Thrown Through Time

Chapter 16

Chief Yjorgan improved over the next couple of days and was able to get out and walk around the city to find out if anyone else needed help. Many of the people he talked to told him they had already been sick and recovered. No one had died and they all sang Sophie's praises, though they didn't quite understand what was in the water she'd given them.

He returned to his house. Eirik was still burning up. And Sophie was still diligently dripping small amounts of water into his mouth. "Any improvement?" he asked.

"No. Not yet." she said. Between feeding him her concoction, she bathed his face and arms with cool, plain water.

"I owe you an apology, Sophie," the chief said, sitting back down in his chair.

She was surprised and glanced over at him. She never would have expected him to say so.

"I think Eirik's right. I think you are the woman from the prophesy." he cleared his throat. "But I think you're also right that it's not about what we've all thought it was about."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You've saved us all." he said, ashamed of how he'd treated her when she'd come to him with her solution. "I should have listened to you."

"I understand how it must have sounded when I said I was going to use berries," she smiled.

"I've never heard of such a thing." he admitted. "How did you know it would work?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she laughed softly. "It's just something I learned.....a long time ago."

"Well, thank you," he said.

"You're welcome," she murmured. She turned back to caring for Eirik.

She'd barely slept for three days. Eirik's fever had raged longer than anyone else's and she worried he wasn't going to improve. She had nearly emptied the entire pitcher into him and bathed his face and arms many times, trying to cool his skin, but he remained listless and pale.  She leaned her head onto the edge of the bed to rest her eyes. Just for a moment.

Someone was stroking her hair. She realized she had fallen asleep and she suddenly had the thought run through her mind that if there was a rat climbing across her head, she was done. She would go in search of that blue haze and jump through it even if she was electrocuted on her way through.

Lifting her head from the bed, she looked up at Eirik and realized he was awake. "How do you feel?" she asked, moving from the chair to the edge of the bed and feeling his forehead.

His father had heard her and hurried into the room. "He's okay?"

"His fever's broken," she breathed a sigh of relief, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye as Yjorgan leaned over and hugged his son.

"Did we lose anyone?" Eirik asked.

Sophie shook her head. "No. No one,"

He let out a sigh and leaned back on the pillows to rest. He felt so tired, as if he'd run the Trials all over again. "That's good."

"You didn't drink any of the water, did you?" she asked.

He smiled. "I was so busy looking after Father that I forgot,"

"Yes, and got sick in the process!" she scolded.

"But I'm alright now," he said.

"You could have died!"

"I'm sorry." he said gently.

She took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. "If this ever happens again, you'd better listen to me, or I'll kill you myself!" she snapped. "Finish the water that's in the pitcher. I need to go check on my cat!"