Living on a Mountain with my Husband

Chapter 71: Fear

"It's hot...

Why is it so hot?...

Cough

LongWei put out the fire.

He promised.

Cough.

It's so hot.

Did he maybe forget.

No, he promised.

It's hot."

Zimo lay in bed. Because of his fever he felt hot and couldn't think clearly. While half conscious his mind drifted between reality and dreams.

"Dear? It's hot. Help me. Cough."

He said. His mind was become more delirious. He felt so hot he had removed the quilts. However instead of helping, being exposed to the cold air worsened his fever and made him feel even hotter.

"Dear? Cough... Dear, please help me it's so hot."

Zimo in his feverish state started to hallucinate and panic.

"Dear, help me. The fire... Cough the fire... Cough. You promised to put it out. Dear, did you lie to me?"

Zimo crawled out of bed and lay in the floor in an attempts to cool down, but still felt very hot. His fever rose and he could no longer think clearly. Fear had started to dominate his mind. His fear of dying alone in the fire. No one to save him. Alone.

"I have to get out. Cough. It's too hot... I don't want to die. Dear, I don't want to die." Zimo sobbed and begged as he stumbled out of the house.

...

LongWei looked back in the direction of the house. He had wished he hadn't borrowed the two ox carts. If he hadn't he could have taken the shorter route and returned back to Zimo's side immediately.

Zimo's behaviour before he left was worrying. Recently Zimo had improved a lot. LongWei could leave the room and Zimo would continue sleeping without suffering from nightmares. He had made a lot of progress.

"It will be okay. The house is safe, even without the fire burning it's warm. The wolf pups are small,  but very vigilant." LongWei kept trying to reassure himself that Zimo would be okay. As he sped up the ox cart to hurry down the mountain.

As they approached the base of the river, the path out became visible. LongWei quickly stopped the cart.

"Yan Bo!" He called out.

"Yeah, boss Yuan?"

"Do you think he can make it the rest of the way down?" He asked sounding impatient.

Yan Bo looked at the path ahead. The trees had become more sparse and the sound of the river ahead was clear.

"Don't Cha worry boss. We got this. You head back to Zimo and make sure he's okay." Yan DanDan said as he hung over his brother's shoulder.

"Thanks." LongWei said before jumping off the cart and running back up the mountain.

...

Whimper

The wolf pups whimpered as they worried about Zimo. Chen circled the area around Zimo anxiously as he observed their surroundings.

Chong sat close to Zimo's side watching and listening for the slightest noise, like a guardian beast.

Chu huddled close to Zimo, licking his face in worry trying to comfort Zimo as he sobbed curled up on the ground.

"Dear, I'm scared. Cough, cough..."

Zimo's fever had risen by a lot. He lay in the yard in a thin robe exposed to the cool wind. His mind drifting between reality and his own nightmare.

...

LongWei ran back to the house. He quickly unlocked and entered through the front gate. When suddenly a small black wolf pup darted towards him whimpering and barking.

Seeing the wolf pup LongWei's heart fell. "Baby!" He yelled as he rushed forward, following the little wolf pup.

Seeing Zimo laying on the ground curled up and shivering LongWei panicked.

"Baby?! What's wrong why are you outside? Baby talk to me." He asked as he picked Zimo of the ground.

"Hot, the fire. Cough... you left the fire burning. I cough... I don't want to die." Zimo said in a hoarse voice. Listening to Zimo speak, it was clear to LongWei Zimo had become delirious from the fever.

"Baby, there's no fire. Let's go back in the house. You're sick, the fever is getting worse. You need to go..."

"No!" Zimo screamed. He struggled to get out of LongWei's arms.

"I can't. I'll die. The fire... cough" zimo screamed sending himself into a coughing fit.

LongWei held the struggling and panicked Zimo tight in his arms. He eyes felt hot. He picked Zimo up and started walking towards the house. He needed to get Zimo out of the cool wind and lower his fever as soon as possible.

Zimo, in his delirious state Zimo became more distraught as when they entered the house. Aware of his surroundings he went from wriggling and twisting to escape LongWei's arms to fighting and beating on LongWei's chest and arms.

"No, let me go. Cough... The fire. Cry...The fire. It burns. Dear, save me. I don't want to die. It hurts, it's so hot.."

The more Zimo struggled the less coherent his words became. He had starting raving. LongWei couldn't bare to see him like this. But he also couldn't bring Zimo back outside. He needed to lower his temperature.

"Baby, there is not fire. I promised to put it out. I always keep my promises baby. Believe be baby. Trust me. Everything is going to be okay." LongWei kept trying to calm Zimo as he carried the struggling Zimo into the house.

He planned to take him to the room, but then changed his mind and brought him to the kitchen. Hold Zimo in his arms he knelt down next to stove.

"Baby, look. There is no fire. The fire is gone. It's cold." LongWei said as he held Zimo's chin in one hand while embracing him tightly with the other.

Zimo bit LongWei's hand hard, drawing blood. The taste of warm liquid in his mouth permeated by the pungent smell woke Zimo up from his delirium. He stared forward into the stove and saw that the fire was truly out.

"Baby, don't worry. You're safe. I'm here. Baby, calm down." LongWei whispered in Zimo's ear repeatedly. Zimo's body began to relax in LongWei's arms.

Feeling the change LongWei also relaxed his grip on Zimo and kissed him on the forehead. He kissed Zimo's trembling eyes as large tears trickled down his pale cheeks.

"Baby, it's okay. I'm here. I won't let anything happen."

Finally, breaking free from the nightmare, Zimo whimpered quietly as he snuggled deeper into LongWei's embrace before falling into a deep dreamless sleep.

...