Chapter 40: Chapter 40: After the rain

Chapter 40: After the rain

They were back at the Bull's Horns Ranch, and it had been raining for a while now. It came as no surprise when Thomas came down with a fever and a sore throat.

"Tommy, you can't do the water day when you are sick," Rina chastised, a plate with meat and vegetables in her hand.

"Yes, Tommy. Your body is weakened from all the starvation. If you don't eat, it will get worse," Teri had a bowl with cherries in his hand. They were both trying to get Thomas to eat, but he remained stubborn.

"I am certain that it is nothing," the summoner clutched at his throat, and closed his eyes.

"This is the second day you had a fever, Tommy," Rina whined. Why couldn't Thomas understand that he could pick up the diet again, when he was better?

"If you don't eat and don't drink your potions, we are ditching your ass," Teri said, and Rina glared at him. "At least I will."

Thomas cracked an eye open. He knew they had his best interest at heart. Sighing, he stood up in the bed and reached up towards the plate that Rina was holding.

"Tough love always wins," Teri boasted, and Rina sighed.

"Tommy, we won't leave you, per se. But what if you infect us with whatever you are sick with? Think about the consequences," Thomas nodded, and took the fork from the bedside table. As soon as he had gotten sick, Owen had given him the guest room. The farmer had tugged at his ear for weakening his body like that. Not that the summoner had paid much attention to that.

Once Thomas ate the contents of the entire plate, the bowl with the cherries was trusted under his nose.

"Eat," Teri commanded, as Rina prepared the potions.

"This will get me out of the diet," Thomas lamented. He really wanted to eat the cherries, but didn't want to get out of his eating regiment. And, just as his breath had changed too.

"Forget the diet until you get better. From now on, if I hear one more word about your blasted diet, I will hit you over the head," Teri vowed. He then received a hit over the head from Rina. "What was that for?"

"Your tough love is bordering on bullying. I won't stand for that," the elf told him. The tank looked down at his hands.

"Sorry," was all he managed to mumble, as Thomas began to eat the cherries.

"We don't have much time for me to get better," Thomas told them. There was only a one-month window for the Yaranhold quest.

"From now on, you will be having breakfast," Rina snapped. The dark-haired adventurer was ready to protest, but she laid a hand on his shoulder. Her eyes were filled with concern. Thomas couldn't remember the last time that someone had been this concerned for him. Had it been his mother?

"But," Teri made a threatening motion with his hand, and Thomas quieted down.

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When he was done with the cherries, he felt better. He still felt hungry. Then again, he always felt hungry ever since beginning this new diet.

"It is not a race, Tommy. You lost too many kilograms too fast, and now your body is sick," Rina spoke. Thomas had to agree with her. As an adventurer, he needed to be healthy. Or, else, they would fail a quest after a quest.

"I will eat eggs for breakfast," Thomas offered his compromise. The two stared at one another, and nodded.

"Eat whatever you want, just eat something. Now, are you still hungry?" Teri asked.

"A little," the summoner admitted.

"I'll go grab some more meat and vegetables from the kitchen. You just wait in here," the tank then all but ran out of the door and into the hallway.

"Tommy, why do you want to lose weight so much? I mean, you are a man, you can't expect to weight roughly sixty kilograms," Rina was staring straight into Thomas's eyes. He bit his bottom lip before answering.

"Because, I will end up stuck to a bed if I don't. No one will like me, and I will die alone. If I don't put in the work now, then I will be ruined," Thomas was speaking from the heart. These were his greatest fears. For the first time in forever, he was sharing them.

Rina looked uncomfortable at that. She knew that what Thomas was saying had merit. More than half of the population of Kaien was stuck to their beds. The very thought that Thomas could end up like them was horrendous.

"Still, I want you to have breakfast from now on. For your own good," she laid a hand over his, and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I will, even if my weight loss slows to a snail's pace," Thomas agreed. Teri came through the door with more food and a wide grin.

"Owen told me to inform you that you should eat until you are full. If you do not, then find another farm to house you," the tank placed the plate on the bedside table, and looked at the summoner expectantly.

"I figured he might," Thomas ate the contents of this plate as well, and then sighed. For the first time in a week, he felt full.

"Now, drink your potions," Rina handed him a couple of vials, that they had gotten from Drumm village just this morning. Pavos and Yar agreeing to carry them there, with Jar and Karl acting as escorts.

Thomas did as told, and then went to the washing basin. He washed, and then took a sniff of himself. He smelt of sickness, and that made him wrinkle his nose at himself.

"I'll just go take a shower, and then I will lay some more," he said, and left the room. Rina looked to Teri.

"He is really determined to lose that extra weight, you know?" She asked, and the tank nodded.

"Yes, but we can't let that pursuit kill him," they shook each other's hands. Even if Thomas went back to eating just grilled meat with cucumbers, they were going to make sure that, from time to time, he would get some vitamins as well.

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