When Siobhan woke up again, her head felt too heavy to lift. Groaning, she clapped a hand on her forehead, only to find that it too was scalding hot, and whimpered a little at the pain that instantly returned. No sooner had she made noise than Nelacar was at her side again, a jug of milk in his hand.
“You're feverish,” he informed her, placing the drink on the end table. Normally, Siobhan would have smiled wryly at such an obvious remark, but her weakness had long since overtaken her sarcasm.
“Yeah...” she mumbled, rolling onto her side. “What's wrong with me?” The elf cringed a little, placing a hand on the side of her face.
“...I don't know.” Truly, he hadn't expected her to still be sick come morning, but as far as he could tell, she was still bedridden. “Did you have nightmares?”
“Yeah. It was like I was back in the Star all over again...” Siobhan sighed, trying hopelessly to sit up. “Damn!” As she slumped back onto the pillows, her caretaker watched her, worry completely obvious in his face. Once again, he was at a complete loss for what to do.
“Do you have any appetite?” he asked helplessly. The Breton shook her head, pulling the blankets up to her nose.
“No...thanks, though. I think I'm going to go back to sleep,” she admitted. “You...you'll still be here when I wake up, right?” Nelacar blinked, surprised at the desperation in her voice, but rested a comforting hand on top of her head.
“Of course,” he assured her. As his patient dozed off again, he rose to his feet nonetheless, starting out towards the counter where the innkeeper was cleaning glasses. “Dagur. I'll be out on the porch. If she wakes up, come and find me,” he ordered him. Dagur nodded wordlessly, leaving the Altmer to exit into the flurries of snow.
Out on the bench, he sighed loudly, rubbing his temples for relief. He was running out of options. He could always wait and see if the sickness would wear itself out and leave her body, but he didn't want to take any chances there. Potions and spells had proved fruitless, as he had expected, and he didn't want to go far to look for help. The option that remained was one he had hoped he would never have to take.
“The College,” he murmured aloud, the name itself making him anxious. The imposing building was just a bridge away, but he doubted they would be any more happy to see him than he would be to seek their help. He had made his intentions clear when he left—he was not coming back, under any circumstances, and Arch-Mage Aren had been glad to see him go. He couldn't bring himself to go back to ask for help. But...just on the other side of the door, Siobhan was vainly trying to sleep off her fever. It was his fault, he reminded himself furiously, and she was his responsibility. The last thing he could handle would be her dying to fix Azura's bloody soul gem.
I have to go back, he told himself firmly, rising shakily to his feet. But that didn't mean he would particularly enjoy the exchange. He poked his head back into the inn's door, calling to Dagur that he would return in a moment, then braced himself for the inevitable. He stepped out onto the snowy path and trudged towards the looming stone bridge that stood between him and the College of Winterhold.
Nelacar/F!DB: "Promises" 2/?
“You're feverish,” he informed her, placing the drink on the end table. Normally, Siobhan would have smiled wryly at such an obvious remark, but her weakness had long since overtaken her sarcasm.
“Yeah...” she mumbled, rolling onto her side. “What's wrong with me?” The elf cringed a little, placing a hand on the side of her face.
“...I don't know.” Truly, he hadn't expected her to still be sick come morning, but as far as he could tell, she was still bedridden. “Did you have nightmares?”
“Yeah. It was like I was back in the Star all over again...” Siobhan sighed, trying hopelessly to sit up. “Damn!” As she slumped back onto the pillows, her caretaker watched her, worry completely obvious in his face. Once again, he was at a complete loss for what to do.
“Do you have any appetite?” he asked helplessly. The Breton shook her head, pulling the blankets up to her nose.
“No...thanks, though. I think I'm going to go back to sleep,” she admitted. “You...you'll still be here when I wake up, right?” Nelacar blinked, surprised at the desperation in her voice, but rested a comforting hand on top of her head.
“Of course,” he assured her. As his patient dozed off again, he rose to his feet nonetheless, starting out towards the counter where the innkeeper was cleaning glasses. “Dagur. I'll be out on the porch. If she wakes up, come and find me,” he ordered him. Dagur nodded wordlessly, leaving the Altmer to exit into the flurries of snow.
Out on the bench, he sighed loudly, rubbing his temples for relief. He was running out of options. He could always wait and see if the sickness would wear itself out and leave her body, but he didn't want to take any chances there. Potions and spells had proved fruitless, as he had expected, and he didn't want to go far to look for help. The option that remained was one he had hoped he would never have to take.
“The College,” he murmured aloud, the name itself making him anxious. The imposing building was just a bridge away, but he doubted they would be any more happy to see him than he would be to seek their help. He had made his intentions clear when he left—he was not coming back, under any circumstances, and Arch-Mage Aren had been glad to see him go. He couldn't bring himself to go back to ask for help. But...just on the other side of the door, Siobhan was vainly trying to sleep off her fever. It was his fault, he reminded himself furiously, and she was his responsibility. The last thing he could handle would be her dying to fix Azura's bloody soul gem.
I have to go back, he told himself firmly, rising shakily to his feet. But that didn't mean he would particularly enjoy the exchange. He poked his head back into the inn's door, calling to Dagur that he would return in a moment, then braced himself for the inevitable. He stepped out onto the snowy path and trudged towards the looming stone bridge that stood between him and the College of Winterhold.