The Fever Code Novels & Stories

Kenneth felt her neck again and said, “I think so.” “Maybe I just feel warm. Does orgasm cause fever?” Freya asked. “It doesn’t, right?” Kenneth chuckled. He really was smiling often lately, and Freya just couldn’t help but take pleasure in it. He put the thermometer under her arm and responded, “It doesn’t. You probably caught something.” The reading said she had a fever. Kenneth sighed. His face tightened with concern. “I’ll get some medicine. You were sneezing in the car earlier.”

"But that fever… it’s dangerous. We need to know what caused it." I hesitated, remembering the bottle in my purse. Reluctantly, I called him over. "Rowan, there’s something I need to show you…" I said softly. He stopped pacing and took a seat beside me, eyes wary. "What is it?" I pulled the small bottle from my purse, holding it out. "I found this under Liam’s bed, just before we left. It’s called Fervexin." His brow furrowed. "Okay…" "My sister used it as a child," I explained. "If taken in overdose, it can cause high fevers. It was her way of fooling our parents to get out of school."

The nurse blinked, looking at Axel's handsome face and then at the beautiful, intimidating man sitting next to the bed. “The patient has a fever of 108.6 degrees,” she replied. Axel was stunned. “Ah, fever... Wait, what? Fever?” He looked at Edson and then at the nurse. “Are you sure it's just a fever? Not some rare tropical disease? Organ failure?”

She reached out and touched her daughter’s forehead. Warm. The thermometer beeped. 101.2°F Alex’s stomach dropped instantly. Fever. A trigger. She grabbed her phone and called Dr. Park’s after-hours line. He answered on the second ring. “Alex?” “Catherine has a fever,” she said quickly. “One hundred one point two.” He was calm. “Give Tylenol immediately. Repeat every four hours. Keep it below one hundred two if possible.” Alex nodded even though he couldn’t see her.

SARAH: (a⁠pproa​ching, touc​hing Ayan‌a’s forehead) “You feel warm. Le‌t me get th‌e thermometer.” [She return⁠s with the ther⁠mometer, takes AYANA’s t‍e‍mpe​rature. The reading ma⁠kes her⁠ freeze: 38‍.‍4 degr‍ee⁠s Celsius. F⁠ever. Af⁠ter eigh‍teen mo‍nths‌ of​ treatment, they know wh‍at feve​r means—possible infection, or wor‌s‍e. S‍A​RAH and AMON exc‍h​ange glan‌ces, immediate fear and familiarity.] ⁠S‌ARAH: “We need to call Dr. A​siim‍we. Now.”

Really hurts. “You okay?” Damien's hand stays lightly on my shoulder, steadying me. I manage a tiny nod. He doesn't look convinced. Instead, he immediately looks at the doctor. The doctor comes forward and takes my temperature, my heart rate, lights up my eyes, and ultimately puts down his instruments. “Don't worry,” he assures me, “she has something called a psychogenic fever.” Three blank faces confront him. He smiles knowingly. “A fever caused by stress. On occasions where an individual is under prolonged stress or anxiety, the body's response is to increase its temperature through the brain.”

Lila woke up burning. Adia knew the second she touched her forehead. 39.8°C. “Okay, baby. Okay,” Adia whispered, already dialing. “We’re going to the hospital.” Her hands shook as she got Lila’s bag. Thermometer. Medicine. Blanket. She was at the elevator when Kael’s door opened. He was in sweats. Hair a mess. Like he’d been awake. “What’s wrong?” he said. One look at Lila and his face went white. “Fever,” Adia said. “High. I’m taking her to ER.”

He crossed his arms, leaning against the frame. "You're dying?" Elion asked. "System failure," Cale reported, his voice thick and congested. "Respiratory blockage. Thermal regulation offline. The heat... it is escaping." "You have a fever?" "I am burning. And freezing. Simultaneously. It is a paradox." Elion walked over. He sat on the edge of the bed. He put his hand on Cale's forehead. "You're warm," Elion admitted. "Low grade fever. Maybe 99.5."

“Thanks. If you can, Beta could use some seltzer water or something.” He disappeared up the stairs, and I groaned. Flopping my head over as I leaned over the bar, the miracle drink was already wearing off. The pain was coming back, and all I wanted to do was curl up in a ball under the covers. “You okay? You aren’t looking so hot.” “I feel like absolute shit.” Finn put his hand on my forehead and I looked up at him. “You are running a bit of a fever. What helps more, hot or cold?”

So I can be here if he wakes up. When he wakes up. Not if. When. The fever is still raging. 105 degrees. Sometimes higher. The doctor keeps saying it should break. That Ocean's body is strong. That he's fighting. But it's been a day and a half and the fever hasn't broken. And I'm terrified. Ocean is pale. So pale. His skin is slick with sweat. He thrashes sometimes, caught in fever dreams, mumbling words I can't understand. Other times he's completely still, so still that I have to watch closely to make sure he's still breathing.