The Adventures of a Dumb Detective and his Wily Mate.

Untitled Part 4

Chapter 4

The patient and his nurse

Ani rushed up to his room and stopped short. Carefully, without making any noise, he opened the bedroom door. Rudra was asleep.

He tiptoed in with a smile on his lips but as he came closer, his smile faltered and then disappeared. He rushed to his side and checked his forehead. He was burning up again. He sat next to him and stared down. He was fine just an hour ago. What happened? Why's the fever back?

He ran out and collected some water, snatched his towel drying on the clothesline and ran back to him.

'Rudradada, get up. Your fever is back. I need to wipe you down.' He shook Rudra by his shoulders.

Rudra mumbled, 'Don't want ... Lemme sleep ... sleepy.'

He shook his head and frowned at him, 'no. Sleep afterwards. Let me wipe you now. Please!!'

Rudra groaned and tried to move away but he wouldn't let up. He pulled at Rudra's arms with all his might and made him sit up and quickly stripped him. He wiped him down as fast as he could, trying to keep the wet towel on his fever raged body to draw all the heat out. Upper body done, he started on his lower body. Rudra tried to object but Ani was relentless and he gave up. He wiped him all the way down and changed him into fresh clothes. Made him drink some water and swallow a fever pill and finally allowed him to sleep.

As he was about to leave his side with all the wet things, Rudra grabbed and pulled at him weakly.

He groaned pitifully. 'Where are you going? Don't leave me. I'll die if you leave me.'

Ani dropped the things on the floor and climbed into the cot.

He gathered his head and pulled him into his chest. He lay in that narrow space, hugging Rudra tightly to himself.

'Don't be silly ... Don't talk like a fool. I'm not going anywhere and you'll NOT die. Go to sleep now, I'm right here. Sleep.' He commanded with his voice heavy with tears and apprehension.

Rudra hugged him back and breathed a sigh of comfort. He fell asleep but held on to his slight frame with all his feeble strength.

Ani stared at his fever-red face. All his anxiety was back.

As his fever reduced and he started sweating, Ani wiped him down and changed him again. Rudra slept on. Then he quietly left his side. He needed to dust the upstairs study and start with dinner.

He was busy in the kitchen later in the evening, when a call came from the main house.

The maid called him and said, 'Ai Ani, Mejda is calling you. Go upstairs right now.'

Ani looked up from where he was cutting vegetables and nodded at her silently.

Upstairs, he walked into a bedroom next to his Ma's and stood waiting near the foot of the bed. There was a large leather suitcase lying empty on the bed.

'Were you calling for me, Mejda?' He asked the second son of the household, Animesh.

The man in his mid-twenties turned to him and said, 'I can't find any of my old house shirts. Where are they? Some pajamas are missing too. What did you do with them?'

Ani frowned at him fiercely and said, 'Oof, Mejda!! Why are you such a miser? I threw them away. They were shabby and torn in so many places, the tailor has refused to fix them up any more. Why do you want them anyway? Your almirah is stocked with all sorts of nice clothes yet you're still looking for clothes which you've been wearing for the last ten years.'