"Common breath it in buddy…" After what felt like the longest time ever Riley took in a breath of the inhaler…after five minutes his breathing became normal. "That was too close for comfort." Ben said looking at Abigail who looked deep in thought. "Something brothering you?" He asked and then could have kick himself when the question came out.
"I don't know if you realized what just happened here Ben?" She asked and then looked down at Riley and put a hand on his forehead. "He's burning up we should get him to his room and get his fever down." Abigail said before getting up and walking over to the kitchen seeking for some Tylenol to bring the fever down.
"Well up you go Riley." Ben said, he carried Riley's limp form to the room and putting him down gently not wanting to hurt him anymore then he already was. "Man you lost some weigh there kiddo." Ben said to his sleeping friend. Man he wished Riley was a wake to tell him that he was not a kid or that he was okay…man what would he give to see his smile again because these days that was a rare thing.
"How is he doing?" Ben wife asked, in her hand she had a bottle of water, Tylenol and thermometer.
"Well he has not said much." Ben said with sad smile. Abigail could tell that he was very worried and that was making her heart swell, she looked down at her little friend and placed the thermometer in his ear waiting for the beep, when the beep came she looked at it and almost fell backward.
"Oh my god…" She said and was meet by Ben scared look…"He has a temperature of a 103.7" She explained then she removed the blankets that Ben had placed on Riley and said "We need to get that temperature down now because if we don't it could get bad." She said and then move the shirt that was pretty wet because of the sweat that covert Riley's body.
It was dark I was in the basement again…….he caries me upstairs my hand……I'm wet?….I'm cold?….?
Riley opened his eyes and looked around terrified that his nightmare was coming true and that his dad was back and that he was drowning him like he had so many times before…"No!" he heard someone saying and it took him along time to realize that he was the one taking.
"Riley you have to calm down…" A voice that sounded very familiar to Riley kept saying over and over again…."We are trying to help you just let us help…"
"Don't hurt me please I'll be good…I'll be good…"Riley pleaded thought the tears and the cold water that was all around him.
"Ben we have to get him to the bath we have to get the fever down because the Tylenol is not working, I'll go turn the water on…" She was gone and left Ben to carry Riley to the bathroom…Riley didn't move when we first put him in and then he started to fight and that scared them.
"No!" he shivered trying to push our hands away he opened his eyes and we saw terror that was embedded inside.
"Riley you have to calm down…" Ben said but that didn't help he kept fighting. What he said next broke our heart.
"Don't hurt me please I'll be good…I'll be good…" Riley said through his tears and with that all the fight was gone out of him and he fell limp in the water.