Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 135652 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 543(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135652 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 543(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
He opens the only eye available and tries to lift his head. “Gwen?”
“I’ve been worried, you’re burning up.” I say this quietly and cautiously, hoping he doesn’t get angry for my being here. “What’s wrong?”
He coughs, it sounds like it rattles in his chest on its way up. “Flu.”
“You promise?” I brush the hair away from his sweaty forehead. “Swear it.”
He rolls onto his side, moaning pitifully, “I swear.”
“Okay, I’m going to get medicine.”
“Kay,” he mumbles and closes his eyes once more.
I don’t waste time, I reach the kitchen as fast as my legs can carry me and start rummaging through the medicine box. I find the usual pain killers and nasal sprays so I round those up with a bottle of lukewarm water. My hands tremble the entire time I’m rushing around.
Honestly… I’m terrified.
Who can blame me?
He’s still in the same position when I get back upstairs, curled up on his side, snivelling through his blocked nose.
“Hey,” I say softly and switch on the lamp by his bed. He moans loudly and buries his head under his quilt. “Baby.”
“What do you want?”
“I’ve got you medicine and water and some of those weird cracker things that you like.”
“Not hungry,” he grumbles, sounding childlike and actually kind of cute.
“You can’t take painkillers on an empty stomach,” I say this firmly, letting him know there’s no room for argument. I’m not taking any chances. “Please.”
“Ugh,” he says and sits up slowly. I fluff his pillows behind him and hand him a packet of tissues.
“You shouldn’t be near me, you’ll get ill,” he says, his eyes heavy and hooded. Dark rings beneath them making him look as ill as he probably feels. “The baby.”
I shake my head, “I had a flu shot a few weeks ago. They give them out when you’re pregnant like leaflets.” I hand him the packet of crackers and hold a napkin under his chin whilst he eats to catch the crumbs.
“I don’t want to eat anymore,” he states after having only two bites. “My throat hurts.”
“Stop being such a guy,” I smile softly and move the crackers back to the tray. “Here,” I pop two pills into his hand, almost sighing when I see the gloves. He doesn’t even take them off to sleep. That’s just weird.
After watching him sip them down he lies back down and tries to pull the blanket over his head. “Go back downstairs.”
“One more thing,” I wave the long and thin digital thermometer at him with a smirk.
He blanches, “Not a fucking chance.”
Snort, “Relax, it’s for under your arm.”
“That’s the baby thermometer.”
“I’m sure he won’t mind,” I go to touch his arm, he flinches away. Right, the hand thing. But he didn’t flinch away when I brushed his hair from his forehead. How strange. I somehow manage to wriggle it into the crease where his arm is pressed to his chest. After a few moments it beeps frequently.
Forty one…. FORTY ONE!
“Where are you going?” Nathan calls as I grab the tray and rush from the room.
I have to bring his fever down. This is all too familiar, all too close to home.
“What now?” Nathan sighs, his N sounding more like a D. “Can’t you just leave me alone?”
“Are you naked?” I ask and pull the blanket down his back.
“Why? Do you want me to be?” He attempts to smile but it looks more like a grimace.
“Shut up,” I place two thick and clean towels onto the bed beside him, he watches me through a small gap between his lids. He doesn’t look impressed, only irritated. I really don’t care. “Lie on here, on your back.”
“Why?”
“Now, or I’ll move you and you look heavy. Not a good idea for me.”
His sluggish limbs shuffle him onto the towel, I’m glad to see he’s doing as he’s told. His eyes hold mine as I grab a folded damp flannel and place it on his forehead, being careful to not touch his skin with my hands. “How are you feeling?”
“Worse than I look,” he cringes as I lay another damp flannel over his neck. “Why are you doing this?”
“You don’t look that bad,” I ignore his question and stare at his skin as it instantly tightens, tiny goose bumps form along the surface.
“Are you done yet?”
My head swings back and forth. Nope. I’ll never be done. Not until his fever has gone and I’m satisfied that his heart is going to continue beating. “Go to sleep.”
“Leave my room and I will.”
Ignorance is bliss. Well… it is at this point.
“I told you to leave.”
“No.”
His brow quirks, making it vanish under the flannel, “No? This is my room.”
“Go to sleep, Nathan,” I whisper and remove the flannels from him after ten more minutes.
He rolls off the towels and pulls the blanket back up and over his head, my entire body is shaking. My gut is screaming at me. Maybe I should take him to the hospital. Just in case.