Beauty and A Beast

Part 3

Chidori was left alone when it was apparent that the Brinewald's children were home visiting as they took a break from their post. Mr. Brineweld was out for the day and he would be returning in the evening to tend to Master. She was leaving to return the book that she had borrowed a few nights ago and entered the vast library hoping but knowing that she was not being a voyeur today. It was light out and she knew that Master did not leave his quarters until it was sundown.

When she entered the library, her hearing box aiding her, she saw that the door to the study was open. She did not expect to see Master but she saw a figure slumped over the desk and she moved to enter the study. She thought that maybe Master was asleep as she moved close to take a peek at the man who eluded her the weeks that she had come to work for him.

She was not surprised to see that he was indeed the blonde that she had accidentally peered on a few nights ago. His hair was long and over his face as his head was in his arms. "Mah-ster?" She said thinking she may have only made a sound of a whisper. He mumbled something and turned his head slightly, his hair continuing to shield his face as he made a move so subtly she was not sure if he had move at all if it wasn't the inclination from his hair.

He did not move any more and Chidori moved his hair from his temple and was aghast at what she had seen. The hair that she had just brushed away from his face was hiding skin so shiny and protruded, she would have not recognized it as she had one herself. She was not afraid of it, just taken aback. He moved his head and she could see the layer of sweat as her finger had brushed across his skin.

Was Master warm? She had thought and she moved his hair from his face to place it behind his ear and she could have felt the warmth that resonated from his body from a mile away. "Mash-ter." Chidori murmured as she nudged him.

His face moved to the side and sure enough he was hot all over and she knew at that moment that Master was ill. She was ready to call for Edna but remembered that the couple was out until the evening when Mr. Brinewald would come back.

Chidori reached for his arm as she nudged for him to get up. She couldn't ask him to move without sounding like a mumbling monster. "Ahp." She said and he groaned. The man was heavy and he was not budging. An eye of his opened and she was met with the clearest of blue eyes. He looked like he wanted to push her away and hide but she already tried her hardest to get him to move. He did not say anything as he pushed himself up and used her shoulder as a crutch.

She moved to where she knew would be his wing and chamber as she was forbidden to cross that way. His breathing was labored and his body hot and sweat soaked.He was sweating through his shirt and slacks. He said something that she could not make out but she saw his mouth move and she hurried to get him into his bed.

She had opened a door that she had to guess was his and true enough the door room had a four poster bed and posts on all four sides. His sheets looked like satin and it was as dark as the rest of the manor. Clothes littered the floor and so did books.

Chidori led Master to his bed and he fell down. His hair fanned out on the bed and she could see the scar that marred his left side of his face left him disfigured as the skin there was melted and flat. It covered his temple, cheek, and part of his eye. She moved quickly as she grabbed a rag from his restroom and a bowl of cool water.

She dipped the rag into the cool bath and used it to pat his face to help cool his fever down. Without thinking, she unbuttoned his shirt to find more disfigured skin that stretched disgracefully over tight hard muscles. Chidori felt that if he did not have the scar that covered his neck, collarbone, a portion of his bicep, and chest. His pale skin that did not see the sun often was light and the pink melted over flesh marred his torso and face.  She almost ran her fingers over the burned and protruding flesh but stopped herself. He seem to be in well shape and had the lean body of a laborer and it would explain why he was so heavy to help carry as he was tall.

He murmured once again, weakly batting her hand but he was so weak. Chidori dipped the rag onto his too warm skin to help cool him down, pushing his shirt to the side. He opened an eye to look at her and his cool blue eye was so dazed that she didn't know what to do.

"Edna." She said as she made the sign for letting him know that she was out. It seemed he may have understood something as he did not move but closed his eyes. Chidori paced back and forth as she didn't know exactly what to do but she remembered to give him medication as she moved away to find a fever reducer.

Chidori found what she was looking for as she found the bottle. She grabbed a glass of water as she moved to give him both then she went ahead and also warmed up soup for him to take with his medication.

When she was sure that his fever had gone down, she waited by his bedside, waiting to cool him down if need be until Mr. Brinewald entered and found her and asked, "What are you doing in here?"

Chidori stood up and let him know Master was sick in which he strode over and checked his skin. "I will call for the doctor." He said as he moved away, aware that there was no way for Chidori to have been able to contact a doctor as she did not speak. His eyes trailed away from her as he moved past her and she wondered if the couple shared their love of stern looks.

It didn't take long for the doctor to come and diagnose Master of the common cold. He left, leaving behind a remedy for him and for Master to get more sleep. Mr. Brinewald left not too long after, leaving Chidori behind to watch over him as he went home to stay with his wife and children. She figured that he felt that she was competent enough to watch over the Master on her own and what could possibly happen?