"Between Two Shadows"

chapter I :  Before the Transition

"Will you please, please, turn up the damn AC?!" Bartholomew Fatima complained as he rolled onto his stomach, wrinkling the cobalt bed sheet of his bunk.

Fei Fong Wong, Sigurd Harcourt and Lawrence Maison stood nearby, assisting Citan Uzuki in concocting a dark tea-like medicine. "The air conditioning is already on full blast, young one. Maison made sure of that," Citan replied without turning to face him.

"I can't freakin' breathe!" Bart groaned, turning again so that he was facing the ceiling. "Sig...bring me to the Snow Field Hideout...or just drop me off in the middle of the ocean...!!"

"Nonsense, young master. Just try not to think about it."

"Oh God...just kill me now." The young prince spun for the third time, trying to find a spot on the bed that he had not already robbed the coolness from.

"Young one, try to rest yourself." Citan put down the spoon he had been stirring with, and handed the finished medicine to the half-garbed figure on the bed. "Here, drink this."

Bart peered over the folds of the blanket at the steaming cup, an agonized expression on his face. "But it's hot!"

"It'll reduce your body temperature," Citan assured him. "If you drink it."

Fei rubbed his bare arms and shuddered. "You guys won't mind if I step out for a little bit? It's getting a little...chilly in here."

The doctor nodded. "Go ahead, Fei. We'll take care of this."

"All right."

When Fei exited, he nearly bumped into Marguerite Fatima, who had been standing almost directly in front of the door.

"Whoa, Margie. I didn't see you there."

"Oh, hi, Fei," Margie stammered, taking a step backwards. "Uhm...is everything all right in there? I heard him shouting."

"You mean Bart? Yeah, it's that fever he's got. Doc and them are working on it, though, so you shouldn't worry."

"I'm not worried," huffed Margie quickly, "I was just wondering."

"You could at least sit down, then."

"Oh, errh..." she looked thoughtful for a while, then rushed on without taking a breath, "my doctor sez I have a leg problem so I have to apply as much pressure on it as I can and stand but the only reason you haven't seen me standing much before is coz I kinda sorta maybe forgot about what my good old doctor prescribed for my problem up until now because Bart's having a bit of a medical crisis himself you know"---here she paused and took a sharp breath---"...aheheh."

Fei blinked. "Margie, you don't have a doctor."

The young girl looked shocked for a few seconds before she squeaked, "I, I mean, Sister Agnes!!"

"It's all right, I think I understand why you're doing this." Fei smiled.

"I'm just looking out for him, you know!"

"That's good. Listen, why don't you get some rest? It's getting late."

Margie lowered her gaze. "O-okay. I guess I will. Thanks, Fei."

Three hours had passed since Bart had downed the prescription Citan had given him, and by now Sigurd had left to pilot the Yggdrasil in the bridge.

"Citan...It's not working,"

Citan had straddled a chair, and was leaning his chin on his arms that were folded over the backrest. His head, like his eyes, was drooping, and every now and then he'd jerk his head up in a struggle to stay awake.

"Just give it some more time, young one," Citan yawned.

Maison was seated on another chair, his head hung, a faint snoring sound emitting from his mouth that was hanging agape.

Bart reached into a nearby bowl and picked out a sizeable ice cube, which he popped into his mouth and sucked on it reflectively. "You know, it's even worse than midsummer out in the desert. I mean, nearly 100-somethin' degrees and I could still take it, but this...this..."

Citan stood and shuffled over to the table scattered with all sorts of medicines in glass jars, vials, packets and bottles. "Perhaps, if you go to sleep, you'll forget the heat for a while and get some rest before we get to my house for the proper treatment. Would you like that?"

"You mean like sleeping pills or something?"

"More or less." The doctor fought to keep his eyes focused on what he was doing as he put together contents for another medicine.

Bart closed his eyes and pushed the ice cube into his cheek with his tongue so that he could talk better. "I guess I need the rest. You know, ever since I woke up in that Taura guy's house I haven't been able to relax."

"Young blood can't keep still."

"No, I mean, that Taura guy had me doin' all sorts of stuff, tellin' me to get that thing over there, or clean this thing over here. Whenever I sat down to take a rest, he told me that I had to keep on moving or I wouldn't recover from some sorta...'post-nanotreatment syndrome'. 'Course I listened to him; I mean, I wouldn't want some weird disease like that hangin' over my ass..."

Doctor Uzuki paused from removing the lid from a green jar. "Taura told you to keep on moving like that?"

"Yeah."

"...And right now, how do you feel?"

"Hot as hell."

"...And you were in that nanoreactor...for a week?"

"Taura told you, didn't he?"

Citan was quiet, the wheels in his mind spinning. Then, quickly finishing the sleeping potion, offered it to the young prince. "Hmm...I see."

Bart lunged at the cup in the doctor's hands and consumed it with one gulp. "Is it really gonna work?..."

There was a pensive expression on Citan's face as he retrieved the glass from his patient's possession. The medicine proved effective, and in a few seconds, Bart had already shut up.

"Hmm," the doctor's countenance reflected deep thought as he leaned his chin on his fist and tapped his foot on the ground. Taura Melchior, what is your plan? He mused. Then he approached Maison and nudged him on the shoulder. "Maison?"

The old butler jumped awake with a start, his spectacles nearly falling from his face. "Oh my! Did something happen? What is wrong, good doctor?"

"I gave the young one something to make him sleep," Citan said, gesturing at his slumbering charge. "Now, Maison...I believe our problem is solved."

Maison stared up at Citan, unsure of what he was talking about. "I beg your pardon?"

"We should leave him be. There really wasn't anything wrong with him. Not a fever, not anything. Just a slight side effect of nanotreatment. All he needed was some sleep."

The butler failed to recognize the familiar gleam of secrecy in Doctor Uzuki's eyes. "All right, good doctor..."