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Chapter 107: Struggle

The night was there, and then it was gone. Roger had been lying awake, unable to sleep for much longer than half an hour when he would awake to a pounding headache. The painkillers did their job to a point, but ultimately it was not enough. He had managed to retrieve some water in the middle of the night, careful not to wake the wolf of whom had fallen asleep.

It was a failed attempt, of course. He would come back to a pair of glowing eyes staring at him. He could almost make out the concern in Hunter's expression amongst the shadows, but he knew he could only really imagine it with the dim lighting and having had his night vision reduced from the house's lights.

Climbing into bed was met with questions, usually pertaining to his well-being. He said he felt fine, just a minor headache, and to him that was the full truth. He wondered if illness was setting in. Perhaps fatigue. Maybe both.

His body felt better, though, no longer as tired as it once had been. It seemed at least some of him was recovered for the most part.

He laid there sleeplessly. He assured the wolf that all was well and for him to rest, that he would join him soon. He frowned at the thought that he could not quite keep his word. All the same, he closed his eyes, and waited for the next day to come.

-

Roger had still not slept when the wolf finally stirred in the morning. His eyes burned a little and his back hurt from lying down without being rested, but at least his headache had dissipated. It felt as if there were a residual pain, but it was a small, manageable ache.

The fox could hear the wolf's tail thumping against the bed. It warmed him a little to hear it, and truly he was glad for it.

He opened one eye to look at him, and sure enough, there sat his friend. He let out a deep breath and closed his eyes again. He rolled over a few times until he could find a comfortable position.

He felt a paw on his back. Back and forth it went. It was relaxing, he thought to himself. He slowly grew drowsy. The dull ache in his back was fading, and his headache had gone. Just a nap, he told himself.

-

The fox woke with a groan. He looked around his room for the wolf and found him sitting at his computer, headphones on, staring at the screen. The room itself was dark, as was outside. How long had he been asleep?

He checked the time and determined that he had been asleep all day. He yawned and got out of bed, still aching. It felt to him as if it were a sickness.

The wolf noticed that he woke up, clicked on something, and took off the headphones. With a wag of his tail he was next to him, arms around him, and filling his ears with kind words.

Roger smiled, but as he attempted to speak again, out came a yawn. Instead of a reply, he commented, "I don't know why I'm so tired. I'm sorry, Hunter."

Hunter shrugged. "It's okay," he replied.

"What were you doing while I was asleep?" the fox asked.

"I sat around for a little, practiced, and took a shower. Then I got kind of bored so I found a movie and started watching it." He thought for a moment, then folded his ears and said, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have touched your stuff without asking you."

Roger shook his head. "No, it's fine. It's not like I have anything to hide from you anyway. I'm sorry I wasn't awake to keep you company."

The wolf gave him a soft smile and a lick on the face. Roger stretched and stood up, awkwardly heading toward the restroom. His legs still felt like jelly, but aside from just his legs, the rest of his body was also very fatigued.

The headache he had previously had was gone for the most part, though there was a soft pulsing in his head that matched his heartbeat. He utilized the bathroom and cleaned himself up as best he could.

He looked at himself in the mirror, and back at him stared a groggy and pained fox. There were bags under his eyes, of which were half closed and weary. Something seemed off about his appearance, but he paid it no mind. It seemed he was just disheveled.

He came back and finished watching the movie that the wolf had started. At least, he said he had started watching it, but it was already halfway through.

It was a fighting-robot movie, mostly action than story, with moderate production value. The actors were a bunch of no-named individuals that made an appearance for a few minutes before the computer generated images took over.

Still, the wolf seemed entranced by it. Every motion and explosion grabbed his attention, and for the most part, it seemed like Roger could not grab his attention at all during a particularly exciting fight.

It was a short movie, comparatively, especially since he came into it when it was halfway through. The wolf began to pack up his things, and at first Roger wondered why, as he had gotten so used to the wolf just staying over for the night, but remembered that there was school the next day, and the wolf had a game he had to participate in.

With a heavy heart he said his farewell, but part of him felt a slight bit relieved, since he would not have to sit around being in pain and worrying the wolf.

He retreated to his room and sat there, staring at the computer screen. He knew that if he tried to sleep, he would not be able to do so, so he figured that he could waste some time in front of the computer while he let his body rest.

He saw his friend, Greg, online. He had not messaged him in some time, but decided that he might as well, if to just chat freely on unimportant matters.

Their greetings were short since they had done them so many times, and introductions were skipped. Roger informed the lion of all of the things that had been happening, leaving out the more intimate details, however. He mentioned that he had gained a headache over the past while, and it had not gone away, so the lion offered some solutions to try.

Most of it was already considered, such as sleeping it off, taking some pain medication, and seeing a medical professional. He remarked that nothing worked, and the lion told him that it was impossible to really tell what the issue was without actually being face to face, so a doctor's visit might be the most beneficial path. Roger considered it.

The fox sighed and laid back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. He closed his eyes and waited. He was tired enough, but at the same time, not quite enough. In silence he struggled.