Storm Island Expedition

Swamp Sickness

'Gavin, I told you not to wander off. You're not going to ... '
'Calm down Yesna, I'm fine.'
'Fine? FINE?!? You have a fever, sweating, and I have yet to find anything to help.'
'Three days ago we make it up here.  'No no, we'll visit the village in the east later, I want to go west first' you say.   Then yesterday you tell me we are to split up, we can search the swamp, cover more ground.  We had no idea what was out here. 'A swamp is a swamp' you say.  I never should have listened to you.'
'Calm down.  I just need a little rest, and then I'll be fine.'
'You'll be fine?  You ... we ... need help.'
'I told you ... '
'You don't even know what happened to make you sick.'
'You don't even know what will make me better.  I told you, I just need rest.'
'I'm tempted to leave you here and go to the village.  Maybe someone there could help.  Unfortunately, I'm scared to leave you alone since you'll probably just die on me.'
'Oh yes Yesna, I'll just croak while you're gone to teach you a lesson.'
'You're impossible ... I ... hang on ... someone is coming.'
'Who?'
Yesna spotted two figures in the distance headed their way from the south.   She though she could spot other specks further off, but her focus shifted back to Gavin.
'I don't know who they are, but they will be here soon.'
'Well, company is company.'
'Stop with the lame platitudes.'

'I recognize you two, sort of ... '
'Yeah.  I'm Sienna and ... ' as she pointed my way.
'From the Legend's Guild, Port Phant, and well ... here.'
"Yeah, I thought you two looked familiar.'
'We saw your smoke from a good ways off.  In fact, I'm sure someone could have spotted it from halfway across the island.'
Yesna looked down at Gavin, then back to us 'Well, that was part of the point.   Lunkhead here ... '
'Gavin!'

'Like I said, the lunkhead managed to get sick in the swamp.'
'How?' Sienna interrupted.
'By Zamorak I don't know.  We've both been up here a few days.  Swamp water, bushes, insects, the whole thing like any other swamp we've all passed trough.  Yet he has no idea what got him.'
'Well, then, what have you tried?  I'm assuming you've ... '
'Antipoison, Restores, that Relycim's Balm.  When I tried to use the Cure and Healing spells from what I learned from the Lunar Clan, it only seemed to make things worse.  I even brought out a leech.'

Sienna was shocked.  'A leech!'
'Yes.  Spirit Leech.  Did nothing.'
'Did you try a Sanfew's Serum?  Or maybe even one of those Guthix Rest Teas?'
'I would have if I knew how to make one, or how had the ingredients.  Do either of you happen to have?'
Sienna and I looked at each other.  After double checking our gear, we could only shake our heads no.
Sienna started to wonder,  'Well, then, what other options do we have?  The nearest village I know is way on the other side of the island.  It could take days to make it back.'
'More like weeks on this terrain, plus he doesn't look well enough to walk, so we'd have to carry him.'
'Anywhere else? '
I thought for a moment.  'Only useful place I know of is a small camp near the center of the island.  But it would still take a while just to make I that far, and no guarantee the so called botanist there that he would be able to help on this.'
'Well, then, I guess our only choice left is East.'
Sienna seemed confused 'East?'
'Yes, Gavin and I saw a village over to the East of here.  Probably take a few days lugging him, but they might be able to help.'
'Assuming there is anyone there or would be willing to help in the first place.'
'Wait, how do you three know about this village, and I'm just now learning about it?'
'Sienna, those two saw it, the locals back in the port told me about it before we all set out. Don't you ever pay attention?'

Yesna looked back off into the distance. 'Well, I guess we could ask the others who are coming.'
'What others?'
'Looks like four more, a group of three, and a soloist. Maybe one of them knows something.'
'Maybe, but just in case, we should ready ourselves.'

A few tense minutes later, we all realized there would be no need for hostilities.  We each recognized one another.  Cedric, Hodgins, Ella, and David had all caught up to us.
'Let me guess, the smoke caught your attention.'
All four looked at each other and nodded.
Ella spoke up first 'What's the matter? ... though looking at the man in bed with a fever, I'm guessing him.'
'Dead on' Yesna replied.
'So?'
'Long story short, he's sick, tried basic cures I know, didn't work.  Tried magic, made things worse. Unless you have this Sanfew's Serum or Guthix Rest Tea, we were planning to head east to see if the village that way had someone who could help.'
Each started digging through their packs.  Ella and David each managed pull out vials of Serum, Cedric managed to have a little bit of Tea left.
'Try the Serum first.  If that doesn't cure him, I don't know what will.'
Yesna put a dose of the Serum to Gavin's mouth.  It took, and then he quickly downed the rest of the vial.  He weakly muttered 'More please'.
'That was four doses.  Did it do anything?'
Yesna checked his forehead. 'No change in the fever.'
'What's that on his arm?  A rash?'
Yesna nodded.  'Yes.  Was there since I first saw him, and in a few other spots.  They got bigger each time I tried to use magic on him.'
'So guess we know why 'no magic'.'
Gavin muttered 'thirsty'.
'Try the Tea.'

One sip and Gavin again took the vial and drank it all.  He smiled and then passed out.
'Is this a good or bad thing?'
'Don't know.   He was more active before we gave him these, but he's not sweating as much now. Maybe, I think things are better?'
'You think?'
I interrupted, 'look, none of us clearly know what we are dealing with here.  That village might be our best bet.  Did anyone get any info or scout between here and the village?'
'Yes' as Ella raised her hand 'I got a good look at the terrain, mostly flat ground, narrow streams, and plowed fields.  No roads, but should be simple enough to move on.'
'Fine, do any of you have more of that Tea or Serum?   It seems to be about the only thing we have to help in the mean time.'
'Yeah' David pulled out another partial vial of Serum.
'Yesna, that's all we have left for him, make it count.   I guess now is the question of who heads for the village first and who carries him.'
Sienna raised her hand, 'You and I are probably in the best shape for a hard run.'
'Count me in.'  David stepped forward.
'I think we can manage carrying him a few miles.' Hodgins seemed to have volunteered the other three.
'Guess I'm stuck staying with the lunkhead for a little while longer.'
'Fine then, we'll get there as fast as we can.  If we're lucky, they may have something ready before you guys even make it there.'
Hodgins and Ella were already making a stretcher.  Yesna could only shake her head 'I hope so.'