Disclaimer: I own nothing accept for the OC's. All rights go to their respective owners.
Author's Note: Okay this is where it starts to get really interesting. I apologize for any boredom you may experience during this chapter.
Ch 5. Sickness
Jareth looked up from the baby he was playing with as Toby rushed into the throne room looking panicked. The teen tried to speak but he could barely breathe. The king passed the infant to the nearest goblin and patted his brother-in-law on the back.
"Take a moment to catch your breath Toby. Then try again," he instructed.
Toby tried to catch his breath but his lungs hurt and his ribs wouldn't let him breathe. He'd had a friend who went through this before. The kids from school called him Anxiety Allan. He fell to his knees as his ribs seized up and kept him from breathing. His body shook as it was overtaken by sobs which only made it hurt worse.
"Toby," Jareth quickly pulled the distressed teen into his arms, "Shh, shh, try to calm yourself. What is it?"
"Ella," the boy managed to choke out, "She…She won't…I can't wake her…She won't move."
"What? Are you sure? Toby, is she breathing," the last question was the most important and his voice said it.
Toby gave a shaky nod, "The fever…It's worse…I'm scared," he tried to speak between sobs.
"How bad," he tried a gentle rocking motion to soothe the boy.
"105.4," he sobbed.
Jareth was quick to take action. He pointed at a random goblin, "You, go get the healer. Bring her to the royal suite of the west wing," he quickly teleported the both of them to Ella's room without another word.
Toby sat in the nearest chair and tried to calm himself. Ella lay almost completely still in her bed. The only movement she made was the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest. She didn't so much as stir when her Father moved her to lay in a straighter position so the healer would have better access to what her body was up to.
"Jareth," a female voice sounded from the doorway.
He looked up ad the moon blonde woman in a simple, long sleeved, floor length, pale blue dress. Quickly her brought her over to Ella. A goblin ran in with the wished away infant.
"Sire, what do we do with it," the goblin seemed confused by the unusual situation.
Jareth looked at the baby and immediately shooed the creature out into the hall, "There is already one sick child here. Get that baby out of the room before he catches it too. He's crying like he's hungry. Get a bottle of milk and feed him."
"Yes Sire," the small servant bowed quickly and ran in the direction of the kitchens.
He returned to his daughter's room to see the woman placing her hand on Ella's forehead and closing her eyes. A blue mist flowed from her hand to surround the girl. Toby stood up looking nervous. Jareth held up a hand to calm him.
"You said," the teen tried to protest but Jareth cut him off.
"It depends on the spell and how it works. Teleporting pulls the molecules apart and reassembles them elsewhere. To do that would be to confuse her immune system. This morning I refrained from stopping her stomach ache because it cuts of the nerves that sense pain but also the nerves that control involuntary function in that area. She would not have been able to digest her food. What Ezmerilda is doing is sensing the state and activity of Ella's systems one by one. Nothing is cut off or interrupted. This technique is safe," the king explained.
"Autonomic nervous system is fully functional. All involuntary functions are being performed normally," Ezmerilda spoke clearly then paused, "Central nervous system has shut down all voluntary function. She is in a coma," another pause, "Peripheral nervous system is not functional at this point in time. She can not feel what is happening to her."
"One system down. Eleven to go," Jareth muttered.
"Lymphatic system is working overtime. Lymph nodes are producing and releasing white blood cells at an accelerated rate," Ezmerilda continued.
"That's good. Her body is fighting back," Toby stated and calmed a little.
"Digestive system is empty accept for her bladder. Since she can't eat she can't gain nutrients from it. Necessary nutrients will have to be administered through alternative methods," the woman nodded to the boy's observation.
"Reproductive system is not fully developed yet. She is still at least a year or two from menstruation. Her ovum are in little to no danger," Toby couldn't see where that check was necessary but decided it was best not to question her, "Respiratory system is functioning normally. All necessary molecules are being passed to and from her blood without issue."
"That's five. Seven left," Jareth seemed to take some comfort in counting the systems.
"Circulatory system working at rested speed. Heart rate is at the level of deep sleep. All nutrients and wastes are being distributed to the correct places," Ezmerilda was starting to look strained.
"Alright that's good," Toby was trying to calm himself by vocally confirming any good news he heard.
"Skeletal system is fully in tact. All bones are uninjured and resting properly in their joints," a moment passed before Ezmerilda flinched, "Goodness, what has happened to this girl. There are patches of blood layered throughout her muscular system. It's as though she has been beaten."
"How is that possible," Jareth demanded, "I examined her myself before. There were no bruises."
"Patience my brother let me finish. Integumentary system is unmarred aside from a few old scars. Her pores are open to release sweat. Excretory system is releasing a significant amount of waste as sweat to try and counteract the fever. At this rate she'll become very dehydrated within three hours. Liquids will have to be administered into her systems by alternative methods," Toby sat back down and cried quietly.
"Endocrine system is highly active. Hormones are being sent through her system to activate and maintain defense against the attack," Ezmerilda was looking weak now.
"One left," Jareth muttered.
"Immune system is fighting at full strength. It knows there is a virus spreading and it's trying to kill it," she drew her power back and relaxed.
"Now what? We know her state. What do we do about it," Toby was trying his best to keep calm so he could help.
"We discuss each system and what to do about it," Jareth answered.
"We can't do much about her nervous system. I'll keep checking and if anything changes with it we'll decide what to do from there," Ezmerilda began, "Her lymphatic system is doing it's job. We won't have to worry about that unless I sense a change in her. Since her digestive system is useless without voluntary function you'll have to lend her some nutrients from yourself for now Jareth," she looked meaningfully at her brother.
He nodded and took Ella's hand. Carefully he directed his magic to send nutrients from himself to her blood.
"You'll have to reopen the trade routes with our brother," she spoke calmly.
He gave her an angry look, "Why?"
"Malachai's kingdom is the only in the Underground to advance with the aboveground. He can provide us with what we need to help her. You can only keep this up for so long. Eventually you will run out and die. Then so will she," Ezmerilda explained in a pleading voice.
"If the trade routes are opened they stay open. Closing them again would spark a war. We can't deal with that," he declined.
"Is it worth your life and hers to keep the trade routes closed," she spat at him.
"Our resources are few. He'll expect too much in return," he tried to reason.
"Then make a deal with him in exchange for the supplies we need. Please Jareth, one route. Just open one route for her. She needs this medicine. As I recall Malachai is not unreasonable when it comes to family," she countered.
There was a moment of silence as Jareth endured an internal battle to make his decision, "One route. When we are finished deciding what is needed send a list with our fastest messenger to open the quickest route and have him deliver the list to our brother. I would like to request an immediate audience with him here to discuss an agreement," he gave in.
"Thank you for her sake," she summoned a quill and parchment and began writing the medicines and equipment they needed, "until she wakes up activity in developing her reproductive system will waste energy. I would like to send for some herbal medicines to temporarily stop the development of the organs."
"If you think it'll help. Also add to the list something to keep her powers sealed until she wakes while we're on the subject of energy reservation," he nodded.
"I could have a small shipment of martrine herbs sent with the messenger. Malachai's scientists can make it into an intravenal medicine for her," she suggested.
"Good. What next," he looked at his daughter. So small. So helpless.
"Her respiratory system is fine but I feel I should send for emergency equipment in case that changes," she wanted to think ahead a little, "Same for her circulatory system."
He nodded his consent and waited for her to continue.
"Skeletal system needs no help right now. Her muscular system will heal those bruises on it's own. Her magic probably hid them as ours does with us. They will be visible once her magic is kept bound. I'll send for the necessary liquids to keep her hydrated. For now that's your job. I'll have a goblin bring in plenty of fluids to keep you and Ella hydrated," she kept writing.
He concentrated a little more and her body absorbed liquid from him.
"Her hormones are being produced well enough for now. I would like to send for some in case that changes,' he nodded and she continued, "There isn't much we can do for her immune system. Any attempt to give her more white blood cells will only cause her existing cells to fight the new cells," she concluded.
"Why did her central nervous system shut down," Toby asked.
"Her mind went into shock. She couldn't handle illness and change of environment all at once. Her brain is trying to deal with one thing at a time. If we can keep her alive until her body can destroy the flu virus chances are that she will wake up not long after her body stabilizes," she explained, "Her body is at war though. How long it will take is indefinite. Could be days, weeks, months, or even years. Let's just hope it doesn't take that long."
"Why is she so sick. If it's just the flu it shouldn't be this hard for her to fight it," Jareth had seen many children catch the flu before but none had gotten this ill from it.
"I'm not sure," she looked at Toby, "Do you recall much from her infancy?"
He nodded.
"How was she fed," she inquired.
"Baby formula from a bottle. Sarah had wanted to breast feed her but she died when Ella was born," he answered shakily.
"We don't use baby formula in the Underground. If the biological Mother can not breast feed we find a wet nurse who can. Breast milk contains immunoglobulins, an immune defense passed from Mother to child. All illnesses her Mother's body had learned to recognize and kill would have been unable to harm Ella. She would only have gotten contagiously sick by a disease her Mother had never encountered or a mutated strain of a disease. She still would have gotten the flu if she had been breast fed but it would have been easier to fight off because of the similarities between the new strain and the old strain," suddenly Toby wished he'd paid more attention in science class. This was getting hard to understand, "On top of that her powers have been treated by others as a bad thing. Due to past ridicule her subconscious may be less willing to utilize her strengths by fighting with magic as well. Then there is the half-breed factor."
"Half-breed factor," now Toby was really confused.
"Those with impure blood are called half-breeds. For unknown reasons this causes them to be more easily effected by illness. Ella is in truth one half human, seven sixteenths sorceral being, and one sixteenth goblin. Each creature fights illness differently so there is a clash of methods and energy distribution," Ezmerilda explained.
"How do goblins fight illness," Toby asked.
"They drink beers and wines to burn the virus out," was the simple reply/
"That makes sense," Jareth sighed sadly. Would Sarah's untimely death ever stop causing her family to suffer?
"I'll send this list along with your orders and the herbs. While I'm gone have the human draw a cold bath. We need to get that fever down," she stood and left before Toby could complain about being called 'the human' rather than by his name.
TBC…
Author's Note: I hope you like this story so far. Remember I update faster when I get reviews.