Female "Fever Dream" -- Tuck Everlasting (Mae/Angus)

[EmilyBrown]

A/N: This has no sneezing yet. I do, however, plan on writing more parts that will have sneezing. Enjoy!

 

Fever Dream (Part 1)

It was all so confusing. Personality after personality flashed through her mind, each taking control before surrendering her to the next one. One plotted horrible cruelties while another combatted the previous one’s evil. Then, another rose up, somewhere far from where she last stood, subjecting her to the cruelties she had just planned. And then there was Jesse falling and falling. And Miles burning alive at the hands of frightened townspeople. And Angus being shot, and crashing down on top of her. And a knife at her wrist, sawing away with her powerless to stop it. And the pit of her stomach dropped out.

Mae jerked awake, the blankets tangled around her. Heat raged behind her eyes, her muscles ached, her ears rang, and congestion made her breath come in ragged gasps which did nothing to help her parched throat.

She groaned. So much time had passed since she had felt this ill, especially after the spring. She hadn’t missed it one bit.

Though it felt like lead, she turned her head to search the other side of the bed on the off chance that Angus might be there. Of course, he wasn’t. Another groan fell from her lips. They hadn’t slept in the same bed for years, and she missed him like she missed death. He would make it so much easier to sleep when she felt like this, his strong arms keeping her grounded against the shifting personas that shattered her dreams.

It was still dark outside, and if she was honest, all she really wanted was sleep. Sleep would keep her mind off of the illness inside of her. Unconsciousness would allow her body to repair itself without her having to pay attention. Now wouldn’t that be nice?

This time, a sigh worked its way out of Mae, falling on a deaf room as she rolled out of bed. As her feet touched the floor, she shivered. The heat behind her eyes had intensified and would soon encompass her in chills. The cursed floor wasn’t helping. Without bothering to untangle the blanket that clung to her limbs, she staggered toward the stairs.

Each step was a precarious one, her legs unsteady as they were, and she nearly missed the last one. Her heel clipped the edge of the last stair, and she fell backwards, unable to break her fall for the blanket tangled around her arms.

The dull thud of her head striking the stairs resonated through the cabin, making bright spots swell before her vision. Through the haze of fever and pain, she heard sudden, heavy footsteps approaching. Oh gods. The man in the yellow suit. He’d found her, with his manic, uneven step, and his stinking breath from his rotting teeth.

Mae drew in an ineffectual breath before a frightened sob wracked her frail body. She tried to put out her hands to stop him, but the blanket bound them at her sides. When he touched her, she screamed.

The hands drew back immediately, releasing her arms, only to be replaced by a soft voice. 

“Mae?”

“Angus?” her voice was a scraping croak.

“I’m here Mae; I’ve got you.” Angus’ hands came to rest in her hair this time.

“But the man…yellow…” she protested, fidgeting once again.

“No, no, he’s gone. He can’t hurt you. He can’t hurt any of us.” He said, stroking her hair, feeling the heat radiating off her forehead. Lord, was she hot. “Let’s get you up, huh? Can you stand?”

“Mmmh…the blanket…can’t move,” she murmured.

Gentle hands loosened the blanket before pulling it away altogether.

His arms laced around her torso and hoisted her up before draping the blanket around her shoulders far more condusively than before. The chills had snuck up on her in her distraction, and she shook like a leaf as her trembling hands pulled the blanket tighter.

Angus guided her to the couch he’d used as a bed for years and eased her down, adding his blanket to the swaddling the other blanket had begun. He claimed the spot next to her. As she sagged into him, he placed a protective arm around her shoulders, hugging her close, kissing her hair. She nuzzled closer to him, her face in the crook of his shoulder

The last thing she heard before drifting back to sleep was Angus’ quiet reassurance.

“Don’t worry; I’ve got you.”