"We'll see, we'll see, that's right," Lex laughed, shaking his head. This Forest was certainly a stubborn one. "Well, mate, you may have had to fight off these fevers on your own in the past, but no longer. With someone here taking care of you, you'll at least be more comfortable." Lex didn't want to say he could make Forest better. He probably couldn't. Lex hadn't succumbed to the virus like everyone else, but that didn't necessarily mean he had some magic touch that would keep Forest alive and well for years to come. But he could at least make him comfortable. He was good at that.<br/><br/>"Come here, let me check on you." Lex stood from the bed, moving back to Forest's side. "Just humor me," he interjected before the farmer could protest. Lex once again ran his fingers over Forest's forehead, down the sides of his face, hovered along his throat, right at the edge of a blotchy bruise. "You feel so much better," he purred, excited. Seeing Forest fight off the fever's possessive hold had been more disheartening than he would have expected. His fingers trailed down farther, brushing against the exposed skin across Forest's chest. "Your heart feels good, too," he confirmed. "Beating nice and steady like a drum, mate. Brilliant." He lingered there, perhaps a bit too long before reluctantly pulling his hand away.<br/><br/>"You thirsty? Let me get you some water. Was tough getting it down your throat while you were hardly lucid." He smiled, that same bemused grin that had gotten him so many editorials in the past, and left Forest's room to retrieve some fresh boiled drinking water for the both of them.<br/><br/>Lex paused on the staircase when he came about Mason down in the living room, stretched out on the couch with a glass of amber liquid in his hand. "You boys did well today," the model complimented, having completely forgotten his tiff with Mason from the day prior. He bounded down the remaining stairs and fell onto the couch next to Mason, offering him a little stroke to his ego before he ran off to further tend to Forest.<br/><br/>"Wallis head to bed already?" he asked curiously, not seeing the big man in sight. Lex imagined he was eager to get some rest after a long day of physical labor. "Thank you for taking care of all that. Forest was so worried about the state of things, not able to go out and do it himself. Good of you to step up, mate. Oh, what do we have here? You find some liquid gold hiding among the pantries, did you?" His fingers danced along the edge of Mason's glass, tempted. "You gonna share a few drops?"