Iolaus and Hercules spent an enjoyable evening at Iolaus and Nautica's new house. Nautica had placed two large bowls of rising dough on a counter to bake bread in the morning. After a wonderfully filling dinner of vegetable stew, Iolaus and Hercules followed Iolaus out to his workshop to help him clean it out. There were several tools scattered about that Iolaus could use, so they were gathered up and put together in one spot until they could be neatly hung on the walls out of the way.
In fact, much of what the deceased former property owner left in the worksho p could be used for something. Iolaus was not a person to carelessly throw something away that h e could incorporate into one of his numerous inventions. There was not as much to throw away as to simply organize into a workshop that Iolaus could move around in. He did not like clutter, although he realized the previous owner did. Iolaus did not know how the other man coul d have gotten into the workshop, much less work in it. It had been a cluttered mess, but was full of great stuff that the trio now found and placed wherever Iolaus wanted it.
"So um, would you two like to stay the night?" Iolaus asked his friends.
"It would be a nice change to sleep under a roof again," Iolaus said at the invitation.
"Iolaus, we just spent a couple nights at an inn," Hercules reminded him.
"Well, yeah, but that was an inn, this is a house," Iolaus replied, as thoug h his meaning would be perfectly clear to anyone who heard him.
Hercules tried to rationalize this statement, but soon gave up.
The days would eventually become warmer, but Iolaus still found himself cold all day and freezing at night after the sun went down behind the mountains. For now, he was glad for any opportunity to be inside at night, in an inn, a house or even a cave.
The three friends cleaned up at a well just a few yards from Iolaus' house , and drank a lot of water. They had worked hard and each was very thirsty. Retiring after feeling that they accomplished a lot, Iolaus and Hercules slept on the floor of the front room next to the fireplace. They were tired, but it was a 91good' tired, the kind they felt when they had done something to help someone.
The following day dawned sunny and cold, and Iolaus was in his workshop at the crack of dawn. Even though he had been in this new world for many months, he still could no t sleep past sunrise. After working in his shop for an hour sweeping and still organizin g things, he was joined by Iolaus and Hercules. As he knocked the last remaining cobwebs dow n from a corner with his broom, he said, "Good morning," cheerfully when his friends came in .
"Morning, Iolaus," they answered in unison.
"It sure looks a lot better, doesn't it?" he said while waving a proud arm around his new place.
"It does," Hercules answered. "Is there anything more you'd like us to help you with?"
"Nope, it's all done. How about some breakfast?"
The other Iolaus was anxiously waiting to hear those words, looking forward once again to one of his counterpart's excellent meals. "That would be great!" he announced, smiling from ear to ear.
Hercules just smiled at him, wondering how Iolaus had gotten through the night in anticipation of a breakfast cooked by the other Iolaus.
Iolaus cooked a wonderful batch of eggs, while Nautica removed the two loave s of bread from the fireplace, placing one on the table. Juice from the oranges on a back yard tree was squeezed into mugs, and Iolaus and Hercules never wanted to leave this place. They had to be on their way, however.
"We both hope you'll get back here real soon," Nautica said.
Iolaus handed a large cloth sack toward the pair, and Iolaus took it, smilin g and hoping there was food inside.
"We will," Hercules smiled. "Just as soon as we can. Thank you both again for everything."
"Yeah," Iolaus added, "It's been great, thank you. And thank you for whatever's in here," he added, holding up the sack.
Strolling slowing along a winding, hilly path, Iolaus, in his usual good moo d began to sing: "She was a beautiful girl from Thessaly She played musical instruments beautifully She fell in love with..."
"Iolaus."
Iolaus stopped mid-stride. "What?"
"What are you doing?"
After all these months of being in the Light, Iolaus loved that his singing still got a response from his tall friend. He pretended not to know what Hercules meant. "Singing?"
"That wasn't singing."
"What do you mean?"
"You were off-key and I don't even think it was a song. I think you do that just to annoy me."
"Why would I do that?" He tried unsuccessfully to hide the sly grin on his face.
"Because...you're trying to drive me crazy."
"Oh, I see. And have you gone crazy yet?"
"You keep up that racket and I will."
Iolaus laughed and the pair walked on in silence. Iolaus still carried the sack that the other Iolaus had given them for the road, and swung it as he walked with a cheerfu l bounce in his step. He and Hercules had not looked inside the sack, but would when they settled in later in the day.
Then Iolaus started to whistle nonchalantly. He looked around at the passin g scenery as the two of them walked, and whistled a tuneless melody.
Hercules just smiled at his friend and strode along in silence. Finally, he said, "You're certainly in a good mood today."
Iolaus laughed. "Yeah, I guess I am. I dunno, I'm just so glad to be back here again, and I had such a good time at Iolaus and Nautica's. I'm glad we were able to help him clean out his workshop."
"Me too." Then Hercules said thoughtfully, "Iolaus, do you miss having a family, a house...all that?"
"Why do you ask that?"
"Just something you said, that their roof over your head was a house and n ot an inn. I thought maybe you miss having a house."
Iolaus thought a second, "Well, no, Hercules. I realized long ago that you're my family, and I love this life, the good things we do for people...you know." He thought about his earlier statement and continued, "I guess I just meant that it's nice to stay at someone's house. It's more...I dunno...friendly than a room at an inn.
"Yeah," Hercules agreed. He couldn't argue with that.
The weather was threatening, so they looked for shelter, having walked just an hour from the village. Finding a suitable cave, Hercules hurried to gather a huge armload of wood that he took inside and deposited in a heap against a wall. Iolaus came upon an abundance of wild berries and nuts growing throughout the area, and picked what he could before the storm hit. He needed something to put them in and, looking around, found a large piece of bark that would suffice.
Hercules found an iron kettle and a few utensils in the cave. He grabbed th e kettle and ran to the nearby river to clean it out and fill it before the rain came. On his way i n each direction he grabbed some herbs for tea later on. It would be a welcome hot drink for both of them once they were settled in. Hercules returned to the cave in the nick of time when suddenly the storm was directly over them.
A deafening crack of thunder, followed immediately by a deadly bolt of lightning, caused a tree to sheer in half lengthwise, half of it falling right on Iolaus. Iolaus turned just in time to see it coming, threw his arms up to protect his head and face, but was unable to move out of the way. Pinned under the tree on his back, he was pelted with torrents of rain, whil e thunder and lightning continued to pierce the eerily blackened air.
The wind knocked out of him, and barely able to breathe with the tree across his midsection, he screamed out Hercules' name. There was no way his screams could be heard over the fierce storm, however, and he was using all of his strength in the attempt. He pushed the tree from underneath as hard as he could, trying to get it off him, but it was pointless. The tree was too heavy and he was hurting himself in the attempt, feeling his ribs straining with the effort. He put his right arm over his face to block the pounding rain...and waited. He could feel consciousness slipping away and hoped Hercules would find him in time. All he could do no w was wait.
In the cave, Hercules finally looked into the sack that Iolaus had given them. There, he found oranges, apples and a huge loaf of bread that was wrapped in a large linen cloth. He came upon a collapsible iron tripod with a hook that would be very useful. He removed it and set it on the ground next to where the fire would be. There were other items as well, but he would check out all the contents later on.
Then he felt something unusual in the bottom corner of the sack. Removing it, he smiled gratefully as he recalled a conversation from some time ago. It was a small spark jug that Iolaus had somehow found time to make for them. A fraction of the size of the original, it was full of oil and ready to use. "Thank you, Iolaus," he whispered.
He started a fire with the spark jug, then set up the tripod and hung the kettle from it. He walked to the cave entrance where he looked for his friend who was out there somewhere. The storm showed no signs of decreasing in intensity and, since Iolaus was not back yet, Hercules hoped he had found some sort of protection from it, or would momentarily be running toward the cave. He remembered the time Iolaus had been struck by lightning and hoped that ha d not happened again. While he stood there, a tremendous bolt of lightning struck the ground not far from him, and another amazingly loud crack of thunder shook him to his core. Hercules was afraid Iolaus was in great danger, and he decided that storm or no storm, he had to look for his friend. If Iolaus was safe somewhere, he could laugh at Hercules later for worrying so much.
Hercules ran from the cave toward the direction where he last saw Iolaus gathering food. He called to Iolaus through the storm's fury, but his voice was swept away in the ferocious wind. He kept searching until he finally saw a sickening sight. There was his best friend trapped under a fallen tree! "Iolaus!" he cried out. He leaned into the fierce wind, his arm covering his face in an attempt to block the driving rain and see through it, and made his way to where Iolaus laid in what was fast becoming a mud pit.
Iolaus was losing consciousness, but heard a familiar voice as though a grea t distance away. Hercules had found him or, he thought, he was dreaming.
"Iolaus," Hercules repeated. He knelt next to Iolaus and knew he could lift the tree off, but was afraid he would hurt his friend further in the process. Realizing he had no choice, however, he tried to reassure Iolaus. "Hang on, Buddy," Hercules yelled over the storm, "I'll get you out of there. This is going to hurt, but I have to get you out." He was grateful that Iolaus was unconscious and would not feel the initial shock of having the heavy tree lifted off him. He lifted the tree with ease and swung it aside where it fell with a splash on the rain-soaked ground.
Iolaus did not move while Hercules checked him for broken bones. He did not like the feel of Iolaus' ribs. The storm was as intense as ever, and Hercules had to get Iolaus to the warmth and safety of the cave. He lifted his friend gently and carried him to the cave where he peeled off his saturated, muddy clothes. He cleaned the mud off him with water from the kettle, wrapped Iolaus' afghan around him, then carefully laid him next to the fire to warm up.
They were not far from Iolaus and Nautica's house, but Hercules could not leave Iolaus to go for help. They would have to get through this on their own. Hercules reached for the sack that they had brought with them to see if there was anything in it he could use. To his amazement, he found a roll of bandages and a small jar. He opened the jar and smelled the contents. It was some sort of ointment, but Hercules wondered what possessed Iolaus to includ e these items. He put aside his questions, however, and was grateful to Iolaus and Nautica.
Hercules pulled the afghan down to Iolaus' waist and very gently rolled Iolaus onto his side while he wound the bandages around his ribs. He noticed a deep gash on Iolaus' lower left side and checked him over for any other injuries he might have missed. Seeing none, he rolled Iolaus onto his back and tied off the bandages tightly. Iolaus was still unconscious and very pale. Hercules called his name, but his friend did not respond. All he could do was keep him as warm and comfortable as possible.
The bucket of water was getting hot, so Hercules put some of the herbs he ha d gathered earlier into it and poured some of the water in to a bowl. He dipped some of the bandages into it to use to clean the wound on Iolaus' side. Then he covered Iolaus with the afghan again and sat with him throughout the rest of the day and into the night.
Outside, the storm raged, but eased up during the night. Iolaus did not mov e a muscle in all those hours, but then very early the next morning, he stirred and groaned. Hercules had been nodding off and woke up.
"Hurts," was all Iolaus said, then he fell asleep again.
Hercules talked to him anyway. "I know, Iolaus, but you'll be fine." He wa s determined not to let anything happen to his best friend after everything they had both been through the past several months. Hercules laid down next to the fire and dozed on and off restlessly until midmorning when he heard someone calling his name. Thinking he was dreaming , he was startled awake. He looked at Iolaus, but Iolaus was still sound asleep. He certainly had not called out.
"Hercules? Iolaus?"
Hercules leaped up and ran outside. It was Iolaus! He was carrying an ever-present sackful of...well, whatever he carried with him these days.
"I was worried about you two. That sure was some storm, wasn't it? I came to make sure you guys are okay because I've never seen anything like it." Iolaus was out o f breath, having hurried to find his two friends.
"Am I ever glad to see you!" Hercules exclaimed, and grabbed Iolaus by his shoulders harder than he intended. "Come on, Iolaus was badly hurt. A tree fell on him durin g the storm. I used the bandages from the pack you gave us to bandage his ribs, but he has a gas h on his side and he's been unconscious for hours."
"That's not good," Iolaus said, referring to Iolaus being unconscious for so long. Iolaus dropped his heavy pack on the floor as he knelt next to the other Iolaus. He remove d the afghan to see Iolaus' injuries, then reached into his bag where he retrieved a jar.
"What's that?" Hercules asked.
"Huh? This?" Iolaus asked, so engrossed in what he was doing that for a moment he forgot Hercules was watching him. "Oh, it's a healing salve I made." He looked up at his friend, "Don't worry, I wouldn't do anything to hurt him."
"I know, Iolaus," Hercules answered, and smiled reassuringly at this friend.
Iolaus scooped a generous amount of the salve onto his fingers, then smeared it onto the gash on Iolaus' side. "This will help it heal," he said softly. He reached for the other sack that he had handed to Iolaus yesterday and retrieved some of the bandage material. He tore a piece and placed it over Iolaus' wound, then poured enough water on his hands to clean off the remaining salve. He felt Iolaus' hands, then his forehead and face and said, "He's rather cold." He covered Iolaus with the afghan again.
Then he felt the back of Iolaus' head. "Just what I thought," he said, "He' s got a nasty bump back here." He took the cloth from the bowl of water, wrun g it out and cleaned the back of Iolaus' head. There was a ghastly combinatio n of mud and blood caked in his hair, but Iolaus cleaned it well. He then tor e off a clean bandage, wrung it out in some fresh herbal water, and held it against the injury.
Feeling awful that he had not noticed this wound, Hercules watched this man, somewhat amazed. "Iolaus, the longer I know you, the more I learn about you. I didn't know you're a healer."
Iolaus smiled, "I'm not, but I invented my own healing salve because back in my other world I was always getting hurt. I learned how to treat my own wounds because it wa s easier than looking for a healer all the time."
Hercules thought a few seconds, his heart going out to this man. "You mean when you were hurt at the Sovereign's hand."
Iolaus lowered his head. "Yeah."
"I'm sorry, Iolaus. I shouldn't have brought that up."
"That's okay."
"No, Iolaus, it's not okay. I know I've said this before, but I can't eve n imagine what you went through there, and you never deserved to be treated like a slave or beaten and abused. I'm only glad you're out of that place. The Sovereign was a monster."
Iolaus nodded. "Once in a while I still have nightmares, but I don't even think of those days too much anymore."
"Then that's good, Iolaus, because you deserve a better life like you have now, free of those awful memories."
Just then the injured Iolaus groaned and moved a little. Hercules and Iolau s were right there to keep him still. "Don't move, Iolaus," Hercules said.
Iolaus breathed in deep rasping breaths and yelled out for help. "Hercules? "
"I'm right here, Iolaus. You're safe now."
Iolaus fell silent again.
"It's going to take a while," Iolaus said. He put the cloth he had been holding against the back of Iolaus' head into the bowl of water, wrung it ou t again, and continued to hold it against Iolaus' wound.
Hercules nodded. "Thanks for coming to check on us."
"You're welcome. I know you've probably been in hundreds of bad storms before, but that storm hit just after you left and I wanted to make sure you're okay, since I knew you were still so close to my house and all."
"Well, it's a good thing you did. By the way, is there a healer in your village?"
"No," Iolaus replied, "But even if there was, he couldn't do anymore than what we're already doing."
Hercules nodded his agreement. He honestly believed that Iolaus was doing exactly what any healer would be doing.
Iolaus stirred again and called out Hercules' name. Again, Hercules and Iolaus were right there to keep him from moving. He wrestled his arms out from under his afghan and started to throw them wildly, but Hercules grabbed one arm and Iolaus grabbed the other. "Hold still, Buddy," Hercules pleaded. "You're going to be fine. We're taking good care of you. "
"Hercules?" Iolaus said, in more of a calm and rational voice.
"I'm right here."
Iolaus nodded, unable to open his eyes yet.
While Hercules and Iolaus tucked his arms back under the afghan, he fell asleep again.
Hercules sat back next to the fire and crossed his legs. "I used your new little spark jug to get this fire going. It really made me smile when I found it in the pack. Than k you."
"That's great, you're welcome," Iolaus smiled. He recognized the expression on Hercules' face, the old familiar, sad expression that was ever present before his Iolaus had come back from the other side. "He'll be okay, Hercules."
"I hope so."
Iolaus somehow wanted to make his tall friend feel better. "You know, it seems like he has the worst luck of anyone I've ever known. Well, besides me," he laughed slightl y.
"You're right. He was struck by lightning once and he's been hurt in about every way imaginable. He always bounces back, though." Then Hercules remembered a fe w months ago. "Well, he didn't bounce back from that knife last year. I thought I had los t him forever. Now he's finally back and this happens."
"Do you think the gods did this?" Iolaus asked.
"Oh, I hope not, Iolaus," Hercules replied quickly as he looked up at his friend. "I wouldn't put anything past them, though. Iolaus knows the risk of being my friend, but he's always stayed with me. He risked his very soul to come back and warn me about the events that would have meant the end of the world. That's more than I could ever ask or expect fro m anyone." He realized Iolaus' clothes were still laying by the fire, having dried hours ago, so he folded his vest and pants and placed them and Iolaus' boots aside next to his belts. Then he looked at his dear friend laying there pale and asleep. He sat closer to Iolaus and tucked the afghan around his shoulders and neck.
The other Iolaus looked at the back of Iolaus' head, was satisfied that the wound was clean and that he had held the cloth against it long enough for now. He put the cloth back into the bowl of water and reached over for the sack that he had given to his two friends the previous day. "Here," he said as he removed two large oranges, handed one to Hercules and got one for himself.
"Thanks, Iolaus," Hercules said. "I'm glad you're here."
Iolaus peeled his orange thoughtfully and smiled, trying to think of something to say. "So...um, did you take Iolaus to the memorial?"
"Yeah, he was surprised by it for some reason."
"Well, he told me he was surprised that you would do that after he got himself killed."
Hercules nodded. "Sometimes he underestimates our friendship. He should know by now that no matter what he does, he's still my friend. Oh, I'll admit that several days after he jumped in front of that dagger I was mad at him." He peeled his orange thoughtfully .
"I thought I hated him because he left me. I hated everything then and couldn't come to terms with his loss. But I realized I could never hate him, I just couldn't understand why he had been killed."
"Hercules, you know the other night when you left the cave? I probably shouldn't tell you this." He wrinkled up his nose as he thought better of what he was about to say. "Nah, I shouldn't say anything."
His curiosity aroused, Hercules said, "What, Iolaus?"
Iolaus shook his head, "I already opened my big mouth when I told Iolaus about the memorial. For all I know, you weren't going to tell him about it."
"It's okay, Iolaus. I was going to tell him, but I just hadn't gotten aroun d to it yet. I guess that after seven months we had other things to talk about. Now, what's on your mind?"
"Well, Iolaus told me that you credited me with saving your life when I aske d you to bring me here, and that I gave you a reason to go on living. I never knew that."
"It's true, Iolaus. I was tired...worn out really...and I didn't want to go on helping people or traveling anymore. I just didn't see any point in continuing a life like that, because without Iolaus things weren't the same and I didn't enjoy it anymore. Then I met yo u and all that guilt and selfishness I'd been carrying around went away. Suddenly I had someone who needed a friend and could use my help."
He paused, then continued, "I'll admit that when I first met you, I couldn't help but compare you to my Iolaus. I knew you weren't him, you didn't have his memories or experiences, but you look and sound just like him and I missed him so much. Everywhere I went I was reminded of him in the things I saw, the places I traveled. I thought I'd go crazy from grief. One day..." he suddenly stopped talking.
"One day what?" Iolaus asked.
Hercules looked at this man who was as much a friend as his own Iolaus, just not for as long. "It's kinda hard to talk about...but, one day I was on my way somewhere and passed a stream where Iolaus and I had fished so many times. I thought about our conversations there, cooking fish in the fire, and I sat down and cried for an hour. I was drained, emotionally and physically, and didn't want to live anymore. That probably sounds ridiculous, but I missed him so much."
"No, Hercules, it's not ridiculous. You have the right to have feelings. Afterall, you've known each other forever. You can't lose a close friend and not grieve."
"I left that stream and the next thing I knew, I was at the place where we once fought a hydra. I thought I would lose my mind being constantly reminded of our times together . We went everywhere and did so much that there was nowhere I could go and not be reminded of him. I had never really realized how much company he was for me, or how much I love d our conversations or his crazy sense of humor until he was gone. He was always in such a good mood, always singing, especially if we were on our way to a festival. He LOVES festivals. But I always told him he sang off-key, even though he didn't. I just loved kiddin g him about it." He smiled and continued, " In fact, I still do. I realized I had never let h im know how much I appreciated him as a friend."
"He knows, Hercules. Friends don't always have to say the words to know how the other person feels." He felt good that Hercules was able to be so forthcoming about what he had experienced before. "I'm glad you told me all this. Besides," he continued, "I thi nk the more that people know about each other, the closer friends they are."
Hercules nodded and stared into the fire. "Thanks, Iolaus, I'm glad, be cause I suddenly feel like I've dumped a lot on you."
"It's okay, Hercules." Iolaus smiled and understood Hercules' need to say these things to him. He did not think Hercules had ever said so much to him all at once. He also thought the two of them were on the verge of expressing deep and long-hidden emotions, so he welcomed a diversion from the other Iolaus.
Hercules looked at his friend lying asleep and was surprised to see Iolaus' eyes open and staring at him. "Iolaus?"
Still smiling, Iolaus looked down into the face of his counterpart.
"Iolaus, you're okay. We're taking good care of you," Hercules said softly.
Iolaus did not move.
"Can you hear me?" Hercules asked a little louder.
Iolaus nodded slightly.
The Iolaus who had been talking with Hercules continued to smile, but said nothing. He would let Hercules say anything that needed saying.
"How do you feel?" Hercules asked.
Iolaus opened his mouth and barely said, "Who's 'we'?"
Hercules motioned over at Iolaus who was sitting just on Iolaus' other side. "Iolaus came to check on us after the storm. He's been taking real good care of you."
Iolaus looked on his other side into the face of his newest friend. "Thank you," he whispered and closed his eyes.
"You're going to be fine," Hercules said.
Hercules looked at the Iolaus sitting near him by the fire and whispered, "How much of what I said do you think he heard?"
"Probably a lot," Iolaus laughed, "But it's okay."
"Maybe he won't remember. Otherwise, he'll never let me live down what I said about his singing."
Iolaus laughed again. "It's just great that he's back so he can give you a bad time."
Hercules nodded, then realized what Iolaus had said. "Hey," he said in mocked annoyance.
Iolaus reached for the bag he had brought with him. "There's some more stuf f in here. I'll leave it with you."
"Thanks, Iolaus. Are you leaving?"
"Yeah, I should be getting back home. Iolaus will be fine. You're both welcome to come back to my house, but Iolaus shouldn't be moved, so you'd better just stay here for a few days. I'll come back and check on you again tomorrow if that's okay."
"Of course it's okay," Hercules said. "I'll look forward to seeing you again."
Iolaus smiled. "Me too. Just clean Iolaus' wound and put new salve on it twice a day. And hold a cool cloth against that bump on his head as often a s you can."
"Iolaus, how did you know he had a head injury? I can't believe I didn't find it."
"Well, it wasn't very obvious with all the mud in his hair, but I suspected it when you said he had been unconscious for so long. Believe me, I've been there myself enough times."
"What, unconscious from head wounds?" Hercules asked, still astonished that Iolaus had lived this long after the treatment he had received in his other world.
"Yeah," Iolaus answered, "I've got so many scars I look like a road map to Athens. But there was never anyone to hold a cloth against my head or take care of me. That's why I've always thought you and Iolaus are so lucky to have been such good friends all your lives. You always had each other no matter what."
"Well, Iolaus, you know that we'll always take care of you too, no matter what. If you ever need either of us, you know we'll be there for you."
No one in Iolaus' other world had ever said anything like that to him, and h e was truly thankful to have these friends in this world. "Thank you, Hercules."
"Iolaus," Hercules said as his friend got up to leave, "Would you like to stay for lunch?"
Iolaus tipped his head to the side. "Well, I guess I can...sure."
Hercules enjoyed Iolaus' company and conversation and didn't want him to leave yet. "I need to get more water from the river and I don't want to leave Iolaus alone."
"That's understandable. But what if I go get the water and you stay here?" He grabbed the kettle and disappeared out of the cave before Hercules could protest.
Hercules smiled after him, wishing he had known this man years earlier. He turned and looked at the other Iolaus still asleep, but with beads of sweat on his forehead. Hercules took the damp cloth he had used earlier and wiped Iolaus' face. His friend stirred and Hercules said, "You're going to be fine, Iolaus."
Iolaus returned with a kettle full of fresh water and hung it on the tripod. Hercules dipped a small amount from the kettle with a cup and poured it onto the cloth. He wiped Iolaus' face again. "He has a fever."
"The water's very cold, it should cool him down," Iolaus said. Iolaus then reached into his bag and removed a covered pot. He set it on the ground, removed the kettle of water from the tripod, and hung this pot in its place.
"What's that?" Hercules smiled, silently hoping Iolaus had conjured up something wonderful. He could never quite get over Iolaus' resourcefulness and how he always seemed to have anything he needed at his fingertips.
"It's some vegetable stew," Iolaus replied. "I brought it in case you two were hungry."
"You know you spoil us, don't you?"
"I know," Iolaus said thoughtfully, "But this is what friends do for each other."
Hercules smiled and took the plate and spoon Iolaus handed him from the bag.
"When you brought me here with you, I had nothing, no way to repay your kindness. Well," he reflected, "This is my way of showing my appreciation. In my other world, I never had anyone to do things for. Now I do and maybe I go overboard, but I don't mind. I enjoy doing stuff for you two."
"Well, thank you, Iolaus. You have a lot to offer this world, my friend."
"Besides, I'm glad you got Iolaus back so I don't have to feel so guilty about leaving you to get married."
"You shouldn't feel guilty about that."
"Well, I know, but I was so sad when I left you on the beach that day."
"You didn't look sad. You looked very happy, like a man who was going off t o a whole new life."
"Yeah, but that was just my outside. Inside I was a mess. You had lost you r best friend, and then I felt like I was abandoning you." Then he smiled. "Things sure hav e changed for both of us, haven't they?"
"Yeah," Hercules replied, "They've changed a lot."
Iolaus continued, "Since I've been here, it's the first time in my life that I can come and go like I want to. I was a prisoner in the other world and am thankful every day that I'm not there anymore."
"So am I, Iolaus. I couldn't believe it when those horsemen came through the gateway to get you. They got the other Iolaus instead, but I knew he could take care of himself. You, on the other hand, aren't a warrior. If those horsemen had dragged you back through the gateway, I hate to even think what might have happened to you."
"Yeah, I guess it was meant to be that Iolaus was standing where he was and they got him instead. He was just lucky the Sovereign didn't kill him." As the stew heated, Iolaus stirred it with a long wooden spoon he had brought.
"I didn't think you'd ever get over being afraid of me."
Iolaus laughed a bit nervously, "Well, it wasn't easy to think of you as a kind person. No one had ever been nice to me before."
Hercules shook his head and said, "Iolaus and I can only hope to somehow mak e up for all those years by being your friends here."
Iolaus glanced up and across the pot of stew to his friend. "You already have, Hercules, both of you."
The other Iolaus called out, "Hercules?"
Hercules moved closer to Iolaus. "I'm right here, Buddy."
"What happened?" Iolaus' eyes were open and focused once again.
"Well, it was you versus a tree, and the tree won."
Iolaus tried to sit up.
"Don't move, Iolaus. You have some injuries that have to heal." He held a hand on Iolaus' shoulder and Iolaus did not protest, but relaxed and closed his eyes again.
Iolaus dished up the stew that was now hot and he and Hercules ate it in silence. Then Iolaus had to be on his way. "If it's okay, I'll leave my pack here and pick it up tomorrow. Maybe there's stuff in it you can use in the meantime."
"Thank you, Iolaus. I'm sorry you have to leave," Hercules told him.
"I know, me too, but I'll check back on you tomorrow. Remember, clean Iolaus' wound and put new salve on it twice a day."
"I will. By the way, how did you know to put bandages and salve in the ba g for us?"
"Oh...um...I guess because you guys usually travel far from villages and healers, and I thought they would come in handy if you got hurt."
Hercules watched as Iolaus walked back in the direction where he now lived and was always sad to see him go, even though he knew he would see him again soon. When he was out of sight, Hercules went to his other friend's side and straightened the afghan around him again. He thought it was best that Iolaus sleep as much as he could, because he would no doubt be in a lot of pain when he woke up.
Unexpectedly and from outside somewhere Hercules heard loud voices. He did not want to leave Iolaus, but had to see what was going on. He ran in the direction the sounds came from and was shocked to see Iolaus laying face down and unconscious on the path. Hercules called to him and looked around. Whoever he had encountered was gone. He carefully turned Iolaus over and saw a bleeding wound on the right side of his head. Gently picking him up, he carried him back to the cave. To Hercules, this Iolaus had always seemed so much smalle r and more fragile than the other Iolaus.
Hercules immediately cleaned the wound, put Iolaus' own salve on it, then shook his head in despair. His two best friends in the world were lying here injured. He put more wood on the dying fire and felt so drained of energy. He realized he had not slept sinc e he was at Iolaus' house two days ago, except to nod off restlessly on occasion the previous night. He leaned back against a wall, crossed his arms over his chest and relaxed. He wanted to stay awake in case his friends needed him, but sleep overtook him within minutes.
Hercules awoke several hours later to total darkness. The fire had burned down to a faint, red glow, so the first thing he did was put more wood on it. When the flames were sufficiently high and he could see, he checked on his friends.
The Iolaus who had been hurt by the tree was drenched in sweat. Hercules poured some water that was left over from a cup he used earlier on a cloth, and bathed Iolaus' face and chest in the coolness. He did not cover him again completely with the afghan, but left him uncovered from his waist up, hoping this would also help him cool down.
Then he checked on the other Iolaus who hardly seemed to be breathing. Hercules grabbed his shoulders and shook them gently while calling his name. Iolaus remained still. "Iolaus, hang on. I don't know who did this to you or why, but I'll find out. And when I do... "
Just then this Iolaus moved his legs a little. "Iolaus? Come on, my friend , you'll be okay."
Iolaus groaned some incoherent words.
"Don't try to talk." Assuring himself that Iolaus would be okay for the moment, Hercules got another wet cloth and cleaned the wound on his head again, then reapplied some salve.
He then did the same for the other Iolaus, realizing that because he had fallen asleep, it had been several hours since he had cleaned and applied more salve to the wound on hi s side. He was concerned that Iolaus was still sweating profusely, but he continued bathing him with a cool cloth. This time he applied the cloth to Iolaus' face, chest and arms, in a desperate attempt to get him cooled off. He took the cloth Iolaus had used earlier and applied its coolness to the wound on the back of Iolaus' head.
Hercules continued pouring cold water on the cloths and applying them to Iolaus, and would for as long as he needed to. The night passed slowly and he was grateful that he ha d gotten a few hours sleep. He would be no help to either of his friends if he was too tired or became ill himself. He kept a continual watch over his friends, dozing on and off throughout the night, but not falling into a deep sleep.
The morning sun streaming into the cave woke the Iolaus who had been struck by the tree. "Hercules?"
Hercules was awake and at Iolaus' side in a single motion. "I'm right here. " He saw that Iolaus' fever was gone and, feeling his forehead and face, found that he was no longer so hot. "You're going to be fine, Buddy. Just relax and don't move."
Iolaus sensed someone at his left side. "Who...?"
"It's Iolaus," Hercules replied. "Someone attacked him when he left here yesterday."
"Iolaus?" this Iolaus called to him.
"He can't hear you. He's been unconscious."
Iolaus tried to sit up, but Hercules stopped him. "But he's hurt."
"I know, Iolaus, and I'm taking care of him."
"He'll be okay, won't he?"
Hercules nodded at Iolaus whose head was turned and looking at the other Iolaus. "He'll be fine, and so will you if you stay still." Iolaus nodded and Hercules knew it woul d not be easy to keep this Iolaus still for very long. He had the energy of three men and could not be off his feet for long.
"Hercules, where are my clothes?"
Hercules motioned across the cave. "They're by the wall. They were saturated and I had to let them dry."
Iolaus was silent for a minute, then said, "I guess I did something stupid again."
Hercules smiled. "Well, I'm sure you didn't purposely let that tree fall on you."
Iolaus shook his head slightly. "I couldn't get out of the way."
"You have some broken ribs, but at least you'll be okay."
"I didn't exactly bring back anything to eat."
Hercules laughed. "Don't worry about that. Iolaus came by with some stew. There's also some fruit and a huge loaf of bread in the bag he gave us when we left their house. You can have some as soon as you feel like eating."
Iolaus looked over at his double again. "Does Nautica know he's hurt?"
"No, and I can't leave to tell her."
Iolaus looked around the cave, closed his eyes and fell asleep again. He wa s well on the road to recovery now, and would just need time to regain his strength.
Hercules checked on the other Iolaus, to make sure he was still doing okay. Assured that he was breathing normally, Hercules got an apple from the bag and ate it while waiting for his friends to mend. He walked to the cave entrance and stretched and yawned in the fresh air, filling his lungs with the clean, cool air. The sun was coming up as a new day dawned.
"Ow, my head."
Hercules heard the familiar voice just like he had heard so many months earlier when he found the little jester in the area between worlds. He turned toward the voice to see Iolaus sitting up. Dropping his apple core, he went to him quickly. "Iolaus, lay down, you've been hurt."
Iolaus could not open his eyes, the pain in his head making him dizzy. "Hercules?"
"Yeah, it's me, Iolaus. Lay back down."
Iolaus did and was immediately nauseated. He started to cough, so Hercules helped him turn onto his side. Iolaus caught his breath and was okay. Hercules kept a hand on his shoulder. "You'll be okay, my friend." Iolaus fell asleep again.
Hercules returned to the cave entrance and picked up the apple core. He strolled outside and threw it as hard as he could, all of his anger seemingly gathered in his right arm. He was mad that his friends were injured, and it felt good to release some of it, even if it was just to pitch an apple core into the far reaches of the morning air.
He wished he could get word to Nautica because she would be worried. But he realized that Nautica knew who Iolaus was with, and that no harm would ever come to him while he was with his two friends. On the other hand, he argued with himself, harm HAD come t o that Iolaus, for which Hercules was very sorry.
Then he had an idea. He called to Aphrodite, but she did not answer. Suddenly, the last person in the world Hercules wanted to see materialized a few feet in front of him. "Ares," Hercules mumbled, "I'm in no mood for you."
The god of war tipped his head to the side in a gesture of mock friendship. "Aw, what's the matter, bro? Did your little playmates get hurt?"
"What do you want, Ares?"
"Nothing. I just love to torment you."
"Well don't. Just go and leave me alone."
"I'll never understand what you see in those puny little mortals. Why don't you get some REAL friends?"
Hercules stepped toward his half-brother and took a swing at him, but Ares vanished. "They're a hundred times better friends than you'll ever have!" he yelled into the empt y air after him. He returned to check on his friends.
Iolaus with the broken ribs was awake and asked, "Who were you yelling at?"
Hercules sat down next to the fire and this friend. "Nobody, just Ares."
"Ares. What does he want?"
"Oh, the usual, to try to make my life miserable. How do you feel?"
"Lousy, but I'll be okay. How's Iolaus?"
Hercules looked over at the other man. "He woke up earlier for a few minutes, but he felt horrible."
"What happened to him?"
Hercules shrugged. "I don't know. He was attacked by somebody after he lef t here yesterday."
"I want to get up."
"NO! You stay where you are," Hercules yelled as Iolaus started to sit up.
"But Hercules..."
"But nothing. I'll sit on you if I have to, now stay still and give yoursel f a chance to heal."
Iolaus pulled the afghan down to look at a sudden pain he felt on his side. He saw a wound covered with a bandage and some sort of ointment.
"You have a gash there, Iolaus," Hercules explained. "The salve is Iolaus ' own invention and will help it heal. If you move around too much you'll make it bleed again."
Iolaus nodded, content with the explanation, and laid back down.
The other Iolaus was waking up again. "No, leave me alone!" he yelled.
"Iolaus," Hercules said, and was at his side in an instant. "You're okay."
"No, get away from me!"
Hercules thought Iolaus was having a nightmare or a flashback from his days of abuse at the hands of the Sovereign.
Suddenly Iolaus sat bolt upright and screamed, "ARES...NO!"
The other Iolaus was laying just inches from him, so he reached over with hi s left hand and held onto Iolaus' forearm. Hercules took Iolaus' shoulders. His friend was shaking like a leaf. "Iolaus, look at me. You're safe here." He looked directly into the smalle r man's blue eyes, looking for a hint of recognition from him. "No one's going to hurt you. Look at me, Iolaus," he repeated when Iolaus stared off into nothingness. "Did Ares do this to you? "
Iolaus had a look of sheer terror on his face, one that Hercules had not see n since he first met him. Then, the little jester was so afraid of everybody and everything, but with Hercules' help, he had overcome his abusive past and was now able to live a successful new life.
Hercules repeated, "Iolaus, did Ares do this to you?"
Iolaus now focused on Hercules' blue eyes and nodded.
"So help me, I'll kill him!" Hercules exclaimed. In his sudden anger he squeezed Iolaus' shoulders harder than he meant to, causing the smaller man to wince in pain.
"Ow," Iolaus said, barely above a whisper.
"Iolaus, I'm sorry," Hercules said immediately. "Here, lay down."
"He tried to kill me, Hercules," Iolaus said, barely able to talk from fear or pain, Hercules was not sure which, although he knew it was probably both. He laid down and breathed heavily. "He tried..." Iolaus started to say again.
"It's okay, Iolaus," Hercules said reassuringly, "I'll deal with Ares. You just rest." Hercules took a deep breath in complete disgust. He looked over at the other Iolaus who still had this Iolaus' arm in his hand. "So what about you? Do you think Ares caused that tree to fall on you?"
"I don't know, Hercules. It didn't seem like he had anything to do with it. "
"Well, maybe not," Hercules said. "Why can't he just leave us alone? He's so jealous of my friendships and he can't stand that he has no real friends, so he has to spend his time trying to make my life miserable."
"You just be careful, Hercules. Don't go after him for revenge and do something stupid like get yourself hurt...or worse. Iolaus and I will be okay. Even if he did do thi s to both of us, it's not worth getting yourself killed over."
Hercules thought about Iolaus' words for a minute, then looked directly at his friend. "Yes, it is, Iolaus. You're my best friends, both of you, and I would gladly die for either of you." Then he thought again and said, "But, I guess you're right," he continued as he glanced toward the cave entrance, "I'm sick and tired of the gods thinking they can hurt my friends. " He looked back at Iolaus. "One of them even killed you, Iolaus. I can never forgive that."
Iolaus nodded. "I know, Herc, but please don't get yourself killed."
Hercules smiled, "Okay, I promise." He left the cave and walked a short distance away, wanting to keep Ares completely away from the two men inside who meant more to Hercules than anyone else. "ARES!" he screamed into the air.
Ares appeared in a flash of light, at which point Hercules took extremely long, running strides toward him. He threw himself at his half-brother with an anger that even Ares had not previously witnessed. Ares was knocked off balance, but got up and attempte d to hit Hercules. Hercules was ready, however, and dodged the blow. "Why can't you just leave me alone, Ares?"
Ares stood in defiance. "Because I enjoy seeing you and your little mortals suffer. I guess I was a little too rough with the one you brought back from that other world. He 's not as tough as the other one."
"They..." Hercules was furious and could hardly contain his anger, "Have bot h been through enough! LEAVE THEM ALONE!"
Ares grinned, mocking his half-brother. "Or what? You'll hurt me?" He vanished in a blink as Hercules stared after him, knowing he could have killed him this time.
Hercules went back inside the cave. He saw that Iolaus was sitting up again , holding his injured head. "What did he do to you, Iolaus?" Hercules asked.
"He threw a bolt of light at me."
Hercules tried to slow down his breathing. He was furious. "I've always been ashamed that I'm related to him."
"Well, we can choose our friends, but we can't choose our relatives," Iolaus said. "I heard what Iolaus said earlier," he continued, as he looked from Iolaus back to Hercules, "About not getting yourself killed. You be careful, Hercules."
Hercules lowered his head and nodded. "I will...and thanks...both of you."
"Hercules, can I have my pants?" the other Iolaus asked.
The Iolaus who was sitting up laughed a little.
"What?" Hercules asked, completely lost in his thoughts.
"Can I have my pants, please?"
"Oh...yeah...sure. Here," he said as he picked them up and unfolded them fo r his friend, then handed them to him.
Iolaus struggled with them.
"Do you want me to help you?" Hercules teased.
"No," Iolaus replied, acting like he was hardly amused that Hercules would even ask. "I can do it." Still laying flat on the ground on his afghan, he somehow managed to get his pants on with a great deal of pain and difficulty.
"Feel better?" Hercules smiled at him.
"Actually, I do." Iolaus managed a slight smile. "I feel naked without my clothes."
Hercules and the other Iolaus both laughed. "Iolaus, you WERE naked without your clothes."
"Ha ha ha, that's very funny, Herc." He pulled his pants over the salve and bandage on his side, being careful to keep the bandage in place. He fastened them, noticing they were loose, and realized he had lost weight since returning to this life. Then he realized he was hungry. "Herc, is there anything to eat? I'm starving. I'd love some of that bread yo u mentioned. And an apple. And did you say there's some stew?"
Hercules laughed and said, "I guess you're feeling better. But I think you'd better take it easy on the food. I'll get a little bit for you and you can have some more later on."
Iolaus gave in. "Okay." Then he looked at the other Iolaus.
That Iolaus laid down again, while Hercules got a cool cloth to clean his head wound again. He closed his eyes because the daylight coming into the cave hurt them. The right side of his face was swollen and his right eye would barely open now, but he knew the cool water would help keep the swelling down somewhat. Hercules handed him the cloth to hold against his head.
"You two just relax," Hercules said. He removed the loaf of bread from the sack where it still remained, broke off a small piece and put it on a plate for Iolaus. There was still plenty of stew, keeping hot in the pot over the fire. Hercules spooned a small amount onto the plate and set it down next to his friend. Then he poured half a mug of water and set it next to the plate.
"Thanks, Herc," Iolaus smiled. Iolaus was able to lift his head and tur n it to the side just enough to eat without choking, as long as he ate very slowly. "And Iolaus, thank you too, for the stew and the bread and all."
"You're welcome, Iolaus," his friend answered, not feeling like conver sation at the moment. The cold cloth covered his forehead and eyes, and he was content to lie on his back and listen to his two friends banter back and forth.
"Anytime, Iolaus." Hercules was genuinely glad his friends were going t o be okay. He would deal with Ares some other time, but for now, he was content to spoon some more stew onto a plate for himself and eat with Iolaus. Plate and spoon in hand, he sat next to his friend.
He knew they were concerned, rightly so he now realized, when they had warne d him not to get himself killed. He would not want to put them through the same torment he had gone through after losing Iolaus. His thoughts were interrupted by Iolaus who had never eaten this slowly in his life.
"Hercules?"
"Hmm?" He watched Iolaus struggling to eat, wishing he could make it ea sier for him, but until his injuries healed, he would have to lie flat and still.
"Did you mean it when you said that I really don't sing off key?"
"Oh...uh...you heard that?"
Iolaus laughed again, as did the other Iolaus.
"Yeah," Iolaus smiled broadly. "I always wondered if you were just ki dding. Now I know the truth." He giggled, much like the other Iolaus sometimes did, then audibl y winced in pain. "Ow!"
The other Iolaus giggled too.
"Well, I...uh," Hercules had no response. "Eat your stew, Iolaus."
Iolaus continued laughing. "Ow!" he said again. "Hercules, stop makin g me laugh."
Plate and spoon in his hands, Hercules put his arms out to his sides. "He y Buddy, I'm not making you laugh." But now he could hardly contain himself and burst into laughter.
"Hercules...stop it," Iolaus laughed, holding his aching ribs.
"I'm...sorry, Iolaus," Hercules said as laughter overtook him.
The other Iolaus laughed harder as well, and Hercules knew his friends would be okay.
The End
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