Lifeline in a Burning Sea...

Chris moaned as he twisted and turned on the bed. For the past two weeks he'd been suffering from a hellishly high fever, and nobody could figure out why. They'd tried medicines for the cold, the flu, they even brought in Jenna to look him over personally, but even she couldn't figure out what was wrong, stating in the end that it was probably a very nasty case of the flu. That had been over a week ago, and Chris had only gotten worse...

He simply could NOT get cool, no matter what he tried. He'd kicked the blankets off ages ago and was down to his underwear too. In the midst of his pain, he felt someone sit on the bed and moaned weakly "Jeff...." Two gentle hands raised his head and Chris felt something pressed to his chapped lips "Drink this baby" Jeff's drawl was filled with worry "C'mon baby, just a little..."

"Mmmm..." Chris managed a few sips, but it took all of his energy to do it and he fell back onto Jeff's lap afterward, groaning with pain

"It's so...hot..." his voice rose no higher than a whimper "Jeff....Jeff?"

"I'm here Chrissy, I'm here," Jeff murmured. He ran his hand through Chris' hair, sighing when his hand came back soaked in his incredibly ill lover's sweat. "You're gonna be okay," Jeff whispered.

"Hot...so hot..." Chris couldn't stop whimpering "It burns Jeffie...it's burning!"

"I know Chrissy," Jeff choked out, fighting back tears. It scared him to death to see Chris this sick. "I know baby."

Hearing Jeff's tears, Chris weakly looked up "Please...don't cry..." he murmured "You...know how I..hate it...when you cry..."

"How can I not," Jeff protested, letting a few tears fall. "You've been like this for weeks and it scares the hell outta me!" Jeff sighed. "Neither of the girls have seen you since this started." "Do know how hard it is to teell them when they call before bed that they can't see you yet?"

"I know..." Chris mumbled, feeling his eyelids grow heavy again "It's so hot...so hot...."

Jeff sighed worriedly, grabbing the cloth from the bowl of cold water he kept at the bedside, pressing it to Chris' overheated skin.

Chris moaned in relief "Is...is Addy still c-coming?" he murmured, growing less lucid by the minute "Y-you said he'd b-be coming..."

"He's coming, he's on his way baby," Jeff said. Turning he smiled when he saw Adam standing at the door way. "Hey," Jeff whispered.

"Hey," Adam replied, walking over to stand by Chris. "How you holding up?" Adam asked.

"Not.." Chris swallowed heavily "Not doing t-too good..." he looked up with thickly glazed eyes at his best friend "H-hot...."

Jeff stepped outside for a moment, he needed a moment on his own.

Adam sighed as Jeff left. "You gotta get through this Chris, I don't think he'll live long if you don't," Adam said.

"I..I'm trying, I really am..." Chris shut his eyes and sighed weakly "It..It's draining me Addy...e-everytime I push back, it p-pushes harder..." he weakly lifted his hand to his head and whimpered "I'm s-scared Addy...."

"I know, I know," Adam whispered. "You'll be okay though, Jeff and me, we're with you the whole way."

"I k-k-know..." Chris groaned and began to shudder, a sharp pain had been building in his side all day, and it was starting to get even worse "Oh...god...hurts so bad...."

Adam looked up at Chris worriedly. "Do you want me to go get Jeff?" Adam asked.

"P-please..." Chris had gone a waxen shade of pale "H-hurry, it hurts, oh god...it hurts so bad!!!!"

Adam nodding, rushing out of the room, dragging The Rainbow Haired Warrior back with him.

"What is it baby?" Jeff said softly, taking Chris' hand.

"Hurts..." Chris whimpered, nearly insensible with pain "Oh god it hurts...I..I think I'm dying Jeff...it just keeps g-growing and...ah, AH!!!!!" With a cry, Chris' entire body went stiff and he practically screamed in agony.

"It's gonna be alright Chrissy," Jeff whispered, nearly crazy with worry. "It's gonna be alright."

The minute Chris went limp it felt like an inferno exploded over his body, all he could feel was the intense heat that was working to drain him of...everything...

"J-Jeff..." he spoke with a tongue that felt oddly thick, he tried to look around but everything was blurry "A-Addy..."

"We're here baby, we're here," Jeff murmured.

"Can't...can't see you...." Chris felt like he was slowly being roasted alive "B-burns..." his voice began to trail away "B-b-burning...."

"Stay with me baby," Jeff pleaded. "Stay with me."

Chris was sinking fast, the fire was all-consuming "I...I love y-you..." the fiery inferno crescendoed in a blazing finale and he fell limp and unconscious, his two final words a dim whisper "Help...me...."