Chapter 15

"Alexander," Heather muttered his name softly as she battled to keep her feet on the ground.
"Heather!"
As soon as he realized that she was about to pass out, Alexander called out her name loudly and hurried towards her in panic. She was exhausted beyond measure, and he could see the efforts she had to make simply to stand steady on her two feet.
The weight of her unconscious mind was too much for Alexander to bear as he tried to bring her into his arms, so he fell to the ground alongside her. Alexander crouched on one knee, his free palm resting on her cheeks, her head delicately tucked in the crook of his arms.
"Heather, wake up." He tried shaking her a little to stir her awake, but her eyelids drooped as he called out her name. It was evident that it took immense strength in her to keep her eyes open.
Heather faintly whispered, "I'm tired; sleep," but that only increased his concern for her.
“Heather, we need to call a doctor for you. We need to get you to Oscar as quickly as possible. I am not aware of anyone else who can assist you.” Alexander spoke, hoping that she heard each and every word he said, which seemed exceedingly implausible.
Fortunately, she did, but her response made him scowl at her.
"Do not call them. Would you kindly take me to bed?” She spoke delicately, pronouncing each syllable slowly and steadily.
However, Alexander was dubious about whether he should follow her lead, but nonetheless, he complied with her request. He quickly picked her up in his arms, hurried to her room, and then carefully placed her down on the bed.
“What happened to you?” He could not help but ask her, even in her weary state.
"Way too much energy. I am completely exhausted. Need rest and medicine.” Heather spoke in small intervals.
It was truly a marvel that even in this state, she was able to produce any words at all, much alone compose full phrases.
Despite that, it did not alleviate his anxiety. He was well aware that he needed to take action. He can not just let her sleep in such a fragile state.
“How can I help you? I cannot just sit doing nothing.” He asked her with worry lacing his voice.
“I…” Heather coughed heavily as she began to talk.
Alexander's anxiety rose as her white complexion began to turn yellow.
“Heather, we need to call for a doctor,” Alexander said, ready to march through the door and seek assistance from the Oscars, the only people he knew who could help her.
She was, however, adamant.
“No. We do not need to worry any of the Oscars. Please trust me on this."
"Then, tell me what I ought to do," Alexander pleaded anxiously.
"If you could, then fill the tub with warm water. Under the sink, you will find a jar that looks like a spectrum. Pour the liquid into the water until it is proportionate to the lid, then leave me there for at least twenty minutes." Heather explained it to him.
Against his better judgement, Alexander did precisely what she instructed him to do.
He filled the bathtub with warm water. Alexander started hunting for the bottle she had mentioned while the tub filled with water, and according to her description, the transparent container displayed a stunning array of colors.
But he could not wait and lose any time admiring its magnificence, so without giving it a second thought, he unscrewed the cap, filled it with the liquid, and poured the same into the tub. He then made his way over to Heather, who was barely awake on the bed.
“Heather... Heather.” He tried to rouse her up, but she remained unresponsive. This only added to his worry.
He had no other alternative but to lift her up and take her to the bathroom. He made an attempt to wake her up once again, but it was futile because she barely moved in response to him.
Alexander had no other alternative but to peel her clothes with his own hands. He did so discreetly in an effort to not invade her privacy any more than he had had to.
He never in a million years thought they'd be in this position; with her being unconscious, he would have to strip her clothes.
It did not settle well with him, but her health was more important than his moral compass at present. As soon as he removed the last piece of her clothing, he carefully lowered her into the water with his hand holding her neck. He made no wish to do more damage than good as she was already unconscious and could possibly sprain her neck.
Although Alexander despises to admit it, what he saw was simply incredible. The spectrum of color has transformed the entire water into variegated sparkling liquid, soaking every inch of her body up till her neck.
He remained in the same position, waiting for the fluid to do its magic, and after about ten minutes, he could start to notice some progress. Her face was reverting to its previous hue. But when Heather called his name to him in a whisper, he really felt comforted.
“Alexander.”
“Yes, Heather. I am right here.” He drew himself closer to her if that was possible.
“Could you wash my face, please?” She softly told him.
“Yes, of course.”
Upon Heather's instructions, he dipped his palm into the liquid and was surprised by the unexpected sensation. The temperature of the water was perfect. Cold but not too cold, and he felt something different. The sensation was too exquisite, but he then returned his attention to the task given at hand.
He dipped his hand into the tub and gently stroked her dry face. He started with her forehead and worked his way down to her closed eyes, tenderly encircling the form. He then gently descended to the deep of her nose and dampened her dry nose with the liquid on his hand. His thumb caressed the top of her lips and then her chin as he touched her cheeks after once more dipping his hand into the tub to make it moist. He brushed his fingers through her jaw and then finally her luscious lips, which he longed to kiss before they were interrupted by Junior Oscar.
He was quite confident that Heather was equally affected as he was because as soon as his fingers touched her lips, she parted it a bit open.
“Should I repeat?” He asked her. His voice was husky, feeling the intensity of the moment.
Even though Heather was in a delirious state, she responded with closed eyes, “If you could, that would be great. Your hands feel nice.”
Alexander nodded in agreement and said, "With pleasure."
Before aiding her in getting out of the tub when the twenty minutes had elapsed, he went through the motions once again without any complaints. She was still not entirely aware, but he managed to wipe her wet body and help her in donning his clothing. He did not feel comfortable raiding her wardrobe for her clothes, so he dressed her in his. He then laid a duvet on her body and sat beside her, clearing the unwanted hair strand on her face.
Without anticipating a response from her, he spoke. "I sincerely hope you are feeling better now."
“I do feel better. However, I suppose I need to sleep. You must also lie down beside me. Your warmth will help me to even my body temperature.” Heather said.
“Are you sure we don’t need to call Oscars?” Alexander asked with concern.
Even though the color of her face returned, she still looked fragile.
“I feel better. It has happened before. Trust me on this, and sleep. There is nothing to worry about.”
Her words did not ease his mind. In fact, it instilled a fear in him. He needed answers, but Heather was in no position to do so. Unfortunately, he had no other choice but to obey her directions and listen to her.
He carefully lay beside her, cautiously grabbing her hand in his, only to make himself convinced that Heather was still very much present with him.
Just as his body lay on the bed with Heather on his side and her hand in his, he was in deep slumber.