Camp camp short stories!

oOF..!. (Part 5 end)

For the next week, Daniel recovered from the flu. Although well enough after a couple days to walk on his own, and to take care of himself — mostly — David continued to return to the cabin, bringing food and water and clean blankets and clothes. Daniel bathed, daily, now that he knew the water was clean. Every morning, Daniel tended to his appearance — could do so, now that he had the proper tools. Every morning, Daniel got up, went down to the river, bathed, shaved, and brushed his teeth.

Though still sick, it was important that he re-establish routine. It was important that he brought structure back to his life, disrupted as it had been by certain... unsavory events. So, Daniel got himself up in the mornings, maintained his personal hygiene, ate breakfast, found ways to occupy his time. Naturally, he spent most of this time resting, but occasionally he would go for walks, his restless legs seeming almost to move of their own accord, leaving Daniel as nothing more than a passenger.

Occasionally, Daniel would venture out to hunt, or set traps. He was very good at both, although he was used to pursuing larger creatures than the squirrels and birds he now supplemented his canned diet with. In the past, Daniel had chased after more stubborn prey, had set traps meant for far more intelligent targets. In the past, Daniel had not hunted alone. In the past, Daniel had not hunted to eat. Daniel reminded himself that that was all behind him. Now was the time to look to the future.

Through it all, of course, there was David. David, who somehow found time for Daniel, despite the attention demanded by the campers. David, who was the only person Daniel had had a proper interaction with in nearly two weeks. David, whose presence was as bright and radiant and warm, as all-encompassing, as mesmerizing, as brilliant as the sun itself. David, who seemed to have some hidden knowledge, some key, some unknowable, secret access to an endless fountain of boundless enthusiasm and unceasing kindness. David, David, David.

It had not rained since Daniel had caught the flu. The sky had been clear and bright, with only soft, light clouds gently drifting through the blue expanse. In spite of Daniel's continued nausea and dizziness, his occasional coughing fits, and — thankfully decreasing — nosebleeds, he was feeling rather good about the way things were going.

He was meditating on the flat rock behind his cabin when David arrived. Daniel had sensed his approach, had heard the heavy steps of boots on grass, on dirt, on stones. Exhaling slowly through his nose, Daniel slowly unfolded his legs and sat back, relaxing his rigid posture as David walked closer.

"Hey, Daniel! I brought you something!" David, peppy as always, waved and smiled. Rather, he smiled and attempted to wave; in his arms he carried a standard camp mattress, thin and old, but still better than the cabin floor. Encumbered as he was, he could not wave. He tried to regardless.

Daniel faked a jovial laugh, opening his mouth just enough, closing his eyes for just the right amount of time, tilting his head back at just the right angle.

"Thanks, David. That sure beats sleeping right on the ground! Well, in a sleeping bag, but still! You know what I mean!"

"Why of course, Daniel! And you are so right. I knew you needed a mattress, and I finally managed to sneak one past Gwen! Isn't that great?"

"Sure is, David. Say, I was just about to go check my hunting traps. Wanna come with?" Daniel allowed his outward demeanor to remain relaxed and inviting, matching David's enthusiastic tone with an equal passion. In truth, he would prefer to go alone, but he had to make an effort to keep up appearances. It was excusable, having lapses when struck ill with the flu. His unfriendliness and overt violence could be chalked up to delirium. But now that the flu was gone, it was again time to filter and vett every one of his thoughts, every word out of his mouth, every action that he took. Daniel had to be the same person that David had known him as; had to be cheerful, charismatic, friendly, competent, understanding, intelligent, knowledgeable, inviting, and on and on and on.