Vincent and Jamie and Catarina: When Freshiedency Reaches Its End

Malady

Three days after that, Jamie wasn't feeling so good. Her entire body was sore, her head was aching more than ever, her breathing was labored, her nose was red, her guts were churning badly, and finally her temperature burned up.

Vincent always woke up meeting a sprightly Jamie, but this one was the total opposite. The first thing she did to reply to his "Good morning!" was a groan and a sneeze.

"Well that wasn't very nice," Vincent remarked.

"Iem thowwy, ach-ho! (wheeze)" Jamie replied, "Ah dhon feel tho goot. I thick am sick." She sneezed and wheezed once again.

"Aww," Vincent said while approaching her. He hugged her head, and felt a searing temperature, which caused him to jerk back and jump in the air. The very sick insectoid breeder laughed a little, before groaning once again to the bodily pain.

"I'll call a doctor," Vincent said, concerned, "You stay comfortable right here, Jamie."

"Okay," she replied as he went out of the room.

However, once he was outside, she did not feel any comfort at all. Nor was she able to lay a clutch of eggs, as the nature of a breeder centauride dictated. Instead, her fever flared up more, and she felt weaker every minute.

...

A few minutes later, Vincent came back with a rectal thermometer and a sanitary mask. He set the thermometer aside, and then he gave Jamie the mask. It fit snugly around her mouth.

Vincent touched her neck, arm, hands, wing, stomach, thorax, leg, and (queen) abdomen. She was searing hot, literally. "You're hot enough to become a makeshift barbecue," Vincent exclaimed, shaking his hand, "Can I take your temperature? Sorry if the thermometer I brought in was supposed to be put in the right... place."

"And I suppose you wanted to put it up my insect arse," Jamie replied and then coughed. "Go ahead," she continued, "It's hot enough inside my furrows. They're burning up, and it's giving me quite a discomfort in the edge of my large insect queen backside."

Vincent did not relent, and so he inserted the thermometer right where it was supposed to be. Immediately, he saw the mercury rise drastically and then stop at 45. He waited a few seconds for any change in temperature, but there was none. Therefore, he removed the thermometer, went to the bathroom, and washed it clean.

....

When he had gone back out, Jamie asked him, "What is it?"

"45 degrees centigrade," Vincent replied with a heavy sigh, "It's pretty bad."

"I know full well that it is," the breeder replied, painfully tossing and turning over in bed.

"Tell me, how did you get so sick?" Vincent asked her.

"I don't know," Jamie replied, "I went back to the marketplace, and it was full of skeeters. I was bitten lots of times."

"Ouch!" Vincent replied, "I hope it isn't dengue fever."

"Me too," Jamie replied. Vincent went over to her side of the bed, sat on the floor beside it and began to cry. Immediately, Jamie weakly moved over and placed a hand over him.

"Why?" she asked.

"I don't want to lose you," Vincent wept, "Not now, not ever. Not even when we fight."

"Then pray for me. Think of me every night when you sleep," Jamie replied softly, "And I will think of you too, because I'm afraid of being alone." Reassured, Vincent stood up and gave her one last hug. She kissed him on the cheek.

The President of Mandala headed for the door, uttering a soft "Get well soon" as he approached. As he went out of the doorway, he uttered, "Jamie."

The breeder did not hear his words of encouragement, but she still slept with a smile on her face.

Unfortunately, time was not on her side.