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RED SOX: Now is the time for all good men and women to believe!
WARNING: Remember the story is called…
by Phair
Brady shivered in the frigid blackness surrounding her. No amount of cringing and shuddering could ease the all encompassing cold engulfing her. She was suffocating beneath its icy grip.
"Easy, Brady," his words were breathed warmly in her left ear. "I've got to get your fever down. You're burning up. Dunking you in the muddy water is all I could think of to help you."
Brady shook her head as she shivered. "Too cold now. Warm me up. Fight fire with fire."
Jay stared for several moments at the sick woman trembling in his arms. Her eyes were desperately trying to be open but drifted closed or rolled with the gentle current. Jay knew nothing of medicine beyond first aide. Brady's doctorate was just a PhD and not much more reliable than his own experience for emergency care. How could he trust her fever born delirious instructions spoken without question? However, if she died, how could he live with himself for not giving her plan a try?
"Damn, this better work, Brady. Or else I'm docking you one month's pay," Jay tightened his grip as he dragged them both out of the shallow water under the big moon above.
The sun was just breaking over the hill top before her as she opened her eyes. Brady was glad for the light after a night of tortured, dark, and feverish dreams taunting her. She realized only on her relief that morning was breaking that her body was sweltering. Sweat drenched every inch of her skin. If she could have shifted what weighed her down she would have shrugged off the rags covering her.
Turning her head to look over her shoulder, Brady saw Jay's peacefully slumbering face resting on her arm. "Oh God, no!"
Her gasp roused the man in an instant. Jay rose to his feet ready to protect her. His chained legs managed to straddle her prone body as if to ward off any encroachers. He snarled a warning as he thrashed his head about but Brady wondered if he were even awake as he reacted to her cry.
"It's okay, I'm okay. Sorry, Jay. Relax and sit. Everything is okay. No trouble here," Brady hushed as she tried to calm his alarm.
Jay shook his head and steadied his breath before answering her entreaties. "Brady?"
"Yep. Thank you for protecting me, again. This time it was just me waking up but last time…I think…I th…was I dying, Jay?"
"Shh, it's alright. Everything is going to be alright," Jay eased himself back to the spot he had rested in before she awoke; cuddling her body to his own. "You're still warm. Lean back against me and let's see if we can't fight your fever with fire to fire."
Jay pulled Brady back flush to his chest. She tried to escape his hold when she felt how cool his body was compared to her own. Goosebumps broke out along her arms. She struggled but her body was too weak from her infections and fevers to put up much of a resistance.
"So, are you gonna rape me too?" She asked with a gasping breath and tightly closed eyes.
"Never." The word echoed across the slumbering camp. Jay lowered his voice to continue, "I would never harm you, Brady. You're my colleague and you're my friend and you're a person and I'm not a bad man."
Brady listened silently as Jay wept. He wrapped his arms around her body and buried his face in the crock of her neck, sobbing.
"Never hurt you, never hurt anybody, never, never, never…"
Brady held herself stiffly as Jay made his mumbling pledge over and over as the sun lit up the sandy beach before her; her prison was illuminated as morning broke.
