***

(2)

'One at a time.' the healer had said but Hercules, unable to stay away, followed Autolycus
up to Iolaus room. No one was going to stop him. He needed to look in on his friend, even if
it was just for a moment, to make sure he was resting comfortably.

For a split second Hercules felt panic.

When Autolycus gently swung the sickroom door open they saw a visibly distressed Gabrielle.
She was seated beside the pale, still form of Hercules' partner and she was weeping. The
young woman looked as if her heart was broken and the only thing the demigod could think of
was: 'He's died.'

Gabrielle quickly apologized for scaring the men. 'It's the strain." she had said weakly,
appearing miserable. She then acknowledged Autolycus - who eyed her with an iota of doubt
(knowing her strong nature) - and excused herself, lifting a handkerchief to her streaming
eyes. Gabrielle left Autolycus and Hercules to stand over the bed, gazing down at Iolaus
with two pairs of concerned eyes.

His clothes had been removed and Iolaus was covered to his shoulders with a warm blanket. It
did not hide the gauze which wrapped his chest and neck and Hercules gulped at the sight of
his usually energetic friend, motionless and silent. Vulnerable. He was so still and pale,
breathing lightly, and dark circles were beginning to develop under his closed eyes. The
last time he'd seen him so still was when Dahak ....

"He doesn't look too bad." Autolycus spoke with a deceptive candor, interrupting Hercules
thoughts. "Maybe Nursus doesn't know what he's talking about."

It was a feeble attempt at reassurance and Hercules appreciated the effort. Gently, he
clapped Autolycus on the shoulder then - still staring at his best friend - backed slowly
out of the room, closing the door.

With a sigh, Autolycus spotted the chair Gabrielle had been sitting in and plopped himself
down, stretching his long legs out before him. He then took a good long look at Iolaus and
grimaced, "Goldielocks, you really did it this time." he murmured, "I'm always telling you
and Hercules that this hero business is going to end up being the death of you ..."
Autolycus cut himself off, and gulped a little, not at all happy with what he had just
declared - "Aw, what am I saying? *You* die? It's been tried before by gods and man and
neither couldn't keep you down. As nauseatingly sentimental as it sounds, Iolaus, you and
Hercola are meant to travel that long and winding road of righteousness together forever."

Autolycus then shifted his gaze from Iolaus to the closed door. He almost chuckled at an odd
thought. He could probably saunter on up to Hercules now, tell him he was going to clean out
the cash-safe belonging to the tavern, sneak out, make tracks south ... and Hercules
wouldn't have heard a word he had told him. Or, if he did, he wouldn't care. The
contemplative smiled faded. Funny thing was, The King of Thieves had no real desire to do
anything of the kind. "Poor excuse for a second-story man you are." he chided himself softly
and shifted his attention again to Iolaus as he slept. "You know," Autolycus spoke a little
louder, addressing the sleeper directly - "you're not fooling anyone. We know you're only
doing this to stay out of any *real* work around here, Curly. You watch, when this is all
done and there's only fun to be had, you'll be up and bouncing around like your old self."

If Iolaus were awake and well this line would have certainly elicited a reaction. He would
be telling Autolycus to mind his own business or that he was delusional or some other
wisecrack.

But this time there was nothing and The King of Thieves suddenly felt very doleful, rubbing
a restless hand against his green tunic. "Hey, Iolaus." he spoke softly and seriously, "Get
better. Some of us need an example to live by and you're it, my man."

****

Alexia came in through the front tavern doors at dusk and looked about, hoping what she had
heard was only a story made up by her younger sister in a moment of heated anger. Where was
he? She longed to run her fingers through that golden hair and have him take her in his
arms. It was the least she deserved after working in her father's tedious baked goods store
all day. She wanted a little fun, play time at the festival now that it was finally
beginning to pick up steam. Alexia wanted a man to fawn over her with sweet words and his
undivided attention. She wanted to be giddy and naughty. She had hand-selected Iolaus as her
"toy" for the next few days. So, where was he?

Many sets of eyes, mostly male, lingered on Alexia. For she was, indeed, very beautiful
woman. Her dress, colorful and made specifically for the festival, clung in all the right
places. The neckline dipped just low enough to tease but not reveal the wonders the bodice
hid underneath. Her hair was bright and bouncing; more than alluring.

Gabrielle also caught sight of Alexia and sighed. She wanted to see Iolaus and maybe she
should. Her presence might prod the sleeping man and remind him of what he'd be missing.
Nursus was afraid Iolaus was slipping into a coma but he seemed encouraged when Gabrielle,
making a report, told him that she heard Iolaus talking in his sleep. She was about to get
up and make a suggestion when the attractive woman crossed to where she saw Hercules and
slipped into a chair next to him. The bard watched and listened.

With a deep felt compassion, mindful of Alexia's distress, Hercules took one of her hands
and nodded, "I'm sorry. It's true, Alexia. He's been badly hurt. We can only wait now. When
the healers get here they'll take care of him." Hercules tried hard to sound sincere
although he was beginning to have a few doubts himself. No, his heart insisted, Iolaus will
be fine. Just fine. "I'm sure Iolaus will be really happy to know you came to see him."

She stared at Hercules for a long moment, her expression slightly chaffed. "So ... this
means he'll be out for the *entire* festival?" she asked.

A little startled by her curt question and the nearly heartless way in which she presented
it, Hercules said: "Well yeah, he's in a bad way. He'll recover, I'm sure, but until he
heals ... It will take sometime."

Disappointed, Alexia pulled her hand from Hercules and leaned back in her chair. She folded
her arms impatiently under her breasts. "Wonderful. This had to happen *now*." she huffed,
"What was he thinking, throwing himself in front of that ice block like that?"

Hercules mouth clamped shut and, attempting control, he bit the inside of his lip, "Iolaus
was saving lives. It's what he does." he explained, keeping his tone even.

Gabrielle, who had been listening from her table, fought back a sob. If it hadn't been for
she and Joxer being in the way ....

Alexia looked at Hercules and nodded, softening. "I can hardly blame him for that." she
smiled mildly. "His heroism is one of the things that attracted me to him." she looked down,
almost shyly, to her hands as they rested on the wooden table top.

Hercules reconsidered his judgment of Alexia. People grieve differently, he considered. She
was upset, of course. Probably angry and not acting as she might normally. Then, he thought
of something that might help both Alexia *and* Iolaus. "We're not suppose to have more than
one person at a time visit Iolaus but maybe we can make an exception for you. If you wait a
minute I can ..."

"No, no. That won't be necessary." she stood, with a heavy exhale. "There's still time to
salvage this festival and I'll just have to go out and find someone to spend it with." Her
gaze rested on Hercules for a moment but she knew better than to consider him a prospect. It
was a shame, really. "But give me a call if Iolaus wakes up. I'll stop by to wish him well."

Thunderstruck, Hercules stared up at Alexia, "You don't *want* to see him?"

"Like I said, later. I can stop in for a few minutes ... when he's awake." she repeated,
apparently not realizing how cold the statement sounded.

Gabrielle couldn't hold her tongue, "Alexia, Iolaus may *not* wake up." she called over and
watched as the woman and Hercules looked at her. She really shouldn't have said anything.
None of this, their conversation, was her business. Yet, Alexia had to know and Hercules
appeared unwilling to accept the possible scenario himself. "Iolaus ... Iolaus called for
*you* while I was with him." Gabrielle admitted, "He really cares for you."

"He's a darling." she said indulgently and simpered a bit too sweetly. "What happened to him
is such a sad thing but ... I've *really* got to go." She then turned on her sandeled feet
and walked to the exit. Alexia hesitated a moment, "Hercules," she smiled that smile that
made men swoon, "I hope Iolaus gets better. Honestly, I do." then she was gone.

Hercules, mouth opened to say something but words failed him. He could only stare at the
closed tavern door. Iolaus really knew how to pick them, he thought angrily. Feeling the
need to hide the emotion boiling up with in him, he momentarily covered his eyes with a hand
then said - to no one really - that he needed to speak with the tavern keeper. He walked
from the sitting area to disappear behind closed doors.

Gabrielle, furious and not as easily distracted, stood from her chair and followed Alexia
outside of the tavern. The noise of the festival, loud music and booth owners wailing,
trying to sell their wares, was bothersome but Alexia hadn't gone far. Gabrielle caught the
startled woman by the arm, just beside a fortune telling tent. The two women stared at one
another for a moment. "Don't you understand? Iolaus ... He could die! Doesn't that mean
anything to you?" Gabrielle exploded, unable to hold her tongue.

"Of course it does!" the girl insisted wrenching free of the Amazon bard's grip, "Iolaus is
a nice enough guy, good looking and brave, and if he were well I'd be spending *all* of my
time with him during the festival. But, I mean ..." her eyes shifted in their sockets as she
struggled to make what she considered a rather impertinent and dangerous looking female
warrior, see sense - "I'm young and alive ... and there are a lot of guys out there that
also want my company. I know if Iolaus were awake and able to tell me himself, he'd say I
should go have a good time. He wouldn't want me sitting around, missing the entire festival,
just because he couldn't participate." She met Gabrielle's eyes. "Would he?"

Gabrielle couldn't say anything for a few seconds, too overcome with the selfishness she'd
just heard from this female, "You're right. Iolaus would want you to go on and have a good
time. But if you *care* for him, if you love him at all, you won't stay away from him at a
time like this. Alexia, you should be insisting to be by his bedside, holding his hand,
telling him that only he and his recovery matter. You and your words could be the very thing
that brings him back to us." Then Gabrielle cried, "He's dying, Alexia! What is the matter
with you!?"

"Nothing is the matter with me." she spoke slowly, calmly and resolutely. Alexia smiled,
suddenly knowing something personal about Gabrielle. "You stated the facts yourself. Whether
I am with him or not, the outcome will be the same and at least one of us, by staying away,
will be spared the heartache of watching the other dissolve away into nothing." Then the
woman added, "Too bad Iolaus didn't fall in love with *you*, hunh? You seem to like sticking
around, watching men you care about suffer and die." She then pivoted with a mock
straightening of her shoulders, and walked, melting into the crowd of festival goers --
leaving Gabrielle standing, silently appalled ... and shattered.

****

Salmoneus couldn't stop talking.

" ... and you'd like it, Iolaus, because you can be tall or short. It doesn't matter. You
see, the guy at *home* holds a long piece of wood and someone else throws a medium sized,
rounded stone at him. He tries to hit the stone with the wood. If he makes contact he runs
to a bag that's - oh - about ninety feet away from where he's standing. But if someone
catches the stone that's been hit before it falls to the ground then he's not allowed to run
anymore. He can't make any points for his team." Salmoneus spoke as clearly as he could to
the blanketed form, "I know what you're thinking. It's too complicated. But it's really not.
It's simple and it doesn't cost much to put together. People will want to pay to see this.
But now, where the *real* profit is ... "

Excessive talking. It was a nervous habit picked up during the days when he was a young
entrepreneur, eking out a living in the big city of Athens as a wholesale paving stone
salesmen. It was funny, what all the fast speaking a guys had to do when faced with a
handful of prospective clients that wanted nothing more than see the back of a salesman's
head.

Salmoneus always new he was meant for better things. He had ideas, lots of them. But no one
seemed to appreciate his candor and forethought. But that was okay. One day he'd show them.
He'd make his fortune and leave the rest of Greece in awe of his remarkable business skills.

With a sigh, Salmoneus turned from the small window he was looking out of. The last thing he
needed to see was all those happy people out there, having fun and spending their money on
non essentials when he could use their denars to a better advantage.

He looked down at Iolaus and his brow furrowed with concern. 'Blondie, you're just too
quiet. It's errie." he said, "I need you to talk to me, tell me what you think of my latest
enterprise. You're an athlete of sorts. I can see you out there, swinging away, trying to
connect with that stone." Salmoneus paused and decided to put these thought on a back-
burner. Maybe they could talk about it another day. Right now, he needed to say something
that might get a reaction out of Iolaus. *What* would make Iolaus stand up and listen? "You
know ... women love a man in uniform -- and with my game all the players will be wearing
uniforms."

Nothing.

With another sigh, Salmoneus sat heavily in the chair next to the sleeping man's bed. He
folded his own hands in front of him and stared down at Iolaus and began to ponder their
past together. Really, he didn't know Iolaus as well as Hercules but he always admired him
... "You remember a few years back, when you helped me escape Kamaros and his lost city? I
never really told you this, Iolaus, but when it was all done and you had saved all those
young people, me included, I really was impressed." Salmoneus spoke softly, from the heart.
If he were listening to himself he might have been surprised by the emotion registering in
his voice - "I know it must be tough for you, walking around with Hercules. He always gets
the credit and no matter what you do, you're always 'the friend to the hero'. Well, I want
you to know that you were my hero that day. You were smart and strong ... I'm not sure even
Hercules could have got through that one." Salmoneus rolled his eyes, "Of course he *would*,
what am I thinking? But what I'm trying to say is that you are Hercules equal in every way
and - maybe because you're not a halfgod - you're even more encouraging to those of us who
would like to be more like you." Salmoneus lifted a hand to wipe away a small tear that had
somehow managed to roll down his left cheek, "Thank you for being my friend, Iolaus." he
concluded.

Iolaus chest heaved a little harder and Salmoneus smiled.

Maybe the golden boy could hear what his friends were saying after all.

****

Nursus used a cup-like device, narrowed at one end, and placed it carefully over his heart.
He listened, demanding silence from both Hercules and King Iphicles as they studied the
healer's ministrations. "It's beating steadily," he told them, and lifted one of Iolaus
eyelids to get a better look at his pupils, "but he's not out of danger." He then pulled the
coverlet down further and pressed gently on the man's gauze wrapped chest. With a
scrutinizing eye, Nursus examined Iolaus stomach, still swollen from injury with several
black and blue blotches running from his ribcage down to his navel, "Possible infection
..." he mumble more to himself then the two men.

Iolaus seemed to be breathing deeper, which was encouraging to those who didn't know better.
In reality his labored breaths could mean it was becoming more difficult for him to take in
oxygen. Not a good sign. Yet, the more experienced healers - those who were taught medicine
in the big city - would know better than he, a mere country healer.

"No word at all from the Argonauts?" Nurses asked.

"No." Hercules replied.

Nursus stood to his full height and, glancing a final time at his patient, looked steadily
at the two men. "King Iphicles, stay here with him. I'll have Joxer spell you in a couple of
hours."

"Of course." Iphicles nodded dutifully, watching the healer and Hercules walk from the room.
It was pretty obvious he wanted to speak with the demigod in private, as he might a family
member.

The door shut with a moderate click, leaving the sickroom in semi darkness.

Iphicles lit the lamp opposite of the bed. Twilight was falling on Anarticus and the sounds
of the festival outside were growing a bit more boisterous, despite the drop in temperature.
How men liked to revel, he thought, and leaned over to pull the blanket up to Iolaus chin.
"Just think, Iolaus, all of those friends who are seated gloomily down stairs, awaiting word
on you, would normally be amongst the revelers tonight if it wasn't for your heroics."
Iphicles had meant the thought to be humorous and sentimental but, somehow, it came out
sounding slightly bitter.

He shook it off and attempted to think only good thoughts.

*Iolaus, friend to Iphicles* the king nearly chuckled. Then, a bit more seriously, he
considered another: *Iolaus, brother to Hercules*.

A twinge of regret pierced Iphicles heart and he exhaled. "I was always jealous of you,
Iolaus." Iphicles softly whispered, with both resentment and admiration. "You have something
with my brother that I never had and never will have. When I left he and Mother, I never
stopped to think of what I was sacrificing. My only thoughts were of all the incredible
things Hercules could do -- and how I paled by comparison. I know you must feel the same way
at times but the difference between us is that you have always had an inner strength.
Character enough to accept Hercules greatness. You stayed around. You were true to him ...
and he loves you for it."

Iphicles cleared his throat and looked away, to the darkness in the corner of the room.

"And to think, if I had been a better brother, not so selfish, I could have been you. I
could have been his companion, the man he travels with, experiencing adventure after amazing
adventure ..." Iphicles sat in the wooden chair and leaned his head back to touch the wall
behind him, "But I'm glad Hercules has someone like you to call his friend. He has so few
friends. I know how contradictory that sounds but it's really true. People admire him and
call him their friend but the moment something goes wrong, if he doesn't live up to their
expectations, they aren't there for him. Not like you. You understand his loneliness,
Iolaus. The fact Hercules is the son Zeus, by its very nature, has turned him into someone
untouchable for most. But never you."

It took Iphicles nearly all his life to come to this level of comprehension. Now that he had
it was he who felt lonely. Rena, his much beloved wife, had been his sole comfort for so
long and now that she was gone he was on his own again. He and his two sons. Boys that would
grow into great men some day ... Princes who would know what it really meant to be brothers,
he promised Rena and himself.

Iphicles raised his head from the wall and ducked it, leaning in a little closer to Iolaus.
He murmured, "Thank you for being Hercules one true brother. He deserves you. Maybe one of
these days I'll not just deserve him ... but you too."

((continue))

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