A/N: I'm absolutely peeved by the massive lack of Iron Druid Chronicles fanfiction on the site… or anywhere on the internet… seriously like 5 stories including the crossovers? These are like one of the funniest books I've ever read, and they are not even finished yet! Seriously go read them and produce some awesome fanfic because it deserves it!
Like you already know… I'm a sucker for sickfics. So that's what this is. Set somewhere in the beginning of the 12 year time gap between books 4 and 5 (Tricked and Trapped). I'll try and explain as much as I can the world specific lingo and stuff but best if you read the books especially if you like this little self-indulgent fic :) It might get a bit spoilery in the beginning because I'm trying to set the story into the timeline of the books.
Disclaimer: I absolutely do not own anything related to the Iron Druid Chronicles or its characters, it all belongs to the amazing Kevin Hearne. No money is made off of this, it is purely for entertainment purposes.
People thinking that you were dead sure had its perks. Thanks to Coyote's outstanding performance six months ago everyone, especially those of the Norse and Greco-Roman pantheons, believed me to have died by the hands Týr and Vidar in revenge for killing Thor. Not that it was actually me that had slain him but that didn't really matter to those two. Anyway back to the point, the perks. For one, nobody was trying to come and kill me. A very nice change compared to the last twenty centuries. Second I had all the time, peace and quiet in the world to train Granuaile in Druidry. She would be the first new initiate in like more than a 1000 years after the Romans and Christians had driven us to near extinction. At the moment, I, Atticus O'Sullivan – or Siodhachan Ó Suileabháin as they had known me back in the day – am the last living druid.
You absolutely deserve a break after being hounded for 2000 years by the Irish god of "love", Aenghus Óg, and at long last having to kill him because he threatened to unleash hell on Earth. Getting almost hexed by some nasty demon hosting witches. Guilted into attacking Asgard and barely missing getting hammered. Then getting tricked by one of the First People of the Navajo folklore. Not to mention coming really close to dying several times, all in the short time span of about five months.
So after that well-earned break and some travel, I and Granuaile finally returned to the Native American reservation in Arizona to live under the assumed names provided by Coyote in exchange for doing away with the skinwalkers terrorizing the land. Not like I had much of a choice in the matter but thankfully this little extracurricular endeavor didn't jeopardize my status as presumed dead by most.
Living in one house with Granuaile MacTiernan, whom I had first met as the fiery redhead waitress of the Rúla Búla Irish pub in Tempe, AZ, was a challenge. Not because she had annoying habits or anything, but because I was hopelessly attracted to her, but not allowed to act on it because of our ongoing teacher-apprentice relationship. Well, damn. Before our current arrangement we had shamelessly flirted every time we ran into each other at the pub. Which was often since it was the only decent Irish establishment near or far so I paid my visit there quite often.
That definitely didn't make things easier in the present. Just thinking about her had certain… effects on me… To draw my attention away from my very persistent morning wood I tried to focus on baseball while I took a cold shower. Wasn't really working, I had to admit. The crème colored tiles were much too reminiscent of her fair skin.
~Hey, Atticus. Isn't it time for breakfast yet?~
That was Oberon, my Irish wolfhound, whom I had bound my consciousness to, so now we could communicate through our mental link and he could also understand English if spoken aloud.
Yes, it is, bud. Just give me a minute, I replied to him mentally with a small smile forming on my lips. He was quite predictable. Even though dogs had a terrible sense of time in the long run, as to when what had happened, Oberon's inner clock told him exactly when to expect food, especially if it consisted of his favorites – sausages and bacon – and breakfast just wouldn't be the same without them.
I hurried up my shower then stepped in front of the mirror for a quick shave. The sight of myself with raven colored hair still caught me off guard. To blend in better with the population and to hide our very much Irish heritage we started dyeing our flaming red hair black a couple of months ago and with much sorrow I had also cut my goatee. Too distinctive as a feature and way too much trouble to dye. I don't think I have been clean shaven since the fall of the Roman Empire before this.
~Do we have any of those chicken–apple flavored ones?~ Oberon enthusiastically wagged his tail by my side as I made the short walk from the bathroom to my bedroom to put on some clothes. Best not tempt fate with accidentally flashing Granuaile in the kitchen in case the towel decided to slide off while I busied myself with cooking breakfast.
I don't know, I'll have to check, I continued to speak to him mentally because my apprentice was still sleeping. Yesterday we had a very rigorous martial arts lesson extending well into the night to prep her for fighting in lessened visibility and harsher conditions, like the cold. The weather in Arizona wasn't too accommodating for that skill to develop, but we would just have to make trips to other regions of the country to prep her. The winters here were pretty mild, although in the desert it can get quite chilly after sundown. So we took full advantage of that.
As I passed Granuaile's room on my way to the kitchen I could hear no sound coming out so she was probably still sleeping just as I had predicted. Who was I to rob her of that extra half an hour when I actually loved making breakfast? No need to bother her before it was ready. My old archdruid would have argued with my lenient attitude but as I have learned, positive reinforcement and caring nurturing was a better motivator for the millennial generation than unnecessary cruelty and fear that was so common in my actual youth.
"Sorry we are all out of the chicken-apple sausages," I whispered to Oberon as I finished checking the freezer. "You'll have to ask Coyote to bring over some more if we see him. I have no idea where he gets them from. How about some Thuringian?"
~As long as it comes like greased lightning,~ he sat down eagerly, his tail still thumping happily against the floor.
I had to chuckle at the proverb. Greased it will be all right, but hopefully no lightning will accompany it. Though I still had the fulgurite I got from Perun, the Slavic god of thunder, attached to the back of my cold iron necklace.
I cooked up some scrambled eggs with cheese and bell peppers, Oberon's sausages and some bacon getting ready in another pan. While that was sizzling, I put the coffee on to brew. Granuaile still hadn't made an appearance even though the smell of breakfast usually drew her out of slumber no matter how tired she was.
When I was finally finished with everything I returned to her pale blue door and knocked this time. No reaction. Again. Still nothing.
"Granuaile, breakfast is ready!" I hollered in, hoping that she would hear it.
"Lea'me alone," came the somewhat grumpy muffled reply. In hindsight I should have suspected that something was off then and there. Granuaile was never rude without reason.
~Can I get that sausage now?~ my hound impatiently inquired.
"Sure," I sighed, turning back towards the kitchen, still puzzled by Granuaile's behavior. Though truthfully last night really was kind of rough in terms of training, but was necessary for her to improve. Skills never develop without pushing the limits.
We ate in silence with Oberon, him practically inhaling the sausages and some bacon on the side. I put foil over my apprentice's now cold portion and put it into the fridge in case she wanted it later.
"How about a run, buddy? Chase some hares in the mesa?" I asked a bit dejectedly. Usually Granuaile came with us too on our routinely morning run, even if at a slower pace to build up stamina, but I decided it was better to let her rest. Training could wait until we got back.
I left my sandals on the porch and relished the connection with Gaia once my feet hit the ground. Through the interconnected tattoos running up on my right arm, down my side all the way to my feet I was bound to the earth. All my magical power came from it. I quickly checked on my bear charm – which could store a small amount of magic to use in emergencies if I wasn't in contact with the ground – on my necklace to make sure it was fully charged, then beckoned Oberon to run with me. He shot off at full speed, enjoying the wind as it rolled off his fur.
I kept pace with him by drawing some power from the ground, boosting my endurance and speed. I sometimes joined Oberon in my own wolfhound form but it was still a bit cold this morning so I didn't particularly want to undress in order to transform, so just followed along as a human. There was no one around to witness my inhuman speed.
After getting a few rabbits and squirrels thoroughly freaked out, and relieving himself in a burrow just to mess with them, Oberon deemed the morning successful so we trotted back to the farm house. Granuaile was still nowhere to be seen, and the food wasn't touched either, there wasn't an extra set of tableware in the sink.
I decided it was time to check on her. I knocked twice again, but this time there wasn't even a peep.
"I'm coming in!" I called out to warn her in case she was indecent, although I wouldn't have minded to take a peek at her perky breasts. Geez, Atticus, get it together. The Diamondbacks really need to practice their pitches more…
As I opened the door, I noticed that Granuaile was still in bed, facing away from the entrance. Oberon slid right past me and went to the side of the bed where my apprentice was at the moment, nudging the sapphire colored blanket with his nuzzle.
~Atticus, she is hot,~ he commented in a deadpan tone.
I know she is hot, I snorted my mental reply embarrassedly. She always have been.
~No, I mean I can feel heat radiating off of her even without touching her,~ Oberon whined with concern. ~Also her breathing sounds funny.~
Oh, shoot, I thought as I quickly crossed the room to join my hound to investigate, worry etching my features now too.
Granuaile was bundled up in blankets from neck to toe, only her face, lightly dusted with freckles and now flushed high up in her cheekbones, peeking out, framed by dyed black tresses sticking to her clammy forehead.
No doubt about it, she had a fever. Oberon's other comment about her breathing implied an even bigger problem. Now that I paid attention, even I with my normal human ears could hear how labored it sounded. I crouched down beside her, brushing back her hair to check her forehead. She stirred the moment the cooler temperature of my hand touched her burning skin.
First she barely got her eyelids open, blinked a couple of times trying to focus on who or what had disturbed her sleep with much difficulty. Her red-rimmed green eyes caught mine and I could tell from her sudden panicked expression that she either didn't recognize me or really didn't want me to see her like this.
Despite being obviously unwell she scrambled back from me with surprising speed and almost fell off on the other side of the bed, where she finally drew in a big breath of air, that unfortunately caught in her throat and she started to cough painfully.
I walked around the bed in slow pace, not wanting to alarm her further. Even through her fit she never took her eyes off of me, as if being wary of my presence.
"It's just me, Atticus," I tried to reassure her with my hands in front of me where she could see them, in case she really didn't know it was me.
Confusion etched her face then she suddenly relaxed, well as much you could relax while hacking up a lung, but her features mellowed out towards me when her eyes caught the tattoos on my hand. I took that as a sign that it was okay to approach, so I sat down behind her and began to rub soothing circles into her back to calm the coughing. She grabbed onto my right hand, trying to steady herself while coughing into her left elbow, hunched over her knees.
After a painful few minutes she finally got her breathing under control enough to suck in tiny, tentative breaths into her lungs without setting herself off again and sagged against me.
"It's all right, I've got you," I murmured as I supported her weight. The perverse part of me would have rejoiced at this close contact if I weren't fully preoccupied with worry at her condition.
"For a moment… I didn't remember… your hair is black now," Granuaile managed to explain breathlessly, looking thoughtfully at my tattoos again for reconfirmation, tracing the ruined triskele on the back of my hand with her finger. "Thought you were some stranger sneaking around."
"I figured. Yours is black too by the way, before you freak again," I chuckled to try and lighten the mood. Normally I was all for a healthy dose of paranoia – it had saved my life on numerous occasions – but in a delirious haze from fever everything looked scarier than it was and her heart was already doing double work to try and squeeze the limited amount of oxygen it could gather from her lungs around her body.
Instead of laughing with me, she examined a lock of her hair at the side her head very seriously, trying to process the fact I just broke to her. Her fever was really high, I could feel her heat even through our combined clothing and her blanket. I placed my hand against her forehead again, trying to gauge just how high it was. Definitely in the 102-103 degree region if I had to take a guess. Maybe even higher. What had me absolutely befuddled is how fast this had come on. Yesterday she seemed fine… although…
"Hey," I tried to get her attention gently. "When did this all start?"
Granuaile, bless her heart, took great care to think over her reply. I could almost see the cogs turning behind her furrowed brows as her fevered mind tried to make sense of the question and figure out the correct answer.
"Not sure… yesterday I felt a bit sluggish… but otherwise fine… I thought it was just muscle fatigue… from training every day, you know," she sucked in a ragged breath and began coughing anew.
Well, yes, that explained why her reaction time was so delayed yesterday evening all throughout our sparring. The beginnings of a cold or the flu, and being out in the chilly night air just aggravated it, not to mention the physical exertion and the sweating that came with it. By the sound of her already wet, forceful coughs, it might even be turning into pneumonia.
"I should have paid more attention to your well-being, I'm sorry," I truly was. It pained me to see someone I cared deeply about in such misery. My left hand automatically drew the circles into her back without my conscious command, while my mind wandered unbidden to darker times when respiratory infections like these usually claimed the patient's life.
"S'not your fault," she wheezed.
"Also should have started giving you Virus Immuni-Tea the moment the seasons changed," I chastised myself. Why I had neglected to do so was beyond me. Ever since we started training I've been sharing Immortali-Tea with her to keep her body youthful like mine, but that only prevented aging and genetic related diseases to develop. "Although it's a good question how you managed to contract something when the nearest human to us is at least five miles away."
"A few days ago… when I was walking Oberon… I ran into a bunch of kids by the river bed," Granuaile recalled after a few moments. "One of them was kind of sniffling the whole time."
~I remember that, they even played fetch with me, but that was like three weeks ago,~ Oberon chimed in to confirm the theory.
Oberon, I'm pretty sure that was five days ago, you two rarely go for a walk without me, I smiled despite myself.
~What's wrong with her?~ he whimpered a bit, hopping onto the bed to curl up by Granuaile's left side. She absentmindedly scratched him behind his ears.
Just a moment, I bid my hound to patience.
"How do you feel?" I asked her before giving a final diagnosis.
"Congested, cold, shaky and achy, tired… My lungs kind of hurt," she replied dutifully. Testament to that last statement, she doubled over with a wince after a sneeze, clutching her side. When she seemed stable enough to sit on her own I slipped out from my position behind her and sat down on her right side in front of her. I ran my fingers under her jaw, feeling for swollen lymph nodes that would indicate a bacterial infection. Unfortunately they were really tender, Granuaile even flinched back a bit from my touch despite me trying to be gentle.
"Sorry," I apologized again. This would be the day's motto it seemed.
"Are you playing doctor now?" she eyed me suspiciously. Her pouty lips, accentuated by the rose color in her cheeks really made her utterly kissable. Stop it, dammit. Baseball… pitching and batting…
"Khm, druid here remember? Back in the day we were pretty much all the healers you could get. I had to know what was wrong to be able to mix the appropriate herbal remedy for it. Respiratory infections didn't really change in nature since then," I explained a bit smugly.
"So what's the verdict?" Granuaile asked with a tired sniffle, resting her head on her knees.
"I would say you caught the flu, then my less than brilliant training strategy for yesterday ensured that it had settled in your lungs," I scratched the back of my head to try and ease my guilt at the situation. "But I would need a stethoscope to hear just how bad it is. Best case scenario just a bad case of the flu or bronchitis… worst case…"
"Alright, I get it, pneumonia," she sighed and this time managed to contain her spasms to two small coughs just to prove a point that she wasn't that sick.
"Will you be okay on your own for a few minutes? I'll go make some medicine for you," I offered readily, wanting to get started on it as fast as possible.
"Shouldn't a doctor see me? Prescribe antibiotics?" she inquired with a raised brow. Her lack of confidence in me kind of stung.
"The stuff I can concoct by binding is just as effective, if not more, not mention 100% organic. But if you are not improving in two days, we will," I promised her, which she seemed to find acceptable.
"Sensei…" she called after me hesitantly when I was almost at the door.
"Yeah?" I turned back eagerly, wanting to be helpful in whatever way she wanted.
"Before you go… I really need to go to the bathroom," Granuaile implied embarrassedly that she wasn't sure if she could make it that far on her own.
"Okay, let me just get you a bathrobe to keep you warm," I applauded myself mentally for the quick thinking and trotted across the hall to retrieve it. Once I returned to the bed she put it on promptly, though it did nothing to lessen her shivering.
"C'mere," I offered my hand to her. She took it, grateful that I didn't make fun of her temporary weakness. The moment she tried to put weight on her lower limbs, her knees buckled and I had just enough time to catch her. "Whoah there. I guess we can rule out 'walking' pneumonia."
"That was genuinely muscle fatigue not the achiness. You kind of kicked my butt yesterday," my apprentice huffed as I hooked my arm under her knees to carry her bridal style to the bathroom, much to her dismay.
~Figuratively and literally too,~ Oberon helpfully offered his input on the matter making me shake my head with a sigh. The banter would have been really funny if the outcome of those events were diffetent. If I just paid a bit more attention…
"What?" she inquired after having caught my grim expression.
"Oberon's just being himself," I smiled at her reassuringly as I set her down on the edge of the bathtub.
"I wish I could hear you," Granuaile commented wistfully to Oberon who followed us in as she petted him. Even sitting down she seemed unsteady without the blankets and pillows to prop her up.
"Keep an eye on her, okay buddy? Make sure she doesn't fall," I instructed my wolfhound before exiting to allow her some privacy. Call out for me mentally if something's wrong, I added.
~Sure thing. Granuaile can lean on me as much as she wants,~ he dutifully replied, his tongue lolling out of his mouth.
"I'm not a kid that needs to be watched," her mouth turned pouty again in protest.
"I know, just delirious and feverish. I'll be back in a sec," I smirked at her, closing the door behind myself before she could retort.
I hurried my way to the kitchen, put up some water to boil for tea, and then checked my containers to see what herbs I had in stock inside. Plenty of thyme and sage, good. Besides that I got out some eucalyptus, peppermint and about ten other herbs that had either antipyretic, antiviral qualities or were good for coughs, respiratory infections.
Before getting started with that I prepared a tray with a glass of water, crackers, tissues, and a thermometer.
~Atticus, I think she is going to keel over from just standing by the sink,~ Oberon's distressed voice entered my mind at that moment.
Coming, I replied then quickly deposited the tray on Granuaile's bedside table before entering the bathroom with a knock.
My usually so strong and brave apprentice was slumped down on the floor, leaning against Oberon's sitting form by her side.
"I don't think I'm up for training today, sensei," she commented with a small laugh as she tried to catch her breath. Her whole body was shaking from the effort the exerted to stay upright.
"Of course not, silly girl. First you have to get better. Hopefully my remedies can get you back on your feet in 4-5 days instead of the two or more weeks it usually takes pneumonia to clear up," I picked her up yet again, finding the action actually rather enjoyable. Wish I could do this under different circumstances. Her head rested against my chest, Granuaile not having the strength to hold it up.
"But there is so much to do, to learn, and I have only eleven years to complete it," she muttered tiredly, not realizing how little a few days lost meant in that time span.
"How about this? When you feel a bit better, I'll show you how to mix the herbal remedy I'm going to give you, and talk through the properties and interactions of all the components involved," I suggested with a smile at her eagerness to learn and not lose time.
"Sounds good… but I don't want to have to actually mix them ever. I don't want to feel as shitty as now ever again," her face was ghostly pale behind her black locks as she mumbled on.
"Who knows, maybe I'll need it," I chuckled as I bent down to set her back on her bed.
"Wait! I can get you sick?" the realization dawned on her and she squirmed out of my hold, trying to put some distance between us, landing a bit harder on the bed then I intended. She scooted over to the other side to cough into her elbow again. I pulled up the sofa from the corner to her bed and sat down on it, smirking mirthfully as my heart warmed a bit by her concern for my well-being.
"It's a great question. In 2100 years I have contracted all sorts of illnesses, most of which I have developed immunity to. But many different viruses can cause cold and flu like symptoms, not to mention that these are some of the fastest mutating agents out there. I'll drink some Immuni-Tea as a precaution, but don't worry yourself over me," I explained as I watched her. Even in her disheveled state I found her lovely. Though the rate she was coughing at really worried me.
"M'Okay…" she managed to squeeze out finally, lying back down under her covers, thoroughly exhausted. Oberon hopped on yet again, lying down by her side to keep her warm.
"Before you fall back asleep, could you take your temperature?" I asked. Best check it now, later with all the tea she would be drinking it wouldn't give an accurate reading most of the time anyway.
She looked around confusedly then noticed the tray that somehow magically appeared in her room. I handed her the thermometer so that she didn't have to move from her comfy place.
"I'll be back soon," I reiterated sort of like the Terminator. Oberon caught onto it too.
~Hurry up Arnie, before Skynet reprograms you,~ he woofed with a laugh.
Yet again back in the kitchen I got myself a packet of the premade Immuni-Tea and poured some hot water over it into a big mug, then began to work on a modified blend of it for Granuaile to fight off the infection instead of its original, preventive properties. The other project was to make a cough syrup to help break up the congestion in her chest.
I was done in less than half an hour, binding herbs came as second nature to me, but by the time I got back to Granuaile's room, she had fallen fast asleep on her back, her mouth slightly open because she couldn't breathe through her nose.
~Should I wake her?~ Oberon asked, dead set on trying to help wherever he could with taking care of my apprentice.
No, let her sleep some more. The tea needs about ten-fifteen minutes to cool off anyway. Well at least hers did, mine was perfectly drinkable already and I made sure to drink plenty of it. Though my body was in great shape so it probably won't hit me as hard even if I did catch it, but we really didn't need both of us out of commission. I noticed that the water glass I left for her was empty. Good, girl. Keeping hydrated.
I stood back up to refill it, and also checked on the thermometer. Holy moly, 103.5. Way too damn high. No wonder she was so disoriented. I got a washcloth and basin from the kitchen to fill with tepid water.
When I stepped back into the room Granuaile was busy talking in her sleep. Reciting the periodic table nonetheless. Learning languages was a piece of cake to her, but the chemistry and drug interactions involved in mixing herbs together were getting to her sometimes. Her having nightmares about elements would have been truly amusing if it weren't for her furrowed brows that showed that she was really uncomfortable.
Before shocking her by placing the cold rag onto her forehead without warning, I touched upper arm gently to rouse her. For a moment she was disoriented again, but didn't believe me to be a trespassing ninja like before.
"There's my druid…" she smiled loopily at me, her eyes closing back down in relief at seeing me. Her feverishly unfiltered words did things to me. Especially the possessive adjectives.
"Hey, don't fall back asleep yet. Drink some of this tea, will you?" I got her attention back quickly.
"For you… anything," my once redhead apprentice chuckled but unfortunately set herself off into a coughing fit so I helped her sit up and had her lean against me like before.
Once she was done I handed her the mug, warning her to drink carefully because it was still pretty hot.
"Ugh, this could use some sugar," Granuaile made a face at the bitterness of the drink.
"And then the whole point of it would be lost," I informed her with a grin. The glucose from the sugar would mess up the chemical bonds between the herbs and it would be less effective. Especially the antipyretic components, which she really needed right now.
"Typical. Anything that's good for you tastes bad," the philosophy graduate cared to offer her very profound, although not too original take on the question. But we will forgive her that. I wouldn't be able to think up anything witty with a fever of almost 104 either.
~I contest, bacon and sausages don't taste bad, quite the contrary, and it's the best thing you could put in your belly!~ Oberon's single minded – and rhyming – input made me laugh, especially put up against the opinions of my ill apprentice.
"I think you'll find, Oberon, that according to doctors the fats in those are bad for your heart," I informed him, simultaneously cluing Granuaile into his shenanigans, and the cause of my mirth.
~What? I've been living a lie!~ my hound barked aloud in chagrin, which in turn amused the girl leaning against me. The sound of her joy was music to my ears. And besides, laughter was the best medicine.
"Don't worry, Oberon, Atticus here will just give you some foul tasting liquid that will counteract any ill effects and all will be well," she fondly hugged him around the neck. I loved the fact that they got along so well. Kind of made me feel like we were family. My mind snapped to Tahirah, my late wife, and our two hundred years together in Africa for a moment, but I quickly chased away the bittersweet memories.
~Oh, alright. Point to the sick lady!~ he conceded, placing back his head into Granuaile's lap.
Are we keeping score today? I raised a brow at him. Sometimes we engaged in friendly contests as to who could come up with wittier, funnier or more accurate observations. On occasion Oberon would include Granuaile in it too without her knowledge.
~Nah, would be kind of unfair to Granuaile. She might have gotten this one right, but she is kind of slow on the uptake today,~ his sad puppy dog eyes flickered between the two of us, as if disappointed in the lost opportunity.
Don't tease, she has a really high fever right now, I admonished him.
~I know. Just sayin'. Though she says pretty funny stuff,~ that I had to give him, Granuaile was hilarious all in her own right, but her loopy self was endearing to watch.
While we mentally bantered with Oberon, Granuaile managed to finish her tea, despite it being some foul tasting liquid, as she put it. The steam made her nose run, so she plucked a tissue from the box to give it a good blow.
"Ready for the next medicine?" I asked getting the dark brown bottle and a spoon from the tray.
"Please tell me it's not more tea, I can already feel it swooshing around in my belly," she frowned. She must have been feeling a bit queasy. Not surprising.
"Nope, cough syrup," I shook my head.
"Home-made cough syrup, oh goodie," my apprentice rolled her eyes coupled with that sarcastic comment. The store-bought kind was nasty, you had to admit, way too sweetened.
"Just one tablespoon," I coaxed her.
"You know I'll take it, whatever you give me," Granuaile pointedly looked at me. Her absolute trust in me was touching.
"I actually didn't, but good to know. Although I advise a little more paranoia. How do you know it isn't someone impersonating me, like Coyote?" I challenged just for the sake of training, even though I told her earlier that we would wait until she was a bit better.
"Because… I can tell…" she didn't elaborate further but a blush of darker shade of red crept up her face that even her fever flush couldn't hide, and nudged me instead to administer that damn spoonful of cough syrup already.
Once done, she settled back into bed and I placed the cool cloth on her forehead. I cleaned up a bit, getting the dirty dishes from the tray and taking them out to the kitchen. Got a new batch of tea for myself and a book form the library, then made myself comfortable at the bedside of my apprentice. I wasn't going to leave her side until she was well again.