Col. Tavington padded quietly down the hall and into Jae's room, closing the door behind him, and got dressed in his nightclothes. Then, slipping into the covers of Jae's bed, he closed his eyes and tried to go to sleep, but the attempt was futile. His mind was too occupied for rest.
Jae...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"William!" a voice whispered urgently into the the colonel's ear.
It was half past one in the morning.
"William, wake up!"
Col. Tavington mumbled incoherently in his sleep, turning over on his front.
"William Garrick Camden Tavington, wake up this instant!" said the voice louder.
"What? What's going on?" the colonel finally managed to reply, his vision still blurred from sleep; as it cleared, he could see Mary standing before him, a perplexed look on her face.
"Jae's temperature has increased."
Col. Tavington cocked an eyebrow, a look of concern crossing his face.
"How much?"
"Too much, she's pushed the covers off and has nearly thrashed herself out of bed twice."
"Damn.."
"William, Braden can't be in there; not with how bad Jae is."
Col. Tavington nodded.
"Wake Jula and have her watch Braden."
Mary nodded curtly and left the room.
Getting up from the bed, his legs a bit shaky from sleep, Col. Tavington dressed in the dark and left Jae's room, heading to his own quarters, where Mary sat waiting in one of the armchairs.
Jae lay on the four-poster, her small frame curled into a ball, shivering with fever.
Col. Tavington closed his eyes, exhaling softly as he tried to keep his mind from flooding over with worry.
Seeing the look of worry in his eyes, Mary walked up next to him, placing a hand on his arm and squeezed it.
"She'll be all right, won't she?" he asked softly, his eyes glazing over with anxiety.
Look at you, worrying about a child that isn't even your own flesh and blood... a voice inside the colonel's head chided.
Col. Tavington's face tightened.
I don't care! She's very ill, and I don't want to lose her!
You love her as if she were your own child...
"William," Mary's voice shook the colonel from his thoughts. "get the doctor."
Col. Tavington nodded numbly, and left the room, heading out into the night to the stables.
"Asmodeus." he called softly, entering the stables; all was silent as the sleeping horses were silhouetted against the light of the moon that was streaming in from the windows. However, one horse nickered, a large chestnut stallion at the back of the stables.
The colonel smiled to himself, as he made his way to the back of the stables to Asmodeus' stall.
"Good evening, my chestnut devil."
Asmodeus' ears pricked, and he pawed the floor of his stall eagerly.
Stepping into the stall, Col. Tavington grabbed Asmodeus' saddle and blanket and put them on him, along with his bridle.
"Fy like hell." he whispered into the stallion's pricked ears.
Asmodeus gave a snort and then burst out of the stall, charging out of the stables all the way to camp.