Fever Blood

Chapter 51: A New Friend

Raddas tried to lift Laidu's frame, but his knees were weak. He tried to rise, to carry the weight of his friend, but it was too heavy, too much to lift. His head spinning, body aching, lungs screaming, he couldn't take it. He was too weak to protect, to save his friend. He had failed.

Another person moved to Raddas's side, lifting Laidu off the ground. "Come on," the person half-choked, half-snarled. He began to move, began to walk, slowly dragging forward the unconscious Ranger trainee and the semiconscious friend.

Raddas could not see the other, through the veil of toxic fog, but he was happy that someone else was there. Someone else was helping them. Someone else was taking up the burden.

It was these joyous thoughts that filled Raddas's head when he collapsed.

***

Raddas awoke to the infirmary.

He wore a fresh tunic, and his body had been scrubbed down. He could feel it, that wonderful feeling of clean skin.

Laidu was awake too, and his golden scales gleamed with a fresh, clean polish. And on the other side of Raddas was the third member.

And he wasn't human.

He looked like a man and a small shark had had a baby. Covered in miniscule scales, he had a shark's angular head, one fin crowning the back of his skull. Dark eyes looked around, bored. There was the faint thump of a tail aimlessly slapping against the mattress. He sat up, a cup of tea in his hands. He was silver-colored, with streaks of blue, about Laidu's height, and the parts of his chest that showed through his tunic were covered in tiny thin lines. Scars.

In other words, a normal-looking Tethyd.

"You're awake," he said. "Good."

Laidu burped. Of course, a burp shouldn't have been loud enough to make Raddas wince from sheer volume. A curl of smoke escaped from his mouth. "Sorry," he said. "I heated up myself. Must have accidentally ignited the gas still in me."

The Tethyd laughed. He leaned out, towards Raddas, extending a hand. "Laidu and I have already met. My name's Iako."

"I'm Raddas," Raddas said. With that, Iako settled down, his tail idly swishing in the air.

The door burst open and a Vesperati came in. "So," he said, "you're the first victims of the Choking Tunnels this time." He sighed. "Rest for a few minutes, but if you don't mind, may I take a few measurements?"

One of the nurses who had followed him in, a cheerful -looking woman, put a hand on his shoulder. "Doctor, do you think that's wise?"

The Vesperati -Raddas thought he had called himself Shamei before- shrugged and adjusted his thin glasses. "Hmm. Can any of you not stand?"

Raddas paused. He felt...fine. A little sore, but fine. He shook his head. "I can stand."

"Same," Iako said.

"Likewise," Laidu said.

"Alright." The Vesperati doctor snapped his fingers, and two other nurses walked into the room, one Erinyan, her skin black as charcoal, and the other human. One held a few logbooks, and the other held measuring cord. "I'm going to do a few examinations," he said. "Recruit Raddas, please rise."

Radass rose to his feet, despite the slight stiffness in his legs. "Thank you." Dr. Shamei looked him up and down. "Hold still, and just breathe deeply." With that, he pressed one giant, bat-like ear to Raddas's back

Raddas tried to ignore the tiny, furry doctor behind him, trying to keep an easy rhythm. "Good," Shamei said. "Sounds like you're clear there." He paused. "Hold still again." With that he stepped around the recruit, before grabbing Raddas's wrist and pressing two fingers against the inside. He stopped, counting, red eyes closed. "Seventy beats per minute," he said. "Write that down." One of the nurses nodded. "Now, I'm going to need you to disrobe. Just to your underclothes."