I never thought, when I started this, that I would be writing about pneumonia while most of us would be confined because of a certain coronavirus, about a fictional kingdom with the same name... The irony of life, eh ?
Anyhow, I hope you're all able to stay safe. Please stay home, take care of yourself and others. This is super important.
WARNING for a bit of graphic description, mention of blood... you know the drill !
This is a rather short chapter, but good news, the next one is ready ! I'll check it and post it within a few hours !
CHAPTER 82
Remyus waddled, more than walked, as he entered the boudoir, his hands trembling with fatigue and dizziness. After all, he had just woken up, and he found it hard to gather his thoughts in a coherent fashion, and his coordination was at bay as well.
He searched frantically amidst the many vials sitting on the round table for one in particular. His wrinkled hand knocked a couple of them over, but he didn't care. With a sigh of relief, he grabbed the one he was looking for, the one containing the white willow decoction. He started to turn on his heels when a soft sniffle made him freeze in his tracks.
In his haste, he hadn't noticed the fragile form in the corner of the boudoir. Squinting his eyes against the semi-darkness in the room, he called out, uncertain.
"Varian ?"
Silence. Remyus took a few steps closer. Said boy was sitting there, very still and almost looking like a ghost, his eyes hollow and his gaze lost in the void in front of him. His elbows were resting on his knees, one forearm crossed on the other.
Remyus knelt down to be at eye level with the broken teen. His old joints and his tired muscles protested but he did it all the same. Suddenly his eyes were drawn to an unusual pattern on the bare arm.
The physician gave out an audible gasp and, in a flash, seized Varian's slender wrist with more strength than he intended an brought it closer to his face. Angry red stains swelled from fresh gashes, contrasting painfully with Varian's pallor after so many days away from sunlight.
"Varian, what-", the old man started, but he trailed off as he saw the distraught teen flinch. He looked smaller and younger than he actually was, and the dullness in his eyes was now replaced by fear. The boy gave out a shuddered breath, or sob, very much like young infants do after crying a lot.
Remyus recoiled and released Varian's arm, realizing that weariness and stress had gotten the better of him… or was it out of worry for the boy he was quite close to now ?
Anyhow, that wasn't how he should nor wanted to deal with his patients. Especially with this one. He took a deep breath before he went on.
"Varian…," he said softly. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."
Varian looked away and brought his arms close to his chest, hugging himself, unable to say a word. What was there to say anyway ?
Remyus almost wished the impulsive boy would have yelled and lashed out at him for once. The fact that Varian was back in his shell only increased the pit of worry in his stomach.
He didn't ask for an explanation for the scratches. He needed none.
"All right, Varian", the physician said abruptly as he got laboriously to his feet. "I need you to come with me so we can clean and dress your arm. There's no time to lose, I need your help with something." He held out his hand to encourage his young patient to stand.
Showing a reaction at last, Varian shot his head up and searched the man's face for clarification, mouth agape with puzzlement. What ? Wasn't the old man going to be angry with him, or at least demand why on Earth he would do such a stupid thing ? Not that he would have had a clear answer anyway.
Sensing the questions whirling in the boy's head already, Remyus added :
"We need to get the Queen to drink the content of this vial, right now actually. It will be so much easier if you help", he said again to make sure that the boy would eventually process his words and focus on something else than whatever thoughts that were torturing him.
Varian blinked his eyes rapidly. His logical mind still couldn't find out why physician wouldn't address the scratches matter one way or another. But in the end, his concern for the Queen, for Arianna…. his Arianna, won the battle, and he nodded.
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Now the steel blue eyes were carefully avoiding the injured arm. With no more chemicals in his body to fight against the pain and sight of blood, Varian was now feeling queasy and on the verge of fainting. And although Remyus didn't make a single remark, shame was crawling in him too.
"I was expecting this high bout of fever, just not as early as this," Remyus explained casually as he cleaned Varian's arm with a wet rag. The blood had partially dried up in some places, and even though the man did more dabbing than rubbing, he could see the boy wince in pain as he touched the sensitive area.
"It's a sign she reached the peak of her pneumonia", he went on, his gestures controlled and precise as he spoke. "After that, the temperature will go down and when she wakes up, we'll know she'll be fine."
Varian fidgeted on his seat. Questions were popping in his head much faster than answers.
"But what if her temperature doesn't-"
"No time for that, Varian", Remyus interrupted, not wanting to engage a conversation about the possibility of the Queen not making it anyway. He put aside the compress that was now red with blood, eyes searching for something else. "Now where is…? Ah !"
The physician took another piece of white linen, a clean one and folded it over a couple of times, making a rectangle. Then, starting on one of the short sides, he rolled it into a tight log and held it out to Varian.
"Here. Put this in your mouth."
"What ? Why ? What for ?" the boy recoiled, a bad feeling in the pit of stomach.
"I'm going to use alcohol to clean your cuts. We don't want you to get an infection – nor bite your tongue in the process."
Now Varian was pretty sure he was going to faint. This was going to be bad. The whole surface of his forearm had been scratched in his blind anger, sometimes deeply where his nails had dug in. He was panicking internally and felt the urge to run away. But… but Arianna…. There was no time to lose.
Varian placed the rag horizontally in his mouth and bit it hard. He couldn't make a noise, not while they were sitting only a few feet away from her. He braced himself, making a silent promise he wouldn't scream.
