Part 3. Fever.
The next day it was nearly lunchtime before Roxton realized that he still hadn't seen Marguerite. They had decided to let her sleep in that morning for peace in the house if for anything. The day had dawned bright and clear. The weather was heating up. Already it was about 32 degrees and there was still the possibility that it could get hotter still.
Malone and Challenger were out on a mineral hunt. Veronica was refilling the water and Roxton had just finished his bath after chopping wood.
Roxton walked through the treehouse in bare feet. His hair still wet from the pond clung to his head dripping down his back. He hesitated momentarily at Marguerite's room. The cloth she used as a door hung before him waiting to be pushed aside. Taking a deep breath Roxton entered the room.
Sunlight streamed in through gaps in the wall. Marguerite lay on the bed, which was nothing unusual. Then Roxton noticed how still restless she was. He moved over to be beside the bed. Looking down at her Roxton's eyes took in how pale her face was and the beads of sweat on her skin. Quickly he brushed a hand gently over her forehead and felt the fever raging inside her body. Marguerite's breathing was shallow and fast.
In one swift movement he lifted Marguerite's body off her bed and carried her into Veronica's room. Veronica's room was the one that did not get as much sun as the other rooms. It was also slightly cooler than anywhere else was.
Leaving Marguerite for no more than a minute, Roxton shouted from the balcony for Veronica to come up before grabbing a bowl of water and a cloth from the kitchen.
He was wiping the cool cloth over Marguerite's face when Veronica walked in.
"What are you doing in here?" Veronica was asking as she entered her own room. Then she saw Marguerite lying on her bed.
"It's cooler in here. There's no sun". Roxton said not looking up from what he was doing.
"Never mind that". Veronica told him as she took a look at Marguerite. "She's burning up". Veronica said as she felt Marguerite's forehead.
"I know". Roxton agreed.
Veronica looked into Marguerite's eyes and felt her pulse. "Her eyes are normal, pulse is a little weak".
Marguerite stirred a little and tried weakly to pull away from Veronica's hands.
"Hey, you're alright". Veronica soothed her as Marguerite settled back down. Tuning to Roxton she said, "Keep doing that. I'll make up some tea to try bring her fever down".
Roxton smoothed back Marguerite's unruly hair from her face as Veronica left the room.
~*~
Malone trudged wearily along behind Challenger. In his opinion they had plenty of minerals plus the herbs they had found, but Challenger still wasn't satisfied.
"We can never have too many herbs, Malone". Challenger said in his teacher's voice.
"Yeah, yeah I know". Malone teased stopping momentarily to wipe sweat from his brow. It was days like this that he wished he had a hat like Roxton.
"How much further do you want to go?" Malone asked.
Challenger didn't answer. He didn't appear to have even heard the question. The red haired man was crouched down looking closely at the bark at the base of a tree.
"What have you found?" Malone asked kneeling down beside him.
"This, my friend is a spy…". Challenger paused realizing that Malone would not have any idea what he was talking about if he used the scientific name. "Basically its called Willowbark. It's used for lowing fevers. We're running out of it back home".
"Home". Malone smiled. They had all come to call the treehouse home now.
"Let's go home". Challenger decided as he placed as much bark as he could into his bag, not knowing how much the bark was needed back 'home'.
~*~
More coming soon.
The next day it was nearly lunchtime before Roxton realized that he still hadn't seen Marguerite. They had decided to let her sleep in that morning for peace in the house if for anything. The day had dawned bright and clear. The weather was heating up. Already it was about 32 degrees and there was still the possibility that it could get hotter still.
Malone and Challenger were out on a mineral hunt. Veronica was refilling the water and Roxton had just finished his bath after chopping wood.
Roxton walked through the treehouse in bare feet. His hair still wet from the pond clung to his head dripping down his back. He hesitated momentarily at Marguerite's room. The cloth she used as a door hung before him waiting to be pushed aside. Taking a deep breath Roxton entered the room.
Sunlight streamed in through gaps in the wall. Marguerite lay on the bed, which was nothing unusual. Then Roxton noticed how still restless she was. He moved over to be beside the bed. Looking down at her Roxton's eyes took in how pale her face was and the beads of sweat on her skin. Quickly he brushed a hand gently over her forehead and felt the fever raging inside her body. Marguerite's breathing was shallow and fast.
In one swift movement he lifted Marguerite's body off her bed and carried her into Veronica's room. Veronica's room was the one that did not get as much sun as the other rooms. It was also slightly cooler than anywhere else was.
Leaving Marguerite for no more than a minute, Roxton shouted from the balcony for Veronica to come up before grabbing a bowl of water and a cloth from the kitchen.
He was wiping the cool cloth over Marguerite's face when Veronica walked in.
"What are you doing in here?" Veronica was asking as she entered her own room. Then she saw Marguerite lying on her bed.
"It's cooler in here. There's no sun". Roxton said not looking up from what he was doing.
"Never mind that". Veronica told him as she took a look at Marguerite. "She's burning up". Veronica said as she felt Marguerite's forehead.
"I know". Roxton agreed.
Veronica looked into Marguerite's eyes and felt her pulse. "Her eyes are normal, pulse is a little weak".
Marguerite stirred a little and tried weakly to pull away from Veronica's hands.
"Hey, you're alright". Veronica soothed her as Marguerite settled back down. Tuning to Roxton she said, "Keep doing that. I'll make up some tea to try bring her fever down".
Roxton smoothed back Marguerite's unruly hair from her face as Veronica left the room.
~*~
Malone trudged wearily along behind Challenger. In his opinion they had plenty of minerals plus the herbs they had found, but Challenger still wasn't satisfied.
"We can never have too many herbs, Malone". Challenger said in his teacher's voice.
"Yeah, yeah I know". Malone teased stopping momentarily to wipe sweat from his brow. It was days like this that he wished he had a hat like Roxton.
"How much further do you want to go?" Malone asked.
Challenger didn't answer. He didn't appear to have even heard the question. The red haired man was crouched down looking closely at the bark at the base of a tree.
"What have you found?" Malone asked kneeling down beside him.
"This, my friend is a spy…". Challenger paused realizing that Malone would not have any idea what he was talking about if he used the scientific name. "Basically its called Willowbark. It's used for lowing fevers. We're running out of it back home".
"Home". Malone smiled. They had all come to call the treehouse home now.
"Let's go home". Challenger decided as he placed as much bark as he could into his bag, not knowing how much the bark was needed back 'home'.
~*~
More coming soon.