Crystal Plague

Sickness Gets Closer

    I walk out of the eating place with Ben and Maxamus. I'm holding hands with Maxamus again. I never seen him smile so much. Ben skips in front of us. All of a sudden, he stops.
    "I don't feel good.", Says Ben.
     "Why don't you feel good?", I reply.
    "I feel really hot.", Ben says gloomily
    I feel his head. As I do I realize that he has goosebumps.
    "You feel hot, but your shivering.", I say.
    "I'm cold-hot. Sometimes I'm cold, sometimes I'm hot.", He replies.
    "Maybe we should get you to Nurse Venus. You feel like you got a fever.", I say.
    "Ok.", He replies.
    Maxamus looks at me with a worried glance.
    "Come, let's get you to Nurse Venus", Maxamus says.
    We walk over to Nurse Venus's station. Ben is paler than normal. Sweat is on his forehead, even though he keeps saying he's now cold. Maxamus is afraid I can tell. Ever since his family died, with the exception of Micah, he is fiercely concerned about every bodies health. He treats a cold like dying.
    "Ben, are you ok?", Nurse Venus says concerned.
    "No.", He replies quietly.
    "Here, you can stay will me at the Nurse's Station for tonight.", She says as she takes his hand.
     He follows her to the sickbay. We wait at the front of the building. Maxamus himself looks faint. I can tell he's worried about Ben.
   "Don't worry. Kids get sick a lot when they're young. He just probably has a fever.", I say trying to cheer him up.
    It doesn't work. The lines between his brow don't disappear. I try another approach.
   "Hey, it will be alright.", I reassure him, taking his hand.
The lines between his brow go away this time. I can tell he is now no longer only focused on Ben.
    "Yes, he will be- but right now he has to rest. Let's go somewhere else.", Maxamus says looking already a whole lot happier.