Between The Pages

Chapter 22

Now Frosch wasn't too good with directions but he was able to remember where Juvia had passed out and he told Gray exactly where to go. When he saw her instantly dropped to the ground and took hold of her upper body to give her a gentle shake.

"Juvia." He called. "Juvia it's me. Can you hear me?"

She didn't respond. She was still breathing but her face was so red and she was burning up. Acting fast he put Frosch on to his shoulder and lifted the unconscious girl into a bridal hold. Shortly afterward Jellal and Elfman both returned.

"Good news my lady." He started. "I have secured a safe way back to- Oh my goodness what happened?"

Instead of answering Gray just hurried back to the castle as fast as he could while carrying her. Jellal followed after him as did Elfman. He took her to his sister's bedroom and carefully tucked her into the bed. He then sent for Mirajane immediately. Fairies happened to be excellent healers due to their advanced knowledge on plants so if anyone in the Labyrinth was ever sick or hurt a fairy was the best physician, so to speak.

"What's wrong with her?" Gray asked Mirajane after she felt the girl's forehead.

"She's has a very high fever." The white haired fairy answered. "And it's fatal."

"How fatal?"

"I'm not really sure but we need to cool her down. Jellal I want you to bring me a bucket of cold water, a bowl of cold water, and a cloth please."

"Right away." He said leaving. 

"Elfman go to my room and get my book on illnesses and remedies."

"Okay." The giant said following after Jellal.

"Gray if you're going to stay here I need you to look away for a moment."

"Why?" He asked.

"Her clothes feel too tight and hot on her right now. I need to change her into something cooler like her night gown."

Gray did as she requested, allowing Mirajane to change Juvia's clothes. After that Jellal returned with what Mirajane had asked for. The cloth and a bowl of cold water she used as compress to place on Juvia's forehead. As for the water in the bucket she turned it into to ice to keep the girl cool. When Elfman gave her the book she started searching the pages as quickly and carefully as she could. 

"Oh dear." She said after reading one page. 

"What?" Gray asked.

"She's ingested fruit from the Belladonna tree."

"What?! How did that happen?! I had those damn trees poisoned and uprooted a year ago. None of them should be growing or producing fruit."

"I don't know how she found the fruit but she did and she ate it. Now she has a very fatally ill."

"But you can help her right?"

Mirajane hesitated before answering. Fruit from the Belladonna tree was very dangerous and lethal. Very few who had eaten them had survived the illness they suffered from it. There was a cure but the chances of it working were always fifty-fifty.

"Gray I'll do the best I can but you know as well as I do that the chances for someone who's eaten that fruit are very-"

"She can't die!" He cried in a desperate voice. "Do you hear me?! She can't die!"

"I can't promise you that won't happen but I will do whatever I can."

All through the night Mirajane worked around the clock to bring down Juvia's fever and while Elfman and Jellal went to get the herbs she needed to prepare a medicine that would counteract the fruit's illness. Gray and Frosch never left her side once. The whole time the little cat laid by her feet while Gray just said sat by her bedside. None of his servants could recall the last time they had seen him look so scared and desperate.