Halt's Test (Gone Wrong)

Chapter 6

Halt slept all through lunch but woke up when Crowley returned about an hour later.

"When's a meal?" Halt asked, glancing at his friend.

"Already happened." Crowley nearly smiled at the alarm in Halt's face. "But I got you soup."

"Soup? I'm not sick?" Halt protested weakly.

"We'll see about that." Crowley muttered sarcastically to himself. But Halt overheard him, and his eyebrow shot straight up.

"What was that Crowley?"

"Nothing."

"That's what I thought."

Crowley sighed, letting Halt have the last word. "Are you sure that you're okay?"

"Yes. Did you bring my bow?"

"No, but you can borrow mine if you want. You're the better shot anyway." Halt nodded his thanks as he picked up the cool soup and spoon and started to gulp it down hungrily, before he flung the spoon down and began to drink straight from the bowl. Crowley ignored his lack of manners with a grin.

"You're hungry." Crowley remarked as he headed over to his pack to find his fletching jig, he'd noticed a few of his arrows were wonky.

Halt's sharp dark eyes rose to meet his insolently above the wooden bowl. "You had me on starvation rations for nine days."

"Ah. Yes. That happened." Crowley's voice trailed off. He couldn't help feeling sorry, it was a test that Halt had to go through, no matter how harsh, but hurting his friend that badly hurt him.

"You sure you're okay?" Crowley asked again as Halt coughed, a harsh rasping sound.

"I told you I'm fine. Do you want me to prove it?"

"Yes, actually. Can you get up and jump twenty times please?"

With an audible sigh, Halt slid off the bed to prove to Crowley that he was fine. But as soon as he was standing, he felt a wave of dizziness and had to sit back down.

But Halt stubbornly got back to his feet and began to jump. "One... Two... Three..." He only made it to seven before he blacked out again and fell to the floor.

"You idiot." Crowley told an unhearing Halt as he lifted Halt back onto his bed. Out of an uncanny supposition, Crowley put his hand to Halt's forehead and found he had a bad fever.

With a sigh, Crowley put on his cloak, left the room, descended the stairs and exited the inn out into the sunny afternoon to find the village healer.