SMASH GAMES 2: CHAOS | Super Smash Bros.

16 - The Fever and the Pit

Samus 

"Samus. Hey, Samus." Someone was poking her in the side. "Aran. Aran." Poke, poke, poke. "Hey! Don't make me call you Sammy." 

Samus finally cracked an eye. "What is it Falco? It's not your shift yet." 

The bird was leaning against the side of the tree they'd deemed "the Lookout Tree", because it was a gnarly specimen that grew out of the top of their cliff, giving a perfect view of their prison-otherwise known as the forest. The limbs of the Lookout Tree curved into a small cradle in the center, a perfect crow's nest to keep an eye out for anything coming towards their position.  

Samus was currently sitting comfortably within the limbs of the tree, one jet boot braced against an adjoining branch. She'd been keeping watch since midnight from the Lookout Tree, watching the chilly forest below, along with the narrow path that led up to their camp high on the cliff. They'd since disguised it with shrubbery and debris from the forest floor, but you couldn't be too sure.  

Falco was supposed to be watching the fire-and Pit. 

"Yeah, well, you asked me to keep an eye on the chicken wing," Falco said, giving her another poke in the shoulder. "And I'm doin' my job. His fever's back up." 

Samus twisted out of her perch and scowled at the bird. "I thought it went back down hours ago." 

Falco raised his hands in supplication. "Hey, don't blame me, Sammy. Blame the spoiled little turtle. Drank the rest of the water, so I couldn't wet Cupid's washcloths." 

Samus growled in irritation and holstered her Paralyzer. She marched away from the tree, along a narrow path from the cliff edge that let into a cluster of trees. Past the intertwining branches was a small circle of exposed earth, completely enclosed by trees. A small fire pit was dug in the center of the circle, and a tiny fire crackled amongst the timber and kindling. Pikachu was currently poking at it with a stick, struggling to keep it low, but going. Low because, as Samus and Pikachu had discovered day one, light attracted the monsters that came out of their holes at night. Going because it was hard to make a fire out here in the woods with limited supplies. They tried to keep one going at all times. And they could, because of the shield of trees surrounding their cliff campsite.  

It was an absolute miracle that they'd found a place of refuge like this. 

As soon as Samus and Pikachu and Donkey Kong had brought Pit back last night, they'd set up a small tent, using a couple of sticks and a blanket, to shelter him. His temperature had been sky high when they'd arrived, but they'd had enough cold water to bring it down to a simmer. 

But as Samus approached Pit's small tent, she could already see that, as Falco had said, his fever had shot up again. Pit's unconscious face was beet-red, and sweat was pouring down the slope of his nose and the edge of his cheekbones as if he were standing beneath a shower head. Samus tapped his forehead and nearly hissed-hot as a skillet. 

"And you drank all the water?" Samus snapped to the little creature sitting next to Pit's tent. 

"Hey, I was thirsty!" Bowser Jr. protested. The little shelled creature was sitting next to the group's pile of bookbags and the three water buckets they'd acquired over the past few days. Samus checked them and saw that they were all empty-not a drop left in any of them. Samus yanked the front of Junior's bib so that he could see exactly how angry that made her. 

"You're on the next water run," she snarled. "With all three buckets." 

Junior's jaw dropped. "W-what? B-but the stream is miles away!" 

"Pika pi!" Pikachu scolded from where he was still poking at the fire. 

"He's right," Falco said, crossing his arms and frowning down at him. "Pull your weight or go find another group that tolerates slackers. Nobody likes a whiner."