Free Red Fever by Caroline Clough Page B

Jamie.
    “Why didn’t you just give him what he wanted? It can’t have been that important.”
    “You’re wrong. It was. It was my mum’s locket withher picture in, and a lock of her hair.”
    “Oh, yeah, I can see that would be important to you,” said Toby, assuming that, like him, Jamie had lost his mum. “Look, don’t tell my dad about Belle biting that man. He’ll have her overboard like a shot. He’s not keen on dogs any more. You can understand that, eh?”
    Jamie nodded, and put his arm round Belle. “Yeah, I can understand that. Belle’s different, but I can’t expect other folk to realise that, especially when she goes around biting people. But she was defending me, honest.”
    “Well, can you get on with sorting out this hand before it drops off with the cold?” suggested Toby, pulling a soggy mess of hanky and hand out of the bowl.
    Jamie unwrapped it slowly, taking care not to pull the skin underneath off with the hankie.
    “Doesn’t smell too good, does it?” remarked Toby, who was trying to be brave. The hand was inflamed and a violent reddy-purple colour. Jamie seemed intensely interested in state of Toby’s knuckles.
    “I wanted to be a doctor,” he explained. “My mum’s a doctor and a psychologist; I get it from her.”
    Funny, I thought he said his mum IS a doctor. That sounds like she’s still alive , thought Toby.
    “I’m going to need a first-aid kit. Have you got one?” enquired Jamie.
    “Nothing much left in it, I’m afraid. Some stickingplasters and bandages; that’s about it, I think. We’ve been looking everywhere for stuff for Sylvie. She’s my little sister. She’s sick but we don’t know what with … Oh, don’t worry, it’s not red fever,” Toby lied. Maybe this boy could help his little sister. “No, it’s since Mum died, it’s like Sylvie’s pining away. Come and meet her. I think there’s a first-aid tin in the cabin.”
    When the two boys went into the cabin, Sylvie was looking a bit better. She was sitting up in bed combing Henry’s hair.
    “Oh no!” she squeaked. “Don’t bring the dog in! It’ll eat Henry!”
    “It’s OK, it’s OK, Sylvie. Belle’s tied up outside,” Toby assured her. “This is Jamie, the boy I was telling you about.”
    Sylvie suddenly burrowed down into her bedclothes. “Hello,” said a much muffled-sounding Sylvie.
    Toby laughed. He’d never seen her act shy before.
    Sylvie was so curious to know what he was laughing about that she soon popped up, clutching Henry in her hand. The rabbit had a surprised look on its face.
    Toby laughed louder. It was a relief to laugh after all the tension of the day. Toby sensed his anger against his dad and Jamie subsiding.
    Jamie was sitting quietly on the other bunk. He had an aura of peace and calm about him. Sylvie, her shynessforgotten, appeared to be mesmerised by him and sat staring at the pale boy.
    Jamie cleaned and dressed Toby’s hand, carefully cutting the dead skin away with a pair of Sylvie’s craft scissors that he’d sterilised in hot water. Toby bit his lip and tried to think of ice cream with chocolate flakes to take his mind off the pain. Sylvie couldn’t watch and hid under her bedclothes.
    “Is it safe to come out yet?” came a dim voice from under the duvet.
    “Yep, I’m done,” said Jamie, tidying away the tissues and iodine that he’d used. “You need to keep that clean, Toby. There’s still infection in the wound.”
    Toby mopped his face with a tissue. He didn’t feel great. He felt like he was burning up. Globules of sweat glistened on his forehead, and the sick feeling had returned. He threw off the heavy layers of clothing he’d been wearing.
    “It’s hot in here!” he gasped hoarsely. His throat was parched and he was so thirsty. “I need a drink of water.”
    He stumbled out of the cabin towards the stack of bottled water, but he didn’t make it. He collapsed with a thud on to the floor.

10. A Crazy World
    When Toby woke up he