Rats and Spiders and Pigeons, Oh My!

The Fire Starts to Cool

About an hour passed in relative silence for Ant - spent by his feverish friend's bedside, mopping his sweaty brow with a damp cloth and murmuring soft reassurances as he fought off some unseen evil in his dreams.

Just after midday, a knock on the trailer door split the quiet. Ant raised his head wearily from where it had been resting against the wall of the trailer and glanced at the door - not really sure he could summon the energy to answer it.

Thankfully, he was spared having to decide as the door opened and Bob stepped into the room, giving a friendly smile in greeting.

Ant smiled back tiredly, before his gaze turned back to the bed.

"Still no better?" Bob asked quietly, stepping across the threshold and stopping next to Ant's chair.

Shaking his head, Ant had to stifle a yawn.

"It's not staying down, no matter what I do" he sighed, sounding almost defeated, "I swear I've tried almost everything - nothing's working."

Bob put a hand on Ant's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze as he reached over with his other hand and felt Dec's forehead.

"Hm, you're right - it still feels pretty high" he observed worriedly, smile dropping from his face. "I think that's why the antibiotics have taken so long to start working - I reckon the infection's gone systemic."

Ant immediately snapped his head up and stared at Bob with a wide and fearful gaze.

"What does that mean?"

Bob smiled kindly and sat down in front of the younger man, trying his best to appear reassuring.

"It's nothing bad - it just means that the infection isn't localised to the wound site anymore. It's just going to make this run a bit like a flu" he explained, glad to see Ant relax a little in relief.

"So he'll be okay?" he questioned, still sounding a bit wary.

Bob smiled wider at that - these two were honestly the most fretful and protective pair he'd ever met (when it came to the other's well-being, at least).

"He'll be fine, Ant" the medic assured, and Ant let out a relieved sigh.

He glanced back at his patient, a little worry returning at just how dry his skin was now.

"I would like to take him back to the clinic, though - just for observation - and I'd also like to get an IV started on him; he's pretty dehydrated."

Ant nodded in agreement; Dec hadn't really been coherent enough over the course of the day to consider getting him to drink anything, and add the heavy feverish sweating on top of that - he could certainly see the medic's reasoning behind his decision.

That didn't mean he had to like it.

Bob must have caught something in his gaze, for he smiled knowingly at the younger man and gave him a wink.

"Don't worry, it won't be for too long: probably just the afternoon and maybe tonight. Just saves us walking back and forth between here and the clinic, that's all."

Ant opened his mouth as if to say something, and Bob smiled wider.

"You can stay as well, don't worry" he chuckled.

Ant shut his mouth again.

Bob laughed and clapped a friendly hand on Ant's shoulder - eliciting a chuckle from the other man - and stepped outside to call one of the buggy drivers on his radio.

Coming back inside a minute or so later, he announced that the buggy was outside and ready to take them up to the clinic.

Ant nodded, stepping aside to let the medic stand next to the bed. Bending down, Bob wrapped an arm under Dec's knees and another around his shoulders, before scooping his limp body up and into a bridal-style lift.