08-25-2008, 08:14 PM
Thank you! :]
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It was sweltering in the shack. Sweat rolled into his eyes and down his neck, and he had already consumed an entire gallon of water since that morning. Panting, Endymion dabbed at Laruku's forehead and his own alternatively with a damp cloth, trying to be as quiet and delicate as possible, more for his own sake than the hybrid's. He gazed into the tawny man's face, full of scars, worry, and regret. When his scarlet eyes were open, Endymion could see that Laruku saw things that weren't there, and sometimes he could see the pain it caused him. He let the cloth lose its coolness on the man's forehead, and then became aware of Jasper stirring in the opposite corner. The wolf tip-toed across the room to check on him. The younger boy was restless, but that was normal for the disease. Had they been making no progress at all? Endymion examined his face also: it was young and relatively unmarked, but still full of regret and pain. He remembered it when he met him nearly a year ago. His dark hair was brushed away from his face, revealing his dual-colored eyes when they were open. The red wolf sighed.
The floor was cleaner now, thank goodness; he'd swept the waste into a large pastic bag and buried it outside the borders, then mopped a bit while the pair was quiet, which didn't last long. Now he didn't have to weave around the shack like it was a minefield, though he kept tip-toeing out of habit. After a few minutes, the shack grew still again. Endymion dropped the damp cloth on the floor, unconcerned with tidiness for the moment. He needed fresh air. Taking long, swift strides, the wolf opened the door just wide enough for him to slip through, and exited the stuffy ward.
The air felt unnaturally cool as he stood on the porch, but also extremely lovely. It cleared his mind tremendously, allowing him to gather himself. It couldn't just be their combined body heat making it so hot in the shack, he realized. Was he getting sick, too? Was it a fever than was coming over him? Endymion's stomach clenched, but didn't heave. He had to keep a a positive attitude, or no one was coming out of this alive. There was a vast number of other thoughts under those, but he suppresed them. He was doing that a lot lately, suppressing. Almost involuntarily, the wolf descended the few steps, becoming soaked in moments. He began walking around the edge of the camp, stretching his aching legs. The cool, wet mud felt marvelous on his feet, and briefly he thought about taking a mud bath. Before he could fully process the thought, however, he nearly stumbled upon a woman under a tree. Under a tree, in the rain? The sight was just too odd to ignore. Walking closer and crouching down next to her, Endymion peered into her face. She looked distant.
"Hello?" he said, almost shouting over the rain. "Are you alright?"
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