Snapshot Three: Giving Comfort
Game: Awakening
Between Outtakes 59 and 60
Summary: Araceli has come down with a mild case of pneumonia at the start of the Valm Campaign. Luckily, Gaius is there to give her the comfort she needs.
Notes: So there's a story behind this one. When I graduated from college recently, I had come down with some nasty cold/flu thing that had me in tears at some points because of the sheer discomfort and pain. One night shortly after graduation, I tossed, turned, and shivered myself awake, and thought to myself 'I wish I had someone to comfort me' and then immediately thought of Gaius. I started writing this that night (while waiting for the medicine to kick in). The end's a bit funky 'cause I wasn't sure how to end it, but I hope you enjoy nevertheless!
Again, enjoy!
Gaius knew his wife wasn't feeling well, and it hurt him to see her suffering. He prayed that she would get better fast; this pneumonia was pretty debilitating.
He woke several times the second night she was sick to her shifting restlessly, moaning slightly in her sleep and shivering pathetically. Half asleep, he pulled her close when he registered her shivers. His body heat seemed to help calm her, but she eventually twisted out of his embrace.
Suddenly a sob broke through his sleep, and the weight on the cot beside him disappeared. He opened his eyes to see her fleeting figure leave the tent. Dazed, he waited for her to return, waking slowly to the pale moonlight.
After a moment, he was struck with reason. His wife should not be out of bed. She had been ordered to stay and rest until she was recovered. He got up, and left the tent, blinking in the light of the moon.
It was only past midnight, judging by the celestial orb glowing in the navy sky. "Bubbles, where are ya?" Gaius muttered, scanning the area of the camp around their tent. He could hear her coughing and turned to follow that sound.
He nearly bumped into her, and she lost her balance. "Woah, there, Bubbles," he said, grabbing her and holding her close. Her flushed face streamed with tears that glinted in the moonlight. "Hey, what's the matter?"
Araceli shook her head and sobbed into his shoulder. She muttered something unintelligible.
"Ok, I didn't quite get that but…I'm assuming you're feeling pretty low." He kissed the side of her neck. "Gods, you're burning up. Time for some medicine, huh?"
Araceli nodded. Gaius scooped her into his arms and carried her back to their tent. He lit a small candle and shuffled through the small satchel of medicine that Lissa had brought by earlier that day. He gave the dose to Araceli, and she took it, sniffling. Gaius sat down behind her, pulling her into an embrace and wrapping a thick blanket around them both. "I'm sorry I woke you," Araceli muttered quietly.
"Don't be," Gaius replied. "I can't sleep knowing you're suffering so much."
They sat in silence until Araceli stopped shivering. Gaius, glad that the medicine had kicked in at last, pulled the blanket from his shoulders and cocooned his wife in it. They laid down again, and Gaius pulled the blankets over themselves, tucking Araceli under his arm to keep her warm. "Thank you, love," she murmured, sleepily.
"You're welcome, babe."
The rest of the night passed quietly. Both Araceli and Gaius slept peacefully, unbothered by the symptoms of the grandmaster's pneumonia.
Morning came and Gaius woke to Araceli's coughing once more. She was struggling out of his embrace and the blanket around her so that she could sit up. Gaius pulled the blanket from her shoulders and helped her sit up, only to watch her double over, coughing hard. He gently rubbed her back, a fearful expression on his face. "Breathe, Ara," he muttered.
Finally the grandmaster stopped coughing, giving a soft moan at the sight of the blood on her hands. Gaius got up, wet a cloth, and knelt in front of her, cleaning off her hands. "Gaius…"
"Enjoy it while it lasts, Ara," the assassin replied. "You'll wish for pampering like this later on." He stood, grinning.
Araceli huffed and let a small smile cross her face. She laid back onto the cot, pulling the blankets up around her. "If I recall, sir thief, you were at my beck and call when I gave birth to Mark. You pampered me right and left."
"It's a rare treat."
Her voice was laced with sarcasm as she spoke next. "Sure it is." She coughed feebly again, closing her eyes. Gaius watched her for a moment, is heart breaking at the sight of her face - all pale save for her cheeks, which were rosy from her fever - her sight frown as she coughed once more.
She looked so weak, so vulnerable and it hurt to see her like this.
He shook off his sadness and switched back to nursing-husband mode. He leaned over her, bushing a few strands of her red hair from her hot forehead. "I'm gonna get us something to eat."
Her eyes opened a crack. "I'm not that hungry."
"Too bad. You're gonna eat, even if I have to force the food down your throat." Araceli rolled her eyes at this. "Can you manage while I run to the mess tent?"
"Yeah."
Gaius kissed her and headed toward the entrance of the tent. He paused and looked back at his wife, who sent him a wry grin. "Go on," she urged. "I'll be fine."
Gaius smiled and left the tent.
Published 8/10/2014
