Sal, on his knees, feeling the water temperature of the half filled tub, looked back at his two friends. Joe sitting miserably on the closed toilet, Q in front of him, helping him to remove the soiled and sweat soaked t-shirt and sleeping pants.
Gazing at him with sad and tired baby blue eyes, Joe's voice was weak and tinged with shame.
"I don't think I can even sit that long, Sal. I'm sorry.".
"Joe...". Sal sighed and looked away without finishing the sentence, too afraid his voice would break and Joe didn't need that.
Q spoke up instead.
"You have nothing to be sorry for, Joey. It's not your fault you are sick, pal. I know you don't feel like doing this and I know you are weak, but we are going to be right here with you, we're not going to let you fall or let your head go under the water. You know that, man, we've got you. Just hang tough and it will be over before you know it. We need to try to break the fever because If we don't we're going to have to go to the ER and I know you don't want that. Okay?".
Joe only nodded in defeat. Quinn looked into the sad eyes and saw a blank gaze and confusion there that alarmed him. They were red rimmed from a fever that he hoped hadn't shot up further.
"Joey, look at me."
Joe's blue eyes met Q's brown ones.
"Do you know where you are, buddy?"
Joe only gazed around the room, fear in the bloodshot eyes. His unsteady stare came to rest on Q's face.
"What's my name?"
Joe again only looked into Q's face, lost and silent.
"Joe, look at us and tell us who we are."
Sal had already reached behind him for the thermometer he had brought along to the bathroom and had it up ready to place in Joe's ear.
"Please don't hurt me."
Tears had now starting streaking down the pale cheeks, utter fear in the glazed eyes.
Sal reflexively put his arms around his friend's neck, pulling him in close. He set back, confused and afraid, when Joe froze in terror and weakly tried to push him away.
"Joey, it's me. It's just me and Q. It's Sal. You know I'm not going to hurt you, man. I'm just going to take your temperature. Look"
He held the small device in front of Joe's eyes, Joe took it in and slowly nodded. Raising his head slightly to stare at his friend.
Slight relief ran through Sal as he saw the clarity in the blue eyes.
"I'm sorry, Sal. Go ahead."
Sal slowly reached in to embrace his friend again, happy that the gesture was accepted and returned with as much strength as Joe could muster.
Then he placed the gauge in Joe's ear.
Joe flinched and retched, bring up more pink singed stomach acid, it spattered down his bare chest, neither Sal or Q wiped it away, worried more about the fever.
Sal turned to Q in panic upon removing and reading the device.
Brian Quinn had stepped back and had taken, in fear, the scene that had played out before him.
His medical training clarified to him, that something had happened to Joe, probably as a child that he had never told anyone before. This was enough to cause fear and for rage to start building up, but his training also made him realize why his friend was confused and hallucinating and he dreaded the reading Sal was about to give him. He knew he would not have time to delve into the reason of Joe's irrational fear yet. So he set it to the back burner.
"What is it, man?"
"106 fucking degrees, Q."
"Okay, first we relax. It could be worse and I thought it was. Let's put him in the water. Go grab some ice.
"Joey, it's Q. I'm going to pick you up and set you in the water. I'm not going to hurt you, I would never hurt you because I love you like a brother. You know that, right?"
Joe gazed up at his friend and nodded, but didn't speak. Confusion was still very evident in his eyes, but Q didn't ask the question again, he didn't feel he had time.
Instead he gently and slowly lifted Joe up and into the tub, supporting his back with one hand. He could feel Joe's body trying to tip backwards into the tub. He was so weak, Q wondered if they would be going to the ER tonight.
"You're fine, bud. I've got you and all you have to do is sit until we get this fever knocked down some.
By that time Sal had returned with a shopping bag full of ice cubes.
"Okay, Sal's going to dump the ice in, Joe. It's going to be cold. Then we're going to help you lie back, just for a minute.".
Sal dumped the contents of the bag into the tub, Joe's body going rigid as the cold hit him.
"It's okay, it's just ice. I know it's cold, but just a few more minutes."
Quinn waited for the shock of the water to wear off then tried to slowly lower Joe into a lying position. But, he held his body in it's rigid stance.
"Loosen up, buddy. Can you do that for me? Can I just lay you down for a few seconds?"
Tears again ran down the pale face, which Q wiped away with his fingers before gently trying to lay his friend down.
This time he succeeded but Joe's legs and feet kicked out blindly in a panic.
"I've got you, Joey. Just relax, man. Can you focus on my face? Look at me. I've got you."
Joe's eyes managed to find Q and he slowly relaxed and he focused on the kind, familar face. His legs stilled.
"That's it, Joey, it's just me and Sal and we're not going to let anything happen to you. Just a few more minutes and we'll get you out of here."
Joe nodded slowly and Q thankfully could see lucidty slowly coming back into his eyes.
It was working, the fever must be coming down.
"Who am I, Joey?"
"Q"
"That's it. Who is that Mexican guy right behind me?"
Sal chuckled and got closer to Joe's face, giving him a reassuring smile.
Joe wasn't quiet with it enough to get the joke, but both men were relievd when he immediately responded with Sal's name.
"Good job, buddy. Where are we?"
Brian's hands were getting tired of holding his friend up and he motioned for Sal to take his place.
"In Sal's apartment, I think."
"Yes. We're going to take your temp real quick man, then I think we can get you out of here."
After quickly checking his friend's temperature which was down to 103.4, Q sighed in relief, along with Sal who also saw the reading.
"Okay, Joey, let me just wipe your arms and chest down a bit, and we are out of here."
Ten minutes later Joe was in Sal's guest bed, meds given, and sound asleep.
Q and Sal both set on the couch, exhausted but relieved.