Oh. Boy. Well, here's chapter 5--longer than the others and maybe a little boring with the medical talk. I'm guessing my job has just slipped through into my fiction. But, as promised, some Conrad/Yuri snuggling--even if our favorite soldier is rather out of it due to being so sick. Anyway...thanks for taking the time to read--I can't believe how cool it is that people are reading this story! Hurrah for ConradxYuri!

Yuri spent an hour with Wolfram, after Anna allowed him entrance. She patted him on the shoulder as she passed him in the doorway, letting him know she was going to be with Conrad for a while, and that he should come when he was finished there.

"Are you sure you're going to be all right?" Yuri asked for the hundredth time.

Wolfram scoffed. "Of course I am! As if a few punches from Weller-kyo could harm me!"

"You have twenty stitches in your shoulder, Wolfram, and six broken ribs," Yuri replied, flatly.

"It's not a problem. You do know it's not his fault, right?"

"Yes, I know that. I'm not angry with Conrad, Wolfram. I'm only angry with myself for not stopping this."

"Weller-kyo is…a man well-versed in hiding his pain. I should have thought you would know that by now."

"I love him."

Yuri clamped his lips together. He hadn't meant to confess that to Wolfram, but the words just sort of slipped out.

"I know you do." Wolfram's lips twisted into a slightly bitter smile. "You two must have thought you were fooling everyone in the castle, but I believe we all knew. The only ones you managed to deceive were yourselves."

"I don't know what to say…" Yuri sighed and reached out for Wolfram's hand. "Don't hate me, please."

"I never could, Yuri. If our engagement hadn't occurred, which, I admit happened mostly because of my anger, then you and Conrad would have probably been together long ago. Although…" Wolfram trailed off, as though thinking. "You're both so wimpy and skittish, you'd likely be right where you are now, anyway."

"Wolfram!"

Then the blonde man laughed and patted Yuri's hand. "Don't make such outrageous faces, it hurts when I laugh. And now, you should go to him…he will need you now, most of all. It's still a dangerous time for him, and you should be there."

"Are you sure you'll be all right?"

"I said I would, so get going, or are you already cheating on my brother with me?! I swear, once a cheater, always a cheater!"

There was no heat in Wolfram's words, and he continued to shoo Yuri toward the door, and the king noticed that the blonde's actions became more pronounced when the temporary captain of the guard came to check on him. No, he thought to himself, Wolfram wasn't about to let any grass grow under his feet.

So it was that Yuri found himself outside Conrad's refitted bedroom door. This was the moment he had wanted since…well, forever…and he was just standing there. He chastised himself for his nerves and took a deep breath. Maybe everyone was wrong, and Conrad didn't contract hjerteskaerende for any reason having to do with him. Maybe Conrad didn't love Yuri as anything more than the closest of friends, but even if that was so…Yuri would give anything to make his knight well. So, he was going in. Taking a deep breath, Yuri pushed on the door, and stepped inside.

Yuri hesitated for a moment. Conrad was in his bed, and from the parts he could see, the king wondered that his soldier could still be alive. Anna was bent over his right side, her face a study in concentration. A gentle cough caused him to glance to his left, where he found both Gunter and Gwendal, flanking the window with their arms crossed over their chests.

"Come in, heika." Anna didn't even look up from what she was doing. "I have sedated him. Don't let the physical injuries frighten you—I'm taking care of him."

"Can…Can he hear me?"

"Mmm. Maybe. Right now, I've only administered Chloral Hydrate which produces physiologic sleep when used as a pre-anesthetic sedative. It's ok, Heika, come here and watch what I'm doing."

Yuri looked to Gwendal and the tall man nodded. He also noticed that his general had several more wrinkles on his forehead. Yuri crept up to left side of Conrad's bed, taking a deep breath and trying to prepare himself for what he might see. He glanced at Anna, and her face was almost a mirror of her father's. She was cool, professional, and completely focused—gone was his cheerful, quirky doctor. Yuri supposed that was what made her such a good surgeon.

"What…what is Chloral Hydrate, and where did you get it?" Yuri started to walk around to the side of the bed where Anna was working.

"Please stay on that side, Heika. I have a sterile field here, and you will contaminate it if you come over here. Just watch."

Yuri froze in place.

Anna began speaking again. "As I said, it's a sedative, though it is not a pain reliever. I have been considering how best to treat Weller-kyo and I have decided to approach this with caution. He is a strong man, but he has no experience with any of earth's drugs or treatments. He could be very sensitive, not having grown up on a diet of ibuprofen, acetaminophen and OxyContin. Chloral Hydrate will sedate him while I dress this particular wound and won't cause respiratory depression. Watch the rise and fall of his chest, Heika, and count his respirations for one full minute—you are wearing that watch your Papa gave you, I think. It has a second hand?"

"Y..Yes."

"Great. Count."

Yuri concentrated on Conrad's chest. His soldier appeared so pale, so drawn. He was breathing but it was shallow and seemed labored. He counted carefully. He swallowed hard as his own heart began to race.

"Eighteen. I count Eighteen breaths."

"Mmmhmm. That is what I count, too. That falls within the normal range for an average, adult human male. Now, count my father's respiratory rate, if you please. It will be hard to see with that gigantic coat he wears, so put your hand on his chest and just feel."

"Um, ok…but why?"

"Point of Comparison. Daddy, don't try to do anything, just breathe normally."

Yuri carefully made his way over to Gwendal, put his hand on his chest, and started to count when the second hand of his watch reached the twelve. He counted carefully. "I count ten."

"Yep. That's normal for my Dad. I've taken some surreptitious vitals since I've been here. So, if Conrad is breathing at almost twice the rate of my father, what might that tell you?"

Yuri closed his eyes. Anna sounded very much like one of his teachers at school—her voice was even, modulated and curious, yet detached. She was concentrating on what she was doing, something he couldn't really see.

"I…I'm not sure. I don't know."

"Well, just think about it, Yu-chan. Think logically and consider the things that make you breathe fast."

Conrad smiling at him jumped immediately to mind, but the boy doubted his knight was in the throes of sexual attraction at the moment. But what else made him breathe too fast…? Well, exercise certainly, or when he was hurting, or something scary happened to him.

"Maybe…Maybe Conrad is hurting, even though he is asleep?"

Anna nodded, and Yuri noticed that her hands were making swift motions, up and over, she had two metal implements in her hands, and he finally realized she was stitching a wound closed on Conrad's right arm. He didn't want to see that. He didn't want his Conrad to be hurt at all, but…this suddenly brought everything home to him—how close he was still to losing his entire world.

"Stay with me, Heika. You're doing great. And, yes, he might be in pain. But he is struggling very hard against quite a high fever, and that will increase his respiration rate."

"Doctor…Anna…is he going to die?"

"Too soon to tell. Hang on, just finishing."

Yuri watched as she made one last pass with the needle held in the metal clamp. Then she snipped the thread with a small pair of scissors that were on the table covered with a strange white cloth.

"Ok, that's all for that one. The rest of his wounds are going to have to heal by secondary intention, Daddy…there was too much infection. I've debrided them, though, and they look good. I've put window-pane dressings on everything except that nasty slice on his abdomen. I've got a Montgomery vest on it. Heika, come here now. It's safe."

Yuri approached Conrad again, heart aching. His strong warrior looked so small, so fragile in the bed. "He's sweating."

"Yes, he is. He has a pretty nasty fever."

"What…what are you doing now?" Yuri asked as Anna changed her gloves.

"I'm going to start an IV. He's dehydrated and needs fluids. If you'll wash your hands carefully and take a pair of gloves out the box on the desk, I would appreciate your help, Heika."

Yuri moved as though in a daze. He hadn't expected this. He hadn't expected to be pressed into service, but the more he thought about it, the more he found he wanted to help. He loved Conrad more than he ever thought possible, and caring for him was an honor.

"I'm just placing the IV now, it's not complicated, but the placement is important. I'm going to have to cover it with gauze, because Conrad has never had one and I suspect in delirium he might try to remove it. Open that package on the bed, carefully, there are pair of mesh mittens in it, could you put them over his hands and tie them lightly at the wrists? It will prevent him from injuring himself."

Yuri did as he was told, as he watched Anna slide a needle-looking thing into the back of Conrad's left hand. He listened as she explained the way to check for infiltration or signs that the IV site was losing patency. He watched as she hung a plastic, liter bag of something she called lactated ringers, and then attached a second, smaller bag a little higher up the hat stand that had been converted into an IV pole. Antibiotics to help Conrad's human side fight infection. When she explained how to calculate the drip factor—how fast the fluids would flow into his beloved, Yuri understood the math. He made careful notes as the doctor explained how to change dressings and check for the symptoms that might signal a change for the worse.

"But…Anna, aren't you going to be here?" he asked as she finally stood up and stretched her back.

"I will as much as I can, but I have patients back on earth that need me, too—as well as other patients here, Heika. I will take a leave of absence as soon as I can, of course, and transfer my patients to my partners, but…I treat children, Heika…I can't just leave them. You are competent, Yu-chan. You can do this. I believe in you. Now, here—" She tossed him a chapstick. "Smear up your mouth."

Yuri did, wondering what he was supposed to do next.

"Conrad isn't able to drink anything right now, so his lips are pretty chapped. Kiss him. He'll be more comfortable."

The young king blushed deeply to think that his first kiss with Conrad would be observed by his pediatrician and his two closest advisors, but he bravely leaned over the bed and pressed his lips to Conrad's mouth. He felt movement beneath him, and heard Conrad sigh softly. When he pulled back, he felt a small bubble of happiness expand in his chest.

"But…Anna…couldn't I have just put the chapstick on his mouth directly from the tube?"

The woman looked up from the pad she was currently writing on and smiled. "Sure, Heika, but then you would have missed a chance to kiss the man you love. That would totally suck, no?"

"I…I…You're outrageous! You know that, right?" he gasped.

"So I'm told," she grinned. "Listen, Yu-chan, seriously…don't forget in the midst of nursing him that you should love him, too. He needs the reassurance of your affection, of your care. He needs to be touched, and cuddled as much as his condition will allow. He has fought a battle I cannot begin to imagine, just to make his way back to you, and he's not home yet…maybe a little of your love could help light his way."

He nodded. When she put it that way, how could he argue? She spent a little more time teaching him how to take care of Conrad's teeth while he was unconscious (oral care is essential, Yu-Chan!) and explained the finer points of the condom catheter that was currently settled over a part of Conrad's anatomy that Yuri couldn't even think of without blushing.

"Gisela knows how to change his fluids, Heika, and she will help you until you feel comfortable doing it on your own. If all goes well, I'll still want to change that IV site in three days, but, I'm hoping your fella will be awake and able to take fluids on his own by then."

"All…All right."

She winked at him. "Now, I'm starving. So, I'm going to kidnap these two, if you don't mind, and grab something to eat. I want you to eat soon, too, but, I'm guessing you'd like to spend some time with Conrad?"

"Yes, I would."

"You're the best medicine for him, Yuri-Heika. Therefore, I am giving you this."

Yuri waited while Anna wrote something out on a small white pad. She handed it to him, and it was a prescription that read: All your love, every minute of every day, for the rest of your lives. She leaned over and kissed his cheek, then ruffled his hair. "I'm so proud of you" she whispered. "He needs your love…you can see that he almost died without it. Don't deny him anymore. Good luck, Heika."

Straightening, the doctor rolled her neck again then grinned. "C'mon, you two…I'm soooooo hungry!" She waited for her father and Gunter to start out the door then she slid past, giggling when Gunter squealed.

The look on the adjutant's face was priceless—his mouth bowed into a fishlike expression. "Did you…Gwendal…Did Anna just..?"

"Grab your ass? Yes, Gunter, I do believe she did. Now let's go. I think I feel a headache coming on. Heika, are you all right here?"

Yuri was trying to hide his smirk behind his hand. "Yes, Gwendal, I'm fine. I'll watch over him."

The two men trailed out of the room, one sighing and the other still spluttering in outrage about inappropriate touching, leaving Yuri alone with Conrad for the first time in many days.

He felt suddenly very lost. What was he supposed to do, again? He glanced at the prescription in his hand…love him. Well, that was a good place to start, right? Yuri approached the bed quietly, staring down at the handsome, if haggard face of the man he adored.

"Conrad," he whispered softly. "I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm here and I'm not going to leave you." He sat down on the bed and took his knight's hand in his own. "There's a lot going on right now, and I know you're fighting, but I don't want you to be scared—which is probably very silly because you're not afraid of anything, are you? I wish I was like you—fearless and brave, but I'm not. I'm still just a boy sometimes, but I'm growing up and I'm going to do my best, every day, to show you just how important to me you are. If you'll let me, that is. I used to wonder where I belong—where I fit. Being here and then on earth, caught between those two worlds, it was really confusing. But…But now I know that the physical place doesn't really matter as long as you are there, then I belong. You're my world, Conrad. Don't leave me, ok? Take your time, and rest and recover, take all the time you need, but please just come back to me. I want to see your smile again."

Yuri lifted Conrad's hand to his mouth and gently kissed each knuckle and stroked his palm through the mesh mittens. "I know I'm not much of a lover. I don't have the right words. I'm not strong like Gwendal, not smart like Gunter, and not even as headstrong as Wolfram—but, I mean well. My intentions are good, that is they're mostly good, because some of my intentions toward you aren't very…platonic, but we can talk about that more when you wake up. So, any time you want to open your eyes and talk…I'll be here. I'll never leave your side, Conrad. I make you this promise, and I don't have much to offer, I know, but what I have is yours. Just like me…I'm yours. I always have been. I think maybe you've been waiting for me for a long, long time and if it's my turn to wait, I can do that. I'll do anything for you. I love you."

--O.o.O—

Dinner at Blood Pledge Castle had never been known to be a sedate affair, but as Gwendal surveyed the occupants of the table, he really did wonder if it wouldn't be better to institute a policy that castle occupants dine in their respective rooms. Yozak was smirking, every so often punching Murata in the arm. His mother was cooing and being overly demonstrative with his daughter. Wolfram was glaring at the table whenever anyone mentioned his age, or lack thereof since he was presently the youngest, but the worst was Gunter and Anna—those two were engaged in a pitched battle concerning who loved the Maou more.

"I have rescued Heika from bandits," Gunter said smugly, folding his arms over his chest.

Anna shrugged. "I performed all his well-baby visits AND explained the finer points of where babies come from."

"I have taught him everything he knows about Shin Makoku." Gunter's voice raised slightly.

Gwendal watched his daughter's eyes narrow slightly. "I taught him that masturbation is natural and that every healthy male does it…a lot. That's true here still, isn't Gunter-sama?"

Gunter gasped, but ignored the implication, for which Gwendal was very grateful. "He makes me tea when I've worked all day!"

"He brought cookies to every office visit!" She shot back.

"I have BATHED him!"

Anna snorted. "Ha! I've got pictures of him, naked! Well, he was just a kid, but still…totally in. the. buck."

Murata was choking on his water, his mother was giggling, and Yozak was turning purple. Gwendal sighed. "Must you—"

"I have slept in the same bed with him!" Gunter nearly shouted.

"What?" Wolfram squeaked out. "When was that?"

"On that trip to Francshire, last year, when there only two rooms in the Inn. Heika and I slept together."

"You were both fully clothed, Gunter," Gwendal sighed. "And you only got the bed because Conrad drew the short straw. He slept in the chair in the same room. I, however, had to share a room with Geigen Huber, Nicola, and Elle—and Elle was teething!"

Anna's small, shapely hands slammed down on the table, shaking all the glasses. "I was there the day he was born, Gunter-sama. My hands were the first to catch and hold the Maou…and if you've bathed him, slept in the same bed with, and attended him so faithfully, then you must know how things…hang. But, before you get too smug, let it be known that I circumcised him!"

"Anna!" Gwendal choked out, unable to go further.

Yozak collapsed on the table, slapping one hand hard against it, in time to his shaking shoulders as he fell into hysterical laughter. "Oh…My…God! Priceless! Anna! The kiddo!" The red-haired spy was wheezing, his face buried in his one elbow, the other arm raised in the air, two fingers making a scissor motion. Murata dissolved into giggles.

"Yuri's circumcised?" Wolfram muttered the question under his breath.

Anna fixed Gunter with a bright stare. "I. Win."

"Anna!" Gwendal shouted.

"Yes, Dad?"

"Eat your dinner."

"Ok, Papa."

Gunter gathered his dignity and excused himself from the table, stating before he left that he would be in his rooms should Yuri-Heika call for him. It wasn't long after that the other diners made their excuses and left for their various post-dinner activities, leaving Gwendal alone with his daughter. He watched her calmly finish her dinner as though nothing ever happened.

"Anna…even after all these years, you just can't help yourself, can you?"

She put her fork beside her plate and turned her stormy eyes toward him. Her smile was rueful and reminded him of Abby—she looked the same way when she was hurting. "I…Ah, Dad. Seeing him again, I thought I was over him."

"There's no future in it, little one. He is committed to the Maou and Shin Makoku."

"I know it, but…I can't help the way I feel. I thought leaving would solve the problem, and then, I've been so busy trying to become the right person to watch over the Maou, it was easy to suppress for a long time. I was so embarrassed, Dad," she whispered. "He laughed at me when I told him how much I love him. He thought I was teasing. I guess I've never really gotten over that—though believe me, it's not through lack of trying."

"Can't you just accept that he sees you as a child? He was there to help raise you, you know."

"I'm over a hundred years old, Papa. I'm not a kid."

"But…don't you think it's a little strange to long for him in that way? He is much, much older than you."

"I don't think it's any stranger than a seasoned soldier who falls in love with a true child and almost dies for it. I don't see anyone objecting to the appropriateness of their relationship. How old were you, anyway, when you married Mama? She was only eighteen, right?"

Gwendal inclined his head, conceding her point. "He loves the Maou, Anna. Maybe not as a lover, but so much so that Yuri will always come first for him."

"We have that in common." Gwendal watched as his daughter squared her shoulders and forced a smile. "Isn't it important for couples to have shared interests?"

"He's loved the Maou since they first met."

"Me, too. Besides, I'm holding onto the dream that he loved me at first sight, too."

"Anna, the first time Gunter saw you, you were three minutes old, covered in blood and some kind of cheesy substance."

"See?" she said brightly. "I've got that in my favor, too. My looks have only improved with age."

"You peed on him, my dear, at least three times that I can think of and ruined his favorite cape. Hardly an endearing trait, my daughter."

She shrugged, "I was an infant, besides, some guys like it when a woman—"

"Don't you dare even THINK about finishing that sentence Anna Von Voltaire! You may be a grown woman, but I can still send you to your room—and don't think I won't."

Gwendal frowned when his daughter gave him a small, sad smile. "I wish I were young again, Dad. I wish you were still the only man in my life, and no matter what the problem was with me, you could always fix it."

"Come here, little bearbee." Gwendal opened his arms and closed them around his only child when she slipped into his lap. He gently pushed her head until she was resting against his shoulder. "You know I would fix this for you if I could."

"I know."

"Murata has told me some things about the work you've done in Yuri's world. I'm so proud of you. But, no matter how respected you might be—no matter how successful, you will always be my little girl. And you can always come to me. Always. "

"I know, Daddy. It's just…it hurts. Don't worry, I'm not going to succumb to Hjerteskaerende. It's just…why can't he love me, Dad?"

Gwendal warred within himself, and then finally decided on the only response appropriate to the situation. "He's a stupid, inconsiderate, oaf?"

"Exactly. I'm tired, Dad. Can I sit here, just a minute longer?"

"For as long as you want, little one."

"I have to return to earth in two hours. So, I just need to rest for a few minutes. I want to check on Conrad once more before I go."

"Ok, I'll be sure to wake you."

Gwendal listened as her breathing hitched a little, then evened out. When she was asleep, he allowed himself the luxury of indulging in a long cuddle. After all, his little girl hadn't slept on his shoulder in over a hundred years, and he'd missed it.

--O.o.O—

A rushed knock on his door brought Gunter out of his thoughts. "Yes?"

A soldier poked his head into the room. "It's Weller-kyo, your excellency. Heika is calling for Lady Von Voltaire."

"We'll be right there."

Gunter raced to the dining room first. He was surprised to find Gwendal, Anna in his arms, and the girl fast asleep.

"It's Conrad. She is needed."

"I'm up," Anna said, seeming to come to instant alertness. "Let's go."

She stumbled against Gunter as she rushed passed and without thinking he reached out an arm and set her back on her feet.

"Thank you. Let's hurry now."

Gunter followed after Gwendal who was chasing after his daughter. He sent a quick prayer upwards, hoping everything would be all right. When they arrived at Conrad's chamber, Gunter paused. Their brave king was bending over the fallen soldier, trying to settle the man as he thrashed about—threatening to undo all the good Anna had tried to do.

"I'm so sorry, Anna. I was just talking to Conrad, and I must have fallen asleep for a little bit. I woke up when he knocked me off the edge of the bed. He's…he won't settle down."

"It's all right, Heika. You did the right thing."

Gunter moved the younger man to the side to give the girl more room to work. "Are you injured, Heika?"

"No, I'm ok, thanks Gunter." The maou never took his eyes from the bed. "I'm just…worried about Conrad."

Gunter looked on, feeling impotent, as Anna did her best to settle the delirious man.

"Gunter-sama, get my bag—there by the door. I don't suppose any of you have ever drawn up medication?"

"I've watched a friend give himself insulin," the king offered.

"Good. Gunter-sama, give that to Yu-chan. He is more familiar with earth measurements than you."

"Ok," said the maou. "What do I do?"

"In a smaller black case there are several vials. Find the one that is labeled morphine, Yuri—Hydromorphone Hydrochloride. Do you see it?"

Gunter wanted to help, but knew his hands would only get in the way. He was, however, proud to see how calm the maou was. The boy's hands were steady and sure.

"I have it."

"Good, now, get one of the small, red-topped syringes. Take the cap off, carefully, and draw up point two milliliters of air, inject that air into the vial and carefully draw out point two ml's of the drug—got it?"

"Ok, I can do it."

"The measurement is really important, Heika. That vial has a concentration of ten milligrams of morphine per single milliliter. I want two milligrams of the drug total—"

"So, point two ml's on the syringe, I see."

While Yuri worked on the injection, Gunter watched as Anna clamped off the tubing that was running into Conrad's hand and disconnected the IV, all while dodging his other flailing arm.

"I've got it, Anna."

"Let me see it, bring it over here."

Yuri crossed the room to the other side of the bed and held up the syringe, careful to keep it away from Conrad.

"Ok, that's right. Good job. Now, find the bottle marked NS—normal saline, use the same syringe and don't inject anything into it, just draw up at least five full milliliters of the saline. It's totally ok if you get more, but the medication has to be diluted."

Gunter held his breath, his fingers twitching, aching to help.

"It's ready." Yuri said.

"You're my favorite ex-patient, Yu-chan. Bring it here." Anna turned away just for a moment and Conrad's hand jerked out and smacked her hard on the jaw. "God DAMN it, Weller! Just settle down," she hissed out.

"Yuri!" Conrad whispered, tossing his head. "Yuri, where are you—I can't find you! I'm lost, Yuri—Yuri!"

"Heika, hand me the syringe and get in bed with him."

"But—"

"He's calling for you, Heika. I need to work here. Please, help me."

Gunter plucked the strange little plastic tube from the maou's fingers and gently pushed him toward the bed. "Do as she says, Heika."

Yuri climbed into bed with Conrad, on the soldier's right side, being careful of his fresh stitches. Gunter put the syringe into Anna's outstretched hand, making sure not to touch her with the sharp, metal needle.

Thank you, Gunter-sama. Please help, Heika—try to keep Conrad from kicking me."

Gunter's heart felt like it was cracking a little as he watched the slim, young man press close to Conrad and croon soft, loving words in his ear.

"I'm here, Conrad. You're not lost," Yuri said, over and over. "I'm right here, and I'll never leave you. Don't be afraid, we just want to help you. Just settle down, my love. See? I'm right here…right here with you."

Anna caught Conrad's left arm, having already exposed the IV site while Yuri had prepared the injection. She held it down on the bed, using light pressure with her knee, and then put the needle in the little tube coming from Conrad's hand. Gunter listened as she counted softly and slowly, pushing the small plunger in with steady deliberation.

"That's the way, Conrad," she whispered. "Just listen to Heika. Stop fighting the medicine and let it work."

"How long will it take…whatever you gave him…to take effect?" Gwendal asked.

"Not long, Dad. Just watch for a minute. Yuri, keep close to him. I'm taking his temperature and vitals now."

Gunter kept a gentle hold on Conrad's ankles until he felt the soldier begin to relax. It couldn't have been very long, and Yuri never stopped talking to the sick man. He watched as Yuri brushed Conrad's hair from his face, and pressed soft, gentle kisses on his damp brow.

"Fuck me!" Anna muttered as she stared at the device she'd just plunked into Conrad's ear.

"What is it?" Gunter asked.

"High…way, way too high. Papa, can you send for some cool water—not cold, but sort of tepid, ok?"

Gwendal made no reply, but immediately moved to the door. A basin and cloths appeared in moments.

"Yuri, I need your help again. I want you to bathe him, very gently, with damp, cloths. The water evaporating will help to bring his temperature down. This is not good. Not good at all. I think we should risk some acetaminophen, Yu-chan. It will bring the temp down. What do you think?"

"I…I don't know, Anna. You're the doctor."

"I know," she said, leaning down and looking the king in the eyes. Her voice was gentle, and warm. "I may be the doctor, but you are his family, Heika. He cannot make decisions for himself and as the one closest to him—I want your input."

Responsibility lay heavy on the king's shoulders, Gunter could see it. It was the most difficult, he knew, to make decisions concerning the well-being of those you loved most.

"What happens if his temperature rises further, Anna?" Yuri asked.

"The body, whether human or mazoku, is mostly made of proteins. Protein denature—change shape when exposed to extremes of temperature. Conrad could suffer permanent brain damage or death if we don't address this, Heika. A little bit of fever is therapeutic—it can kill bacteria without damaging the body, but, Conrad's is…out of control."

"Treat him." The maou's voice was firm. "I've taken Tylenol a thousand times, and it's always been all right. I know you're worried about him—using a human medication and all, but, the Maou is inside me as well. I trust you. Do it."

"Would our maryoku help?" Gunter offered.

Anna shook her head. "No, and you probably already know that from before. I don't think anyone knows why it doesn't help. Maybe when Anissina comes back you could ask. She knows more than she lets on."

"Anna…what are you doing?" Gwendal asked as the younger woman started pulling packets out of her bag.

"It's a suppository, Dad. It's not like he can swallow a medication right now."

"If Conrad recovers…you know he'll kill you, right?"

Anna smirked. "I'll take it like a woman. Now, let's see if he'll take it like a man."

Gunter assisted Anna in gently rolling Conrad to his side, and respectfully averted his eyes as she used a gloved hand to…administer the medication. "If you have to do this while I'm gone, Heika, make sure you use plenty of water-based lubricant—the sterile kind here, in my bag, and not astro-glide, or whatever it is you kids use these days—and insert it just past the rectal sphincter, ok?"

"Um…sure." Gunter bit his lip at the king's appalled expression.

"Right—so, that's it then." She said.

"What…what happens now?" Gunter asked.

"Well, now that Conrad is resting more comfortably, and while we wait to see if this will help him, You and Dad will watch our sicko while Heika and I go raid the kitchen and dance."

"I don't think I should leave him, Anna. I promised him I would stay."

Anna slipped her arm around Yuri's shoulders and eased him out of the bed. "It won't do me any good at all if my chief assistant falls ill himself because he didn't care for himself. Do you think Conrad would want you to sacrifice your health for his? Never in a million years. I've known this old goat since I was a kid, Yu-chan. He would never forgive himself if you fell in the line of duty, so to speak. Now, come on…let's get you a snack. Then, I'll show you how to blow off a little steam, and then you can come back here and snuggle up with your best guy and catch a little sleep. Deal?"

"If I do what you say…can I have one of those lollipops you used to have in your office?"

"As many as you want, big man."

"Ok," Yuri finally agreed.

A full hour passed before Gunter heard soft laughter in the hall. When the door opened, he saw a strangely refreshed looking ruler and a young woman who clearly knew how to hide her exhaustion.

"I'm such a crappy dancer," Yuri was saying. "But you were right, I do feel better. Do you do that often?"

"I'm married to my iPod, Heika. It's just another little sanity-saver of mine. I find that movement, dancing, well, it just helps. Now…about that keeping your end of the bargain…"

"I know. I'm going."

Gunter was surprised that Yuri didn't blush at all as he slipped out of his shirt, kicked off his shoes, and climbed back into bed with Conrad. In front of an audience, too. Anna sat down at the desk and busied herself with writing on a tablet.

"You know, I'm not really that tired," the king whispered. "I'm back, Conrad. See, not gone long at all. Let's get some sleep, ok?"

"What are you doing now, Anna?" He asked quietly, when he was sure Yuri had dropped off to sleep. He looked over her shoulder. "Isn't that Heika's language?"

"Yes, I'm writing notes. Yu-chan will find it easier to read his own language I think, and it will lessen any chance of mistakes. Excuse me, please, Gunter-sama, I need to flush Conrad's IV and start his fluids again. Where's Dad?"

"Hopefully in bed. He had to check on the castle and soldier's first. I thought I could handle things here on my own for the short time you were gone. I hope that's ok."

"Of course it is. I'm sure you're very competent. You always have been."

"These things…that you do. They seem very complicated."

He watched as she busied herself checking Conrad again, observing his wounds as gently as possible, and repositioning a sleeping Yuri so that he was more comfortable, too.

"Not really. It just takes training and practice. I've been a physician for about fifty years now. It was overwhelming at first. I'm sure you know what I mean—Earth is a confusing place. But, I'm an adaptable sort of girl."

"You were always very bright," Gunter ventured, hoping he wasn't saying the wrong thing. Anna was like her father, in that he didn't always know what would raise her temper.

"Thank you, Gunter-sama. Now, I can watch over them for a while. Would you care to return to your own rooms?"

"I think I might be less tired than you."

"I'm fine, but thank you. I intend to closely monitor Conrad tonight. I think this is the most dangerous time."

"But, you're exhausted, Anna. I can see it."

The woman stopped writing, again, and looked up at him. Her eyes were hard. "When will you ever see that I am not a child? I am a grown woman and I have been doing this very thing for years. I can handle this."

Gunter held up his hands in a gesture of peace. "I didn't mean to question your judgment as a healer, Anna. I am only concerned for your well-being. If you mean to stay and watch over them, then I shall wait with you. It is the very least I can do."

"If you must." She shrugged. "Suit yourself. I was going to return to Earth tonight, but, with things how they stand the way time moves between the two worlds, I won't leave until tomorrow sometime."

Silence reigned for a long time. It was not a comfortable, sweet silence and it was driving Gunter mad. Every time he dared to glance at her, from his place in the chair that was situated next to the bed, Anna had her head down, still writing furiously—her cheeks burning red.

"Anna…what does it mean to be…an pedal oncolologist?"

"Pediatric Oncologist," she said quietly. "It means I am a doctor that specializes in the care of very sick children. Humans can contract many diseases that fall under the larger umbrella of something called cancer. It's fatal a lot of the time, and much of what I do probably doesn't help."

"Children? That's horrible! Do…Do many of your patients die?"

She put down her pen and looked at him. "Yes, Gunter-sama, many of my patients die. But, some of them also recover and go on to live long and happy lives. It depends on the specific type of cancer, where it's located—and other things."

"I would be so very sad…" He trailed off, not sure of what to say next.

"Sometimes it's heartbreaking. Sometimes it's filled with hope. I can't explain it, I just know that it's something I have needed to do. I love children."

"I didn't know that."

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Gunter Von Kleist."

Gunter closed his mouth on his next words. What could he say? Instead, he kept an eye on his king and Conrad. It was going to be a long night, but he would wait it out happily, if he could be of any assistance. He loved both the men currently sleeping in the bed, and promised himself that if tragedy were to come, he would stay it by his own hand.

Sometimes, I swear, I have no idea why my characters do what they do. They just sort of...hijack my story and tell it themselves. Pushy, pushy characters! Thanks for bearing with me through this. You guys are the greatest. Chapter 6...could there be a declaration in someone's future? I bet there is! See you next time!