Chapter 16
-Feverish –
Distant shouts pulled her out of her sleep. She awoke staring up into the bright winter sky. She could see branches passing overhead. She shut her eyes to avoid the light, she just wanted to sleep.
"Shit, shit, shit, shit…" She heard Jean curse. His English was pretty bad, but he knew all the swear words.
She felt a shadow fall across her face. "What happened?" It was Rick.
"Fell in th'river two days back when th'storm hit. Got her warm, but fever set in anyway. Holed up 'til the weather cleared."
"On les a trouver." Jean again. "Nord, sur la route quarante-un."
Cap's voice came across a radio "Ils sont bien ou non?"
"Daryl oui. Emma non."
"Here," Rick said "Let me pull the sled for awhile."
"Dis way" Jean again. "Shit shit shit…Maudit tabarnac…"
}.{
The next thing she knew a bright light was shining in her eyes. "How long has she been like this?" It was Joel's clinical doctor-voice.
"Since th'morning." Daryl's voice was worried. "She's been a bit confused for days, but this morning she was pretty gone. Got her calmed down and she drifted off again. When she did wake up, she just blabbered nonsense."
"Did you give her anything for the fever?"
"Found T3's but she wouldn't take 'em. Said she's allergic to codeine. Mostly just been givin' her soup."
"You're sure she didn't get bit?" It was Michael now. His voice full of worry,
"I didn't see any bites." Daryl replied.
"Are you sure? There could've been a biter in the bottom of the river."
"I uh…" Daryl's voice was nervous. "had t'help get her wet clothes off. Didn't see no bites."
"Ah." Joel's voice registered understanding. "Tell me the truth Daryl. Is there any chance that she could be pregnant?"
"What?!" Daryl had been caught off guard.
"I need to know." Joel's voice was detached. "It's important."
"Did you take advantage of her?" Michael was angry now.
"Fuck you!" Daryl shot back "I ain't no rapist. She wasn't thinkin' right. I ain't no perv."
"I swear to God if I hear that you touched her…"
"Shut up Michael." She managed to get the words out.
"Emma?" It was Joel now. "How do you feel?"
"Cold, tired and achy." She said. "Can everyone stop talking now so I can sleep?"
"You heard the lady." Joel said. "Everyone out."
"But." Michael this time.
"Especially you, loverboy."
}.{
Emma dreamed of drowning. She was back in the canal again. Dead hands were holding her under the water, she couldn't escape. She thrashed and fought, but to no avail. They held her down, she couldn't breathe.
"Easy, I gotcha" She heard Daryl's voice over the sloshing water. "Just breathe girl."
Emma let out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding. Oddly, she found she could breathe under the water and the ice.
"That's it. Just relax. S'okay."
She stilled and let herself float, suspended in the water.
"Atta girl."
}.{
Emma's eyes opened, Joel was there. "Joel? Joel you've gotta put me down. Don't let me hurt anyone."
Joel looked puzzled. "Em?"
She looked down at her hands. She could see the flesh darkening, fingers starting to rot. "See?" Emma held them up for his inspection. "See? It's happening, we don't have much time." She rolled out of bed, landing on the floor.
The world spun and her eyes swam with black.
"Calm down Emma, you're fine. It's just the fever." Joel was there by her side.
She pushed him away with a strength she didn't know she had, he fell backwards. "That's how it starts, Joel. Can't you see? I can feel it. I can feel my body dying!"
A cold wind hit her back as a door opened. "Joel? Emma?" She heard Daryl's voice.
"Help me get her back into bed." Joel's orders.
"Nooo! Don't you see? I'm a monster. Don't let me turn!" She crawled towards the cabinet she knew Joel kept the knives. If I can just get them, I can do it myself… I'm sure I can do it.
Daryl's scooped her up into his arms with dizzying speed. "The bed or the tub?" He asked as she beat weakly at his arms.
"Put me down!" She ordered "Lemme go!"
He ignored her.
"Let me check her temperature." Joel's doctor voice was calm and detached. "Just hold her steady."
Joel stuck something into her mouth, she spat it out.
"Hey." Daryl warned her. "It's okay. Let Joel take your temperature and then we'll help you."
"You will?" She asked. Help me do what? She wondered.
"I will." Daryl's voice was calm, his eyes held hers captive. Unable to look away she stared at him, trying to figure out if his eyes had always been that color.
Joel stuck something in her mouth again while she was distracted. He pulled it out and sighed. "Bed."
"Time fer sleep, Emma." Daryl deposited her gently on a cot.
"You said you were going to help me." She said, grabbing at his shirt.
"I did." He patiently unwound her weak fingers from his clothing.
"Why do I need help?" She sighed as he ran his fingers through her hair. Closing her eyes, she drifted off to sleep.
}.{
A cool, damp pressure on her forehead pulled her out of her dream. She opened her eyes and saw Joel leaning over her. His brown eyes crinkled in a smile. "Welcome back." He said quietly.
"Was I gone?" She asked and took in her surroundings; she was in the room they used as an infirmary. It night and the warm glow of candles bathed the room.
"Shh." Joel pointed to a figure in the next cot over. "He only just fell asleep."
"Daryl?" She whispered. "Is he hurt?"
Joel shook his head. "He's been worried about you. Sheila pulls him away as much as she can, but he always comes straight back. Besides, you're a lot calmer when he's around."
"What do you mean?"
"You've been having fever dreams." Joel explained, helping her to sit up. "You'd wake up convinced you'd been bit or had turned. He had a way of calming you down quickly." Joel handed her a cup. "Drink."
The liquid was bitter, she made a face. "Ug. One of Michael's experiments?"
Joel smiled "Mine actually. Drink it." He took out a stethoscope and checked her heart rate while she drank. "How are you feeling?"
"Better. Not achy anymore, just tired."
"Good."
"How long have I been here anyway? I don't remember getting back."
"Three days. Daryl was dragging you in on a makeshift sled when Rick and Jean found the two of you. We sent a Skidoo down to bring you in fast. Do you remember that?"
She furrowed her brow. "Some of it, I think."
"Think you can try to eat something?"
She nodded.
"Okay, sit tight and I will grab something from the kitchen for you." With that he stood and walked to the door. As he was putting on his coat, he nodded towards Daryl. "He has it bad for you Em."
She averted her eyes and blushed.
Joel headed out the door. "Thought so."
}.{
She'd been asleep when Daryl had left in the morning. When he came back, breakfast in hand, she was sitting up reading a book Michael had given her.
"Hey." Daryl smiled at her, causing her stomach to flip. "Brought ya somethin' to eat."
Archer smiled back. "It's not often I get breakfast in bed." She set the book aside and accepted the bowl of porridge he gave her. "Thank you."
Daryl shrugged off his coat and hung it by the door. "Glad yer up."
"It's good to be up." She looked down at the quilts covering her. "Well, I suppose up is relative."
He sat on the cot next to hers, his eyes searching hers. "Eyes're brighter. That's good."
"Joel said the fever's gone." She paused. "Daryl, can I ask you something?"
"Shoot."
"My memories are a bit muddled. After I fell in the river we went to Cherry house, right?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, so…" She bit her lip and looked down. "I remember waking up next to you. Did I strip down by myself?"
He looked away. "No."
"Did I make a pass at you?"
That caught him off guard. "What?"
"It's just…. I don't know if it was real or a dream." She was blushing now, but she needed to know. "Did I… did I push myself on you?"
He chuckled. "No. You didn't. We didn't."
She sighed in relief. "That's good."
He looked disappointed.
She clarified. "I would've kicked myself if I had forgotten that."
The corner of his lip turned up slightly. "You wouldn't forget that."
She bit her lip, feeling bold. "You're that good eh?"
He looked at her with a hungry gaze "Hafta find out for yerself."
"Might have to." She smiled back
He got up and headed for the door. "Come see me when you're better." He said without a backward glance.
Oh I'll definetly do that. She thought. Soon as I can walk without fainting.