The next morning, ra woke up early, only to find Dn radiating heat beside her. She quickly sat up and touched his forehead. "Mr. Dn, you''re burning up!"
The room had beenfortably warm, thanks to the firece gently crackling all night. How did he manage to catch a fever?
Dn slowly opened his eyes, giving a soft groan of acknowledgment. ra was worried sick. They''d only shed their jackets before bed. She quickly grabbed his coat and helped him put it on. "Let''s get you cleaned up a bit. I''ll check with the front desk for any medicine."
Supporting him to the bathroom, her fingers brushed his wrist-his skin was rmingly hot. Dn''s face was flushed, his eyshes fluttering like a feverish prince.
ra hurriedly got herself ready and guided him downstairs. She rushed to the front desk. "Do you have any medicine? Someone here has a fever."
The receptionist shook her head apologetically. "I''m sorry, we ran out a few days ago."
ra hurried back to the car with Dn and asked Aiden, "Aiden, do we have any fever reducers in the car? Mr. Dn''s burning up."
Aiden, looking surprisingly fresh despite the circumstances, shook his head, worried. "We should head to the nearest town. It''s about twelve miles from here."
ra turned up the car''s heat, settled Dn in the backseat, and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Hang in there, Mr. Dn. We''re heading to town now."
The lodge was truly in the middle of nowhere, and ra regretted not packing some ibuprofen.
Aiden started the car and drove off slowly. Meanwhile, the receptionists were chatting by the fire. "Who goes out to watch snow in the middle of the night? It was freezing. I saw someone outside and it gave me a fright."
They rubbed their hands, knowing just how cold it had been outside. "Why not enjoy the view from indoors? What if they caught a cold?"
"Maybe I was seeing things, but I swear I saw someone."
ra''s car reached an intersection, only to find the road blocked. The heavy snowfall from the previous night had closed all nearby routes, making town inessible.
Next to her, Dn had slumped against her shoulder, asleep with a fever, his cheeks flushed. ra didn''t dare push him away, so she wrapped an arm around his waist to keep him steady.
Aiden nced back but said nothing. ra felt a bit guilty. "Aiden, I''m not trying to take advantage of Mr. Dn. I''m just making sure he doesn''t fall. He''s out of it right now."
Aiden calmly replied, "I know."
ra sighed in relief, watching the snowyndscape with growing anxiety. "What should we do now? We can''t get to town, and there''s no medicine at the lodge. Should we head straight to our destination?"
Just then, Dn''s weak voice chimed in. "Head to the destination."
Aiden frowned but stayed quiet. The road to their destination was miraculously clear, though the snow kept falling heavily. With hours still ahead, ra wanted to rest but felt Dn''s head nudge her shoulder.
Startled, she tried to move away, but Dn almost slipped from his seat. She quickly returned to her position, supporting him like a human pillow.
The car hit a bump, and ra instinctively steadied his head, but felt a sudden warmth on her neck, like his lips had brushed against her skin.
She quickly pushed Dn back, securing him in his seat. Aiden noticed her reaction but remained silent.
ra''s cheeks burned with embarrassment. "Aiden, maybe I should drive?"
Aiden ignored her, and ra continued to sit in the back, feeling restless. She couldn''t let go of Dn, so she stayed put awkwardly.
Ten minutester, Dn opened his eyes, looking confused, lost in a feverish haze. ra grew increasingly worried, feeling helpless.
Suddenly, Dn raised a hand and gently pinched her cheek. She frowned, about to pull away when he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.
ra immediately raised her hands, signaling to Aiden. "This is all Mr. Dn''s doing, not mine. You have to vouch for me when he wakes up. I don''t want him ming me."
Knowing Dn hated being taken advantage of, Aiden almostughed, trying to keep the car steady. "Sure."