Violet
I had done what I needed to do.
It was odd and I tried not to think about it too hard, but he had swallowed the liquid food. That was all that mattered.
Hours passed.
The fever remained, his skin still burning beneath my fingertips. But the black veins had stopped spreading. They didn't reduce, but I was grateful it was no longer spreading across his skin.
The fever worried me and I didn't know if that meant he was improving or not, but the heat from his body was a welcome change compared to the cold that had terrified me before.
I wiped him down again and again, trying to keep him cool and to get rid of the sweat. He would stir occasionally, mumblings and wincing in pain.
I was working along his shoulder when his eyes opened. I stiffened. They were a bit unfocused, but they quickly found me.
"You don't..." He blinked slowly, his voice a dry rasp as he talked. "You don't have to do this."
I sighed. "Don't say anything. Just rest."
"The floor is hard," he mumbled.
