"Jaypaw, wake up, I need you." Barkface's hoarse voice woke him with a start.

"Why? What happened?" Jaypaw asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

"It's Breezepaw; he's got a fever and I can't tend to the others and keep him cool at the same time."

At Breezepaw's name, Jaypaw had jumped up and nearly run into Barkface. The older man put a hand out to steady the apprentice.

"Let's go." Jaypaw said, allowing Barkface to guide him through the door and down the steps to the healer's room. He was still a tad unsteady on his sleep-ridden legs and nearly tripped at least three times. When asked, Barkface told him it was a few hours after moon high, and nearly everyone was asleep.

The smell of sickness made Jaypaw feel slightly ill to his stomach, but he still pushed open the door and strode in, casting his senses around until he knew where Breezepaw was. The older healer walked over to him, leaving Jaypaw to trail after him.

"Wipe his forehead with that cloth there- yes, that one- and try to strip him down as much as you can –yes, it's alright to leave his underwear on if you're not comfortable with him being fully naked- and take his temperature about every twenty minutes. Call out to me when you do, so I can read his temperature, alright?" Barkface listed off instructions, moving around and checking the other patients as well.

"Okay." Jaypaw fumbled slightly, wetting the cloth in a conviently placed sink about two foxlengths away. Behind him, the Windclan apprentice stirred.

"Hello...?" Breezepaw croaked, shifting restlessly. His voice was hoarse and he smelled of sweat, sickness, and fever.

"It's just me," Jaypaw moved to the side of the bed, feeling Breezepaw's forehead with his free hand. He drew back with a hiss, cradling his hand.

"Hey, I was just-," Breezepaw coughed violently and tried to sit up. Jaypaw supported his back, making a shushing noise.

"Don't try to talk," He soothed. "I'm going to need to take some of your clothes off though, alright?"

"Anytime," Breezepaw choked out, as Jaypaw lowered him onto his back. Jaypaw gave an exasperated sigh, but was secretly glad that Breezepaw was at least up to being... well, Breezepaw. He pulled Breezepaw's shirt over his head as gently as he could.

Breezepaw gave a small sound of contentment as the cool air hit his chest. Jaypaw took a deep breath, and then fumbled at the front of Breezepaw's jeans. His already apparent blush deepened when Breezepaw snickered.

"Shut up," he grumbled under his breath while sliding Breezepaw's pants down and off.

"Maybe I-," Breezepaw coughed again, but it didn't sound as bad as last time, "-ought to get sick more often."

"Stuff it and rest," Jaypaw growled, controlling the urge to fling the cloth he had begun soaking in cold water at Breezepaw's face. It was going to be a long day. Why was I even worried?

Because you care about him. A small voice whispered, even as Jaypaw silently directed it to do something anatomically immpossible with itself.

(*X*)

"Jaypaw?" Heatherpaw's voice made him jump. He wiped his forehead on the back of his arm, turning to face her.

"Yes?"

"I brought you some food." She pushed the plate into his empty hands. Jaypaw lifted the plate to his face, using his nose to determine what the girl had brought him. It didn't really matter though, since he was hungry enough to eat an entire turkey himelf.

"Thanks," He picked up a morsel, popping it into his mouth hungrily. "What time is it, by the way?" He asked, while chewing. When he was this hungry and tired, manners didn't seem to matter much.

"Uh, it's about 5:00," Heatherpaw said, presumably looking around while Jaypaw wolfed down the food she'd brought him. The room was considerably emptier, thank Starclan. Morningflower, Antpelt, and Tornear had all been deemed mostly healed and allowed to go rest in the Warrior's den. Kesteralpaw was slightly worse, Jaypaw thought because he'd refused to rest the day before. Bristlepelt was roughly the same, and Barkface was especially worried about him. Breezepaw's fever had lessened, but only slightly. His condition had Barkface pacing and pulling at his hair while Jaypaw relentlessly kept up his efforts to cool the Windclan apprentice.

"…How is he?" Heatherpaw asked after a moment of silence.

"Not much better," Jaypaw sighed, pausing in his feeding frenzy for a moment. Heatherpaw made a whimpering noise. Jaypaw felt cold as an unwanted idea popped into his head. "Uh, was there something between you two…?" He asked, telling himself that it didn't matter to him if they did, and trying to get the quiet voice calling him a liar to shut up.

"Huh? No, of course not! He's like my brother!" Heatherpaw sounded disgusted. Jaypaw tried to ignore the feeling of relief spreading through him.

"Oh, that makes sense… Listen, thanks for the food but I have to go…" Heatherpaw took the plate back.

"I really appreciate you helping our clan like this." The smile in her voice was genuine. Jaypaw nodded, smiling slightly.

"Anytime." He turned, making his way back to Breezepaw's bed. They had taken the makeshift curtain down since there were only two other patients, and Warriors with minor ailments had stopped coming after Breezepaw had contracted greencough. Jaypaw was surprised that he was not as tired as he had expected, barely getting any sleep and then working nearly all day. He could still walk in a straight line anyway.

"Hey, blind-boy." Breezepaw laughed hoarsely. Jaypaw rolled his sightless eyes.

"You awake and coherent again, sick-kid?" The healer felt his forehead, noting with satisfaction that the heat had gone down.

"Awake, yes." Breezepaw coughed. "Coherent… I see swirling shapes and have the mad urge to tell you stories about my childhood." Jaypaw frowned.

"Swirling shapes… you're not just puling my tail are you?"

"Nope." The sick boy paused to suck in a gasping breath. Jaypaw felt guilty for making him talk so much when he was obviously in pain. "Yellow ones, moving around on the ceiling." Something rustled and Jaypaw imagined Breezepaw pointing at the ceiling and following the shape with his finger.

"I'm pretty sure that's a bad sign…" Jaypaw said, still not fully convinced Breezepaw was serious.

"No shit Sherlock." Breezepaw coughed. "Well? What are you waiting for?" He wheezed. "Go fetch the cavalry!"

"What seems to be the problem?" Barkface asked, startling the blind boy and his charge.

"He's seeing things. Hallucinating." Jaypaw reported.

"Breezepaw, how long has this been happening?"

"A while," was the curt reply. Jaypaw could feel Barkface's annoyance with the sarcastic apprentice.

"Care to be more specific?"

"It's a tad bit difficult-," Breezepaw paused briefly to hack up a lung. Or at least, that's what it sounded like. "-When I have no way to keep time. After Jaypaw stopped to talk with Heather, but before he came back."

"Not good," Barkface murmured, his annoyance fading as quickly as it had come. Water sloshed in a container as the older healer prepared another cloth to cool Breezepaw. Said patient groaned, and Jaypaw couldn't help but feel sympathetic. It must be terribly boring to be cooped up in here.

"Breezepaw, do you think you could keep down some catmint?" Barkface asked, while Jaypaw scurried over to fetch some.

"Why do I feel like that's not a question?" Breezepaw's sarcastic voice was hoarse. "Yeah, I think I can. But if I can't, I refuse to be held responsible."

Jaypaw and Barkface continued to work, with Breezepaw's condition slowly worsening until he was barely rational. Every time Jaypaw went near him, the pain nearly choked him. Breezepaw's fever had lessened, but the boy was still in an agonizing state. No matter how gentle Jaypaw was when he changed out the wet cloth on Breezepaw's forehead, the Windclan apprentice always flinched, as though burned.

Barkface had grown more and more worried as the hours flew by. Kesteralpaw had fallen into a deep sleep, and was no longer trying to get up. Bristlepelt been sent back to the Warriors den, but Jaypaw had been kept so busy he hardly noticed.

"Am I…. Going to die?" Breezepaw finally whispered, when Jaypaw had given him some herbs.

"You better not!" Jaypaw mock snarled, his insides twisting at the possibility. "You're not allowed to die until we've talked about… things."

Breezepaw laughed; the sound was so hoarse that at first Jaypaw had thought he was choking.

"Sorry… Jaypaw. We might not… Get to talk about those 'things'… Except in Starclan." Breezepaw sighed, and Jaypaw felt sleep wash over the other apprentice. Cold fear gripped his heart.

What if he never woke up?

Taking a step back, Jaypaw finally admitted the inevitable. Checking around the room, he sensed that Barkface was busy with Kesteralpaw. The blind apprentice gently moved his patient over, climbing onto the cot next to him and curling up. Closing his eyes, Jaypaw concentrated on letting his heart rate match Breezepaw's.

(*X*)

Jaypaw blinked, looking around. He was at the edge on the lake on Windclan's side, watching a dark haired figure stand ankle deep in the water. His jeans were ragged and rolled up to his knees, a white scar briefly appearing before running up his thigh. The long grass around Jaypaw was brown and dry, swaying slightly in the breeze. Sunlight danced across the surface of the lake, so birght that Jaypaw was forced to look away. Behind him, the large, slightly run-down manor that the Windclan cat's called their home stood proud. Shivering as a shadow passed over the sun, Jaypaw took a step forwards.

"Breezepaw?" The boy in the water spun around, shoulder-length black hair swaying.

"Jaypaw! What are you doing here?" Breezepaw asked, his face breaking into a wide grin.

** First off, let me say I am VERY SORRY for not uploading earlier, and for uploading a rather short chapter when I finally beat my writer's block with a stick. Which is probably full of mistakes. If anyone would like to look over my new chapters before I upload them and correct my mistakes and give me some advice, I'd love you forever. Anyway, enjoy some brief touchy-feely moments. I may slip in a make-out scene next chapter, if I receive at least five reviews.

Yeah, I know I'm pulling the evil card by forcing people to reivew for more fanservice. I'm not sorry. Except a little. I love all my reviewers anyway, you guys are the only reason I've kept up this story! XD **