Author's note. Written by me and Mrs Bumblebee.

Suggestions are welcome.

Enjoy and please review.

McLeach was brooding with a shot of whiskery when Joanna came scurrying over to him. Seeing that she looked worried and guessing why, he asked.

"What is it, girl?"

She looked back in the direction of his room before giving him a 'what are you waiting for' look. With a sigh and a grumble, he placed his glass to one side and heaved himself up.

"Alright, I'm coming," he stated, before following her.

Mcleach entered the room and watch Joanna scurry over to the bed and looked worriedly up at it. He raised a brow curiously before looking and found the boy still laying there gasp asleep.

Not seeing anything wrong he looked back down at the large lizard.

"What is it girl? Why did you bring me in here?" He asked her.

Joanna whined and kept gesturing up at the unconscious boy.

With a grown, he moved a little closer and then saw why Joanna was concerned. The boy was burning, literally burning with fever as heat rose off him in big waves and the sheets around him were wet with condescension. Despite McLeach's best efforts, the boy had caught fever from his injury and there was a chance his arm was infected as well.

Swearing under his breath, McLeach marched out of the bedroom, he needed to get water to cool the young boy down. Joanna followed him worriedly.

McLeach glanced down at here when she whined up at him.

"Go to the bathroom and get me a clean rag," He ordered.

She nodded and scurried off to do as told while her master filled a bowl with cold water and then grabbed some ice from the freezer and dumped it into the water to make it colder.

"That'll do it," he muttered before heading back to his bedroom, Joanna joining him a moment later with a clean rag.

"Mmm...ah...," Cody groaned in his sleep, tossing and turning as McLeach sat by his side.

"Don't believe this," McLeach muttered as he dunked the rag into the ice cold water before wringing it out and placing it over the boy's head.

"Suppose to be making this kid regret ever messing with me and instead here I am a tingly like his over anxious nanny," He hissed to him.

Of course Cody didn't respond, just whimpered at the feeling of the cold rag on his forehead. McLeach grumbled, as soon as the brat was better, things would go right back to the way they were meant to be.

"I mean it," he told the boy sternly. "Don't think I'm going to do this for you all the time."

Leaning forward, he pulled the boy's shirt off so that he could apply some cold water to his chest.

Cody whimpered and squirmed around at the ice cold water touched his heated skin. McLeach sighed in aggravation as he continued to think oh stupid he probably looks right now, carrying for a brat.

Well, at least there wasn't anyone about, not even one of those blasted critters. Joanna had seen him half drowned so she didn't really count. He took the rag from Cody's head and dunked it back in the water, in Cody's condition; it quickly lost its coolness. Looking after someone with fever was a lot of work, as well as keeping Cody's body cool, he'd need to force some fluid into it.

McLeqch looked down at Joanna.

"Go get a small glass of water." He asked her which she nodded and slipped out of the room.

He watched her leave before he turned his attention back to Cody.

"Right, here's another one," he muttered as he placed the freshly cooled rag back on Cody's forehead.

Remembering how little Cody had had to eat, he had another thing to grumble about.

"Have to feed you up as well as babying," he grumbled, rubbing more cold water into the boy's chest. "Can't have you hungry with a fever, make some broth or something."

Joanna came back to the room; a fresh glass of water securely wrapped in her tail as she Carrie it to her master.

"Thanks," McLeach said, taking it and placing it on the bedside table before taking the boy and lifting him up slightly.

"Come on, take the water," he murmured, holding the glass to Cody's lips to encourage him to drink.

Cody moaned softly in protest and turned his head away, trying to get away from who was interrupting his sleep but McLeach wasn't having none of that. He gently moved Cody's head back and held it there and tried to pour the water into the mouth again, being very careful not to choke the kid.

Cody coughed and spluttered a bit but water did go into his mouth and down his throat. McLeach kept at it until the kid had a decent amount of drink in him although a lot ended up splashing the boy in the process. But that didn't matter, the water was cold and the kid was still burning so it actually helped a little.

McLeach then gently laid Cody back down on the bed and pulled a light sheet over him to keep him comfortable.

His temperature was down and with a fresh cloth on his head, McLeach felt he could leave him for a bit. He got up with a grown, his back was stiff and sore and he rubbed at it, trying to get it back to normal. Limping slightly because of his bad back, he sloped back to his chair and collapsed in it, brooding darkly.

Joanna followed him into the room and whined curiously up at him. McLeach looked down at her and sighed.

"I don't know what to do girl, He mumbled.

"I gotta look after him until he's better one way or another but what the hell do I do once he's better? Darn it, I can't let him go, those damn rangers ain't finding out I'm still alive but what do I do? Any ideas girl?"

She cocked her head to one side, considering the problem.

But sadly all she could do was whine and shake her head. She was as clueless as he was.

McLeach groaned, leaning back in his chair as he tried to work out a solution. Maybe he could get the boy doing chores again and go from there, making sure all his knives were safely locked away. Yeah, that could work; they could just put this whole mess behind them.

Maybe...if the kid survives his fever. Meleach sighed in aggravation as he rubbed his eyes in his frustration.

The outback was a harsh place and if you fell ill, you're chances of recovering were a lot lower than other places. This might not be a swamp, but the heat, the insects and the dust could easily finish you off if you were even slightly weak. And it came as a surprise, but McLeach found that he didn't want the boy to die despite all that had happened. It just didn't fill him with any kind of pleasure whatsoever.

"What am I going to do Joanna?" McLeach sighed.

Joanna crawled over to him and curled herself up around his feet like a loyal pet to her master.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," he sighed heavily, rubbing his hand across his face.

Some hours later, Cody woke, his body covered in sweat but no longer burning up. His head was pounding and he blearily peered around the room he was in, he didn't recognise it.

"Where am I, what happened?" he mumbled to himself.

Joanna had been resting the in the room Cody was in at the time and when she heard Cody's voice she instantly jumped to her feet and ran off in search of her master to inform him of the boy.

Cody rubbed at his eyes, trying to wake up properly while also working out where he was. With a gasp, he suddenly remembered that he'd been kidnapped by McLeach. But why was he in this room and in this bed and not a cage? Before he could work this out, he heard the sound of footsteps and McLeach came stamping into the room.

"So you're finally awake," McLeach stated as he walked up to the bed and pulled back the sheets some so he could inspect the boy's injured arm.

Cody flinched back away from him, not wanting to be exposed as he now winced in pain. Now he remembered, he'd cut his arm really badly and that's why he'd woken up so groggily.

"Let me see that," McLeach said impatiently, trying to grab Cody's arm.

"No, you'll...you'll just use it to hurt me more," Cody whimpered, very scared it was the poachers fault he was now hurt.

"If I was gonna, I wouldn't have fixed it up," McLeach said impatiently, grabbing Cody's wrist and pulled the arm towards him. "Now let me look."

McLeach meant to grab Cody's arm gently but had accidently pulled on it too hard which made the boy cry out in pain. McLeach cursed himself for his mistake and quickly reached over to grab the cooling rag and placed it over the now enflamed stitching and flesh.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he spat out as tears started to pour down the boy's face. "Now just hold still and stop squirming."

Cody bit his bottom lip as he struggled to stay still and quiet so is not to piss McLeach off again, fearing he'd do worse to him other then make his arm hurt again.

"Still looks infected," McLeach muttered, turning the arm this way and that. "But your fever's broke so you should be alright."

Cody looked up are McLeach in confusion.

"Why...why do you care if I have a fever?" He shakily questioned.

McLeach growled before saying sharply.

"Cause if you die now, I can´t have my revenge, now can I?"

Cody frowned at this and looked away.

"I guess not." Cody replied emotionlessly, hoping the poacher would let him go now that he was hurt really bad.

McLeach frowned before taking hold of the arm again. if it was infected, he´d need to treat it again, no point in letting it get septic or he really would have a problem on his hands.

"I´m gonna take the bandages off and take a look," he told Cody gruffly.

Cody whimpered and weakly tugged on his arm, wanting it back.

"But that will hurt." He whimpered, never being one to be good with pain.

"I don't care, I'm doing it," McLeach said insensitively. "Either you cooperate or I pin you to the bed and take them off by force."

Cody stared pleading up at McLeach but the man only glared sternly back. After a while of staring each other down Cody sighed in defeat and relaxed, letting McLeach have his arm.

"That's better," McLeach grumbled, taking hold of Cody's arm and undoing the bandages.

Cody whimpered and looked away; he couldn't bear to see the horrible wound. McLeach stared at the inflamed skin, parts of which looks swollen and might contain pus. It wasn't as bad as it could have been but sadly, it wasn't great. Infection was in the air and it looked like he'd have to treat it again.

McLeach sighed before he carefully picked Cody up in his arms, cradling his back with one arm and his legs with the other. Cody gasped at the sudden move but kept quiet when he saw he was only being carried to the bathroom.

"I gotta clean this wound again," he muttered to Cody. "I might have to cut it open, to drain the wound."

Cody's face paled at this and he started struggling again.

"No Please...I promise I'll be good just please don't...hurt me," Cody shouted, tears started to stream down his face from his fear.

"Would yah rather your arm swelled up and turned green?" McLeach demanded angrily. "I'd have to cut off the whole thing then, is that what you want?"

"N-no," Cody whimpered.

"Good not stay still, I'm not going to cut much. Just enough to get the pus out," McLeach explained, pulling out his pocketknife and flicking it open.

Cody trembled, biting his lip and looking away. McLeach shoved the knife under the water, just to be safe before carefully slicing a cut on Cody's arm, watching as pus leaked out of it. He snorted before doing another small cut in another place with more pus coming out. He kept a tight grip on Cody's arm to stop the boy jerking about the place.

Cody squirmed and softly gasped and cried in pain from each small cut and slice made into his arm. His arm was on fire, throbbing and pulsing in pain from the infection and fresh cuts being made. The added pain was making him light headed and he was struggling to stay awake.

"Uh...uh...please," he begged. "I-I can't take much more of this."

"If I don't do it now, it'll get worse later," McLeach told him firmly. "Now hold still."

"I...I'm trying," Cody cried.

Joanna came to the bathroom and peeked inside the door to see what was happening, having over heard the cries and smelled the foul smell of the infection.

Seeing how in distress the boy was and the tough time her master was having, she rushed over and started nuzzling the boy. As she stared at her, she licked his face and rubbed against him in an attempt to distract him. It appeared to work, he appeared to forget about what McLeach was doing and focus on her.

Slowly Cody lifted his uninjured hand up to her head to pet her but soon remembered that she hasn't been too friendly with him since they met. But Joanna saw the offered hand and purred comfortingly as she nuzzled her head into Cody's hand, letting him know that it was ok to pet her.

He smiled and started petting and stroking her, he really did love animals. Even though she'd been mean to him, he really needed the comfort right now. He winced as he felt another cut but Joanna gave him another lick and he somehow managed to weakly smile. Maybe she wasn't as bad as he thought.

McLeach smirked as he watched the two, very pleased with Joanna as she distracted the boy for him. He then looked back down at the infection and made another cut before he put down his knife and picked up a towel, getting ready to start forcing out the pus.

Cody was relieved when he didn't feel any more cuts but the pain was still pulsing away and extremely unpleasant. He couldn't bear to look at his inflamed arm so he focused on Joanna who was still nuzzling him. McLeach now took the towel and pressed it against Cody's arm as he started to squeeze at the infected area. Nasty smelling whitish pus began to seep from the cuts, oozing into the towel.

Cody winced and whimpered it felt so horrible and really hurt.

"Shh, just bare with me kid," McLeach said as he concentrated on getting the pus out so the arm could heal.

"It hurts," Cody gasped out, unconsciously glancing at his arm and violently trembling at the sight of the leaking pus. "Oh...oh..."

"Just hold on," McLeach ordered, still squeezing. "It'll soon be over if yah keep still."

Joanna whimpered softly and tried her best to get Cody to pay attention to her. She curled herself more around him, gently squeezing to give him a reptile like hug to comfort him.

With one arm, Cody hugged her back, feeling tears stream down his face as the last of the pus leaked from his arm. Seeing only blood leaking now, McLeach knew he'd down enough so dumped the soiled towel in his old tin bath before soaking a clean rag in cold water. He then carefully started to clean the wound, hoping that now the arm would simply heal.

"Is...is it over?" Cody asked, feeling the cool cloth on his arm.

"Yeah it's over." MeLeach replied a e finished washing the wound and replaced new gauges and bandaging around it.

Cody sighed in relief, leaning back against the poacher and saying.

"Thank you."

McLeach grunted as he checked the bandages were secure.

McLeach them patted the kid's bandaged up arm.

"Alright, you're good to go." He said, getting to his feet.

Cody got to his feet, wobbling a little after what he'd gone through. Joanna uncurled herself and lightly leaped to the floor. Cody stood there, a bit uncertain as he examined his own arm. McLeach suddenly realised he didn't know what to do with the boy now he'd fixed him up.

McLeach cleared his throat, gaining the boys attention.

"Do you think you can walk around without passing out?" He asked the pale boy.

"Uh, I think so," Cody said, even though he felt a little lightheaded.

Carefully and slowly Cody got to his feet, his legs wobbling under his weight.

"You managing?" McLeach demanded and Cody hastily nodded.

"I'm...I'm fine," he stammered, looking at the ground.

"Are you sure, I don't need you fainting?" McLeach questioned.

Joanna whined softly as she watched Cody closely, ready to catch him if he did started to fall or suddenly faint.

"M-maybe I could sit down for a moment?" Cody offered and McLeach nodded. He lifted him up and carried him into the living room, setting him on a chair so he could recover a bit.

Joanna followed her master into the living room and curled herself around Cody's feet, acting like a loyal pet being there for her master. Cody whimpered and trembled as his arm throbbed and ached in pain. He weakling lifted it up and cradled it to his chest, trying to make the pain stop.

McLeach noticed and asked.

"You need a painkiller or something?"

"Yes please," Cody said, he really needed it.

"Alright, be right back." Mcleach said and walked backing to the kitchen to find the first aid kit.

"Thanks," Cody sighed heavily, leaning back in the chair, feeling Joanna's warm body against his feet.

He felt so woozy and tired but couldn't sleep, his arm was just too painful. He really needed something to take the edge away.

Joanna whined sadly as he looked up at Cody, wishing she could do something to help. Her master soon returned from the kitchen, carrying a glass of water in one hand and the other carrying a small white bottle.

"Here, you can take a couple," the poacher said gruffly, handing Cody the glass of water before unscrewing the bottle and taking out two tablets.

Cody sucked some water into his mouth before taking the little white tablets McLeach gave him. He then popped them into his mouth and swallowed, it was a little quirk of his. Taking the water into his mouth first before the tablets, he'd always found that if he did the opposite, the tablets stuck to his tongue while the water went down. Yuck!

"Just give them a few minutes and they'll start to kick in." MeLeach instructed as he recapped and bottle and put it away.

"Yeah," Cody mumbled, he really hoped so.

He glanced over at the place where he'd had his accident and shivered before saying softly.

"I'm sorry for causing so much trouble."

McLeach looked over towards the spot Cody was looking at and sighed, shaking his head tiredly.

"Don't worry about it kid," McLeach mumbled.

"Do you...do you want me to clean it up?" Cody asked, slowly feeling the painkillers take hold. "When I can?"

"What?" McLeach said, a little distracted before saying. "No, its fine...it's fine kid."

Slowly Cody nodded and leaned back into the chair he was in to rest.

McLeach glanced at him before looking at Joanna who shrugged. She hadn't a clue what they were meant to do now, except get the boy well again. But then what would they do with him? Release him, keep him and try to go back to the way things were before or...something else? But what could that something else be though?

Ever since the kid got hurt like he did Mcleach and Joanna's plans to make Cody's life miserable changed to where they couldn't bring themselves to hurt him anymore.

It wasn't just that he looked so pitiable and miserable, somehow caring for him and trying to make him feel better had changed their feelings for the young boy. But they couldn't let him go, he'd go to the Rangers or at least his mother would and then they'd be in big trouble. They'd probably have to leave Australia just to escape justice, that was no use.

McLeach sighed in frustration, pitching the bridge of his nose as he started to feel a migraine coming on.

"Looks like I'm gonna need a painkiller," he muttered, all this trying to work out what to do with the boy was doing his head in.

He looked over at the boy; he was half asleep as he curled up on the chair. Joanna had her head on the ground, her tail twitching as she too tried to come up with a solution.

Mcleach stepped into the kitchen to get a painkiller and opened the fridge to peek inside for some milk when e realized he didn't have anything left to eat. Those eggs from yesterday was all that he had left.

"Damn," he swore, he'd need to go and get some more supplies. It had been ages since his last trip and he hadn't realised he'd been running so low.

But what about the kid, should he take him or leave him? Both options had their own set of problems he thought grimly. Mcleach sighed in frustration which caught Joanna's attention and she got up and ran to her master like the loyal lizard like she was.

"Joanna, we're out of grub," he told her making her whine in disappointment.

"What do you reckon I should do about the kid?" he asked her, stroking her warm scaly head. "I dunno about leaving him, he's not in the best state and might do something stupid and injure himself again. But if we take him, he might try to escape or someone might see us with him."

Joanna whined again before she spotted something in the medicine cabinet that read sleep in it. She ran to it and pointed up at the bottle with her nose, hopping her master would get the hint.

"Huh, what's that you go?" he asked, bending down to grab the bottle she'd found.

"Sleeping pills, hmm," he mused, reading the instructions which would send the taker off to sleep for several hours. He was going back with some painkillers, if he slipped in sleeping pill, he could put the kid to bed and then go for supplies. By the time he got back, the kid should still be sleeping.

Mcleach smiled down at Joanna.

"Joanna you sly lizard," He praised which made the reptile puff her chest out proudly.

"Come on, let's get back," he said and they both headed back to the bedroom, the bottle of sleeping pills in his pocket.

Cody had been relaxing but he sat up warily at the sight of McLeach.

"Right kid, do you need another painkiller?" McLeach asked.

Cody nodded.

"Please," He whimpered, cradling his hurt arm close to his chest.

"Alright, I got one here," McLeach said, popping the bottle in his pocket along with the one for painkillers. As Cody reached out a hand, McLeach placed the pills in his hand before also reaching for a jug of water. Pouring a glass, he gave it to the kid so that he could easily swallow them which the young boy did gratefully.

Cody didn't even bother to check to be sure he was being given painkillers before he popped the two pills into his mouth and swallowed them down with a mouthful of water.

"Right, you're not going to be much use for a bit," McLeach declared as Cody blinked sleepily. "You go and lie down, I need to take care of some things."

"Uh...okay," Cody yawned, unable to stop himself. He felt so woozy that he didn't even think it was odd McLeach was letting him go back to bed.

Within seconds of his head hitting the pillow Cody was fast asleep, snoring softly as the pill took full effect on his small and young body.

Author's note. How does McLeach's little shopping trip go and what happens when Cody wakes up? Find out next time, until then.