Fever Dreams Pt. 2

BY AMI MEITSU

“Invidia? Come on Princess, wake up…” Derek said as he gently shook Invidia awake, Invidia had been sick for a little while and while Arty and Nova were busy he had been told to take care of her.

“What?” Invidia asked as she stated to get up.

“Here” Derek handed her a glass and she stared into it.

“What’s this?”

Derek just looked at her “water” he stated. “Nova said you have to keep your fluid levels up.”

“Yeah, well Nova says a lot of things” Invidia muttered.

“Just drink it” Derek ordered.

Invidia hesitated for a minute but she drank it.

“Good girl” Derek stated “and you know, this kind of reminds me of when Setsuna was little…”

“Huh?” Invidia looked at him; her eyes had a cute but curious look to them.

“Oh, well, you see when Setsuna was nine she came down with a cold, a really bad one. And I remember she was just so stubborn, she just wanted me to leave her alone, she wanted to try and get better on her own…”

“But I don’t want you to leave me alone” Invidia admitted as she placed her hand over his.

“I know, but it’s just that...you’re so reluctant about some things, Setsuna used to be that way too.”

“Are you comparing me to your daughter?”

“No” Derek shook his head, from the tone in her voice it sounded like she was insulted. “I’m just saying that you remind me of her, I mean the whole stubborn about being sick thing….”

“Oh” Invidia said as tears began to form in her eyes.

“Why are you crying Princess? Did I do something?” Derek asked.

Invidia shook her head “No, you’re fine and I’m glad you’re helping me, but I just want it to be over with! I feel so helpless!”

“You’re not helpless” Derek said as he hugged her “and you never were.”

“But I can’t do anything for myself now! I feel like such a bother!”

“You’re not a bother, trust me, I like taking care of you…”

“Really?” Invidia looked up at him.

“Yes, I rarely get to do things like this, and let’s face it you’re adorable when you’re sick…”

“Adorable?”

Derek nodded. “I don’t know why, but you are…”

Invidia smiled and cuddled up to him, Arty was the only one who ever called her adorable, it felt nice coming from someone else.

After a couple minutes Derek pushed her off gently. “I’ll be back, I have to go get something.” He told her.

“Okay” Invidia nodded and he left.

The “something” Derek went to get was actually Arty, earlier he had said that he’d be back late in the evening, but knowing the way he go things done he’d probably come back early. Fortunately he was right, in a couple minutes Arty’s voice came into his ears.

“No! The main controls allow you to…”

“Arty!” Derek grabbed him as he came around.

“Whoa what’s the rush?” he asked.

“You and Zordar need to go see Invidia, she’s sick, the last time I took her temperature it was 102.”

“What? But earlier she swore she was fine…then again she does lie…” Arty said as he and Derek headed back down the hall into Invidia’s room. When Arty came in he found he lying down with her head resting on her arms, it was so cute! He sighed, sat on her bed and gently placed his hand on her back. “Hey Princess, Derek says you don’t feel too well…”

Invidia shook her head.

“Aw…”

Invidia looked up just as Zordar entered the room; he sat on the other side, and pushed away a strand of hair that had been in her face. “So, what’s wrong with me poor baby?” he asked.

“Father…” Invidia murmured as she moved over and laid down with her head in his lap.

“That doesn’t answer my question…”

“Well, I’m not quite sure, but I’m assuming she’s got a bad cold, like I said, the last time I checked her temperature was 102” Derek informed him.

“102?!” Arty looked at Invidia.

‘Well that explains why she looks so miserable…” Zordar said.

“Father!” Invidia sat up and hit him “I don’t look that bad…do I?” she looked at Derek and Arty.

“Well, I can’t really describe it, but to put it simply you do look a little…bed raggled…” Arty told her.

“So it is bad!” Invidia whined.

“No!” Arty hugged her “It’s not bad, I think it’s cute.” He knew it too, she just looked so pathetic and needy, to him it was adorable.

“Cute?”

“Yes, cute and you know, you don’t look cute very often…unless you’re trying to be…”

“Are you only saying that to make me feel better? I mean, that’s what I’ve been hearing all day!”

Arty shook his head “would I do that to you?”

Invidia thought for a minute and shook her head. ‘I don’t think he would, he knows better than to play with me like that!’

Arty smiled and lifted up her chin “see? Even you know me better than that.” He made a move to kiss her but Invidia put her hand in front of him.

“Don’t, I don’t want you to get sick or did you forget that?”

“Sorry” Arty said as he kissed her forehead.

“Okay, when you’re done with the whole cute romance thing, I’d like to look at Invidia…”

“Huh?” Both of them looked over and saw Nova standing in the doorway.

“Why are you here, I thought Alex needed you” Derek said.

“Well things are quieting down, so he gave me a break so I could check her out.” Nova explained.

“Well I’m fine, don’t worry about it” Invidia told her.

“Oh really?” Nova asked.

Invidia nodded.

Nova shook her head; she didn’t know why Invidia was being so stubborn, she let Derek take care of her! “Well I’m still gonna look at you anyway, you guys-out.”

“But…” Arty started.

“Out” Nova pointed.

“Fine, we’ll leave…” Arty muttered as the three men trudged out the door.

‘Why’d you do that?” Invidia asked, she wanted Arty there.

“Because, I don’t want you running to him, you have tried to avoid me before-remember?”

Invidia sighed, she did remember, first on the ship after her battle on the comet and later when Arty had forced her to go on that god dammed cruise ship!“Just hurry up and be on your way” she growled.

“Good Girl, I see you’ve finally come to your senses.”

“Okay don’t talk to me like that-ever! Only Arty is allowed to say things like that to me, and my father-on rare occasions…”

“Fine, I won’t do that if you don’t fight with me.”

“Deal” Invidia nodded.

“Good” Nova said as she picked up the thermometer that Derek had left on the nightstand.

“You don’t need to do that-Derek already took my temperature…”

“Well I’m gonna do it again, we have to know if your fever’s going down.” Nova informed her as she put it in her mouth.

“I hate you…” Invidia muttered.

“Don’t talk, just sit.” Nova ordered, after a minute she took the thermometer out of her mouth and read it “102.3…You’re fever’s gone up, not by much but it’s still up…”

“Huh?” Invidia looked at her. ‘Up? No there’s gotta be some mistake! I’m supposed to get better not worse!’

“Look, it’s not that bad we just have to find a way to bring it down…”

“Derek already tried” Invidia informed her.

“Well I guess we just need to try harder…” Nova pondered for a minute as Arty re-entered the room.

“Why don’t you just give her a bath? When I was younger my mother used to give me cool baths to bring my fever down, it worked well.” Arty suggested.

“Since when are baths cold?” Invidia asked.

“That’s right; we’ve never had to give you one…” Arty muttered.

“Right, and you’re not gonna start now!” Invidia hissed, she’d fight with him on this all day if she had too, baths were not meant to be cold!

“Then why don’t you just take a bath in general, it might help calm you down.” Arty suggested.

Invidia nodded, she’d take any excuse to get in the bath.

“But I’m worried” Nova said “In her state she’s liable to pass out in the bath, just like Setsuna almost did at the hot spring when she was 12…”

“I’ll be fine” Invidia growled.

“I’m still unsure, maybe if we get Arty to watch you or something.”

Invidia’s eyes widened “Hell no!” she stated “Never! I’ve already established with him that bath time is my time! He never has and never will play bath servant.”

“You’re telling me in all the time you’ve been, married, you’ve never once taken a shower together?” Nova asked, she found it a little weird considering that she and Derek did in their off time when possible, and she knew Mark and Trelania did too… (Trelania says things…)

Invidia shook her head, she really didn’t find anything wrong with that factor, she and Arty weren’t like most married couples…

“Interesting” Nova mused. “Well then, what about Starsha or one of her servants?”

“I guess…” Invidia muttered, she knew she had no choice and it would probably be better to have Starsha there, it would be kind of like having a bath servant again. Back in the Comet Empire she had a bath servant named Shamura, and in the second empire she had another woman named Nina.

“Okay, I’ll go talk to her, and if you’re lucky maybe she’ll show you the hot spring.”

“I know about the hot spring Nova” Invidia told her.

“Oh” Nova mumbled as she left.

After a couple minutes she came back with Starsha, who immediately hugged Invidia.

“What are you doing?” Invidia growled.

“Sorry, I just thought it might help, Astra always liked being cuddled when she was sick.”

“Well I don’t!’”

“I was holding you earlier” Derek corrected her.

“I know that! But I wanted you to! If I don’t want it don’t do it!”

“Never mind, lets just get you in the bath” Starsha made a move to grab her but Invidia backed away.

“You are not picking me up!”

“I wasn’t trying too…” Starsha muttered as Invidia go up.

“Here” Arty gave Starsha another slip for Invidia to wear after she got out, he figured it would be better than her usual nightgown, and seemed to keep her cool.

“I guess I’ll see you later Princess” Arty kissed her head.

Invidia looked up and smiled at him.

“That’s what I like to see, happy Princess” Arty teased.

Invidia turned her head away and walked out with Starsha.

A little while later Invidia sat in Starsha’s bathtub glaring at her. Her bathtub was huge, just like the one Invidia had back in the Comet Empire, Invidia liked that but what she didn’t like was Starsha staring at her. “You know you don’t have to keep watching me, it’s actually kinda creepy.” Invidia told her.

“Nova did say I have to watch you.”

“Why can’t you be like a normal bath servant and sit away until needed?” Invidia told her and she slipped further down in the water.

‘Aw you’re just cranky ‘cause you’re sick…” Starsha teased.

“I am not cranky” Invidia snapped.

“Fine…” Starsha muttered, but she knew it was true.

Invidia decided to ignore her, she wasn’t gonna let Starsha make her day worse than it already was. She liked Starsha but right now she was being annoying.

So the rest of her bath went in silence, though Starsha didn’t really mind, after awhile she started reading a book she had brought with her.

After about 2 hours of soaking in water Invidia and Starsha both decided that they’d had enough, and afterward Invidia actually let Starsha pick her up. But Invidia just didn’t want to look for Arty herself so she let Starsha do that and they found him in another foyer.

Starsha placed Invidia across his lap “Here’s your wife back.” She stated.

Arty held her closer to him “Aw, you’re all clean and you smell so nice.” He was teasing her a little, but she didn’t care, she just liked being cuddled.

“I love you…” she muttered.

“How about I take you back to bed?”

Invidia nodded and he got up, being very careful not to drop her. When he placed her on the bed she knew that something was different. “What’s this?” Invidia picked up the comforter on the bed, it was red, the original one was blue.

“That’s your blanket, I brought it from the ship, I figured it might make you feel more comfortable.”

Invidia hugged it; it did make her feel a little better. “Thank you” She whispered as she lay down.

“You’re welcome, Princess” Arty kissed her forehead, and made a move to leave.

“Oh, Arty.”

“Huh?” he turned around.

“Don’t wake me up for dinner, I’m not hungry.”

“Okay” Arty left, and halfway down the hall he met Nova, he figured she was going to see Invidia. “Invidia says not to get her up for dinner.”

“Oh, fine, but either you or Zordar will have to give her something to drink later.”

“I’ll tell him.”

“Right, now come and get something to eat, Starsha said Dinner’s ready. Actually, that’s why I came down here in the first place.”

“Let’s just go” Arty said as he headed down the hall.

-Invidia’s thoughts…-

A little while later Invidia woke up to find herself in a dark room, not the one on Iscandar, her room back in the Comet Empire, only it was darker than usual…

She sat up “Where am I?”

“So you’re awake, Princess…”

“Huh?” at the end of the bed Invidia was able to see a figure. ‘Long black hair…black dress…that bang…’ “Mama?”

“Princess.” As the woman spoke Invidia knew it was her.

“Mama…” Invidia said as she began to cry.

“What’s wrong, Princess?”

“You’re here but I’m not in any position to see you….”

“Princess, I know you’re sick, but it’s not that bad, remember I had worse problems then you have.”

‘She’s right…’ “But Mama….”

“If you remember that you’ll feel better” with that Sabera faded away into darkness, and Invidia heard someone else calling her.

“Invidia? Come on…wake up.”

Invidia opened her eyes briefly but decided it was nothing and went back to sleep.

“Invidia, get up…”

Invidia felt herself being shaken and looked up. “Father...?”

“Hey Princess” Zordar sat her up and handed her a glass.

Invidia looked at it, it was fizzy “I don’t drink soda…”

“It’s ginger ale, and I know you drink that because that’s how Arty stopped your sea sickness on that cruise.”

“But…”

“Drink it; you know you have to keep your fluid levels up.”

Invidia sighed, but she did drink it.

“Good girl” Zordar patted her head, but she knew it was just a tease.

She put the glass on the nightstand and flipped around so she could lay her head in his lap.

“Why do you always do that?” he asked as he sat her up and held her.

Invidia smiled, she liked being cuddled, and he was warm, after a couple minutes she fell asleep.

Zordar looked at her; she was cute but still miserable. ‘She’s so cute when she wants to be…let’s just hope this ends soon, I don’t like her being miserable…’

Fortunately she got better faster than expected, and for the first time in forever she put her stubbornness aside and let others take care of her.

“Hey Invidia?” Arty asked. Invidia was with him in one of the dens sitting on his lap while he was on the couch.

“Huh?” she looked at him.

“Tell me…what made you change your mind about letting us help?”

“Mama.”

“Your mother?”

Invidia nodded “A couple nights ago I had a dream about her, she told me to remember that I’d be fine, I mean she had it worse than I did, she was sick a lot…”

“Why do you think you had that dream?” Arty asked.

“I think it was…because in the back of my mind I knew that my stubbornness wasn’t getting me anywhere.”

“Yon and your mother are pretty smart. But you’re prettier” he held her closer.

Invidia giggled “Thank you” she purred.

‘I love it when she talks like that.’ “I love you…” Arty kissed her.

“I know” Invidia whispered when he broke off, then she kissed him back. ‘I always knew…’

END…..