this’ll-“
“Hurt” he whispered “yeah, I- I know”
I shifted uneasily, shooting an agitated look at the door “you think they’ll get here soon?”
“It’s their job” Armelle pointed out, an edge to her voice “they bett-“
She was cut off by Stryker’s sharp hiss of pain, “dad,” he seethed.
“Not my fault. Kid, can you get some honey?” He was looking at Matthew this time.
I swallowed hard as his comforting presence left my side.
The healers arrived ten minutes later, just as Armelle had gotten herself worked up enough to storm out to go and fetch them herself; they immediately crowded around Stryker, and Johnathan took that as a sign to send me and Matthew home.
For once, I didn’t complain.