Oh, Cicero! What did he do to you! Please, hold on! I'm coming!

I hurried through the doorway, stumbling as I gripped my side to stop the blood that began flowing again with my movement.

"Faith? What? How? Cicero doesn't understand... Surely Faith did not come here alone, fighting against the guardians... Fighting against the... no, not sweet Faith, haha... Oh Faith, sweetness, what did you do to yourself?" He tried to push himself up from the ground, collapsing before he could even straighten his arms as he began coughing, blood seeping down his side.

Of course I didn't come alone! Amicus and Ellery are here with me, as they always are! They helped me, my Cicero! They made sure I could get to you! Now drink this, quickly!

I pulled one of the few potions remaining from my pouch, pushing it into his hands once I finally reached his side, lowering myself to the floor beside him. When he tried to refuse it, I scowled at him and pushed his hands away, tapping the neck of the bottle against his lips until he finally opened his mouth reluctantly. Moments later, the flow of blood had slowed and he pushed the empty bottle away from his lips.

"Cicero refuses to take another potion until sweet Faith does so as well. He will not watch her bleed out while he drinks her potions," he said with what little strength he had remaining in his voice.

Scowling, I looked into my pouch, counting how few bottles there were left that were not empty. I'd had to use far more than I thought. There were not enough for both of us left, not if I wanted him fully healed. Not even enough for him to be mostly healed.

Cicero, if I drink one, then that only leaves one more potion for you. It won't be enough to close the wounds on your side, not fully. Cicero, my Cicero, I can't just go get more potions from Babette! Let me heal you! I can just stitch my own wounds closed afterward! I've done so before!

"Drink the potion, sweetness. Cicero does not mind if his dearest has to stitch Cicero's side closed instead of her own. Surely she wouldn't mind tending to Cicero's remaining wounds while he rests? He promises to be a good patient. But, Cicero would rather that his Faith is healed this time. It was hard enough watching her mend each of the previous times she was hurt, even with the Unchild's potions last time. Don't make Cicero go through that again, please... Besides, Cicero wouldn't mind having pretty stitches on his side, like what his dear Faith has," he said, smiling painfully up at me from where he lay on the stone floor. "Surely she can think of something suitable for someone like her Cicero?"

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"Sweetness, Faith, do not worry. Cicero will be okay. He just needs more rest," he mumbled from the pile of furs and blankets he lay upon, the fireplace warming the room as pieces of broken furniture slowly burned within.

How can I not worry? It's only been a day and already I have to leave you! One day and already I am breaking my promise to never leave your side!

"It is you leave him to get medicine or you stay and watch him die from the fever. Go, I'll stay behind with him so he won't be alone," Ellery said, gently pushing me toward the doorway.

I... Please, Cicero, be okay until I can get back with the medicine! Promise me you won't give in to the fever!

He barely had the chance to nod before I was turning and running down the hallway.

--------

No, no, I was such a fool! How was I supposed to get back inside without Ellery? But I couldn't just leave my Cicero alone! Oh, what was I to do now? Just as I was about to bang my hand against the Door again, it began swinging open, Ellery's hand shooting out to grab me and pull me inside as Amicus slipped in behind me.

"Hurry! It's gotten dangerous in here!" He rushed down the path to the stairs, pulling me behind him as he ran toward the door leading to our Jester Assassin.

What do you mean? What's happening?

I lost my breath at the sight of a specter appearing from the icy tunnel, turning quickly on my feet to dart through the door and shut it behind us, dropping the bar down as I heard a shout from the other side.

"Remember how the Listener can resummon his ghost each day? I think it's like that, Faith, but with a lot more than one. I was lucky they didn't catch me when I went up to the door to get you," Ellery said, pulling me down the passageway to the room I had left our Cicero in.

Seeing him laying on the floor, gasping for breath, had me running to him as I pulled the bottle from my pouch. It was all I could do to get him to swallow most of the potion without choking and spitting it back out as he began rambling about the laughter and needing to take care of Mother.

Hush, my Cicero. Mother will wait for you to be well. She wouldn't want you to make yourself worse trying to get to her. You can't tend to her when you are so ill. Lay still, be calm and when you are better, I promise I will take you back to Mother. Together, Cicero. We will return to her together when the time is right, but for now, you need to rest. The potions can only do so much, my love.

"Sweetness? 's sumthin' wrong? Look s' worry?" The words slurred from his lips as he brushed a shaky hand against my cheek.

Don't worry, Cicero. Everything will be okay. I just need to be careful for a little while. And I'm sure I can sneak past them if I need to leave the room for something!

"Pass who?" He mumbled as he lowered his hand to rest upon his stomach, trying hard to keep his eyes open as he looked at my lips.

Hush, I'll tell you after you have slept. You know, I'm a little tired myself after all that running around. Maybe I'll take a quick nap with you.

I curled up against his side, running a hand over his forehead and sighing at the reduced heat radiating from his skin. It was going to be okay. He was going to be okay. He had to be, I wouldn't fail him. Not this time. Slowly, I curled my arm around his waist, feeling my fingers brush against the stitches on his side until I was as close as I could get to him, my head resting against his chest as I listened to his heart beating under my ear.

I couldn't lose him. Not Cicero. If I lost my dear Jester Assassin, my Cicero, all the stitches in the world wouldn't stop me from breaking apart.