Two hours later Liam´s fever got much worse and Melissa found she could not leave his side. He twisted and squirmed on Augur’s couch, dreaming vividly. With infinite patience Melissa wiped his sweaty face and changed the damp cloth on his hot forehead. All Augur could do was look on, praying that his friend would be alright. Liam mumbled constantly, though Melissa could not make out any words. Sometimes she was convinced he spoke in Kimera and she was strangely glad to have him here instead of in a hospital where others might hear him. Suddenly his voice became stronger.
“Mother?” he said and he started to get up. Quickly Melissa placed her hand on his bare chest to stop him and she could feel his heart race.
“I’m here, sweetheart. It’s going to be alright,” she said and he turned his head in her direction. Sense returned to his eyes as he recognized her.
“Dr. Park?” he said, “I’m hot:”
“Yes, I know, Liam. Here, have some water.”
She lifted his head and held the glass to his lips as he drank hungrily. Too soon she pulled the glass away again and he shivered, suddenly as cold as ice. Whimpering he snuggled deeper under the blankets and groaned as the movement once again made pain flare up in his shoulder. He closed his eyes and slipped back into a restless slumber.
“Augur, why don’t you try to get some rest as well?” said Melissa over her shoulder. Julienne had gone to bed an hour ago, to catch up on some sleep.
“What about you?”
“I´ll be fine for now, but you look about ready to collapse. Don’t worry, Augur. Liam will be okay.”
But her words did nothing to ease the worries Augur felt. He had never seen Liam like this before, this uncontrolled. He wished there was something he could do. Since his last call nothing had been heard from Doors and he was beginning to get impatient.
“Maybe I can go out and steel some antibiotics?” he suggested and Melissa thought about it for a minute, then shook her head.
“It’s too dangerous, Augur. You might get arrested,” she said.
“I agree, Dr. Park.”
Both Melissa and Augur turned as one as a voice they did not know spoke behind them. Augur felt his mouth sag at the sight that greeted him. A young woman stood just inside the cave. Behind her the doors to the elevator closed soundlessly. She was dressed in a black suit that did nothing to conceal her figure. Her perfectly oval face was surrounded by shoulder length blond hair and she wore an enigmatic smile on her full red lips. As he admired her Augur at the same time heard an alarm bell ring in the back of his mind. This one was trouble.
“Who are you and how did you get in?” he asked somewhat breathlessly and she smiled. She full well knew the effect she had on men.
“My name is Renee Palmer and I used Jonathan’s access code.”
“You know Doors?”
“Where else would I have got the codes, Augur? I have come here to offer you assistance. By the looks of it, Liam could use some,” she said as she came down the stairs and walked over to the couch. Sparing Liam a single look she turned back to Augur and Melissa.
“I have the medication Liam needs right here. With Jonathan’s best wishes,” she said as she held the bag out to Melissa. The doctor accepted it and gasped in surprise as she opened it. The bag contained everything she needed to help Liam and a weight fell from her shoulders. At last she would really be able to help him!
“Augur, I need your help,” she said, taking charge, ignoring the other woman, “We need to get Liam back into your bed.”
“Okay,” nodded Augur and he stepped around the mysterious woman, as Melissa knelt down beside Liam and softly shook his right shoulder.
“Liam, wake up,” she said insistently and Liam blinked up at her, “That’s it. No, stay with me!”
For a moment it looked as though Liam would fall right back to sleep, but somehow he managed to stay awake. His vision blurred as he was slowly and carefully pulled to his feet and he would have fallen had Augur not caught him. With the pounding of his head and the insistent buzzing in his ears Liam did not know if he dreamed or was awake. Helped by Melissa and Augur he ever so slowly walked to Augur’s bedroom.
“Good boy. Now come sit here and lay back down,” Melissa’s far off voice told him and like a robot he obeyed. Pain flared up in his wounded shoulder as laying down jarred it and he groaned. For a moment the pain lifted the veil that hung over everything and he could see clearly. Melissa smiled down on him as she wiped the sweat of his face and the wet cloth felt wonderfully cool against his hot skin.
“Hang on, Liam. You’ll soon be feeling a lot better, I promise,” she said and he smiled weakly as another violent shiver shook his frame.
“That’s one promise I´ll keep you to,” he murmured and she smiled back.
“Go back to sleep, sweetheart. I´ll take care of everything.”
Melissa watched as Liam´s eyes closed and his breathing deepened. Soon though he began to mumble again and he moved restlessly. Knowing that the worst was yet to come Melissa turned to Augur who stood behind her, unsure of what to do.
“I’m putting him on a drip to keep him from dehydrating. Could you hold the bag please?”
“Sure thing, doc,” nodded Augur. He felt relieved now that he finally could be of help to his friend, even if it meant being used as a lamppost. Holding the bag he looked on as Melissa tried to put the IV needle into Liam´s arm, but his movements made it difficult. Suddenly Renee Palmer was there, holding Liam´s arm still and Melissa succeeded in getting the needle in. Reaching up she opened a small valve in the IV line and droplet by droplet the fluid disappeared into Liam´s vein.
“Thanks for your help, miss Palmer,” said Melissa as she injected a huge dose of antibiotics directly into Liam´s arm.
“Please, call me Renee. And you’re welcome,” said Renee, “Will this help him?”
“Yes, but I wish we’d had the antibiotics sooner. He wouldn’t be this sick now if we had.”
Now all they had to do was wait for the antibiotics to kick in. Looking down at the doctor Renee smiled.
“You care about him a lot, don’t you?”
“Like he is my own son,” admitted Melissa as she softly wiped the sweat of Liam’s face. For a while Melissa stayed with him, wiping down his body with a damp cloth in an effort to cool him. Augur left her when she relieved him of the IV bag and taped it to the wall. As he left the room Renee followed him.
“Melissa, do you want something to drink or eat?” asked Augur softly behind her some time later and she turned around.
“That sounds lovely, Augur,” she said.
“I’ll get you some in a minute. Will Liam be okay now?”
“I have better hopes than before. I’ve given him a huge dose of antibiotics. Now we wait until it takes effect. But he’s not out of the woods yet. This will be another long night.”
“I’m here if you need any help.”
“Thanks, Augur.”
With a nod of his head Augur left the room to get her some food. When he got back he pulled up a chair and sat down, keeping Melissa company while she ate. For some minutes they sat in silence. Augur observed Liam. His friend’s face shown with sweat and his breath came in short gasps. Sometimes his eyes opened for an instant, but he seemed oblivious to the world around him, trapped as he was in the dreamworld the fever created....

He saw his mother and felt at peace as she sat with him, comforting him with words.
Then lightning and thunder all around him as he witnessed the destruction of the Kimeran homeworld. Thousands died as he looked on and he was powerless to stop it. A little child clung to his leg suddenly and when he looked down he looked into his worst nightmare. Half the child’s face had been blown away and empty sockets looked up at him for help. It had Lilli´s face. Crying out he flung himself away from it, only to find his feet rooted to the ground. He screamed……