Human illness (Razor and Bennett)

Chapter 1

Silver locks lay strewn about the dirt in disarray as the wolfish boy lay there, panting, skin glistening, and eyes closed. He labored a breath, dizzy and feverish; a hazy fog loomed over his brain. In his delirium, he wondered if the figure approaching him was truly real and whether they were friend or foe. The only way to verify it's validity was to see if it were tangible. So wearily he raised an arm but fell short and let it thump against the damp earth- the same soil his back lay against. Before the figure could come into focus one final wave of dizziness sent his body into a forced rest.

...

Gasping, Razor's eyes fluttered open, something cold and wet flopping into his lap and he frantically scanned his surroundings. He was discombobulated to say the very least and despite having just awoken from slumber, he felt nothing short of utter exhaustion. A hand placed firmly on his chest and he flinched away, "Easy now, you're quite unwell."

"No, must leave, wolves help Razor fine." With broken English, Razor pleaded.

"Won't you drink this first?"

"What is it?" He squinted, closing and opening his eyes to clear his vision as his eyes landed upon the blonde beauty before him.

"Oh uh, tea. To make you feel a bit better." She hesitated, hoping to conceal the fact that it was soporific infused.

Razor eyed it, nervously swallowing. The sting in his throat insisted and he gave in, "Okay, Razor has one cup. Then Razor leave."

She smiled softly, and held the ceramic mug to his lips. His hands rose to grab it, "Razor thanks you but Razor drinks, himself."

She hummed in response and waited for both his hands to grasp the cup before letting go. He sipped it slowly, feeling the warm fluid slide down his swollen throat. It eased his discomfort drastically but as he went to chug the miracle medicine, a dainty hand was placed against his arm, "Careful, you'll only unsettle your stomach if you drink that fast."

He slowed, not sure why he'd followed the directions of a stranger but felt an instinctive trust of her. Perhaps it was because she'd had the ability to inflict harm upon him and hadn't. Or perhaps, it'd been the miracle medicine he'd been gifted. Either way, he listened and obliged, even letting himself be coaxed into another glass.

Barbara felt her chest tighten with guilt in the deceiving of the silver haired stranger, but he was quite clearly delirious. Mumbling about wolves and sporting a fever of nearly brain damaging proportions. When the traveler brought in said stranger, they'd called him Razor. A friend, they explained. Who was Barbara to refuse someone in such desperate need of help? That didn't erase the guilt she felt, but at the very least it reassured her that her actions were justifiable.

She watched as Razor begun to doze off, mug still in hand. She stared at him for awhile, letting her thoughts roam a bit. Gingerly, she retrieved the handled cup and set it atop the bedside table. She too, felt drowsy. Having been the only one caring for the ill stricken boy, she'd yet to rest for quite some time. She didn't pay it any mind until now, but with the moon high in the sky, she longed for the blanket of sleep.

...

The sun had just begun to peak over the horizon, nudging awake the citizens of Mondstadt. All except for Barbara, who leaned against the wall, sitting in the creaky and aged wooden chair she'd dragged by Razor's bedside. She removed the wet cloth from his forehead and dipped it into the nearby bowl of water to re-cool it. She twisted it, wringing out the excess fluid before folding it and laying it atop the sleeping boy's forehead once again. He'd yet to break his fever.

She slumped back against her oak seat, eyes heavy and just beginning to close when the door swung open, jolting her awake, "Goodmorning~!"

She turned, "Oh, hello Bennett."

"Barbara! You look terrible!"

She blinked, unsure of how to reply. Bennett's face morphed into that of realization, "I'm sorry! That's not what I meant. I just mean, you look exhausted. What have you be- is that Razor?"

She turned to cast a glance at the sleeping boy before looking back at Bennett, "Yes, you know each other?"

Bennett walked closer to the sleeping figure, "Uh-huh. We know each other. He's a little strange, but I'm lucky enough to call him my friend!"

Barbara smiled, hoping to mask her weariness. Bennett turned back to face her, "What's wrong with him?"

Her brow furrowed, "To be honest, I'm not a hundred percent sure. Could be the flu, he's running quite the fever though. If it is, it's pretty rough, I feel bad for him. When he awoke, he was frantic. Said he wanted to leave."

"Is that why you look so tired? Were you up all night to make sure he didn't wake up and try to leave." Bennett frowned, while Barbara chuckled nervously, "I could help! Why didn't you ask me?"

Barbara shuffled awkwardly, "Well uh, I figured you'd be busy. I didn't want to bother you."

Bennett's heart warmed, she thought he had important stuff to do other than get into trouble? He couldn't help but smile, "Well... I am pretty busy with all my great adventures, but I'm always happy to help you Barbara!"

She couldn't help but smile, Bennett was always so willing to help her she almost felt guilty. "Are you sure?"

"Of course! Besides, I really like Razor! He's saved me from eating all sorts of poisonous things. He's also helped me out if a bad situation a time or two. It's the least I can do!"

She hesitated, "Okay, but just until I get some sleep."

"Leave it to me!"