Chapter 72: Episode 072: Departure delayed
"Baby, I am cold..." she whimpered.
Her voice cracked terribly. She reached blindly for Caius. Her small fingers curled tightly into his skin.
Caius grabbed her shoulders. Her skin was burning up. This was a delayed reaction to the massive physical and emotional stress she went through over the month.
She was tired.
Caius felt his heart completely stop.
"Knox!" Caius roared. The sound shook the wooden walls of the bedroom, evening scaring Theron.
Knox sprinted into the bedroom in less than a second. The Panther King saw Rue completely curled into a tiny, shaking ball on the bed. His eyes went wide with terror.
The two predators dropped their rivalry. There was no time for pride. The girl they loved was dying.
"Get fresh water," Caius ordered sharply. "The coldest water you can find. Her fever is spiking too high. We need to cool her blood down right now."
"I am on it," Knox barked.
Knox spun around and ran out of the room. He didn’t just go to the kitchen. He threw the heavy front door open and sprinted out into the freezing morning air. He ran straight for the deep mountain spring near the edge of the property.
Back in the bedroom, Caius stripped the thick fur blankets off the bed. He threw them onto the floor. Rue whimpered again exposed to the cool air of the room. She curled her knees up to her chest, her teeth chattering so hard it sounded like bones breaking.
"I know it hurts," Caius whispered. His voice was thick with fear. He climbed fully onto the mattress. "I know you are cold, baby. But you are burning up. I have to pull the heat out of you."
He gently pulled Rue into his lap. He wrapped his thick, dark coils entirely around her small, burning frame.
Rue cried out softly from the sudden shock of the cold scales against her bare skin. It hurt at first. But then the freezing temperature started to pull the terrible fire out of her muscles.
She stopped fighting it. She buried her wet, sweaty face deep into Caius’s chest. She wrapped her weak arms around his neck and held on for dear life. She felt so incredibly fragile.
At this point she couldn’t even think.
"Hold on, Rue," Caius murmured. He rocked her gently back and forth. He pressed his cold cheek against her burning forehead. "Just hold on."
In the kitchen, a bright blue light flashed silently on the wooden counter right next to the cutting board.
When the light faded, a small bundle of strange plants sat on the wood. They were thick, silver-leafed herbs with deep blue roots. They smelled like mint and cold winter air.
A second later, Knox burst through the front door.
He carried a large wooden bucket filled to the brim with freezing spring water. He was breathing hard.
He rushed straight into the kitchen to grab a clean cloth. He slammed the heavy bucket down on the table. Water splashed everywhere.
He turned to grab a bowl. Then he saw the herbs on the counter.
Knox froze. He stared at the silver leaves. He knew the jungle. He knew the mountains. He knew every single healing plant in the entire Beastworld.
This was a Frost-root plant. It only grew on the highest, most dangerous snowy peaks in the North. It was completely impossible to find one down here in the valley. It was a legendary medicine used to cure fatal fevers.
It definitely wasn’t sitting on that counter ten minutes ago.
Knox looked up at the wooden ceiling of the cabin. His gold eyes filled with awe.
"Thank you," Knox whispered to the empty room.
He didn’t waste another second. He grabbed a stone bowl and a wooden crushing stick. He threw the Frost-root into the bowl and crushed it violently.
The plant released a strong, sharp, icy smell. He scooped a cup of the freezing spring water and mixed it with the crushed silver leaves. The water instantly turned a glowing, milky blue color.
Knox grabbed a soft cloth, the wooden bowl of medicine, and rushed back into the bedroom.
Caius was still holding Rue. She was completely limp against his chest. Her breathing was terribly shallow.
Knox dropped to his knees right next to the bed. He dipped the soft cloth into the freezing spring water. He gently pressed the wet, icy cloth against Rue’s flushed cheeks. He wiped the heavy sweat from her forehead. He was incredibly gentle. His massive claws never even scratched her delicate skin.
"I have medicine," Knox told Caius. He held up the stone bowl. "Frost-root. I found it in the kitchen. The gods left it for her."
Caius didn’t question it. He didn’t care where it came from. He only cared that it worked.
"Help me lift her head," Caius instructed.
Caius carefully shifted his arm, supporting the back of Rue’s neck. He tilted her head back just a little bit. Knox leaned in close. The panther held the wooden bowl right up to Rue’s dry, cracked lips.
"Rue," Knox whispered softly. His deep voice was full of raw emotion. "You need to drink this for me. Please open your mouth, sweet girl."
Rue heard his voice through the heavy, dark fog in her mind. It sounded very far away. But it sounded safe. She weakly parted her lips.
Knox tipped the bowl. A small stream of the glowing blue medicine flowed into her mouth.
It tasted incredibly bitter. It tasted like dirt and old ice. Rue choked slightly. She tried to turn her head away from the awful taste.
"I know," Caius whispered gently. He rubbed her back in slow, comforting circles. "I know it tastes bad. But you have to swallow it. Be a good girl and swallow it for me."
Rue swallowed. The medicine felt like a block of solid ice sliding down her burning throat. It hit her stomach and instantly started working. A wave of intense, numbing cold spread out from her chest, fighting the terrible fire in her blood.
Knox gave her another small sip. Then another. He was completely patient. He waited for her to swallow every single drop before giving her more. He didn’t rush her.
When the bowl was finally empty, Knox set it down on the floor. He dipped the cloth back into the cold water and wiped her face again.
The two men sat there in total silence. They worked together perfectly. There was no jealousy. There was no fighting over who got to hold her. Caius provided the cold therapy with his scales. Knox provided the medicine and the cool water. They were completely united in their desperate need to keep her alive.
Slowly, the terrible shaking began to stop.
Her breathing deepened, returning to a normal, steady rhythm. The medicine completely broke the fever. She was still incredibly weak, but the immediate danger was finally over. Her body went completely limp against Caius’s chest. She fell into a deep, healing sleep.
Rue felt a strange sense of peace. The awful pain was gone. She felt safe, sandwiched between the cold snake and the warm panther.
Her swollen pink eyes fluttered open for just a split second. The room was blurry.
She looked up toward the wooden ceiling.
[Host health critical. Departure delayed.]
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