Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or 'At The Sign Of The Sugared Plum'
Chapter 10
Shame
The day after that, Jaden woke up early and went to get out of bed but collapsed. His legs felt like they'd turned to jelly and he had a dull ache in his gut. His head pounded and he, basically, felt terrible. When the sun was high in the sky he tried to move again, but was shoved back down by his cousin. Aster told him that he must now leave their shop, because if he was weak he'd be more likely to take an infection. Feeling guilty that he'd not visit his bluenette that day and worried about himself, Jaden didn't really argue with his older cousin. A small frown crept to his face as he realised he was truly ill - only when he was truly sick did he lose the stubbornness that was such a big part of his personality. The brunette still felt tired and weak.
It crossed Jaden's mind, and of course it crossed Aster's mind also, that these might be the first signs of plague in his body. Neither of the boys mentioned it but it was all that was on their minds that night as they went to bed, both worried about themselves and those they cared about. For Jaden, he didn't care what happened to him, as long as a certain someone was safe and sound.
To Jaden's great shame, three whole days passed before he finally left the bakery to go and see Jesse at last. He had been bedridden and ill for two days, but on the third, he had been better and probably well enough to go - but he was tired and felt safe inside the bakery with his cousin and had no wish to travel. Even the bluenette was forgotten as the fear of plague consumed the brunette. He'd learned the previous evening that almost six thousand died of the plague in the most recent Bills Of Mortality.
Fear mixed in with his shame as he reached Mapleside Manor. There was no death cart there, it was true, but the house seemed still and silent and miserable. When he'd last visited, there had been signs of life from within the house - banging and voices from inside the house in various rooms - but now it was dead silence. There was a guard outside the house, though. That meant that there were still living people in the house.
Jaden called out for the bluenette when he found a spot in the back yard where he could easily see the window. He had to call twice but his friend appeared at the window, though this time without the baby, and looking miserable.
"Jesse, I'm sorry I've not come for so long" he said sadly. "I was sick and we were scared it might have been the sickness, but it wasn't."
There was no answer, and the brunette began to panic.
"Are you okay, Jess?"
"I'm well enough" Jesse answered quietly, looking Jaden in the eye for the first time that day. "But I think I'm going to go mad with being enclosed in here."
"Oh. But you are … I mean, are you still … healthy?"
"I am" Jesse said quietly. "But the master has a lump under his arm and complains of the pain constantly. They're sending a doctor to see him. And two of the maids say they are feeling ill and have taken bed rest. The master's butler, too. He lies in bed with such a sweat that the maids with him can't keep him dry no matter how many times they change the sheets."
Jaden felt his blood run cold. "Is it plague, then?" he whispered, just loud enough.
"We fear so" Jesse whispered back.
After an awkward silence, Jaden dared to ask about the rest of the household's members that he actually knew about. Jesse shrugged.
"The mistress is okay, but Alexis was sick anyway, so we can't really tell if she's well or sick. Blair's all right, she's strong. The two children are well enough, too. Louisa is doing well from what Blair tells me, but she's only five years old. I don't think she even understands what's happening." Jesse's eyes caught light from somewhere. "The baby is perfectly healthy, though. I keep her at the window whenever she's awake and she takes in the air, and I feed her well, they keep us well supplied."
Small talk was made for an hour or so before Jaden realised he had to get back to Aster and the bakery. He waved goodbye to the unhappy bluenette and then made his way back, feeling sick with worry and even sicker with shame. He was completely ashamed to say that he was glad to leave the house. He cared very deeply for Jesse, but this visit had frightened him. The bluenette seemed so different - he was miserable and seemed to have lost much of his hope. Jaden made a vow to stand by his friend no matter what he might see or hear, for he was always drawn back to his earlier point - no matter what he encountered, it would be nothing compared to the horror and misery that Jesse was surely going through.
Please R&R
