caked with blood. She doubted if it had been washed in a long time before the incident had occurred, although she could be wrong about that. She thought about what she should do about him then decided that if he did not wake within the next hour or so, she would have to find a way to bathe him and to wash his hair on her own. He needed to be clean or he would catch an infection.
The man was awake, although he could not seem to bring himself to open his eyes or speak. He felt ill, hot and achy, too much so to bother with things about him that was in direct contrast with the way he had felt the last time he had woken. The woman he had held tended him, and he was aware of her ministrations. He felt her cool touch as she felt his forehead and a while later he felt her bathing him with warm water. She had a gentle touch, and he wished he could gather up enough energy to tell her how grateful he was for her attention.
He did not wake, so Aura heated water and sponged his body down, for he was sweating quite freely with fever. She heated more water and washed the blood out of his hair, as well as ridding him of any other unwelcome inhabitants, should he have any. When she had finished she made a broth and fed him as best as she could, when he was restless, When she had managed to feed him a full bowl of the clear fluid she left the cave to wash and clean herself. She returned to the cave to find her patient even more feverish and racked with shivers than he had been. Her patient, it seemed, was intent on testing her skills as a physician. Considering that she had none to speak of, she was not overly taken with the idea of being put in this position.
For the next seventy-two hours Aura got little to no sleep, while her patient tossed about and muttered incoherently in his fevered state. The only clear words he spoke were in Latin. Aura believed this meant that he was an educated man for she had not heard many of the people she had met using it. Only those in the higher classes spoke Latin. She sponged him down with cool water collected from the stream outdoors and continued to pour broths and liquids into him, until the fever broke and he slept naturally. When she was sure of her patient's state of health she laid back down next to him again in a sheer state of exhaustion and she slept. She woke to find herself cradled in his arms.
Aura blinked as if to clear both mind and sight, all the while feeling that she could use more rest. It was, however, something that she knew she would be ill advised to do. The fire needed tending, as did her patient. She slipped away from his side, and moved about the cave, getting some wood to build up her fire with. When she was satisfied with the heat it was throwing out, she turned to check on her waking patient.
He was watching, studying her every move, and she felt a sudden unease. She did not like feeling like some germ under a microscope. Trying to avoid his steady gaze she took his temperature and pulse. The first was almost normal, and the second strong and steady. When she had determined that he was over the worst, she left his side, to go outside to make them both something to eat. When it was done she took the cooked food to him.
The first thing Aura noticed as she entered the cave was the empty bed that announced his absence. Her eyes flicked from the moss that had served as his mattress, to the fire, and she saw him, crouching down as he placed new dry wood on to the low flames. He was weaving slightly as he sought to be careful not to smother the coals while he tended his chore. Despite his obvious weakness Aura gave a swallow. She felt intimidated by his size. She placed their food on a boulder then sought out Roger, in an unconscious way of using him as an equalizing factor. The man took one look at the snake as it wound itself about her then reached for his sword, which he had gathered from his belongings
The man was awake, although he could not seem to bring himself to open his eyes or speak. He felt ill, hot and achy, too much so to bother with things about him that was in direct contrast with the way he had felt the last time he had woken. The woman he had held tended him, and he was aware of her ministrations. He felt her cool touch as she felt his forehead and a while later he felt her bathing him with warm water. She had a gentle touch, and he wished he could gather up enough energy to tell her how grateful he was for her attention.
He did not wake, so Aura heated water and sponged his body down, for he was sweating quite freely with fever. She heated more water and washed the blood out of his hair, as well as ridding him of any other unwelcome inhabitants, should he have any. When she had finished she made a broth and fed him as best as she could, when he was restless, When she had managed to feed him a full bowl of the clear fluid she left the cave to wash and clean herself. She returned to the cave to find her patient even more feverish and racked with shivers than he had been. Her patient, it seemed, was intent on testing her skills as a physician. Considering that she had none to speak of, she was not overly taken with the idea of being put in this position.
For the next seventy-two hours Aura got little to no sleep, while her patient tossed about and muttered incoherently in his fevered state. The only clear words he spoke were in Latin. Aura believed this meant that he was an educated man for she had not heard many of the people she had met using it. Only those in the higher classes spoke Latin. She sponged him down with cool water collected from the stream outdoors and continued to pour broths and liquids into him, until the fever broke and he slept naturally. When she was sure of her patient's state of health she laid back down next to him again in a sheer state of exhaustion and she slept. She woke to find herself cradled in his arms.
Aura blinked as if to clear both mind and sight, all the while feeling that she could use more rest. It was, however, something that she knew she would be ill advised to do. The fire needed tending, as did her patient. She slipped away from his side, and moved about the cave, getting some wood to build up her fire with. When she was satisfied with the heat it was throwing out, she turned to check on her waking patient.
He was watching, studying her every move, and she felt a sudden unease. She did not like feeling like some germ under a microscope. Trying to avoid his steady gaze she took his temperature and pulse. The first was almost normal, and the second strong and steady. When she had determined that he was over the worst, she left his side, to go outside to make them both something to eat. When it was done she took the cooked food to him.
The first thing Aura noticed as she entered the cave was the empty bed that announced his absence. Her eyes flicked from the moss that had served as his mattress, to the fire, and she saw him, crouching down as he placed new dry wood on to the low flames. He was weaving slightly as he sought to be careful not to smother the coals while he tended his chore. Despite his obvious weakness Aura gave a swallow. She felt intimidated by his size. She placed their food on a boulder then sought out Roger, in an unconscious way of using him as an equalizing factor. The man took one look at the snake as it wound itself about her then reached for his sword, which he had gathered from his belongings
Similar Books
