The water was hot enough when he returned to Mi'tril's room. Not overly hot, since the cold of the outside had done a great job at cooling it down, but it was what Navik could get on the conditions, and it would have to be enough. This time, the boy looked up, his small face pained.
"It still hurts. And I'm bored."
"I know." the boy huffed at him, causing another coughing fit, but Navik ignored it. He focused on pouring part of the water on the bowl and adding the dried thyme to the rest of the liquid in the jar. He had never been good with keeping time in his head, but he supposed he just shouldn't let the leaves there for too long. To the bowl, he added three drops of the oil, trying to remember the exact instructions Mish'oa had given him.
"What's this for?"
"To help you breath." Navik took the bowl and a towel as careful as he could. The water wasn't hot enough to do any real damage anymore, but it still could burn the kid. "I need you to sit straight now, and try not to move." when Mi'tril did as he was told, he placed the bowl over the boy's leg, keeping it still with one hand as he unfolded the towel and placed it over the other's head. "Lean down a little, so you can breath the steam."
"Why?"
"It'll help you breath." Navik repeated. "It'll clear your nose and help with your coughing as well." well, at least that was what he thought. Mish'oa hadn't been very specific about that. "Be careful, though. If it gets too hot, it can burn you."
Mi'tril looked at him with a frightened expression, but leaned down after a moment. Navik adjusted the towel around his head, to keep the steam in, and began counting in his head, the best he could. It had passed perhaps a little more than half the time, though, when the boy moaned.
"I can't breath..."
Navik took off the towel, put the bowl on the floor, and placed both hands on the small face, making the other look at him.
"Calm down, it's alright. Breath through your mouth now, alright? It'll get better real soon." Mi'tril nodded, and Navik waited as he breathed in and out, over and over again, before finally shaking his hands off his face again.
"I don't want to do this anymore." he pouted.
"Well, you'll have to, if you want to get better. But not today, will that be alright?" although the pout never went away, the boy nodded, and Navik actually chuckled a bit, amused. "You'll just drink some tea and then the pain will go away and you will sleep." at that, his eyes brightened, and Navik's smile softened, as he ran his fingers through the boy's hair. Amazingly, he allowed him to do so.
After a while, with the boy strangely calm, Navik sighed and fetched the cup of Moukou extract, giving it to Mi'tril.
"It's sweet." the kid licked his lips after tasting it, and gulped down the rest. "I want more."
"Tomorrow. And no pouting." at that, the third pout of the day turned into a smile, and Navik smiled back, feeling like he had accomplished something more than simply try to give the boy some treatment. He decided not to dwell to much on this thought, as it would lead him nowhere right then, and went back to the table for the third and final part. Wetting the second towel on the liquid inside the jar, which had cooled enough not to bother him anymore, he raised the boy's blanket and shirt for a moment, placing it over his lungs, before putting everything back in place.
"I don't want to be alone." Mi'tril whispered.
Navik sighed, sitting down in the floor, back resting against the bed. There was only silence for a moment, before he felt something rest on the feathers of his wings. He fought the urge to move away, to slap the hand away, much like the other had done earlier.
"They are the same colour as the eggs." Mi'tril whispered. Navik didn't answer. "I like them. They're soft."
His eyes closed, a mixture of feelings he couldn't quite describe inside him. Navik remained still, waiting, until the other's breath finally levelled as he fell asleep. Even then, though, he was sure he could feel the heat of a tiny hand against his wings.
He could stay for a little longer.
