What brothers do

Will shivered as he opened his tent to the elements of the gathering ground. Looking around he could see that he was up early, many tents still closed and the sun barely showing on the horizon. He drew his cloak around himself as he began to prepare some coffee, it wasn't a particularly cold day but the frozen air founds it's way into his bones, making the hair on the back of his neck rise. He was pouring himself a mug of coffee just as Gilan stepped out of his tent, stretching his lanky limbs as he walked over to Will. "Mmm, I smell coffee!" He handed him his mug and turned to pour another for himself and Halt.

"Good morning to you to, Gil." He teased, sitting on a log and clutching the hot beverage, taking the heat into his cold body.

Soon after, Halt emerged from his tent, nodding in gratitude as Will gave him a mug of coffee and a small bowl of porridge he had cooked over the slowly dying fire. Will stared bleakly at his food, his stomach flipping at the thought of digesting anything, his head pounded more loudly now, drowning out Halt and Gilan's bickering in between bites of their breakfast. "Will what do you think?" The taller of the two asked him, snapping Will out of his sense of melancholy.

"Sorry I was distracted what did you say?" Halt frowned at his former apprentice's lack of attention. Will loved the gathering and jumped at the chance to catch up with his friends, so the fact that he was acting quite secluded troubled him. However Gilan didn't notice or if he did didn't show it as he rambled on to recap his and Halts conversation from the past few minutes.

"… if it would be too dangerous or if you would take the risk? Personally I would."

"Ummm." Will mused, he had slightly zoned out while his friend was talking so he tried to find an answer that wouldn't reflect that he had no idea what they were talking about. "I would take the risk, there's no other choice." He forced himself to take a bite of porridge and grimaced as he swallowed it down.

"Exactly! See Halt. If wild ducks invade your home, put up a fight, don't let them win." Will nearly chocked on his second mouthful of breakfast when he heard what Gilan was talking about. How that topic occurred he had no clue, but it was a very Gilan thing to bring up.

The rest of the day went by in a pained and dizzy blur for Will. At one point Crowley had asked him to supervise the first years shoot, and although it took all of his remaining effort not to whack them over the head over all the basic questions they kept asking, he kept his cool and staggered back to his tent after dinner, barely keeping his eyes open. Absentmindedly saying goodnight to his friends Will blindly changed into his night clothes and sunk into his bedroll, his sick and sleepy mind drifting into a dreamless sleep.

Wills head pounded inside his skull, off putting his balance and making the world spin before his eyes. He shivered and he slowly made his way out to the front of Halts tent where he had left the medical bag along with his cooking supplies the night prior. Hands shaking and breaths coming in ragged puffs, Will undid the bag and scrambled inside for the correct herbs he needed. He made a mental checklist. Headache, painkiller, check. Dizziness, that he's just have to deal with, sort of check. Nausea, check. Fever, did he even have a fever? He did feel abnormally cold but the thought of adding anything more to the already bitter concoction in his hand sent his stomach spiralling. He braced his hands on his knees, closing his eyes and breathing deeply, in and out, in and out. Wills thoughts consisted only of him not trying to throw up, he didn't hear a tent flap open and someone crossing the short distance to his crouching figure.

Halt frowned at the sight of Will, nearly doubled over, crouching in front of his tent, on closer inspection he could see the herbs clutched in his hand and the beads of sweat on his forehead. He immediately rushed over, laying a hand on his back and rubbing in in smooth circles. He felt Will breathe shakily and open his eyes turning to face his mentor. Halts eyes were dark with worry and concern, "What's wrong?" Wills eyes welled up with tears.

"Halt," he began quietly and it broke Halts heart how small he seemed, so like that boy he started training all those years ago. "I don't feel good." Halt wiped a tear that was slowly making its way down his cheek.

"I know, Will, I know. But I need to know what exactly is wrong to help you." He spoke softly, in a voice he only reserved for his apprentices.

"I feel dizzy and nauseous and it's so cold and my head's been hurting all day, I feel like it's about to pound out my skull." He leaned forward and put his forehead in his hand, using to other to keep balance. Halt shifted so he was in front of Will and gently removed his hand, clutching it in his own and put the other to his forehead, nearly recoiling at the heat radiating off him. Will had screwed his eyes shut in pain and Halt whispered as so not to make his headache worse.

"Will, look at me." He opened his warm brown eyes. "Have you taken anything yet?" He shook his head and opened his palm, where Halt could see two different herbs lay, a painkiller and another herb to settle his stomach. He scanned the boy anxiously, Will really needed willow to bring down his fever but he had run out a few weeks back and forgot to replace his stock, he also judged that Will didn't have any by the fact he was rummaging through Halts bag and not his own. He looked as a sickly green tinge began to plague Wills face.

"Halt,"

"Yea Will."

"I think I'm going to throw up." Halt led his former apprentice to the outskirts of their camp and sat with him as he heaved up all of the contents of his stomach, gently rubbing his back once more. Once he was done and thoroughly exhausted, Will started shivering uncontrollably despite his body's burning temperature, which worried Halt more. Brows furrowed he gently wrapped an arm around his shoulders and led him back to his tent.

Will sat the foot of his bedroll his small frame shaking and eyes closed against the increasing pain in his head.

"Will?" He wrapped a blanket around his shoulders and placed a hand on his knee. "Stay here, I'm going to see if Gil has any willow." Will opened his eyes and shook his head slightly making Halt frown.

"Don't worry Gil." He said in an almost whisper.

"I have to, your fever won't come down otherwise." Giving the smaller boys hand a reassuring squeeze, he left the tent and stepped out into the cold night air, walking swiftly to the taller man's tent. He opened the flap carefully and squatted down next to Gilan, gently shaking him awake by the shoulder.

He woke immediately and turned to face Halt once he was sure there was no threat that had woken him.

"Halt? What's wrong?"

"It's Will, he's come down with a nasty fever, do you have any willow?" Gilan sat up hastily, worry for his friend consumed his thoughts.

"Yea in my pack." He reached to where his bag sat at the end of his tent and rummaged until he found the medicine he was looking for. They left together, no words needed as they entered Halts tent.

"Hey Will," Gil spoke softly and he opened his eyes, the usually lively light in them absent and leaving them strangely dark as opposed to their usual warm tint.

"Gil?"

"Yea it's me." He placed a hand on his shoulder and shuffled forwards in his cross legged position, pushing a piece of the bark into Wills clammy hand. "I need you to eat this, it will make you feel better."

"And these," Half cut in from where he had positioned himself on Wills other side, handing him a mix of herbs while Will chewed on the bark.

Once all the medicine had been digested, both rangers noticed how Wills eyes began to droop and his head began to sag dangerously against his chest.

"Shhh, hold on one more minute Will." Halt rubbed his arm, keeping a small bit of his consciousness from slipping away while Gilan got his bedroll ready for him. They guided Will down and watched as his eyelids fluttered closed. Both men stayed concerned for their younger companion.

"You can camp in Wills tent," Gilan said, "Im going to stay with him." He placed a hand gingerly on Wills forehead and was relieved to find his temperature a little less than before.

"Only if you're sure," Halt was still a little reluctant to leave Will alone but he would be in good hands with Gilan. At his nod he left, worry still coursing through his veins despite his overall lack of sleep. The blonde ranger lay down next to the boy he had come to think of as a brother, smiling when Will felt his body heat and subconsciously shuffled closer to him, his head coming to rest lightly on Gilans shoulder. He wrapped an arm around Wills shoulder, making sure his temperature was still gradually going down and wouldn't spike up again. He smiled as Will wriggled in his arms a bit, then found a comfortable position and resumed his sick infused sleep. Gilan would make sure he was alright, he would care for him all night if it meant that Will would get better, because that's what brothers do, protect.