Post by infinite on Apr 26, 2011 21:44:20 GMT 10
Title: Sweating Sickness (Part Two)
Rating: G
Word Count: 549
Pairing: Gary/Raoul – Team Moustache Curtains
Round/Fight: 2/C
Summary: Raoul catches the Sweating Sickness, and Gary visits him.
The pages were the last to fall. By then, the city had dropped to its knees and there was little help left for them. Three died, and then Raoul succumbed to the fever. When Gary heard, he went so white that a healer was called for him. When his mother was satisfied that he was still healthy, she forbade him from visiting his sick friend. It was too dangerous. Roanna of Naxen was not a woman to be trifled with, by her son or anyone else, but their discussion turned into a shouting match as Gary openly made to disobey her orders. Silenced only when his father was woken, Gary snuck out that night, when his mother was sleeping. He stole into Raoul’s room and felt around for a chair he knew should be there. Reluctant to wake Raoul, he decided not a light a candle, and sat in the dark, listening to the laboured inhalations and rattling exhalations. Raoul was fitful, but it was almost dawn before he fully emerged from sleep. He groaned and began to ease himself slowly off the bed.
“What are you doing?”
Raoul’s yelp of fright turned into a coughing fit, through which he tried to locate his visitor. The dark, and streaming eyes made it impossible to see, and he was barely lucid enough to recognise Gary’s voice. “Are you all right? It’s Gary.”
“I – I’m fine – “ Raoul choked out between coughs.
“I’ll get you some water.” Gary fumbled to light a candle. Even that tiny light seemed to hurt Raoul’s eyes. He covered the flame with his hand, more for Raoul’s benefit than to keep it lit, and poured him a cup of water. “You’re sick,” he said.
“So they tell me.”
“How do you feel?”
“Not the best, but I’ll be alright. I’m better off than a lot of the others I’ve seen. I can still remember who I am, and who you are.” Gary stared in horror, his face gaunt in the flickering light. He didn’t know what he would have done if Raoul had forgotten him. “Hey, don’t look like that. I said I can remember you,” Raoul said, alarmed. Gary smiled, though it took some effort for him to do so. “Well, that’s a little better. How long have you been here?”
“I’m not really sure. A few hours, I think. Sorry I didn’t visit earlier. My mother -” Raoul wasn’t up to laughing, but his eyes twinkled. He had met Roanna. “- She doesn’t want me catching it.”
Suddenly, Raoul seemed to turn serious. “No, you shouldn’t be here at all. I might infect you.”
“What? Don’t say that.”
“But it’s the truth! You’d better get out of here.”
“No! I want to stay. You don’t know what it feels like, your friend being sick.”
“But I might if you stay, with me coughing all over you like that. How do you think I would feel knowing I was the one that gave it to you?”
Banished from Raoul’s presence, Gary crept back to his own bed and fell asleep as the sun rose. He’d stay with his parents that afternoon, but he was undecided about that night. He wondered what time Raoul usually fell asleep, and thought he could probably go unnoticed if he was careful.
QC by PeroxidePirate
Rating: G
Word Count: 549
Pairing: Gary/Raoul – Team Moustache Curtains
Round/Fight: 2/C
Summary: Raoul catches the Sweating Sickness, and Gary visits him.
The pages were the last to fall. By then, the city had dropped to its knees and there was little help left for them. Three died, and then Raoul succumbed to the fever. When Gary heard, he went so white that a healer was called for him. When his mother was satisfied that he was still healthy, she forbade him from visiting his sick friend. It was too dangerous. Roanna of Naxen was not a woman to be trifled with, by her son or anyone else, but their discussion turned into a shouting match as Gary openly made to disobey her orders. Silenced only when his father was woken, Gary snuck out that night, when his mother was sleeping. He stole into Raoul’s room and felt around for a chair he knew should be there. Reluctant to wake Raoul, he decided not a light a candle, and sat in the dark, listening to the laboured inhalations and rattling exhalations. Raoul was fitful, but it was almost dawn before he fully emerged from sleep. He groaned and began to ease himself slowly off the bed.
“What are you doing?”
Raoul’s yelp of fright turned into a coughing fit, through which he tried to locate his visitor. The dark, and streaming eyes made it impossible to see, and he was barely lucid enough to recognise Gary’s voice. “Are you all right? It’s Gary.”
“I – I’m fine – “ Raoul choked out between coughs.
“I’ll get you some water.” Gary fumbled to light a candle. Even that tiny light seemed to hurt Raoul’s eyes. He covered the flame with his hand, more for Raoul’s benefit than to keep it lit, and poured him a cup of water. “You’re sick,” he said.
“So they tell me.”
“How do you feel?”
“Not the best, but I’ll be alright. I’m better off than a lot of the others I’ve seen. I can still remember who I am, and who you are.” Gary stared in horror, his face gaunt in the flickering light. He didn’t know what he would have done if Raoul had forgotten him. “Hey, don’t look like that. I said I can remember you,” Raoul said, alarmed. Gary smiled, though it took some effort for him to do so. “Well, that’s a little better. How long have you been here?”
“I’m not really sure. A few hours, I think. Sorry I didn’t visit earlier. My mother -” Raoul wasn’t up to laughing, but his eyes twinkled. He had met Roanna. “- She doesn’t want me catching it.”
Suddenly, Raoul seemed to turn serious. “No, you shouldn’t be here at all. I might infect you.”
“What? Don’t say that.”
“But it’s the truth! You’d better get out of here.”
“No! I want to stay. You don’t know what it feels like, your friend being sick.”
“But I might if you stay, with me coughing all over you like that. How do you think I would feel knowing I was the one that gave it to you?”
Banished from Raoul’s presence, Gary crept back to his own bed and fell asleep as the sun rose. He’d stay with his parents that afternoon, but he was undecided about that night. He wondered what time Raoul usually fell asleep, and thought he could probably go unnoticed if he was careful.
QC by PeroxidePirate