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Hazel
Hazel was beginning to worry. She had arranged to meet with Frank outside one of the cafes in New Rome, but he had yet to show up. "I'll wait for five more minutes and if he's still not here, I'll go looking for him", she thought to herself. She glances around, taking in the beautiful little town, watching many of those who had retired from the legion, walking around with their young children. She focused in particular on a couple with their child, who looked about four or five years old. Hazel watched as the little girl held on to her father's hand tight as he pointed out various statues. He seemed to be telling her the stories behind them.
This scene made Hazel think about Frank, which reminded her that he was still yet to show up. Sighing, she glanced at her watch and saw that the five minutes had passed. She turned around and made her way quickly back to the camp.
She decided to check the praetor's office first. Frank and Reyna could usually be found there, making important decisions. She knocked sharply on the door and she heard Reyna's voice inside saying "Enter".
Hazel opened the door, scanning the room for Frank. "Good morning Reyna", she said. "Have you seen Frank anywhere?"
"Sorry Hazel, I haven't. It's his morning off", Reyna replied. "We had a late night last night, a lot of paperwork to get through." She kept talking. "He's usually quite punctual, it's not like him to be late. But, he didn't look too well."
"I'll check his quarters", Hazel said turning around and getting ready to close the door. "Thanks for your help though."
Climbing the flights of stairs to Frank's quarters, Hazel wondered where he could be and what he was doing to have not shown up at the cafe earlier. When she got to the door, she rapped on it, expecting an answer. Instead, she was met with silence. Now even more worried, Hazel tried to open the door, but it was locked. She took out the spare key from her pocket and unlocked it. She stepped inside and scanned the room looking for Frank yet again. Still nothing. Continuing on, she opened the door of his bedroom and her eyes landed on an unmade bed. The duvet was missing and the blanket was hanging off the bed. Then she noticed the tissues littering the floor.
"Oh gods", she thought. Hazel proceeded to rush around the side of the bed, where she saw Frank, fast asleep, tangled in his duvet.
Frank
*THE NIGHT BEFORE*
"That's enough for tonight, it's late enough", said Reyna, getting up to stretch, and letting out a yawn. "Enjoy your morning off tomorrow."
"Thanks Reyna, don't miss me too much." Frank said with a smile on his face.
He began to clear away all the scrolls from the desk. He stifled a sneeze and gathered up his bow and arrows. He had taken them with him to this meeting because they were discussing the improvement of the legion's defences.
"Are you alright Frank?" Reyna asked. "You look quite pale"
"I'm fine", Frank said, but now that Reyna mentioned it, Frank realised that he didn't feel great.
They said their goodbyes and Frank started the journey towards his quarters, the tiredness he had felt since this morning threatening to overwhelm him. Shaking his head, he trudged up the remaining stairs and fumbled in his pockets for his keys. He sneezed again. And again. And then one more time. Now he was starting to worry. "I can't get sick now, I have to meet Hazel in the morning, and I have things to discuss with Reyna tomorrow evening", he thought as he unlocked the door and stepped inside, feeling a cold blast of air hit him. He had left the air conditioning on. Now freezing cold and shivering, Frank closed the door behind him and made his way to his bedroom, turning off the air conditioning on his way there..
After getting ready to finally go to sleep after an exhausting day, he found that he was now too warm. "How is this even possible?" he thought. "I was freezing a few minutes ago." Kicking off the extra blanket on his bed, he settled down under the duvet and tired his best to fall asleep. He was unlucky of course, tossing and turning for what felt like hours, either too hot or too cold. He got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. He then splashed some cold water on his face in an attempt to cool down. It didn't work. He sneezed again. This time, the sneeze was followed by a cough. And then another. His throat ached. He took a few tissues and proceeded to blow his nose a few times. Heading back to bed, he muttered a quick prayer to Somnus, the Roman god of sleep, asking him to take pity on him and let him finally rest. His prayers were answered, but his slumber was plagued by nightmares. The burning of his family home, his mother's death, Reyna's dying, the rest of the seven being killed in various horrible ways. After being shown Hazel's death, Frank tumbled off the bed but didn't wake, continuing to dream about things he would really rather not dream about.
Hazel
*PRESENT TIME*
Hazel knelt down to feel Frank's forehead. It was definitely a lot warmer than usual, and Frank was murmuring about dragons and fire, clearly in the middle of a nightmare. He was shivering. She rushed out the door and down the flights of stairs to where she had talked with Reyna a while ago, and burst through the door.
"Who do you think you - oh. Hello again Hazel." Reyna exclaimed, jumping out of her seat to reprimand whoever had run in, before realising that it was her. "Did you manage to find Frank?"
"Yes I did", Hazel answered her. "Will you please contact a healer? He's asleep right now, but he's tossing and turning and he has a very high temperature."
"Of course", Reyna said, getting ready to leave to do just that.
"Thanks Reyna", Hazel said leaving to return to where Frank was hopefully still fast asleep.
Hurrying back through the door and in to his bedroom, she rushed around to the side of the bed and felt his forehead again. Still very warm. "Oh Gods, Frank", she whispered. "You poor thing."
Hearing her voice, Frank suddenly opened one eye. "Hazel?" he groaned. "That you?"
"Yes Frank, it's me," Hazel replied. "Are you alright?"
"Cold." he whimpered.
At this, Reyna came jogging into the room, on of New Rome's healers in tow. The healer knelt down beside Frank, took his temperature and read the thermometer. "He's suffering from a fever" he announced. "A few days of bedrest and plenty of fluids, and he'll be as right as rain in no time at all."
"That's great news. Did you hear that Frank?" Hazel asked, looking down at him. She smiled fondly at him, for he had fallen asleep again. She took the spare blanket from the bed and laid it on top of him gently, trying not to disrupt his sleep. This time, Frank slept well, a dreamless sleep.