Kay gentlely ran the wet towel across Elle's collarbone, some of the cool water dripping down, running down between her breasts. Her skin was so hot that he was surprised that the water didn't evaporate on contact with it. It was early morning and the two men had spent the night trying to make her comfortable, trying to get the fever down. She had taken several mose doses of the antibiotic but they still hadn't kicked in.
"Here," Jay said as he came in with a bowl with fresh, cold water. "I called Zed again. He doesn't want to send anymore people up here unless he has to because of the bug situation. Too many people could make it easier for the bugs to find her. The medics said to keep her on the antibiotics and keep trying to get the fever down."
Elle moaned a bit in her sleep, her head moving on the pillow as if she was trying to escape the terrible heat. Jay took the towel off of her forehead and rewet it in the cold water before running it over her face again. He shook his head sadly as he looked down at her. She looked so helpless. Surely there was something else that they could do for her.
A moment later, Elle's eyes suddenly opened and she looked up at them, her eyes full of confusion and fear. "Kay?" she murmured as her hand twitched and reached out, searching for him.
"I'm right here," he reassured her as he took her hand, raising her up a bit with his free hand so he could coax some cool water down her throat. He ran the towel along her throat and color bone again allowing the water to drip down and soothe her fevered body.
"Hot. So hot. Hold me?" she begged him.
"I can't," he whispered, upset that he couldn't give her the comfort that she needed. "It would just make you hotter."
Just then, an idea occured to him. "Slick, go and see if the shower still works."
A minute later Jay came back in and reported, "The shower works fine."
"Good. Go and bring me some towels and then get it turned on. No too cold, though. That could hurt almost as much as the fever."
Jay had just got the water adjusted when Kay came inot the bathroom with Elle snuggled into his arms. He had undressed her and wrapped her in a towel to give her a give her a bit of privacy while still exposing as much skin as possible. Jay was extremely glad that he hadn't been in the room for that part.
"It's going to be alright," Kay reassured Elle as he stepped into the shower and moved under the spray, letting the water hit them both. Elle trembled a bit at the sudden cold feeling all over her body and reached out, wrapping her arms around Kay. "It's alright," he repeated as he held her close and rocked her a bit. "Just relax. I'm right here. I'm not going to leave you."