A rush of panic surged through Halu, "Anei," This time it was louder coming out in a rush of air, "I'm sorry I didn't get here earlier." 

Now beside the other boy Halu dropped down to his knees stroking a hand thought Anei's sweat plastered hair.

"I'm okay," Anei's words were so quiet that Halu would have missed it if he wasn't beside him.

Halu closely analyzed the others’ features. His face was deeply flushed, with dark eyes struggling to stay open, and hurried breaths. Anei's light blonde hair, usually fluffy with curls, stringy and soaked with sweat. Halu peeled back the heavy sheets as Anei weakly tried to help. Anei let out a broken sob and tears rolled freely down his face.. He glanced over at Anei's crippled legs, ravaged by muscle deterioration. Halu watched as he almost gagged at the pain and desperation in Anei’s weak voice. It squeezed at Halu's heart and the fact that Anei no longer bothered to call for help made the ache deepen. The workers of the castle were forbidden to help him until morning, courtesy of his mother. Though Halu hesitated to even call her that anymore. 

He turned his attention back to the now sobbing figure before him, the fever must've come later in the night and Anei wasn't able to get the blankets off to try to cool himself down. He slid his arms under Anei's weak body, cradling him to his chest and holding Anei's head in the crook of his neck. He walked over to the table and set him down in the matching chair to that cursed table that constantly tried to thwart Halu. He propped him against the cool glass of the window. He quickly doused the fire then laid Anei's head on the table. 

Anei whined, "It's too hot in here… I can't think straight."

Halu opened the window letting the cool breeze of the night enter the room. Turning the chair toward him with an entirely too light Anei sitting atop it, Halu peeled off the sweaty nightwear while trying to keep Anei propped up. The movement was awkward as Halu struggled to get Anei’s thin night shirt off. He worked carefully, stopping at even the slightest wince from Anei. He turned the chair back resting Anei against the table again as he remained on the floor. Halu rested his right hand on Anei's bare knee letting the healing magic that came so naturally to him seep through. Halu knew with deep pain that it would never cure him fully but wished to aid in appeasing his pain for as long as possible.

"Anei, can you talk to me? Tell me something, tell me one of your stories, okay? Can you do that?"

"Okay," Anei paused trying to think through his foggy mind, "When I was younger, I was friends with this girl. We played together a lot, that game I showed you a while back was our favorite. I miss them all." His voice was thick with emotion, tears still dripping onto the table.

He spoke with such guilt and remorse that Halu wanted to pull him close and tell him it was okay but he shouldn't, Anei wouldn't appreciate that.

Anei paused for a second, breathing raggedly before he moved his arm towards Halu.

He rested his hand on the coolness of Halu's skin.

"Keep talking Anei," Halu said, hurriedly interlocking his fingers with Anei's slender boney ones and squeezing.

Anei had started to get that glossy look in his eyes that said he was slipping into unconsciousness but he did start talking again. It was dawn when the two fell into sleep, the soft glow of the sun seeping through the window. Anei’s voice had faded into silence and Halu had followed suite content with sleep now that Anei was comfortable enough to do the same.