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Combeferre might have yelled. It might have been more of a screech. Courfeyrac would tease him for it later, after going to see why he had yelled like that. If Big Sexy--Patria, he heard Enjolras insist in his mind--needed a new nuclear pupition unit again, he would be so furious. They had just conned Bahorel into giving them a new one and doing the labor for half of the price as long as they got some cargo for him. “It might be illegal,” he had said, with a wave of his hand, before sending them the coordinates. They had probably had worse on this ship though.
“Combeferre, what’s all the noise about?” Courfeyrac called out as he entered their lounge area.
Combeferre was sitting on the ground, a hand over his heart as if he was a Victorian damsel. “Something was running around here.”
“It was probably just Marius,” Courfeyrac replied. He offered Combeferre a hand which the other man took, hauling him to his feet. “He gets fidgety when he has to use the fake green to pee, dogs aren’t meant to be in space this long.”
“No, it wasn’t Marius. It was something really fast.”
“Combeferre, you just need to get some sleep. We’ve been going nonstop for a while. Even Enjolras decided to take a break and put Big Sexy on autopilot.” Courfeyrac gave Combeferre a little push towards his quarters.
“Just take a nap. I’ll wake you up if I see the weird fast thing.”
Combeferre begrudgingly shuffled to his door, shooting Courfeyrac a look, before going in and closing the door.
*
Courfeyrac felt someone shaking and swatted the hand away. “Leave me alone,” he mumbled.
“Combeferre is very sick and I am not sure what to do.”
“How sick is very sick?” Courfeyrac asked.
Enjolras toward Combeferre’s room in concern, wringing his hands. “He keeps sneezing and coughing, and his skin has turned a bit green.”
Courfeyrac sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He heard Combeferre sneezing in his bedroom and sat up on the couch. Marius leapt into his lap, nosing at his hand until he started to pet him. “We could call Cosette, maybe she could meet us at Bahorel’s garage to look him over?”
“We do not take people to the veterinarian,” Enjolras gritted out, starting to pace. “Perhaps we should detour to see Joly.”
“He’s all the way out in the Belt, that will take a few days.”
“We will just have to take the warp highways.”
“Enjolras, no,” Combeferre said. He had a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and was a bit green. “We’re wanted on half the planets for illegal activities or treason.” Combeferre stopped, coughing so hard he had to lean against the doorway. Courfeyrac rushed over, putting an arm around his waist and walking him back to his bed. Enjolras followed into Combeferre’s tight quarters, standing in the middle of the room with his arms crossed.
Courfeyrac rubbed Combeferre’s back as the coughing stopped. “He’s right. Our only option is to wait until we get to the shop and hope that Bahorel knows a guy who knows a guy who won’t rat us out to the Royal Brigade.” Courfeyrac felt Combeferre’s forehead, remembering the way his mother would do the same thing when he was sick. He felt warm and clammy, and shivered at Courfeyrac’s touch. “At least let me call Cosette. She might have an idea of what to do.”
Enjolras glowered before leaving the room without saying a word. Courfeyrac continued to rub Combeferre’s back, listening to his shaky breathing. “When did you start feeling bad?”
Combeferre sighed, sniffling a little bit. “Remember how I said I saw a really fast thing?”
“Yes?”
“It was kind of around then.” Combeferre pulled his pant leg up slightly and pointed to his ankle. “I think something bit me.”
Courfeyrac looked at his ankle before quickly turning away. For a man who set things on fire and shot at things on a regular basis, he was fairly squeamish, and Combeferre’s ankle looked gross. Puss was oozing slowly out of the wound, and the veins around it pulsed, black and angry-looking. “That’s disgusting.”
“Thanks for the update,” Combeferre responded dryly before sneezing loudly.
Enjolras came back into the room with his tablet, sitting down on Combeferre’s bed. “Cosette had to talk with a patient but will be back in a second,” Enjolras said.
Marius bounded into Combeferre’s room at hearing the name and sat down at Enjolras’ feet. Cosette popped into the screen and waved, “What’s wrong?”
“Combeferre is really sick,” Enjolras said, angling the tablet toward him. “We don’t know what’s wrong.”
“You look green around the gills,” Cosette said.
“Combeferre thinks something bit him,” Courfeyrac added.
“What could have bitten him?” Enjolras asked Courfeyrac.
“I don’t know, I wasn’t there.”
“What could have bitten you?” Enjolras asked Combeferre.
Combeferre sneezed again, taking the tissue Courfeyrac handed him. “Something fast.”
Cosette made a noise and the men directed their attention back to her. “Can I see the bite?”
Courfeyrac scrunched his nose and scooped Marius up from the floor. “Poor Baron Marius Dogmercy was not meant to see such horrid sights,” he said, covering Marius’ eyes. “Don’t look puppy, its gross and I have a feeling you’ll want to lick it.”
“What color is the puss? It’s hard to tell in this light.”
“It’s puss colored,” Enjolras responded.
“Greenish yellow,” Combeferre replied.
Cosette leaned forward, crowding the screen. “I recognize the bite, but I don’t know why you would have it. Were you on Ganymede recently?”
“No.”
“That looks like a bite from the Nephropidus extranus, or the fighting lorpion. Its like a cross between a scorpion and lobster, but bigger and faster. The police just busted a huge underground fighting ring, but the main evidence disappeared shortly after.”
“What was the main evidence?” Enjolras asked.
“The actual fighters.” Cosette responded.
Courfeyrac and Enjolras exchanged a look. “So will Combeferre be okay?”
“Oh, yeah. You need a few more bites to kill you,” Cosette replied matter-of-factly. “I can write him a prescription, just send me the coordinates of the next place you’re docking and I’ll call it in.”
“Great,” Courfeyrac replied, taking the tablet away from Enjolras. “We have to kill a mechanic, but after that we’ll pick up the medicine. Thanks, Marius says “woof,” love you, bye!” Courfeyrac quickly shut down the tablet, standing up and starting toward the door.
“You can’t kill Bahorel,” Combeferre said calmly.
“He put us in danger! He gave us no warning what so ever.” Courfeyrac looked to Enjolras, “Come on, you know I’m right.”
“Enjolras, we can use this as leverage,” Combeferre argued. “Bahorel will give us the names of those arms suppliers and—“ Combeferre was interrupted by a series of coughs, curling in on himself on his bed.
“The revolution,” Enjolras said. “We might finally have the supplies. The people are out there Courfeyrac.”
Courfeyrac bit his lip before nodding, sitting down at Combeferre’s desk. “For the revolution.”
Combeferre smiled weakly. “Now could one of you make me some tea?”