He woke again, drool sliding down his chin as the room spun and his head pounded, feeling like his skull had split. It hurt to swallow. He was so thirsty. He whimpered when his arm tightened and pulled itself toward his chest and pressing against him painfully enough that he was certain he'd have a bruise. His mouth opened to scream but his throat was too dry. It seemed like it had lasted forever and he gasped when his arm went limp finally. Tears streamed down his face. Everything hurt, it hurt so much.
He wanted to call for help but he couldn't remember who he'd be calling out to. He was so hot, he was boiling inside. Red hot coals settled in his throat and his muscles were alight with fire. He couldn't call out. He just couldn't. It hurt too much. He laid on his bed gasping for breath and begging for it all to stop or that he could at least go back to sleep. He just laid there on the bed gasping for breath while his head turned limply from side to side. His eyes glowed green and started to burn. A pressure was building and it felt like his eyes would pop out of his head.
"No." His addled brain said. "No, not now. Please, not again."
The choice wasn't up to him and more glass shattered around his room as he convulsed and was finally able to open his mouth and scream. He could feel a clawing and scratching and he smacked whatever it was away. It hurt. It hurt too much. He couldn't stand it. God, he wanted to die. Anything to make this stop. He moved to wipe away the tears but his hand came away red. He stared at the blood smeared across his hand in bewilderment.
That was bad wasn't it?
Wasn't it?
Oh he just wanted to go back to sleep but everything hurt too much and all he could do was sob into his pillow.
The rest of the household was none the wiser. The only places that Dolores couldn't hear were inside other peoples' rooms when their doors were closed. Breakfast came and went and everyone simply let Bruno be, knowing that he had a bad habit of refusing sleep for a reason that he wouldn't give. Bruno wasn't exactly the type to share his feelings. It was frustrating but all of them had that problem, not just Bruno. Sometimes it was like pulling teeth with each other to just sit down and talk about whatever might be wrong. They were working on it and it was much easier for the children to adjust to the new lifestyle than it was for the adults. Oddly enough, there wound up being a role reversal in that aspect of their lives. It was mostly Mirabel who would notice when something was wrong and she would waste no time addressing it.
Alma had actually made a new rule that, while dinner was still a happy family gathering, time would be set aside during the final meal of the day to talk about anything that might be bothering anyone but it would remain civil. No arguments and there were plenty of people around the table to intervene if things did spiral down. For the Madrigals, dinner was the most important meal of the day. Everyone agreed that Bruno needed the sleep. He still wasn't in the best condition health wise and it wasn't something that Julieta's food could fix.
They busied themselves with their everyday workings. Julieta worked away in the kitchen before bringing her cart out to the village market. Agustin busied himself with housework, trying his hardest to stay away from the bees this time. It was a wonder how they managed to find him. Or was it that he found them? Well, there was no point in arguing over it. The results were the same either way.
Pepa watered crops at the farms and orchards by bringing a light rainfall. Felix followed her around in case things became a bit too much and she grew overly emotional. He loved that about her. She was so expressive. There was no doubt as to what she was feeling in the moment and she didn't even need her gift for people to see it. She was a passionate woman in every aspect of her life.
Luisa helped with construction or any number of heavy lifting work. She usually spent most of her days chasing after wandering donkeys and cattle. She was often accompanied by Mirabel who cheerfully gave her a helping hand, unneeded though it may be. Mirabel usually did that. She'd choose someone to tail and help with their daily duties just to make things feel a little less stressful. One job that Mirabel did wind up finding for herself was sewing. She's make full dresses, skirts, shirts, pants, she'd make it all and take her work to town alongside her mother. She did mending as well and would usually walk home with an armful of tattered clothing. She always had a grin on her face, finally starting to feel useful.
Old feelings are hard to get rid of even with the support of her family.
Isabela helped keep crops healthy or decorate the town or someone's house with whatever plant they wanted. A great deal of people enjoyed the new types of plants she'd taken to and she'd made a small field of pollen pods for the children to play in. The parents of said children couldn't figure out if they were happy about it or not due to the mess it made, but it made the children happy so no one complained.
Antonio worked somewhat like a scarecrow. He kept birds and mice away from people's houses, plants, and crops or even managed to get them to help around instead. He could train any animal within seconds by explaining the situation and explaining the job they had. He also alerted any animal's owner if their pet, horse, donkey, or cattle were feeling unwell or in pain. The boy quickly grew to be very loved by the village and they always smiled upon the sight of him.
Camilo had half a million different jobs that he'd do. He'd cover for a couple of teens who wanted to sneak off together. He'd impersonate the parents of children for a number of different reasons like soothing a baby when their mother was at her breaking point. He'd pretend to be other childrens' parents in order to keep them out of trouble. Camilo did whatever he wanted or needed to do. There were some people in town who just needed a laugh and Camilo would give them just that.
So, lunch came and went with neither hide nor hair of Bruno which, by this point it was starting to feel odd. He was probably hiding away in his room again which was something everyone was really trying hard to help him with. Felix seemed to be the best at it and, quite frankly, everyone thought it was adorable. Especially when Felix would walk out with the smaller man literally draped over his shoulder and very obviously sulking.
Altogether it really wasn't strange at all for Bruno to vanish and it seemed like that is exactly what he wanted to do. It was shortly after lunch that Pepa had had enough.
"He's still far to skinny!" She exclaimed. "He can't just be missing meals like this. I'm going to get him!"
"Tía Pepa." Isabela cut in. "Tío Bruno's probably just tired. I don't think he's slept in a while." She tried to soothe her aunt. "He needs it. I know you're worried but I think we should just let him be."
Pepa deflated, the cloud over her head dissipating as she nodded.
"Mamá!" Camilo's terrified voice screamed from the top floor as sand tumbled off of him in huge clumps. "Mamá! Something's wrong with tío Bruno!" His voice cracked as he desperately tried to keep from crying.
Lightning struck the ground as she bolted for the stairs.
"Get Julieta! She's in town! Run!" She yelled to the two children as she bolted to her brother's room.
She flung the door open and plowed through the falling sand that had made a reappearance and now stood between Bruno's room and the doorway. She landed on her feet and called out for her brother.
"Bruno!" She bellowed over the howling wind. "Clear skies. Clear skies." She breathed deep and calmed herself but the gale didn't calm which meant that it wasn't her causing this wind. "Bruno!" She screamed, holding up a hand to shield her eyes from the sand. She looked everywhere, but trying to stay on her feet was a challenge enough.
"Bruno! Hermanito!"
She felt something scramble up her leg and shrieked when she saw a silver blue rat scrambling up her dress squeaking, hissing, and chattering. She tried to brush it away but it ran right back to climb on her again. To her horror more and more rats poured out of every crevice and swarmed her, chattering and nipping at her ankles. She tried to kick them away but they always came back. The first rat sank its' teeth into the hem of her dress and tugged. The others quickly followed suit, all tugging her in the same direction. The fact that she was surrounded by rats took a backseat to the fact that they were pulling her toward a well hidden hallway that looked as though the winds had bored it into existence.
There was a bright emerald light emanating from it and she nearly trampled the swarm of rats as she ran forward. The only one who remained was the first little silvery blue rat who'd climbed up her dress. It clung to her skirt and squeaked in distress.
Nothing could have prepared Pepa for what she saw when she reached the end of the tunnel that led to Bruno's bedroom. His beloved ruana was laying crumpled on the floor along with his shirt. His eyes were wide and emerald green. He was pale and drenched in sweat. Glass shards littered the room. There was blood streaming from his nose and eyes. Scarlet foam bubbled past his lips as his eyes rolled back entirely and his body convulsed violently. His hands were clenched tightly against his chest. His legs were stretched out and stiff, knees locked and ankles turned in on themselves. He wasn't breathing. He couldn't breathe through the convulsions that tensed his entire body. His fists pressed against his throat hard and Pepa darted forward to try and pull his arms away from his throat but she couldn't. No matter how hard she pulled she could not get his arms to move. His muscles were locked entirely. His head was arched back, pressing the top of his head deep into the pillow.
The silver blue rat scrambled up her dress and continued to hiss, chatter, and squeak as it trembled.
It was at this time that Julieta ran into the room and gasped.
"I've never seen him have a vision like this!" Pepa yelled over the wind.
"This isn't a vision!" Julieta yelled. "Go get one of my bottles of lulada!"
Pepa stood there in shock as Julieta got on the bed and rolled Bruno over onto his side leaving the blood in his mouth to pour out of his mouth and onto the pillow, easing his ability to breathe.
"PEPA NOW!" Julieta bellowed and her sister scrambled out the door almost knocking Alma over in the process but she didn't even stop to apologize to her mother.
The woman rushed into the room and was guided in much the same way as Pepa had.
"Brunito!" She gasped in horror.
"It's okay Bruno." Julieta whispered. "It's okay. It'll be over soon. You're alright. I'm here."
Alma ran forward, fighting the sandstorm that continued to drop green tablets that shattered on the floor along with the many others.
"Julieta?"
"I-it's some kind of seizure I think. I don't know why. I don't know what could have brought this on." She kept a hand on her brother's back, rubbing soothingly as she continued to talk to him. "I know Bruno. I know. You'll be okay."
"He can't breathe." Alma's hands shook as she looked at the blueness spreading into her son's lips. "Brunito. Brunito I'm here." She said, running her fingers through his soaked hair.
"It'll be over soon. You can do it. It'll be over and then you can breathe." Julieta continued to offer her comfort as Bruno's back arched, nearly bending him in half, now that he was on his side.
Pepa ran back into the room, both Felix and Agustin in tow, with a small vial that Alma snatched out of her hand.
"Hold his head." Julieta said as she grabbed the vial and popped the cork.
His teeth were clenched just as hard and immovable as the rest of his body. The best she could do was carefully pull his lips back and pour the drink into his mouth. There was a horrid gurgling sound and for a moment everyone was certain he was going to choke but instead he fell limp, eyes closed and sucking in desperate breaths. Felix saw Frida scramble off of his wife's dress to nuzzle against Bruno's face. Squeaking pitifully when he didn't react. She nipped at his ear, dug into his hair, and continued to nuzzle and nudge at his face. Within a few seconds a swarm of rats joined Frida. All of them were in obvious distress. Nipping, licking, nudging, nuzzling, scratching, and biting just trying to wake him up. All of them squeaking louder and louder as he continued to lay there, unresponsive.
"W-we shouldn't leave him up here." Alma stuttered, holding back tears. "We'll get him downstairs on the couch until he wakes up."
With that Felix marched right over and shooed the rats away before lifting Bruno into his arms, shifting him so Bruno's head rested on his shoulder. Frida hissed from her spot on Bruno's sweat soaked and bloody pillow.
"Ah." His brows creased. "Pajarito." He leaned down just enough so she could make the leap onto Bruno's chest. Though she almost didn't make it.
She settled herself on his chest and curled up, comforted by the steady rise and fall of Bruno's chest. True to their word they carried him downstairs. Felix ignored the children who'd been hovering anxiously outside the door, Camilo rubbing the wetness from his face, and just moved to gently settle Bruno on the couch while the others explained that Bruno was going to be fine and they were going to keep him on the couch until he woke up. Alma very firmly told them that they were to leave him alone and stay out of the living room for the time being.
It was dark by the time he woke and he blinked in confusion over the fact that he definitely was not in his room and that he was very much shirtless on the living room couch underneath a blanket that Frida was curled up underneath. His mouth tasted like blood, all he could smell was blood, and his eyes hurt. He squinted them shut to try and ease the throbbing in his throbbing eyes. His limbs felt like jelly and he knew that he was definitely not going to be moving anytime soon.
He sucked in a deep breath and Frida jumped up, squeaking and chattering loudly as she bolted forward to nuzzle into his hair and cheek. She scrambled back on his chest to tuck herself beneath his chin and squeak quietly.
"What happened?"
Eyes still squinted shut, he managed to lift his arm to rest a hand atop Frida who was, quite obviously, scared. He wasn't in that much pain really. He was just weak and confused. He was also very, very thirsty, but the blanket felt like lead. He couldn't get up no matter how hard he tried. He just tipped his head back onto the pillow, the nice soft pillow, and moved his fingers through Frida's soft fur as the poor animal trembled beneath his hand. He was so tired.
"Wha hpnnd?" He slurred to himself.
He did not expect an answer.
"We don't know Brunito." It was his mamá.
What was going on?! He worked to peel open his eyes and his head flopped to the side to look at her. She….did not look well. She looked so worn and her eyes, there were too many emotions twisting and whirling behind her eyes and Bruno was going to be sick again. He pitched to the side, sending Frida rolling off his chest with a surprised squeak, and his stomach clenched painfully and bile fell from his lips onto the stone floor. He just laid there with his head hanging off the edge of the couch. He didn't think he could lift his head back up but he didn't have to worry about that for long. His mamá's hands gently raised his head to lay back on the pillow.
"M sry." He tried to say, bile dripping down his cheek that Alma wiped away with her dress.
"No, Brunito. None of that now." She ran her fingers through his hair. "You have nothing to be sorry for."
"M tired." His eyelids drooped as Frida settled herself back down beneath his chin.
"Oh no." Julieta's voice sounded out. "I need some answers hermanito."
The woman marched into his field of vision and, like a goddess answering a prayer, she held a glass of water in her hands. It was one of the greatest things he had seen in his entire life.
"I need to sit up and drink some water Bruno." She told him and he tried he honestly did try but he was just so tired.
Like magic both Felix came in and lifted Frida, who complained quite loudly, off his chest while Agustin helped him sit up. It was like drinking from god's personal water fountain. Afterward it his mouth didn't feel like cotton and his throat didn't hurt so much. He lifted a hand up over his throbbing eyes and groaned.
"What is it?" Pepa's voice drifted into his ears.
"M eyes hrt." He responded.
"Just lay back and try and rest until you can talk better." Julieta said and Bruno felt himself being lowered back down into the pillow and felt Frida scramble back up under his chin.
If his head wasn't so foggy he'd probably be very embarrassed about needing help to take a drink of water. Instead his head just flopped back onto the pillow and his hand moved back up to lay atop Frida's trembling body. God, she was terrified. What happened? What about the others? Where were they? Were they alright? He had a brief moment of panic before feeling a great deal of furry bundles wriggling around beneath the blankets. Oh, Pepa must not be very happy about that. She put up with Frida for Bruno's sake and he knew that. So, he did his best to keep her out of sight around his sister. He closed his eyes and took a minute for himself, only listening to the quiet shuffling of feet and skirts that drifted around the room.
In a few minutes he was feeling far more clear headed. He rubbed at his eyes again before working to sit up, one hand cradling Frida so she wouldn't fall, and grabbed the glass of water on the table downing it like a man who'd spent weeks in the desert. He cleared his throat relieved that it was no longer sore. Oh yeah, he'd had a sore throat earlier. A bad one.
"What happened?" He asked looking up at his mamá.
"Brunito we really don't know." She told him and he looked back at her, confused.
"What do you mean you don't know?"
"She means we don't know!" Pepa yelled causing Bruno to wince and then shiver as snow fell down onto his bare shoulders.
"Pepa, mi amor, estas nevando." Felix said, trying to wave the snow away from Bruno.
"Clear skies. Clear skies." She took a deep breath. "Camilo came out yelling that there was something wrong."
The four people around him did their best to explain to Bruno exactly what had happened. It was a hard thing to describe due to the rush of the whole situation and the more they talked the higher Bruno's eyebrows rose.
"I thought it was just a flu." HE whispered to himself, glancing back down at the trembling opal rat in his hands.
"Wait, what?" Felix, who'd leaned in to admire Frida, spoke. "You were sick? Like you knew you were sick?!"
"Don't yell." Bruno groaned, pressing the heel of his hand into one of his eyes. "I thought it was just a flu. Nothing serious."
"If you had just had breakfast-" Bruno cut off what Agustin was going to say.
"I went to bed because I felt tired not sick."
"I don't believe you." Felix shook his head.
"I thought it was just a flu." Bruno repeated.
"Well it wasn't." Julieta sounded angry and that was a very bad, bad thing.
Everything started coming back to him and he sat to himself and realized that he could have very easily died.
"Oh Dios mío." He said hand flying to his mouth. "You said Camilo saw that? Is he okay?"
"Oh of course you would-" Alma cut off Julieta.
"He'll be fine mi hijo. I won't lie. It scared him but he knew what to do."
"Dios mío." He put a hand over his eyes, they hurt a little less now. "I-I'm-"
"I swear if the words I'm sorry come out of your mouth you will wish you were still sick." Julieta snarled and Bruno's eyes widened.
"I-it really wasn't that bad." He said, stroking Frida's soft fur. "I was just tired. Th-then everything just picked up so fast."
"Bruno you only started feeling sick this morning?" Julieta's voice no longer held any anger.
"Well, yes. I just thought I needed some sleep the flu isn't really a big idea."
"You didn't have to be sick at all." Alma said, eyes filled with care.
"I-" He started but Julieta leaned forward threateningly and he snapped his mouth shut. "I-I'll talk to the kids tomorrow." He said. "I-I just want to go back to bed."
"Well, you can't go back to you room. There's glass everywhere." Agustin told.
"O-okay." Bruno stuttered, immediately thinking of his nest in the walls but he was also certain that his legs were still the equivalent of overcooked noodles. There was no way he'd be able to even make it up the stairs let alone his little space by the kitchen.
"Well, now that Mirabel has her own room we've got an empty spare." Julieta said.
"Oh no." Bruno said waving his finger at her. "You are not putting me in the nursery."
"It's the best we have right now. Besides we can't really clean up that glass since someone threw our broom out the window." Julieta gave him a pointed look.
"He what?" Alma asked in surprise.
"An old broom in a new house is bad luck." Bruno said, like it was obvious.
"Brunito." Alma sighed leaning her head down into her hand.
"I am fifty years old. You are not putting me in the nursery."
Several mouths opened to start reasoning with him and, in some cases, argue but, Felix beat everyone to it by rolling his eyes leaning over the couch and lifting Bruno, blanket and all, into his arms drawing an indignant yelp from the man. Rats scrambled out from beneath the blanket when it was lifted, their little paws pitter pattering on the tiles as they ran.
"Too bad." He said.
"Stop picking me up." Bruno groaned as he tried to wriggle his way out of Felix's arms despite knowing that every past battle with this he had lost miserably. Bruno was half tempted to bite him just out of spite.
Felix didn't say another word. Just carried to the empty room, put him down on one of the beds, and walked out while the remaining rats scampered through the doorway to dig under the blankets and cling to him.
"No no. Sabes que no tienes permitido dormir conmigo." He said, lifting the blankets to shoo them.
"They'll just bite you." Pepa looked at him fondly. "That's what they kept doing to us. You slept all day with them just fine. They'll be fine hermanito."
"Get some sleep cariño." Alma said as she closed the door leaving Bruno to sulk about having to sleep in the nursery for the night.
Just to clear some things up, the bleeding was not from the illness but from the massive effect the illness had on his gift and the toll it took on his body.
