Drake shook his head with what energy he could muster. "I was born with a different type of immune system... and I think I just puked it up. I'm... I'm pretty sure I need to build a new one…"
Amaxa, the Native American healer, looked at him with a mix of curiosity and concern. "How does one survive to adulthood with no immune system?" She shook her head in disbelief. Just then, her son entered, carrying a bag of clear liquid.
"In the meantime, we need to rehydrate you and hopefully begin to flush out more of that black junk," she said, taking the bag from her son and expertly hooking Drake up to an IV drip. She then opened a large, worn book and headed towards the back room. "I'm going to discuss it with Momma. Maybe she'll find something that can help your doctor," she said, scratching her head in confusion as she disappeared around the corner.
—
After what felt like an eternity to Drake and Bull, Amaxa returned with a satchel of something very fragrant and pungent. The smell was nearly overwhelming.
"Now, Bull," Amaxa began, "until his immune system is up and running again, he's going to need clean air, clean water, clean body, and clean clothes." She plopped the bag on the table. "And drink a tea made from this."
The stench assaulted Bull's nostrils, and he recoiled from it.
Amaxa explained with a smirk, "This will be absolutely gross and vile, but until your immune system is up and running, Doctor Drake needs to drink this three times a day until he is all better."
Both Drake and Bull grimaced as the foul stench filled the room. "Who knows," Amaxa added with a shrug. "Your system may be in such a starved and deprived state, you might actually like it."
"Ugh! What's in it, Amaxa?" Bull asked, covering his nose and mouth.
"It's better you don't find out. But it contains soil, minerals, certain animal bones, and bits and bobs of other things," she replied nonchalantly. "You are the first case I've heard of like this. But Mother always made this tea—if you can call it that—for infants with weak immune systems. She swears it will perk you right up. Other than that, I prescribe plenty of rest and relaxation to let your immune system grow and your body heal. No strenuous or vigorous activity!" she said, shaking her finger at Bull.
Bull nodded and accepted the bag of odd ingredients. He helped Drake to his feet. "Thank you, Amaxa. You can send me the bill to my cabin via the Post-owl."
Amaxa heartily nodded and smiled. "Have a safe trip home, and I hope you get well!" she waved as Bull, Drake, the Ani-maton horse, and the pungent sachet trotted up the road.
—
Bull opened the door to the cabin and helped Drake sit down on the couch. He plopped the bag on the kitchen counter, then drew a kettle full of water to heat on the burners.
Drake passed out on the bearskin couch as Bull brewed a spoonful of the "Mud Tea," as he dubbed it. He knelt down by the side of the couch and helped Drake sip his special brew.
"Ack, it smells awful!" Bull grimaced as he helped Drake take a sip. "I can't imagine what it tastes like!"
Drake was so weak, he could only sip it softly, knowing he was in dire straits and desperately needed medical aid. He knew better than to refuse his medicine, no matter how vile it smelled.
To Drake's immense surprise, "It doesn't taste... that bad actually," he whispered and wheezed.
"You're kidding me?" Bull scoffed. "Stuff smells like crap mixed with swill that was steeped in an old boot!"
Drake weakly chuckled and smiled. "That it does..." He closed his eyes and rested his head on the couch pillow. "But the body... knows what it wants..."
"So even crap tastes good?!" Bull chuckled, sitting on the edge of the couch next to Drake.
"So even crap tastes good," Drake echoed with a chuckle, his eyes still closed. He then dozed off to sleep.
—
The rest of the day, Bull catered to Drake's every need. He fluffed his pillow, adjusted his blankets, read him a book, or told him bounty stories. Whatever Drake needed, the gargantuan bear of a man was attentive and by his side.
As the sun sank and the moon rose, casting a gentle glow through the cabin windows, only the light of the fireplace illuminated the interior. The day's adventures and events drew to a close, leaving the two men in a peaceful, if somewhat pungent, respite.
Bull watched over Drake as he slept, a sense of protectiveness and something deeper settling in his heart. Despite the dire circumstances, there was an unspoken bond forming between them. In this strange world, amidst the chaos and uncertainty, they had found something rare and precious—each other.