ZEDD - THREE DAYS LATER
I have to say, the entire visit has gone better - and longer - than I ever thought possible. Mother, Serena and - surprisingly - most of my siblings like and accept Thomas. Perhaps one day I'll invite Mother and Serena to visit. Particularly since Mother and Pina have apparently come to some kind of understanding. Not to say that they like each other, but at least their civility has lost the edge of irritation and anger that it had before and very likely due in part to there being no threat of her being a potential mate for me now.
I sigh contentedly into my coffee as I wait for Thomas to come down to breakfast. Mother, Pina and Dar are all here but the silence isn't nearly as tense as it was that first night. I haven't seen my father at all, except brief glimpses or in passing as he hurries by without so much as a word.
My thoughts are interrupted as the door opens and Thomas enters slowly, white as a sheet with bright red spots on his cheeks. I'm on my feet instantly. "Thomas? What's wrong?"
He speaks slowly, as if he's unsure of his words. "Nothing, Zedd. I'm fine." The hell he is.
As I open my mouth to disagree with him, his eyes suddenly roll up in his head and he collapses on the floor. In a moment, we're all surrounding him except Dar who has raced out of the room, no doubt to get Pina's scanner. Pina begins to check him over until Dar returns. Suddenly, she turns to me. "Was he fevered when you left him this morning?" she demands.
I frown as I think back. "He might have been a little warm but not what I would call fevered. Nothing unusual really, between sleeping in close proximity and the blankets."
"Well he is now." Both my mother and I reach to touch my mate, but before my hand even contacts his skin I can feel the heat radiating off of him.
"Nothing like this, Pina. If he had been, I would have come for you immediately."
"I would hope so!" She returns to her exam, muttering to herself as she does. Dar returns and hands her the machine. Swiftly, she sets it and runs it over him.
As she checks the results, Thomas begins to shake, not like the convulsions he's had before or from fear, but from the illusion that he's cold. Dar is once more out the door like a shot and returns quickly with a blanket. Together we get him wrapped up in it and settled in my lap even as Pina sighs. "He has chimfine." Translation - Eltarian flu. I start to relax until she says, "With his genetics, he's not going to be able to fight this easily, Zedd. As much as I hate to say it, we might actually have to take him to the hospital." And that is very likely the last thing he is going to want to hear.
Sighing and decidedly unhappy myself now, I shake my head sternly. "Not unless we actually have to. I promised him no more hospitals, not ever. Not to mention my reputation still isn't exactly ideal here. If the ones treating him realize who he is in connection to me not only might they refuse to help they might take out their aggression toward me on him and I'd really rather not have to destroy a hospital if I can help it."
Mother speaks softly. "Zeddic, we might not have a choice if it's that or he dies."
"The powers will heal him." I know I'm being stubborn, but I did promise.
"Well, we'll give him a while but he'll have to be under constant watch. At the moment, the illness is tearing him apart from the inside out" Pina says.
Mother stands. "I'm going to make some calls. Perhaps there is a healer that is slightly familiar with his physiology." She pauses. "Unless you feel you have this under control, Pina?"
Reluctantly, Pina responds, "Not by a long shot, Mara. Please see what you can do."
Thomas stirs in my arms, eyes opening slowly. They're glassy and it seems like he's having trouble focusing. "Zedd?"
"I'm here, love."
He looks around, confused. "Why are we sitting on the floor?"
"You passed out, Thomas."
"I did?" The three of us nod in confirmation. "Huh. Well, I'm fine now so you can let me up."
"You aren't fine and you can stay right where you are."
"Zedd, I'm okay" he insists weakly. "A little tired, but okay. Really."
"I'm not so stupid and callous that I'm going to believe that when you're burning up from fever, can barely open your eyes, and just lost consciousness."
"The floor's hard."
"Which is why I have you in my arms."
"It's too cold in here to be burning up from fever."
"That's how bad your fever is."
"Your father's gonna be mad if I stay much longer."
"Good."
"You're going to miss breakfast."
"I'll have my coffee later with a shot of whiskey" I state narrowing my eyes at his weak tactics. "Why are you really fighting me on this?"
He rests his head on my shoulder, slumping against my body. "Don't want to be a bother, mate. I'm fine. I can manage."
"Stop it, brat. You aren't fine. You collapsed on the floor and you have a very high fever. Quit arguing with us."
Pina and I nod in agreement with Dar. Pina runs her fingers through his hair. "Let us take care of you, boetie, like you did for us. It's what families do."
"You guys have cared for me enough since Zedd came for me. I can take care of myself - I've been doing it for years." Suddenly he starts coughing. By the time he's done, he's out of breath. When he gets it back somewhat, he says, "I'll just go back to bed and get some sleep and I'll be okay."
Pina sighs at his stubbornness. "No, you won't. Basically, you have Eltarian flu, Tommy. It's not reacting well to your system. As sick as you are now, it's still basically nothing compared to what it might get to be."
Before Thomas can protest again, I interrupt. "First things first. I'll take you back to bed, love. I'm sure that a little more sleep can't hurt and you do indeed need to get that sleep somewhere other than the dining room floor." Moving to pick him up fully, I pause briefly as he again starts to protest.
"I can walk."
"Good for you. Now shut up and be still," I order calmly as I situate him in my arms and head out of the room, my mate grumbling, and Dar snickering as I go.
It's not long before I have him stripped down and settled back in bed. Thomas suddenly opens his eyes and says, "Go away, Zedd. Get away from me. Don't want to get you sick."
His eyes are already closing again almost before he finishes speaking. "I'll be fine, Thomas" I tell him softly. "Just like you were fine when Jason got us all sick."
"Not the same" he mutters. "I'd had the flu fairly recently. When's the last time you had this?"
"This flu isn't exactly like yours, Thomas, so time isn't really a relevant factor here."
"Time's always relevant. Never have enough time for the important thingsā¦" His voice trails off as Pina comes in.
"Is he asleep?" she asks softly.
"Just now, I think." I run my fingers through his hair, noting how hot he is. "Pina, I think he's getting hotter."
Nudging me out of the way she scans him again, cursing at the result. "We've got to get his temperature down before it does more damage than good."
She quickly gathers what's needed and we set to work, using everything from medicine to icepacks to try to help cool him off some, though nothing seems to be doing much good in the long run. Mother comes in a few minutes later just as I'm about to suggest filling the bath with cold water and seeing if we can't get him in without a fight. "How's he doing?"
"No better" I reply unhappily, reluctantly backing off so she can feel his forehead for herself. "Nothing's bringing his fever down."
"Well I had a little luck. There's one healer on the planet that's familiar with Phaedosian half breeds. She's not dealt with Phaedosian/human but she assures me that there are many species in the universe that are similar enough to human that she's seen crossed with Phaedosian that she's fairly confident that she can handle this with Pina's help."
I can't help the question. "Does she know that he's my mate?"
She nods. "And, surprise surprise, she was willing to help anyway."
My eyes narrow slightly as I take in what she's said. "And what did you have to offer her?" Not that I won't gladly pay it, but still I'd like to know what I'm going to be dealing with once he's well again.
"I assume you mean above and beyond her normal fee. Not much really. When I told her how sick this is making him, she was concerned that his altered genetics might be mutating the illness. If that's the case, she wants to be on hand to try and get ahead of it in case it infects the general population."
"Oh hell. I never thought of that" Pina mutters.
Unable to help the thought that suddenly occurs to me, I hear the words leave my mouth before I can stop them. "Hm, biological warfare, not really my style, but something to bank for future reference."
"No." Looking at me sternly and nixing that idea before Mother can, Pina shakes her head. "Honestly, sometimes I wonder where your head is."
"Right now it's focused on why this woman is agreeing to help my mate rather than just suggest he be quarantined like most would" I reply seriously.
"Quarantining him won't do any good if he's already been around others when you've both been out the past few days. Besides" Mother continues "apparently she was rather a bitch to you when you two were young and she wants to make amends for it."
Oh really now. "Who is it, Mother?"
"Alundra." Now there's someone I haven't thought of in centuries. When we were children and I still had blond hair, we hated each other - well, at least I hated her. We fought endlessly - and quite literally too. I clearly remember the day that both our parents were called to school because of one of our battles. I'm still not entirely sure who got the worst of it that day, but I know that we had matching black eyes and split lips and I'm pretty sure she cracked my ribs.
"Well, this'll be interesting." To say the least. "When will she be here?"
"Soon. I'd guess less than half an hour."
Thankful for that much at least, I return my full attention to my overheated mate after one last thought. "Thank you, Mother, for helping him."
"As much as I'd like to take credit for it, it was actually your father who found her."
I turn to her, incredulous. "What now?"
She shrugs. "He has far more and better contacts than I have, you know. And as much as he disapproves of what you've done, he doesn't want you or your mate to die, Zeddic."
What I've done? Uncertain if she's referring to my past, or some nonsense he's heard from Jax regarding how I came to be with Thomas, I'm about to question it further when a low moan from Thomas draws my attention back to him. "We'll talk about this later."
"As you wish. I'll go and watch for her."
Mother leaves us tending to Thomas. As much as I'd like to have questioned her further, Thomas needs me right now.
LATER
I'm pacing in the hall, having been kicked out of the room so that the women had room to work without having to work around me. Thomas' emotions have been coming and going - and fluctuating wildly. Mother watches me pace, her own calm stance almost irritating me. I spin around when the door opens and Alundra comes out, looking very sober and I already know I'm not going to like what she has to say.
"He needs to go to the hospital, Zedd."
"But-"
She holds up her hand, stopping me. "I know what you've promised him. Scorpina's already told me. But I'll tell you right now, if he gets worse, I'll have a better chance of helping him at the hospital where I can get whatever I need in a moment's notice. Here - not so much."
"But-"
"I've already made arrangements at the hospital for a private, isolated room and you will be allowed to stay with him. It won't do either of you any good to be separated, especially given the fact I know you'll very likely threaten to maim or destroy anyone who tries." Damn right I will.
Sighing and looking at her unhappily I try one more time. "But I promised."
"Yes, but you also want him to live I would assume." Damn it.
"He's going to be so pissed." I have the feeling I'm going to be paying for this for a long, long time.
"Perhaps, but at least he'll be alive to be pissed."
