"Peter!" She slammed her fists into the wood door of the High King's chambers. "Peter!"
"What?" he asked sleepily as let Susan into his room. By the looks of it, he had just changed into his pajamas and was about to crawl into bed. Or at least he would have seemed that way to Susan if he wasn't still wearing his shoes.
She hesitated a moment before saying, "Edmund, he's running a terrible fever and I don't think we have anything-"
"Wait, wait, slow down," her older brother paused to yawn before asking, "what don't we have?"
"Proper medical supplies." She was so grateful that Lucy's room was in the west quarter of the Cair, because the last thing she needed was for the youngest to worry. "Peter, don't look at me like I'm crazy! This is serious!"
"And I am half asleep," he said, moving to let her inside his quarters. "but listening."
"I need you to go wake up the healers. Tell them to bring me all the herbs they have. It is possible they might have aspirin here- although, I don't know what good it's going to do. Peter, are you even listening?"
"Yes!" he insisted, even though he was sitting in the armchair by the fireplace. "It's merely that I worry as well. Susan, It's been in the back of my mind that-"
"Peter, don't say it." She didn't need that right now. She needed him to have faith in her, like he had in Aslan. "Just promise me you won't tell Lucy."
"I won't tell Lucy and I will go with you to fetch the healers."
"Thank you." Susan was glad she had awoken Peter, because she would have never found where the healers resided in the Cair on her own. There were four of them, which made sense when Susan thought of it as there were four rulers. The two healers who were awake when she and Peter knocked on their door seemed flustered by the sudden visit.
The faun staggered back and almost fell over if it hadn't been for the dwarf who steaded him at the last moment.
"Easy there, Ellis," the young dwarf said before turning to bow. "What can I, Ingus, do for you, your majesty and highest King? "
"Susan's worried ab-"
"You're worried too!" She snapped, making Peter jump. "We need your assistance, healer. Our brother has taken a turn for the worse. Bring any herbs you have, cloth, and water to Edmund's chambers immediately."
"What is wrong with our dear Just king, if we may-"
"It's complicated," Susan would be all too happy to explain, but not now. She needed to get back to him and take care of the fever as soon as possible. "Bring it immediately."
She turned on heel and made her way through the halls with Peter behind her.
"You could have been nicer, Su." He noted as they rushed along. "Just because we're royalty now, doesn't mean-"
"Peter, I don't need a lecture right now." Susan would yell at him later. Gentle, her foot. She was anything but and she would prove it. "Just go to sleep or help me. I don't care which, but-"
"I'm coming." Peter insisted and soon, the two walked into Edmund's room. The younger king glanced up from where he had been trying to sleep and asked what both of them were doing there. "You're ill. I thought I might come check on you."
"Oh, okay." Edmund said and Peter gave Susan a glance.
"He's not arguing," The oldest observed with worry. A moment later, he was placing a hand on his younger brother's forehead. "You're right, Su. He's burning up."
Susan was about to tell Peter that is why she was so concerned, but the door opened and the two healers walked in. The dwarf had a bowl of water and the faun had all the other things Susan had requested.
They both announced themselves again, adding 'Your Majesty' to anything they said.
"Thank you," Susan gestured for the two to place the cloths and water on the wooden nightstand. "Peter, take the herbs and begin sorting them. Then, go grab a herb encyclopedia, if you can find-"
"Don't worry!" Ellis cut in, only to apologize, "we can tell you which herbs you'll need. We're healers after all."
"Good, then do that." Susan hated to trust them, but she had a feeling they knew far more about Narnian herbs than she did. Next, she went over to her younger brother and again checked his temperature and felt him shiver as her hand touched his forehead.
"Why are you all fussing?" Edmund muttered, clearly tired and in a feverish daze.
"You're sick, Ed," She told him, taking a cloth from the stack now resting on the nightstand. "But don't worry. You'll be better soon enough."
"Hope so," Edmund continued, "I miss Mum. Is she coming to check on me?"
"Yes," Susan nodded, wishing their mum was there, too. "She's downstairs making soup."
"But what about the war?" Edmund continued to ramble. "The Germans won't hurt me when I'm sick…"
"No, they called a truce because you're ill. Don't worry about it. Peter and I can carry you to the bomb shelter if needed, okay?"
"Okay… don't forget my shoes."
"We won't," Peter promised from where he was helping Ellis sort herbs.
"For now, just rest," Susan instructed gently, pausing to soak the cloth in the cold water Ignus set on the nightstand. After ringing it out, she placed it on Edmund's forehead. It was then, she realized she hadn't rung it out enough as water began dripping down her brother's face. Susan cursed herself and wished for a moment she was older. Then, maybe she would be wiser and better at being the caretaker of the family. She reached to remove the cloth, when Edmund suddenly screamed in pain.
N/A: This was a fun chapter to write and edit. Things are about to get more fun here. I imagine that Peter has a habit of wearing his shoes to bed in case of an air raid. I don't think any of them have quite processed they are in a completely different world- not quite as safe as one might want, but without air raids. And yeah, a fever in a medieval world is no joke. I am sure it would be pretty easy to die. But anyway, enough with death, things are about to get fun.