Chapter 17 — Fever
"And all people live.
Not by reason of any care they have for themselves.
But by the love for them that is in other people."
— Leo Tolstoy
He was having a fever. A day had passed since Serena had found the stranger in the forest and treated his wounds. No matter the precautions she had taken, he was burning up now and she figured that the wound probably had infected itself after all. And a fever was the only way for his body to get rid of it. She did all she could to help his body in its fight: she refreshed the cold cloths on his forehead, brewed tea with special herbs she knew had medical properties, and changed his bandages as often as possible.
She could count the times he was regaining consciousness on one hand, and they were often only brief. Mostly he would croak out a sound and she would give him something to drink, no food though. She wasn't sure if it would be wise to give him substantial nutriment just yet, especially not when he fell unconscious again shortly after having woken up. She didn't want her patient to survive the attack and wound and then die because he chocked on a piece of bread.
While he was out, she sometimes left to go hunting, although she would mostly just go catch some fish and not meat — she didn't want to be away for too long in case something should happen. You never knew with fever induced people. She remembered the one time she had almost burned down her kitchen back at university when she'd been home sick with fever. Lucky thing her best friend Janine had decided to check up on her in that moment because else, she would have to be looking for a new flat.
Whenever she did go out, she left Ajax behind with the Faunus, telling the Grimm to come get her as soon as something seemed off. He hadn't left her side since the previous day and she figured that he was worried about her being alone with a stranger. She was touched by her friend's concern, although she doubted that the man would be able to do anything at the moment with his injury.
When she was home, she would pass her time pondering the mask he'd been wearing the day she found him. She wondered if it held any meaning and what it was made of. It looked like plastic to her, but didn't feel like it at all. She ran her thumb over the red lines that swirled around the visor and across the mask.
She wondered about her guest's identity. Why would he be out here in the forest, accompanied by two other Faunus and fighting Grimm? Not to mention that the two other had matching outfits and the same type of mask as he did. Add the fact that each of them were wounded…
She had a theory that the three could be members of the White Fang, but it was only that — a theory. She didn't want to judge anyone without having heard their side of the story. She would wait until he was awake and then ask.
A pained grunt caught her attention and she turned her head to her guest, eyes widening as she saw him trying to sit up. Stashing the mask away, she rushed to his side and, gently grabbing his shoulders, pushed him back onto the bed. He wasn't yet ready to move and any kind of strain on his injury could deepen the wound.
He reluctantly laid back and she saw his lips forming words, but no sound escaped them. She grabbed the cup of tea that was standing on a rock beside her and gently lifted his head a little, lifting the cup to his lips. The sudden touch made him retreat, but she told him to drink it and he did, too tired to even try and refuse it. He lost consciousness soon afterwards and Serena went back to the fire, sitting in front of it and pondering on what to do.
He was hot. His entire body felt as though it were aflame, and he could tell he had a fever. Everything around him was dark and silent. He briefly wondered if he'd died in the battle with the Grimm.
Then he felt something cold and wet land on his forehead. He forced his eyes open and caught the contours of retreating hands before his sight blurred once more and he faded out of consciousness.
He thought it pathetic, the way he was so helpless and weak, not even able to stay awake for a small moment. The few times he did manage to stay awake, he could always see the silhouette of a person, though not much of it — he could barely discern the hair from the face. But that meant someone was taking care of him, which was odd in itself. Most people despised Faunus, and he did not think any would make the effort to help one, regardless of their condition.
This time — as he came to again — he was able to actually sit up, though he stopped as soon as he felt a sharp pain tug at his chest, making him groan in pain. His ears picked up the clatter of something being put down and only moments later did he register the feel of hands on his shoulders, gently pushing him back down. He fought against it, but whoever it was was stronger than him and he had to reluctantly oblige and lay back down on what he assumed was a bed.
"You shouldn't move. Your wound might get worse. Here, let me get you something to drink," he heard what appeared to be a female voice say. A hand was suddenly placed beneath his head, lifting it up slightly and he could feel something cool touch his lips, a faint smell of herbs rising into his nose. He retracted his head, not wanting to drink anything he didn't know.
"It's okay. It's just some tea. You have to drink something. It will also help with your injury," the voice said gently and he reluctantly took a few sips, grateful for the warm liquid that pleasantly ran down his throat. He could recognize some herbs and berries, but there were also some other plants in the drink that he didn't know. The cup was taken back and the hand gently lowered his head back onto the pillow.
"My men…" he managed to wheeze out. "Where…"
A pause ensued, and then the voice said, "You should rest."
No sooner were the words spoken that everything turned black again. The last thing he could see were a pair of bright blue eyes. And then he was gone again.
Edited 08/02/2017
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of its characters. All I do own are my OC and the idea and plot of the non-canon parts of the story.