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Sakura's condition drastically worsened the next day, which to her was strange as she had watched the onset of the illness in others and it never presented itself in the way it was now. The cotton dress she wore did little to keep her warm and the furs helped only a little. It was hard to move, and everything ached.
Syaoran spent most of his day beside her, worrying over her condition. She hardly ate and when she did, she could hardly stomach it.
"Why would your body react this way?" he asked her, wondering if she might know.
"I don't really know. I'm sorry." She whispered. "For as long as I can remember, whenever I fall ill I usually get the worst form of the illness. The onset is usually pretty fast too."
"Do you think this could be to do with your magic?" he wondered.
"I don't think so." Sakura murmured, "Honestly I don't know much about my magic at all."
He sighed and dampened a cloth, ringing out the water and then wiped her face with it. "Well, all you can do is rest for now."
"I'm sorry," she apologised hoarsely. "I don't want to keep you awake,"
"Just let someone take care of you for once." Syaoran murmured.
She watched him for a long moment before finally closing her eyes as sleep tugged at her, pulling her under.
A dream woke her sometime the next day. She frowned, trying to remember what it was, but couldn't grasp it.
"Are you alright?" Tomoyo asked kindly.
She groaned, "Where's Syaoran?" she managed to ask.
"He had something urgent to tend to. He said he'll try and be back as soon as he can, but until then to get some rest." Tomoyo explained, "Is there anything I can get you?"
Sakura swallowed. Her head throbbed. "I need water-I think I'm dehydrated."
Tomoyo stood and moved to get Sakura a cup of cool water. She helped the young woman drink it, and then set the cup to the side when Sakura was finished.
"I've nearly finished the dress you asked for. It should be ready in a few days." Tomoyo added.
"Thank you..."
"It's my pleasure. What sorts of things do you like to wear in the warmer months?" she then asked.
Sakura blinked. "When I was younger, I usually wore skirts and dresses." She answered.
"I guess I'll just make the usual, then." Tomoyo smiled, "I'm sure there are some designs that will flatter you more than most. I'll have to have a look."
"Don't you find it stressful?" Sakura asked.
"No, I love what I do. It's worth it." Tomoyo replied, "Can I get you something to eat? You must be hungry."
Sakura weakly shook her head from side to side, "I can't keep anything down."
Tomoyo looked worried.
"I'm feeling a bit tired...do you mind if I rest...?"
"Whatever you need." She said softly.
Sakura closed her eyes again, falling back to sleep within moments.
She re-awoke sometime in the evening, not long before sunset. She was sure she had woken at other points in the day as well, but she couldn't remember them clearly.
Syaoran was talking quietly with someone at the entrance. She strained her ears to hear what it was they were saying, but still had trouble making out the words.
"Are you sure you don't know why she's so ill?" Syaoran asked irritably.
"I assure you, I don't." Came Eriol's reply.
Their voices became low again. She couldn't make out the rest of the conversation.
"What about the plants-anything?"
"No, nothing that we can see."
"Eriol, she's dying!"
Sakura frowned. Something was tugging at the edge of her mind again. A plant...one of them didn't seem right from memory.
She looked over as Syaoran entered the tent with a frustrated sigh. Pain racked her body and she whimpered.
"Sakura?"
She felt his hand against her cheek and she managed to open her eyes. He looked worried, fearful even, and she wasn't entirely sure why.
"Do you need something for the pain?" he asked.
She shook her head weakly. "The river..." she whispered.
He sat down, "What about the river?" he asked with a frown.
"I need...to go there..."
"You're too ill."
"It's important...please, I need to..."
She knew he would probably say no, to insist on her staying in bed to rest, but she didn't think she'd survive through the night.
"Please..." she begged.
Syaoran sighed heavily. "You'll need to guide me to where you want to go."
She nodded.
He leant in and helped her sit up before lifting her onto his back. She whimpered in pain again and he hesitated for a moment.
"Please..." she whispered.
Syaoran sighed and moved to leave the tent. The fresh air felt wonderful against her skin and she was grateful for the small comfort it gave her.
He turned and headed towards the river, not stopping to answer questions. He carefully made his way down and onto the pebbles.
She lifted her hand and pointed forwards. Syaoran walked, stopping briefly as Sakura whimpered and then coughed violently. Something warm splattered on his shoulder and he turned his head, finding it was blood.
"Just a bit further..." she whispered.
"Alright..." he murmured.
She lifted her hand and pointed to a cluster of greenery.
"Is that what you're looking for?" he asked.
"Check underneath the leaves...are there berries...?"
He knelt down and reached out, pulling some of the leaves away. Sure enough, there were some dark purple berries sitting underneath the leaves, hardly noticeable unless you were looking for them.
"Yeah, there is." He replied.
"I thought so..."
"Syaoran!" Eriol called out as he hurried over. "What possessed you-"
"I asked..." Sakura said weakly.
"Hey, have you seen this plant before?" Syaoran asked the medic.
Eriol stopped and moved to have a closer look. He frowned, "No."
"It doesn't usually grow here..." Sakura said, "It's a type of weed. Its roots produce a slow acting poison... the plant itself is otherwise harmless." She managed to explain.
"All we need is to be able to produce an antidote. It would be nice if I knew how."
"The berries..." Sakura whispered before finally losing consciousness again.
Sakura woke in the medical tent. From what she could tell by the amount of light in the tent, it was day. She moved her arm and waved it in front of her face. There was no pain. The sound of something crashing to the floor drew her attention and she spotted Meiling hurrying towards her, who hugged her tightly.
"Meiling?" she croaked.
Her voice felt unused.
Meiling hurried off and for a moment Sakura wondered where she had gone. Then, she returned with a tumbler of water and helped Sakura drink it.
Eriol walked over several seconds later and smiled upon seeing Sakura awake. "How are you feeling, Sakura?"
"Better." Sakura replied a bit more strongly.
"That's wonderful to hear." He replied.
"There aren't any more patients...did the vaccine work that quickly?" she asked.
His face fell. "It took roughly two weeks before all of the patients were cleared to leave."
Sakura struggled to register his words. "Two...weeks?"
"Yes."
"How...how long have I...?"
"Roughly a month." Meiling answered.
Shock rippled through her system. A whole month? How much had she missed out on?
"What happened?" she barely managed a whisper.
"We struggled to keep you alive-for a while we nearly lost you. But thanks to Meiling and her magic, she was able to keep you alive." Eriol explained.
Sakura looked to Meiling and she smiled.
"Thank you so much." Sakura said.
"Syaoran will be pleased." Eriol added, "He was very worried."
"Where is he?" Sakura asked.
"He should be back in camp any moment now."
"Are we still by the river?" Sakura asked.
"No-we moved a few days ago." Eriol answered. "I'll go have something prepared for you to eat. Any requests?"
"Some kind of vegetable soup?" she asked hopefully.
He smiled and then turned to leave.
Sakura moved to sit up. Everything felt stiff, but she was sure she'd regain proper movement in a few days. Meiling was brimming with happiness seeing that Sakura was alright and continued to fuss over the girl, not leaving her side.
Eriol returned a few moments later with someone following behind him. Syaoran spotted Sakura and hurried over to her, pulling her into his arms and holding on tightly.
"I thought I'd lost you," he whispered.
Sakura didn't realise she had meant so much to him. The way he held her felt different than what she was used to.
"I'm here." Was all she managed to say.
He didn't part for a long time.
Sakura rested her head on his shoulder, breathing in his scent.
"She should be able to be back in your tent by tonight. I'd like to keep her monitored over the next few days, though." Eriol said.
"I'm glad." Syaoran murmured.
Then, he parted and smiled at Sakura.
"Syaoran, when you have a moment I'd like to speak with you." Eriol added.
He looked over and nodded. "In a minute."
Then, he returned his attention to Sakura. She looked slightly dazed and still a bit out of it, having only just woken up, but that didn't surprise him.
"Take it easy for the next few days." He said softly.
She nodded.
He stood after a few moments to speak with Eriol and she watched as they left the tent.
"How did you know about the plant?" Meiling asked curiously.
Sakura turned her attention to the medic and smiled. "When I was young, my parents had patients come through a number of times with those symptoms. They showed me the plant and what to look for...I only wish I had remembered this sooner." Sakura replied.
"The important thing is that you're alive and you found the cause of virus." Meiling said.
Sakura smiled timidly and looked over when a woman entered carrying Sakura's meal. Meiling took it and gave it to Sakura, who ate slowly.
Eriol entered the tent a little while later but Syaoran was nowhere to be seen.
"Where did he...?"
"He has some matters to tend to, but he'll spend his free time with you when he has some." He replied. "Think you're up for a few exercises?"
Sakura nodded. "I think I can do that."
"Great. Let's get started."
Meiling walked Sakura back to her tent later that evening. Sakura found that the weather had definitely gotten warmer in the time she'd been unconscious, and once again she started to wonder how much she had missed.
She looked around, finding they were surrounded with beautiful trees. "Where are we?" Sakura asked.
"We're in the middle of one of the forests," Syaoran answered before Meiling could say anything.
Sakura turned her head to see him standing at the tent's entrance, about to go in.
"This particular forest helps speed up a healing process. I suggested we come here." Meiling added. Then, she bowed and turned to leave.
Sakura stepped into the tent with Syaoran following.
"Has much happened while I was asleep?" she asked.
"Nothing that you need to worry about. I don't want you back in the medical tent until you've been cleared. Understand?"
"I understand." She murmured, though she was disappointed.
He smiled, "Good."
She watched as he moved to shift books around-it looked like he had been looking into something, but Sakura couldn't read the titles. They were in a foreign language.
"Sakura?"
She looked up. "Sorry-did you say something?"
"Its fine. Listen, until we know more about your magic, I don't want you placing yourself in any more danger." He said, "Please."
She nodded. She still wasn't sure what her magic was capable of either.
"Is there something about your magic that you haven't told me...?" he pressed.
She shook her head and lied. "Not that I can think of."
He watched her for a moment and she knew that he knew she was lying.
He sighed, "...Very well then."
"Syaoran, back when Kyle kidnapped me...it seemed that my old country wanted me back for some reason. Do you know why?" she asked.
"This is a strange time to be bringing up an incident that happened three months ago." He murmured. "No, I don't know. Not yet." He replied. "I'm hoping that some of our new prisoners will provide some insight."
"How do you intend to get them to talk?" she asked with confusion.
He smiled, "That's for me to know and for you to ignore."
She shifted uncomfortably.
"I asked Tomoyo to draw you a bath. I guessed you might want one after being bedridden for such a long time." Syaoran murmured.
She nodded as Tomoyo entered the tent. "The bath is ready," Tomoyo announced with a smile.
Sakura moved to grab her robe and glanced over at Syaoran who was staring at the ground in front of him as she made her way out.
Tomoyo led her to the bath and Sakura undressed, slipping into the warm water.
"Everyone is glad to see you're awake and looking a lot better." Tomoyo said as she poured water over Sakura's head.
"Really?" Sakura asked.
"Yes, the entire camp is talking about it."
Sakura blinked in surprise. "Why would everyone be talking about it?"
Tomoyo giggled, "You did save pretty much the entire camp."
"All I did was find the plant." Sakura mumbled.
"Exactly! If you hadn't known, many would have fallen to it." Tomoyo said, "You should have more faith in yourself."
Sakura gave her a small smile.
"Syaoran was the most worried about you. He didn't show it, but most of us could tell." Tomoyo said.
"He was worried?" Sakura asked.
"Well, you are his wife. Of course, he'd be worried about losing you."
Sakura wasn't as sure as Tomoyo was.
She finished cleaning Sakura's hair and then allowed Sakura some time to soak. When she was ready, Tomoyo helped Sakura out of the tub and dried her off. Sakura wrapped herself in her robe and then, with Tomoyo, headed back to the tent.
Dinner was waiting upon her arrival. Sakura joined Syaoran at the table and they ate in silence, though he seemed a little distant or upset compared to usual.
"Are you ok...?" she asked.
He looked up, "Why do you ask?"
"You seem distant is all." She confessed.
He smiled, though tiredly, "Sorry, I'm just a bit lost in thought."
She lowered her eyes. "Is it something to do with me?"
"No."
"Alright..."
"I promised to be honest with you at all times. I assure you, you have done nothing to upset me."
His eyes mirrored his honesty and sincerity. Sakura was sure he told the truth.
She nodded.
He sighed and gave in. "I'm disappointed with my inability to help you when you needed it most." He confessed.
A smile tugged at her lips. "You're not a healer, so I don't think it's fair for you to beat yourself up." He looked at her with surprise and then smiled. "Thank you."
Someone arrived to take their empty plates away and she lifted her hand to the pendant around her neck, running her fingers over the grooves of the design.
"I'll be back shortly." Syaoran said as he stood.
Sakura nodded and watched as he left the tent. She stood and walked over to the bed, sitting down and feeling the soft sheets beneath her hands. It felt like it hadn't been long since she'd felt them, but it had really been a month.
She stood and found her notes that had been kept safe with her other belongings and she started to go through them like she usually would before bed.
She got nearly halfway through before Syaoran returned.
He pulled her into his arms once again and kissed her eagerly. She responded quickly, threading her fingers through his hair and pressing her body closer to his. She felt something pool between her legs and she blushed, knowing she wanted him almost desperately.
He parted and peeled off his shirt before finding her lips again, pushing her robe off her shoulders before pushing her back into the sheets.
She could feel his arousal against her and she reached to undo his pants, pushing them down. He stepped out of them and pressed his body against hers, kissing her passionately. She moaned quietly as he entered her, pushing eagerly into her core but careful not to hurt her.
He nipped her pulse and brushed his lips over her collar bone before moving his hips. The pressure building in her abdomen was tantalising and she wanted more. He shifted his hips slightly, hitting something deeper inside her that left her breathless, the pressure building further until it burst. Everything seized, and she felt a rush of fluid between her legs, her chest heaving.
He thrust into her harder and she clutched at his body, gasping. Sweat was building on her skin, a bead rolling down her neck. She felt another rush of fluid, along with her muscles clamping down, and he soon followed.
His breathing was hot against her neck and he moved to kiss her, nipping at her lips. She threaded her arms around his shoulders, though her body felt weak from pleasure, and she shifted onto her side. He pulled her leg over his hip and they held each other for a time as they regained their breath.
They kissed often and simply enjoyed touching one another until sleep finally tugged at Sakura, pulling her under.