Fireheart [Fanfiction - Alternate Universe]

Don't

[Header image is Rowan!]

He opened the door slowly, trying no to wake the girl up. She was lying still on the middle of the bed, a little cress between her brows. Her pale skin had an awful greenish tint to it, and her forehead was glistening under the sun rays that filtered through the window. Her long golden hair was fanned around her, a few strands visibly wet and stuck to the sides of her face.

The house was empty and silent and almost felt haunted as he took a dubious step forward. He wasn't sure what he was meant to do, but he wasn't ready to let her die on his watch, and it looked like she was burning up with a fever.

Remembering his childhood, he headed back down the hall into the kitchen and filled up a pot with water. He emptied all the ice trays in and dropped two small towels inside.

When he got back to the room, the bed was empty, and his heart raced, thumping against his chest.

"What the-"

"Don't move." He felt the girl's body pressing against his back and closed his eyes slowly, feeling the cold metal against his throat and wondering where the fuck she had found a weapon. He lifted his free hand in surrender as he held the pot in the other.

"I'm unarmed," he said as clearly as possible.

"Who the fuck are you, and what do you want? Where am I?"

"Are you fucking delirious-" He stopped as the blade dug harder against his throat. She was. The fever was worse than he expected. For a moment, he imagined the guys coming back from work later that night and finding him bleeding out on the floor, his throat cut. He had to make an effort not to laugh at the image. "Take it easy, I was only bringing you some cold compresses," he tried not to sound menacing or scary, using the tone he'd use to speak to a little kid.

Only for a second, her hand shook against his neck, almost like she was thinking his words over. He took his chance and brought his elbow up, hitting the arm that was holding the knife and dropping the pot at the same time as he grabbed her wrist. The water splashed loudly, the ice cubes rattling against the tiles. He leaned forward and flipped the girl over his shoulder, letting her land on the bed in front of them. Her eyelids fluttered as she tried to get back up but didn't.

"For fucks sake, you're burning, let me just help you!"

The girl's eyes seemed to focus on him as she pushed herself back against the headboard of the bed, resting against it.

"Rowan?" Her voice sounded so small, he almost felt bad for a second.

"Nice to see you again," he replied sarcastically.

"Sorry." The word sounded so foreign on the girl's lips, that he stepped back. Her lids dropped again, and her head lolled to one side, her whole body following and falling sideways.

Rowan ran into the room and caught her by the side of the bed before she could hit the floor. "What the fuck am I supposed to do with you?" He pushed her back onto the bed and lay her down before running back to the lounge and grabbing his phone.

"Is she alive?" Fenrys' voice said from the other side of the line as he picked up.

"Barely, mate, what did you get me into? She's burning up, what do I do?" He was pacing the hall and watching through the door, the girl's eyes were still closed, her skin still horribly pale.

"Get her into the tub."

"Sorry, what?"

"You need to get her temperature down, fill the tub with cold water, not too cold, and get her in."