Here is the very last instalment of Fevered Dreams. I apologise if it seems a bit …off…I found it more difficult to write than the others… Enjoy!
In the last Chapter:
"He's burning up! Rongar, help Dubar get him down to his quarters. He needs to be in bed. Get his clothes off, no Dubar, not all of them; leave him his modesty, for goodness sake! I'm going to fetch a cloth and water, and Firouz, do you have any medicine that might…" that was the last thing Sinbad heard for a while, as he finally gave in to the blessedly cool blackness, and slumped against the strong hands holding him.
Maeve sighed. It had been four days since her captain, her…friend, had collapsed on deck. During that time he had been gravely ill, not once regaining consciousness, shivering, sweating and coughing in harsh, vicious fits that sounded incredibly painful. He had had dreams, wild nightmares, crying out in his fitful slumber. Most of the dreams seemed to centre around losing a member of his crew, or failing to protect somebody. They did not know what was wrong with him; Firouz thought it was an infection, Dubar was convinced that it was some dark magic, insisting that Sinbad never got sick, never, so he couldn't be, not now…Maeve knew that he, like her was worried. Not only about Sinbad's current predicament, but at the idea that Sinbad may be so good at hiding what he considered 'weakness' when he was ill that he suffered without their help. The suggestion had sent the whole crew into a depression, feeling that they had failed their Captain and friend. It also made them all the more determined to help him now, sitting with him, cooling his fever, easing his chest when the coughing fits struck, supporting him. They each spent hours at his bedside, talking to him, reading or just sitting holding his hand, silently willing him better. It had been a very long four days.
As she thought, Maeve felt a slight movement beneath her hand. Clasping Sinbad's hand even tighter, she called his name, praying that he would wake up. She couldn't bear to lose him, not like this, there was so much she had to tell him…but then he coughed slightly, shifting, and his eyes blinked slowly open. She watched as he took in the room, the medicines stacked on the nearby cabinet, the damp cloth and bowl of cool water. She smiled, squeezing his hand, and helped him sit up and drink. Putting a hand to his forehead, she realised with relief that he felt cooler; the raging fever had finally broken. A harsh croak from the bed made her lean in to hear Sinbad's first conscious words for what seemed like forever, "How long?" He murmured, coughing slightly. "Four days," she replied, knowing what he meant, but not expecting the widening of his eyes and his feeble attempts to push back the covers and get out of bed.
"Sinbad," she hissed, pushing him gently back onto his pillows, "what on earth are you doing? You're far too ill to get up yet!"
"The supply run," he croaked, miserably, "I was supposed to…"
"Stay in bed and listen," she smiled, "It's done, Sinbad. The Emperor was very sympathetic, and sends his best wishes. The ship is fully stocked and mended. Everything's okay. All you need to do is rest. Everyone's here to take care of you…"she moved aside, letting him see the rest of his crew slumped in various poses around the cabin, asleep. "They'll be pleased that you are awake," she said, shaking Dubar slightly, then realising who she was trying to wake, rather more violently. The large man awoke with a start. "Sinbad?" he asked, his eyes flashing to the bed. "SINBAD!" he roared, on seeing his brother's open eyes, effectively waking the rest of the crew, all of whom gathered round the rather bemused patient, telling him how glad they were that he was okay. Seeing his eyes struggling to stay open, Maeve hushed the men quietly. "Sleep now Sinbad, she said, smiling, "we'll all be here when you wake up."
"And then," grunted Dubar, "We're going to have a little talk about you hiding being ill. You don't have to protect us, you know…" Sinbad smiled, closing his eyes and leaning back against his pillows, quickly falling back to sleep. Maeve grinned. It was the first step. They would make sure from now on that their captain realised the caring for those you loved went both ways. The cabin was lit with smiles.
The End
It's finally finished! Hope you enjoyed it. Please drop me a note to let me know if you did. Constructive criticism is welcome! There will probably be an alternate ending written at some point, and possibly a sequel as well, so watch this space! For updates on this story, and lots of other whumping fic, visit my yahoo group at
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www.whumpingfic. Thanx very much for reviewing, it made my day. Also thanx for being one of my most faithful reviewers, you're great! Hope the last chapter is up to scratch…
irishfire: Thanx for the review. I have had quite a few people mention the fics link on my site, I will try to fix that soon. In the mean time, the following link seems to work, it takes you straight to the fics section.
http/ a few fics, and If you like them, why not join my group? There are many different types of whumping, and if you liked this fic, you'll probably like at least one!
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