******

(3)

"We're still looking for Xena and the two healers," Phoebe announced to the on-lookers in
the tavern, "But at least we found Jason." She stood beside the older man and rubbed his
blanketed shoulders, to better his circulation, as Jason sat beside the hearth.

The snow melted from his clothes, leaving puddles of murky water on stone tiles, but he
was obviously very grateful to be where he was. Warming and away from the blizzard. Jason
croaked, "Xena was with me and two other men ..." but his voice gave out before he could
give them any further information.

Joxer came forward, bowing slightly as was due to former royalty, and passed Jason a mug
of warmed cider. "Xena will be all right." he said turning, bumping Jason's cider mug and
causing a few drops to slap the one time king on his wind chapped face. An unaware Joxer
looked in Gabrielle's direction, noting her worry, "If there's anyone who can make it
through below freezing temperatures without catching so much as a cold, it's Xena."

"Yeah, but what about the healers." Autolycus said, "I hate to say this but they're pretty
well the only chance Iolaus has got if he's going to survive. Without them, he might as
well just curl up and ...."

"Hercules!" Salmoneus interjected quickly, watching the demigod and Nursus slowly walk up
behind The King of Thieves, "How's Iolaus?"

Autolycus shuffled a little shamefaced out of the way and stood next to Gabrielle.

"Not good." Hercules spoke in a steady monotone, "Autolycus is right. Nursus is doing his
best but without more help ... Iolaus is going to die. It's a miracle he's held on for as
long as he has." Hercules looked over to where the half frozen Jason was sitting next to
the hearth and acknowledged him before continuing, "I've got to go find them myself before
it's too late."

"I think Iolaus needs you *here*, Hercules." Gabrielle said.

"To what? Hold his hand and say goodbye before he dies?" Hercules hadn't meant to be short
with the bard but he couldn't help himself.

Briefly, Gabrielle was reminded of something Alexia had said and she shuddered.

Hercules jaw shook a little, "I'm sorry, Gabrielle. It's something I have to do."

"Wait until morning." Salmoneus offered, "It's cold and dark out. You'll only get lost."

"And the Argonauts are still searching." Phoebe included, "We found Jason. We'll find the
rest."

Jason met Hercules eyes and nodded. He was too cold to do anything further.

"Maybe," Hercules said, his jaw setting. "But I can't take any chances. I'm going tonight.
Besides," his tone was nearly sarcastic, "I'm the son of Zeus. What can possibly happen to
me?" Determined, he walked to the tavern's exit. He slipped a cloak from one of the rungs
near the door and left his friends inside, on a search for Iolaus' salvation.

*****

"Gabrielle writes about you, you know." Joxer told him. The warrior wanna-be paced the
sickroom, back and forth, as he spoke. He had removed his helmet, placing it on a small
table, and was rubbing his hands back and forth, attempting to warm them. "I've read a lot
of her scrolls. There aren't many people she allows to do that, just *read* her scrolls.
But I'm one of them. She thinks the world of me, I don't mind saying. You know how it is,
heroes and their women."

Iolaus didn't make a move as he lay in the bed. However, beads of perspiration began to
drip down his forehead and cheeks.

"But like I said, she writes about you and Hercules and Xena. All the heroes she knows
about. The best scroll is that one about Prometheus, I think. Thing was, I remember when
all that happened. I wasn't with Xena and Gabrielle back then. I was in Athens, laying
back in a tavern - telling all the eager to know young soldiers my tales of heroism - when
suddenly all the lanterns became unlightable and folks started to get sick, really sick. I
don't think any of us really knew what was happening. Someone mentioned "plague" and that
cleared the place out quick enough, I tell you, but ..."

With a sigh of reflection, Joxer stopped pacing and shifted thoughts. Never one to stay
centered for too long, it was easy for him to switch subject matter without notice.

"I've got to be honest with you, Iolaus. I always hoped I could have the type of
relationship with Gabrielle that she wants to have with you." he said with a sigh, "But
she just doesn't think of me as her type. I try, I really do. But I always seem to mess
everything up." Despondent, Joxer slid over and sat in the well used chair, "I'm not a
sidekick or a partner or anything like that. I'm a warrior!" Then he sighed, "Really, I
don't know what I am." he confessed, "But, just between you and me, I wish I was *you*."
He reached a hand out and, with respect, touched Iolaus gently on the forehead.

He was suddenly startled. No one told him Iolaus had started a fever.

Or maybe no one knew.

Iolaus' eyes unexpectedly opened and he began to breath heavily, almost as if he couldn't
breath at all. He looked at Joxer and frantically grabbed him by the collar, "Hercules!"
he croaked.

Alarmed, Joxer pushed back and stood quickly to his full height. He then ran to the door
and called for help.

*****

Autolycus held his legs as Iphicles tied them down.

Gabrielle, Phoebe and Joxer worked on Iolaus upper body and arms.

"Be careful. Don't aggravate his wounds." Nurses called, supervising.

He was thrashing about now, delirious and convulsing.

"Where is Hercules?!" Iolaus shouted, sounding enraged. His wounded throat made the voice
they heard not his own but some mockery of what Iolaus should sound like.

"He'll be back soon!" Salmoneus exclaimed from beside Nursus. He and the healer had
brought up cool cloths to place on the hunter's head and shoulders.

"Iolaus, please stop moving!" Gabrielle commanded, knowing all this was beyond Iolaus
control but attempting to make him see reason nevertheless. His neck wound was being torn
open again by his agitated movements and he was bleeding profusely.

When hearing her voice, he did settle, and stared at Gabrielle in awe, as if she were an
angel from The Light. "Alexia ... you shouldn't see me like this." he breathed, unaware
how his words tormented Gabrielle, stabbed at her soul.

The Amazon bard glanced at Nursus who mimed her to humor his patient. This would be more
than hard because every word she said to him was true, but he thought them coming from an
entirely different woman. "How could I stay away from you?" she murmured, "You mean so
much to me ..."

His eyes were wide and wild as they stared at her but his body had calmed, allowing the
others to strap him down firmly, binding his body with leather restraints, to the bed.
"Alexia, bring Hercules to me. I have to tell him something ... before it's too late."

She reached out with gentle fingers and touched his face, tears pouring into her own eyes.
"Don't talk like that. You're going to be fine. And Hercules will be here soon. I
promise."

He turned his head and kissed the palm of her hand, "Thank you ..." His eyes closed once
again and he fell into a troubled sleep.

Her fingers moved upward to touch his damp hair, brushing it gently off of his forehead.
She then stood and made quick for the exit.

Nursus caught her arm, "Where are you going?"

"Where do you think?" she pulled her arm away, sounding as determined as Hercules did when
he departed to find Xena and the healers. "I've got to find Hercules ..." then lower but
with intensity, "Before it's too late!"

No one made a move to stop her.

****

His booted feet crunched into the ice and snow as the freezing wind buffeted against his
skin. "No mortal could survive a night out here alone ..." Hercules determined out loud,
wanting to hear his own voice. It was better than those wolves he could hear howling off
in the distance. "Xena, I hope you had sense enough to stay in the next town or, at least,
hide out in a cave until the worst of the blizzard passed."

A sudden hard blast of snowy wind answered him. It momentarily knocked the breath out of
Hercules and blinded him. He fell into a crouch and covered his face. Then, when the blast
had lessened he made a move to stand again. Hercules felt outward with his hands and
unexpectedly realized that he was kneeling beside a human leg. Hoping beyond all hope, he
brushed the snow from the fur clad limb and moved further up the rest of the body. It was
a man. A man who had frozen to death during the storm on his way to Anarticus, "I'm sorry,
my friend." he told the body, "I hope you didn't leave loved ones behind."

Hercules took the body by the wrist and pant leg and dragged him to the shelter of a
windbreak built into the side of the path and hill he was traveling on. "We'll have to
come back for you when there is time. You'll have a proper burial." he promised.

Then Hercules lifted his head. He heard something. A voice. It came through fairly clear,
carried by the wind. He turned and pulled his cloak tighter against the weather. Maybe he
was just imagining things.

"Heeercuulessss!" it called.

No, that wasn't imagination.

Then he saw it. A tall figure, bundled from head to foot in fur, and the arms were
reaching out to him as it walked and half stumbled down the hill. Finally it fell into his
arms and he pulled the fur hood back ... "Xena!"

"I had two healers with me ..." she gasped, " ... and Jason." she licked her blue lips and
gulped, "One of the healers was badly hurt and died, Jason took off yesterday from the
cave we were taking shelter in and then the other healer ... He just ran away. He was
afraid. I'm trying to find him ..."

Hercules held her up in his arms and turned The Warrior Princess so she could see the body
he had deposited near the bank, "Is that him?"

She nodded her head with regret, "That's him ...." and she collapsed against Hercules,
unconscious.

Hercules pulled her hood up over Xena's head and face and slowly dragged her with him back
to Anarticus - "Then you're it. If you can't help Iolaus, Xena ... He's as good as dead."

And Hercules refused to allow that to happen.

******

It was nearly three am by the time Hercules and Xena made it back to the town tavern. The
festival was in the last stages of winding down for the night. The street booths were
closed, had been for a couple of hours, and all that remained were a few die-hards dancing
in the street to a lone lute player, mostly inebriated and not willing to give up their
fun for the headache they would surely experience when the sun arose.

Hercules, his arms still around a very lax and somewhat incoherent Xena, pushed in the
wooden tavern door and was greeted by a much improved Jason. He helped his friend bring
the woman over to the hearth. They sat her in the chair Jason had been warming and the
former King of Corinth crouched directly in front of The Warrior Princess. He rubbed her
arms and hands, attempting to heat her the best way he reasonably could.

Methodically, Hercules shrugged off his own sopping cloak then pulled Xena's from her
shoulders, tossing them on a table. He looked about for something they could use for
warmth, for both were still half frozen, and found a couple of blankets in the corner of
the tavern. Apparently the owner expected their return and had been prepared. Hercules
draped one over himself then did the same with Xena who looked up at him with appreciative
eyes.

She had been wandering around for far too long before Hercules found her. Xena realized
that now. At the time it didn't seem so bad - the snow falling and the wind whipping about
in a frenzy - but later, when her legs began to go numb and her vision - usually unfailing
- began to blur, playing tricks on her, Xena understood and damned her own foolishness.
Running after that frightened healer might have been the heroic thing to do but common
sense should have told her he was a goner from the moment he made his choice.

Salmoneus, who had only an hour before been relieved from his turn at watching over
Iolaus, came from the kitchen with a mug of hot herbal tea and gave it to Xena as the
woman weakly but eagerly brought up her hands to take the beverage from him. Then he
looked at Hercules, "Thank the gods you found Xena and Gabrielle found you. Iolaus was
conscious shortly after you left, Hercules. He was delirious and convulsing. We had to
strap him to the bed and ... he called for you. But I'm sure Gabrielle has already told
you this ..."

"Gabrielle?" Xena spoke for the first time. Her tone was hoarse but lucid. "We never saw
Gabrielle. Where is she?"

Salmoneus eyes widened - "You never ...? Then, she must still be out there ..." He looked
to the tavern door, a pained expression evident. "And I've heard travelers say another
blizzard is headed in this direction."

Xena tried to stand.

"No," Jason pulled her back down into her chair, "You can't, Xena."

Angry, Hercules clenched his teeth. "What was she thinking?"

"Probably the same thing you were when you left." Jason said, his tone sharp. In his book,
unerring in his goal or not, Hercules shouldn't have left Iolaus. There were others out
there trying to find the healers and Xena. He should have left them to it. To the warrior
woman he said: "Don't worry about Gabrielle. The Argonauts came back around midnight,
warmed up a bit and took off again. Phoebe went with them and she has the eyes of an
eagle. They'll find her."

A touch of guilt registered on Hercules face, "I'm going up to see Iolaus." he said and
pulled the blanket from around his shoulders and laid it over Xena.

She watched him move to the staircase, "Let me thaw out a bit and I'll be up, Hercules."
Xena watched him walk silently the rest of the way up the stairs, not acknowledging her
words. "I promise to do my best." she finished with a hesitant murmured, suddenly unsure
of her own abilities.

"It's all any of us can do." Jason told her with a supportive smile.

Xena thought about Gabrielle out there in the cold and looked at the tavern's exit. This
was going to be a long night for all of them.

*****

He tapped lightly on the door before gently swinging it open.

The flame flickered in the lamp opposite the two figures nearest the window.

Autolycus, who had been stretched out in the chair beside the bed - dozing lightly -
immediately awakened and stood quickly to his feet. He knew he'd been caught but
interjected an old stand-by, "Just resting my eyes." But didn't have to fear the demigod's
anger. He watched as Hercules, of one mind set, cross to the bed and lean over Iolaus. He
touched his cheek with the back of his fingers, pulling a cool cloth from Iolaus forehead.
"He has a fever." Autolycus stated. "and we had to tie ..."

"I know." Hercules said and straightened, "Xena's here and when she's able to get on her
feet she'll come up and look him over. Next to Nursus she's the best we got. But it will
be all right. Between the two of them they can operate and save his life."

Autolycus looked doubtful but kept his thoughts to himself, "What about the two other
healers?"

"Dead."

The King of Thieves struggled a moment to say something encouraging but what he came out
with was meager at best, "He wakes up occasionally, asking about you, wanting to know when
you're coming to see him ..." An edge had unintentionally entered into Autolycus tone.
'Gabrielle was right. You shouldn't have left him, Hercules.' he thought but, again,
didn't say what was on his mind. Hercules felt bad enough and there was no way of denying
what was happening. Iolaus was shutting down. He was dying. If Hercules had been there
when his friend had first awakened it might have made a difference. 'On the other hand,
maybe not." Autolycus played Hades' advocate, wanting to give Hercules the benefit of a
doubt. Iolaus didn't even recognize Gabrielle when she spoke with him so he might not have
recognized Hercules either, Autolycus reasoned.

"Autolycus, why don't you get some sleep." Hercules suggested, "You look all in and I'll
stay with Iolaus for the rest of the night. It's my turn and I want to be here if he wakes
again."

Autolycus wasn't going to argue with him. With a sympathetic nod he said, "Gabrielle's
turn is after you. I imagine she went straight to bed the minute you two brought Xena in.
She ..."

"She's not back. We came in on our own ... but the Argonauts are looking for her ... us."
It was too complicated to go into and Hercules wasn't in the mood.

"I hope they find her before morning or there will be nothing left but a bardsicle."

The comment stabbed at Hercules but he said nothing, just listened to the door close
behind him.

Less than ten minutes later Iolaus began to breath deeply and his eyes flickered open.

Hercules saw the movement and, sitting in the chair, he bent forward and took his friend's
restrained hand, 'Hey, you." he said, meeting Iolaus blue eyes.

"Hercules ..." Iolaus whispered with a trace of a smile, his voice sounding deep and
strained - "I was beginning to wonder ..."

"What?"

Iolaus half closed his eyes and shook his head, "Nothing."

"Xena's here and she and Nursus the healer are going to pool their talents and make you
healthy." Hercules encouraged, but his tone betrayed him. It did not sound hopeful. It was
desperate.

Iolaus nodded to indulge. "I need to tell you something." his hand squeezed Hercules a bit
more firmly, "If something happens ..." He interrupted before Hercules could voice an
objection, "*Just in case* something happens I don't want you to feel like you did in
Sumeria."

Hercules had told him part of the story, how he wandered about - feeling lost and alone -
blaming himself for his best friend's death. What Hercules didn't tell Iolaus was filled
in by others over the months. When they had returned to Sumeria, to notify Queen Nebula of
his return, she told Iolaus how the demigod nearly went to pieces. Morrgan, when they made
a trip to Eire, had confirmed a few things Iolaus suspected then Jason, once they returned
to Greece, informed him of Hercules nearly manic devotion to the monument he had stone-
carved to honor his slain companion.

Later, Hercules had calmed and went on with life but those first few months, excluding
Dahak, were something out of a nightmare.

Iolaus didn't want that sort of thing to ever happen again. The world needed Hercules too
much for him to be steeped in such self doubt and depression.

"You're going to be fine, Iolaus. I know ..." Hercules began.

"No, I'm not." The statement was said quickly and easily from the one who knew himself
best. He took a breath, beads of perspiration pouring from his pale forehead and cheeks -
"I'm not in a hurry to die but I know this has gone too far, Herc. I can feel my insides
being eaten up and poisoned." Iolaus licked his dry lips and continued, "But when I die I
want you to promise me that you will go on as you did before. Go find someone like me to
assist you, if you must, but go on."

"Iolaus there is no one like you." Hercules insisted, feeling tears invade his eyes, "And
you're not going to ..."

"My sword ..." Iolaus breaths became even more labored, "I want you to take my sword and
give it to Jason. I'd give it to *you* but I know you'll never use it. But the one thing I
*can* give to you, and I know you'll use it wisely, is ..."

"Stop it, Iolaus."

"... my house and land. It's still there although in bad condition. I'm never home to tend
it. Sell it and use the money on your journeys. Give it to people who need it. I should
have did that long ago but I always thought one day - maybe - I would settle down and have
that family ... But it's not going to happen now. I know it."

"Iolaus ..." The tears now ran freely down Hercules cheeks.

"Don't feel badly my friend, please." Iolaus tone had lowered to a murmur and his eyes
closed, "I'm so glad I had the chance this time to tell you what I wasn't able to say in
Sumeria ..."

There was a pause.

Immobile with grief, fearing what he knew to be true, Hercules continued to hold Iolaus
hand and stared at him.

"Hercules ..." The eyes opened once more and his head turned to look directly at his
friend, " ... you're my brother and my savior and ... I love you."

Then he was still. The hand lay lax. The eyes open and unseeing.

No.

Wait.

No.

They were going to continue with their adventures and Iolaus was going to live on and have
that family he always wanted ...

Hercules slipped to his knees onto the floor, his head pushed forward and buried itself
into the mattress and blanket on the bed - "No, no, noooo." he keened, still holding onto
Iolaus hand. Then, with a shout that could not possibly come from a mortal man, Hercules
threw his head back and cried - "NOOOOOOOO!" to the top of his lungs.

With a mad fury, he ripped the leather restraints from Iolaus arms and legs. He lifted the
smaller body and began to shake him desperately, "You will not do this! Do you
understand?! I won't let you!"

Jason, Autolycus and others ran to the sickroom and threw themselves onto Hercules,
pulling him back from Iolaus as Xena moved forward to examine the body, kneeling beside
the bed, checking vital signs ...

She then turned to the anxiously watching group of men, arms and hands all around and
clutching the demigod, holding his still and she bowed her head slightly, "I ... I
...There's nothing I can do. He's gone, Hercules. I'm so sorry ...."

((continue))