Submission (#3145) Approved

Of course, no matter how perfect the previous day had been, the flower festival still in full swing in the middle of Elenion, today found Kau’i wanting to pull his hair out. During the night fever had stolen over his partners, leaving them weak, sleeping fitfully. Kau’i had ushered Lani out of the room to Evenne and Soren’s chambers, not wanting his tiny son to have to watch his mom and other father be so sick.

Dusk fever. Kau’i sighs and wipes a damp cloth across Kaia’s face. She blinks up at him blearily before snuggling closer to Koa. Sweat dampens their fur, but they both shiver, even though the room is warm, fire blazing in the fireplace. 

“I told you to be careful.” Kau’i whispers softly to them, taking a second to glance out the window in an attempt to blink back tears. The day is bright and sunny, the night having been cool and clear, and soft pink petals drift like snow to gather on the window sill. The pink foliage of the local trees is quite visible even from his vantage point, shocks of vivid rainbow dotting the lower branches, the ever present fairie shrouds decorating the boughs. 

Koa smiles up at him softly, face partially obscured by his mass of hair, but Kau’i doesn’t miss it when he turns back to his partners. 

“‘M sorry love.” the other male whispers, and Kaia chimes in gently afterwards, her normally bright eyes dull and pained. “We tried, I promise Kau.”

Kau’i can’t help but sigh again. “I know, I know,” He murmurs, “I just hate-” He bites it back. No point in that. He smiles down at his partners, slipping off the edge of the bed and stretching. The room smells sweet with the scent of flowers, both wafting in from the the outside and from the bundle of everfresh flowers that sits on their packs, Kaia’s red-gold lilies mixed with Kau’i’s white-pink hibiscus and some smaller purple blooms that belonged to Koa. Kau’i turns to his partners, this time reaching over to wipe Koa’s face before leaning back to study them. He bites back a third sigh, and speaks up.

“I think I’m going to talk to Evenne. She mentioned an herbal tea that could help?” Kau’i hesitates, “Will you guys be okay for a few minutes?”

Kaia hums softly. “Go on, we’ll be okay.”

Kau’i nods but doesn’t move, watching the dappled sunlight that breaks through the pink branches outside their window dance across the bed that's pushed up underneath the window. God, they look so sick, and Kau’i doesn’t know if he can leave them.

Koa frowns a little at him. “Kau’i, we’ll be fine, promise.”

You promised before, Kau’i wants to say, but doesn’t, only leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to their forehead before nodding and leaving the room quickly, pausing for only a moment in the doorway.

“I’ll be right back.” He murmurs to the pair in the bed softly before gently closing the door behind him. As soon as their are out of his sight a shivers of fear runs through him. It’s only dusk fever, he tries to remind himself. It’s easily treatable. They’d caught it early, and the healer had already been by. Kau’i had dashed out in the middle of the night, down cobblestone streets, guided by the light of the lanterns until he reached the closest healer’s. It was too dark to see the distant rolling hills, but this far from the center of Elenion the hills were still prevalent, sending Kau’i up and down them until he was panting for breath by the time he was pounding on the healer’s door. Kau’i was pretty sure he’s smacked face first into a low hanging fairie shroud on the way there, rainbow petals tangled in his hair as he anxiously followed the healer back to their inn.

He hadn’t really slept since then, even though it was past midday now, and out of the corner of his eye he catches a stubborn errant petal still clinging to his hair, and he quickly brushes it out with his paws. The center courtyard of their inn is quite beautiful, blooming flowers and small trees carefully grown and landscaped, but Kau’i has no eyes for it, shifting from bipedal to all fours to quickly dash down the stairs to cross the stone path across the courtyard. He quickly slips through a doorway, down a hall that's decorated with even more flowers, before he’s knocking on Evenne’s door. 

“Coming!” he hears a female voice emanate from the other side of the door, and then Evenne is peeking around the edge of the door. Her eyes widen upon seeing Kau’i, alarm tingeing her voice even as she tries to keep quiet. “Kau’i!” she hisses,”Is everything okay?”

Kau’i hastens to assure her, “Everythings fine, they’re doing okay I just thought… you mentioned an herbal tea that might help?”

Evenne takes a second to calm herself before nodding, although her eyes are still wide. “I have some in my packs, just a minute. I’d let you come in but the kids are sleeping…”  

Kau’i nods, catching sight of his son and his young auntie and uncle all piled up snoozing in a patch of sunlight that streams through the window. The view from Evenne and Soren’s room is that of the farmers market in the local square, vegetables piled high on tables even at this later hour. It doesn’t take long for Evenne to return, clutching a small container of tea leaves and a large jar of honey. 

“It’s a little bitter.” She warns, “So put lots of honey in it. The fever’s sweet tooth means they probably won’t drink it otherwise.”

Kau’i nods, back to bipedal has he grabs the items. He stops long enough to give Evenne a quick hug and a “Thanks mom.” before he quickly races back to his, Kaia, and Koa’s room.

Letting himself in, he’s pleased to find his partners turning to look at him, seemingly still clear headed. He’d been worried about the possibility of hallucinations but so far, nothing yet. Kau’i holds up the tea and honey. “I’ve got it!” and quickly sets a kettle of water over the fire.

He returns to wiping their faces as he waits for the water to boil, and when the kettle whistles he breaks off, pouring the water into two cups, adds the tea and lets it steep for a few minutes before stirring in an extremely generous amount of honey. He then helps Kaia and Koa sit up and drink the tea before they settle down into sleep. Kau’i tenderly brushes the hair away from their faces, before feeling their foreheads. 

A little cooler maybe? But they still have a way to go, so he settles in to keep vigil as they sleep. He’d take care of them until they were all better.