Unknown pnet
A week ago, a sandstorm swept through the community, forcing Caleb, Dara, Rick, and Paul to postpone their exploration. The storm was extremely powerful, but the locals assured them that such storms were typical for this time of year. However, many who ventured out during these storms had lost their lives. As a result, no one could grow crops, harvest fruits, or collect fiber from the trees—all activities had to be suspended. Fortunately, the inhabitants had already harvested and stored enough supplies to avoid food shortages. These storms could st up to two months at best.
Caleb and Paul, who were the most eager to explore with the giant birds, were disappointed but had no choice but to wait.
Things took a turn for the worse when Dara and Rick fell ill the following week, suffering from high fevers. This caused great concern for Caleb and Paul. One of the community leaders reassured them, expining that the illness, common during sandstorm season, had never been fatal for the inhabitants. She said, "Kadactu oli agirà," which roughly transtes to "Don't worry, the sun will rise soon." Despite the leader's comforting words, Caleb remained uneasy. None of them were accustomed to such an environment.
Caleb stayed to take care of his friends, changing their pads whenever necessary.
–Isn't their fever going down? – Paul asked as he walked into his friends' room.
– Not yet, they've been like this for three days now. I feel helpless not being able to do anything for them, – Caleb said as he soaked another towel with water.
– Not doing anything? Don't underestimate the care you've given them all these days."
– It's the least I can do for them, Paul. I wish we had the medicine from our homend, but I don't even know how to reduce a fever with natural pnts.
That night, the two stayed up watching over their friends. The community doctor came to see them once a day. He said the fever wasn't dangerous but made sure it didn't rise above normal.
Caleb prayed fervently for his friends. He didn't want them to die, not here; he wanted them to live full lives, to get married, have children, and grow old peacefully. The thought of losing them filled him with fear. He prayed to God with all his might until he fell asleep near them.
The next day, Rick woke up. Paul noticed first and woke Caleb up. They were happy to see Rick awake and very hungry. Paul took him out to get something to eat. However, that wasn't the case with Dara; her fever still hadn't gone down.
Two more days passed and Dara's fever did not go down. Caleb had to give her some kind of serum to prevent dehydration. He began to notice that she was shaking more than usual and then she started to convulse. Frightened, Caleb sent for the community doctor.
Dara's face was pale and she couldn't stop shaking. Caleb tried to remain positive, holding her hand tightly and urging her not to give up, assuring her that she could overcome the fever.
The doctor arrived and instructed others to fetch a special pnt. The pnt resembled aloe vera but had no thorns and rounder leaves. They applied it all over Dara's body to lower her temperature. Gradually, she stabilized. The doctor told Caleb, "kalli alí loat tuè," which meant something like, "she is strong, she will not die." Caleb stayed with her that night, unable to sleep, worried she might have another seizure. He held her hand and prayed for her, eventually falling asleep beside her.
The sandstorm ceased and so did Dara's fever. When she woke up, she saw Caleb next to her, holding her hand. Beside the bed were the cold compresses and the serum container. Dara realized that he had been taking care of her all this time. She watched him for a long time, not wanting to wake him. With her left hand, she gently caressed his hair, which woke him up.
– Dara! You're awake! – Caleb said, moving closer to check her temperature.
– I'm fine, Caleb. I had an excellent nurse taking care of me.
Caleb shed tears of gratitude and thanked God that she was okay. He hugged her tightly. Dara, touched, hugged him back.
