Maria placed a cool cloth on her twin's forehead once again, attempting to bring down the raging fever that never seemed to quite cool. Two weeks had gone by quickly where a sudden illness had crept upon her town, taking many lives and halting others. Her own mother had come down with it after attempting to help her brother and father. After that the family had moved from their bedrooms into the living room, bringing out mattress pads and sheets to lay on in order to care for one another. Coughing horribly, her mother asked, "Could someone grab me a sip of cool water?"
Maria's youngest sister appeared, seemingly out of nowhere with a cool rag and tin of water. The seven year old assisted her mother in a drink, placing the cool rag on her forehead and petting her hair gently until their mother was able to fall back asleep.
So far they felt blessed that they'd only had three of the nine family members fall ill, leaving them plenty of help for the ill. Families with too many sick were dying off quickly, leaving many orphans. The odd part was how it killed, not by the disease itself, but rather the side effects leading to dehydration, starvation, or other seemingly unrelated means of death. It was also counted a blessing that the illness had appeared to stop spreading, and a select few of the wealthier individuals in the area had begun to recover.
Aware of the aching in her own muscles from working around the house constantly and caring for the sick, Maria attempted to lay back down on the sheet beside her brother, closing her eyes for but a moment, only to be tripped over by her fifteen year old sister, surely on her way back from a party or some other nonsense. Maria silently cursed the girl for having no sense of duty for her ailing parents or brother, only caring about finding a suitor for herself and having fun. Albeit, the girl would mock Maria for being over a year past the age of marriage with no suitor in sight- having no regard for the illness affecting the town.
Lacey sat on the couch beside the frail frame of her brother, tossing her feet up next to him and lounging quietly, nearly kicking him in the process, but without a care. She only seemed to worry about a small stain on her dress, brushing at it haphazardly, her overly dilated eyes drifting back and forth. Maria could only ignore the fifteen year old and pray her youngest siblings would not notice the influence which Lacey was under.
The other two children lay on sheets near their parents, resting quietly with soft snores occasionally escaping. Maria admired them, at thirteen and eleven they had begun to grow so quickly, forming to small adults, but in their sleep she could see the gentleness of their features. They looked like the young children she would always remember them to be, even with the girl learning healing art as if she was an adult and the boy learning to hunt.
"Hey, Ox," Lacey pushed her foot against Maria's hip, "Could you give me some water?"
"Do not call me Ox." Maria didn't move, aggravated at her younger sister's audacity.
"Would you prefer Cow?" Lacey continued to poke, "I am very thirsty, please. I was just out all day in the sun, it is the least you could do."
Begrudgingly Maria lifted the tin, handing it to her sister before sitting up fully, giving up entirely on sleep. After about thirty more minutes of quiet in the home another child walked in, tall and strong looking with a wrapped rabbit that he'd freshly hunted for dinner. "Maria, I believe a young man is here to see you. I only saw them for a moment outside though," Thomas was only teasing of course.
"Sophia is here?" Maria's eyebrows raised, "It is just past dusk, it seems late. Is she okay?"
Thomas paused, his eyes softening a bit, "I didn't think to ask. Perhaps you could check?"
Maria got up slowly and pulled on a jacket before stepping out to see Sophia approaching the porch of the home. Sophia's beautiful features were marred with splotches of red and swollen from crying. Not needing an explanation, Maria pulled her in for a hug, "Oh, Sophia, I am so sorry for your loss. When did it happen?"
Sophia sniffled, holding back her choking sobs that threatened to erupt, "A week ago, but I had to arrange a burial for them. Quite difficult with no grave digger working, eventually the neighbor boys assisted me by offering to cremate them with their own mother." Slowly the fake bravado fell, leaving the small girl racked with sobs, clinging desperately to her best friend.
"Oh, I wish I'd known sooner, surely Thomas could have helped," Maria petted her hair, soothing down the stray pieces. She'd never seen her best friend in such a poor state, having come from a higher family as an only child. "You can live with us now, please." Surely their mother and father wouldn't mind adding, although Thomas may have had some objections to another mouth to feed. Maria assured herself that he would understand.
"Oh, I couldn't impose," Sophia sniffled after a few. "If I do, please allow me to do something to help, I can clean or help with your brother's care."
"Do not worry, you are my sister as far as I'm concerned. Come in, Thomas has hunted and I need to prepare the meal, and surely you are hungry. You appear even smaller than the last time I saw you." Maria grabbed the petite brunette, staring at her as if appraising her appearance.
"You're one to talk, you've probably lost three dress sizes since I last saw you. Have you eaten at all, or are you only caring for your family these days?" Sophia scolded, wiping away the final tears and allowing herself to be led into the home.
Thomas stood by the door, waiting, "Lady Sophia, I'm terribly sorry for your loss."
Sophia only nodded, thanking him before sitting on the sheet beside Levi, Maria's twin.
Unbeknownst to Maria, she was being watched carefully through the windows of the home by a nearly glowing set of scarlet eyes. Adjusting position as she switched from room to room, eventually watching her enter her own room to rest, leaving the window open to allow a cool breeze in the home.