With a full cup, I run back to mykeeshlaand place it at her lips. With my hand behind her head, I gently lift it. “Piper, you must drink this.”
Her eyes open only slightly. “Katem?”
“I am here. I need you to drink this.”
“I’m so cold,” she rasps out with a wheeze and her teeth make a chittering noise.
“This will help.” Coaxing her mouth open, I pour a small amount of water inside.
Her throat moves, but then she begins to choke and cough. I yank back the cup and do my best to prop her up. Kyler joins me, and we are able to get Piper upright enough that she finally expels all the liquid. Slowly, I lay her back down and her head lolls to the side.
“Let me put this in the water,” the healer says, holding out his hand.
He takes the cup from me and dumps a healing powder into it. Using a stick, he stirs it and passes it back. “We need to get the medicine in her.”
Once more I attempt to get Piper to drink, but it is no use. It does nothing but run down the side of her face and wet her hair. Not even with my tribe brother lying here did I feel as helpless as I do seeing my mate. I tuck the fur more tightly around her as she trembles.
“What happened to cause the fever to appear so quickly?” Kyler asks softly.
Guilt punches me in the gut. “Mykeeshlahad a wish to learn how to swim, so before the evening meal we went to the river for our first lesson. She was doing so well. We had been practicing holding our breath and staying under the water so she could become less afraid of having it be over her head. I suggested we go beneath the surface once more, but this time Piper coughed while we were down there and breathed in the water.
I rushed her to the bank and helped her expel all of it, and after she grew cold and breathed strangely. We quickly left for our tent and while I got a fire started, she changed from her wet coverings to dry ones. She appeared better once she got warm, but I woke not long ago to her like this.”
Kyler nods. “With your mate already having a lung illness, breathing in water along with the cold air is no doubt what caused the onset of the fever.”
“This is my fault.” I run my hands through my hair. “If I had not offered to teach her to swim so close to the cold season, this would not have happened.”
“You cannot blame yourself for this Katem. It will not do you or Piper any good. What you must focus on now is getting her well again. Make sure she is kept warm and dry and that she is drinking as much of the burim-infused water you can get her too.” He claps me on the shoulder. “Deeka will guide you through this.”
I nod absently, because my attention is solely on mykeeshla. Kyler steps away and then returns with one of the sloped platforms Jodah built. It is similar to the one he crafted for his baba who became fur-bound many seasons ago after an injury took his ability to walk.
“Help sit your mate up and I will place this behind her back.” Kyler directs. “It will help to keep her from choking when you try to get her to drink.”
I do as he says and carefully draw Piper upright. Once he has positioned the slope, I gently lay her onto it and adjust the furs to cover her better. I stroke the damp hair that has stuck to her forehead and push it back.
“You will get through this,keeshla. It is not your time yet. There are still things on your list that we need to cross off,” I whisper, but there is no indication she hears me.
Vaguely, I am aware of time passing as I consistently attempt to get my mate to drink. She shakes fiercely, and I stoke the fire andadd more furs to help keep her warm. Daylight comes and goes, but I never leave Piper’s side.
There are a few occurrences when she wakes, but they are filled with her confusion. She does not know where she is or even who I am. Despite the medicine, her body continues to burn hotter and hotter. Healer Sage tells me that is often the cycle of a fever. She will get hot until the fever breaks. All we can do is keep her wrapped in furs, wipe her face with a damp cloth, and make sure she swallows as much of the burim root powder as possible. Another turn passes with no change. And another.
“Katem?” The harsh, cracked whisper causes my head to jerk up from where I had laid to rest against Piper’s side.
I jump to my feet and caress her face with its dry, cracked lips. “I am here,keeshla.”
She coughs repeatedly, and I grab the cup of water to offer her once she is able to stop. The coughing slows and blood appears at the corner of her mouth. I wipe it away with my thumb. Her eyes open, but they shimmer with an unnatural light.
“Katem,” Piper says again.
“Drink this first.” I assist her with the cup, and she swallows a small portion of water.
Another short coughing bout hits her, although this one is not as bad as the last. Still, more blood comes and the dark smudges beneath her eyes are even darker in comparison to the rest of her coloring. I set aside the water and, once more, wipe away the dark liquid that stains her lips.
“I—I’m sorry,” Piper rasps and takes in a crackling breath.
“What do you have to be sorry for?”
She swallows and clears her throat. “I’m…” her chest makes a wheezing sound. “I’m sorry…I have to…leave you.”
