Hannibal Heyes woke up with a start, as he was jolted by Jed curled up behind him coughing and shivering and obviously trying to avoid doing either. He said sharply, the lack of sleep and worry making his tone harsh. "That's the third time you've woken me, Jed...We got at least three hours before we gotta get moving, so I coulda done with the sleep."
Jed's face, flushed with the beginning of a fever, fell and he replied apologetically, with no sign of a challenge in his voice. " 'M sorry, Hannibal." the words forced out in a breathless whisper, against chattering teeth.
The tone, and the look of not quite hidden hurt on his friend's face, made Hannibal feel guilty, it wasn't like his cousin had got sick on purpose. "Ain't your fault, Jed. You try get some more sleep while I figure out what we're gonna do next."
"I wanted to get ya somethin' special for ya birthday Hannibal, but all I got was sick."
Hannibal looked over at his friend, and realised with a small jolt of surprise that it was his sixteenth birthday in four days. Which meant it'd been exactly two years since they'd run away from the home, on learning Hannibal was going to be apprenticed out to some money lender in Missoula, the day after he turned fourteen. "Well, we're gonna have to find a town anyways, Jed the weather ain't no good for sleeping in barns."
"But we only got enough for one night, two if we don't eat breakfast."
"Jed, go to sleep, I can't think with you wittering at me." Hannibal's tone was harsh again, as he knew Jed was right, because all the scheming in the world wouldn't turn two dollars twenty five into the amount they needed to stay warm, for the time Jed probably required to recover.
"'M sorry, Hannibal."
"Stop apologising and go back to sleep!"
Jed struggled out of the blanket, and with another harsh cough, stood on slightly wobbly legs, glared and said sharply. "I ain't a baby, Hannibal." Then with an angry glance he attempted to stride towards the barn door, though the effect was somewhat ruined by him stumbling as another cough was wrenched out of him.
After the door slammed behind him, Hannibal sighed, he hadn't meant to turn this into an argument, but he felt responsible for keeping them safe and knew he was failing, which made his temper short. With a deep breath he followed Jed out, finding him sat miserably under a tree, coughing.
Hannibal took a deep breath and sat down next to him, letting out a small huff of breath as he did so. Then gently shoving his friend's shoulder he said. "Come back inside, Jed...you're sick already, ain't no point sitting here freezing your butt off."
Jed coughed again, then shrugged, stood and allowed Hannibal to steer him back into the slightly warmer barn.
ASJ
They only had one horse between them, which as they rode into town, with Jed suffering a raging fever half a day later, was a blessing as Hannibal could sit behind him keeping him steady without worrying about guiding another horse.
"He better not have anything catchin' son, or I'm not gonna let you stay."
Hannibal glared at the bushy moustached man behind the signing in desk, after he'd carefully sat his friend on the worn leather couch and asked for a room. "He's been sick for three days and I ain't caught it, and he's gotta get outta the cold or there ain't no way he's gonna get better."
The anger in his voice didn't quite disguise the small crack in it, and after a moment's silence, the man glanced between them, obviously noting their worn clothing, and his face softened ever so slightly and he nodded, and said more gently. "All right, son. I got a room set away from the others, down the back corridor a ways, its kinda worn, but I rent it out cheaper than my others, lets you stay a bit longer if you're short on money." He paused and added with some concern in his voice. "Once you got him settled, you gonna need a Doc?"
Hannibal sighed thinking that yes they really did, but the money that'd be left after paying for the hotel, even with the cheaper price, wouldn't stretch to any doctoring, so he shook his head reluctantly. "We're just gonna wait it out. "
The man frowned then shrugged as he said."That'll be fifty cents a night, son."
Hannibal handed over the money for four nights, took the key and turned away. Frowning in worry, he quickly but gently chivvied his now almost unconscious friend to his feet, carefully slinging his arm round his shoulder, as he said. " The room out back you say?" As the desk clerk nodded and waved down the corridor, Hannibal carefully manoeuvred his friend in the direction the man indicated, and they made their unsteady way towards the room.
The room the key opened was worn and shabby, the carpet and furnishings had definitely seen better days, but the bed looked comfortable and everything was clean at least and Hannibal gave a sigh of relief as he got his now pretty unresponsive cousin settled. He glanced out onto the street, and as he watched rain spatter down onto the dusty sidewalk, let himself relax a bit. At least they were dry and relatively warm, even if all he had to eat was jerky.
ASJ
"They've killed 'em all...all of 'em, even Ginnie, cos she tried to bite 'em. Hannibal we gotta run, or they're gonna kill us too. C'mon, we gotta go."
Hannibal woke from a light doze to the muffled cries of his cousin, as his hand pulled hard on his arm trying to tug him out of bed as he kicked out. Biting his tongue and taking a deep breath to stay calm, as this was the sixth time tonight he said. "It's all right Jed, we're safe, we're safe."
Feeling the heat pouring off his friend, Hannibal struggled out of bed despite his friend trying to hold onto him, and squeezed the flannel cloth into the water basin by the bed and gently bathed Jed's forehead and neck, and made sure at least some of the liquid ended up in his friend's mouth, puffing out a breath when after a few feeble efforts to push him away, his cousin fell back into a restless sleep.
ASJ
Hannibal woke with a start to full sun streaming through the thin curtain, and the sound of Jed's peaceful breathing next to him. He anxiously felt his forehead, and realised his friend's fever had finally broken, so he lay back down with a sigh of relief. His movement woke Jed who looked at him a little blearily, but his eyes were clear, and the fever flush had left his cheeks, leaving him pale. Blinking heavily then looking round him, Jed gave a harsh cough, and winced, but it sounded dry, and with the alertness in his gaze, Hannibal was certain he was over the worst, and he watched in relief as his friend frowned in concentration, looked round the room again, then asked. "We bin here long? I don't remember getting here at all."
Hannibal made a quick calculation, then let out a short laugh. "Yeah we bin here a few days, Jed, long enough that's its my birthday!"
Jed sighed, then gave a small smile. "Happy Birthday, Hannibal. I ain't got nothing for ya." His face fell, then his lips turned back up into a smile and he scrambled a little clumsily out of bed, ignoring Hannibal's attempt to grab hold of him, and found his boots, digging eagerly into the left and bringing out a small handful of coins and counting them with enthusiasm.
"I'd forgotten all about it, but I've got four dollars, I was savin' it to buy you somethin'."
He handed the money over to Hannibal with a sunny smile, and his friend took it with a small grin of his own. While hardly the sweet sixteen birthday he'd imagined when his family were living, with his friend well again, and them having enough money for a decent meal and a drink or two, it felt enough for now.