Topic: A Fevered Awakening

Lisbeth Granger

Date: 2014-12-31 04:09 EST
28th December, 2014

It was just supposed to be a dinner date, a chance for Edward and Lisbeth to get to know each other better. Neither could have known how it would turn out, that Edward would have a relapse, his fever returning; that Lis would insist on taking him home to her bed, not for the usual reasons, but to take care of him and get his fever down. No one could have predicted any of these things, least of all Brynne, who had been against the date from the beginning for reasons of her own. It had been a long night for all of them - for Edward who was unaware what he'd said and done while lost in the throes of fevered dreams; for Lis, who had appointed herself his angel of mercy and who had hardly slept all night for fear his fever wouldn't abate; and for Brynne, whom Edward had told not to wait up, but who worried like a mother-hen over her elder brother.

The dreams, when they came, were particularly disturbing, though they made little sense, as feverish dreams rarely did. Bits of memory tied up with nightmares and fears that had him moaning in his sleep, until Lis somehow managed to calm him down. By the time morning came, the fever had broken, though he would have to take better care of himself over the next few weeks or chance another relapse.

It was a strange sort of waking for him, too. When he had settled down to sleep, it had been beneath three blankets and alone, with Lis settling herself in the next room on the couch. Yet when he woke, with the morning sunlight attempting to fight its way through the blind covering the nearby window, it was to find all but one of the blankets kicked to the bottom of the bed, and a very warm, very asleep Lis tucked close beside him. He had not been able to settle once the dreams had begun, calming only when she was in the room, and so she had given up at around 3 o'clock and simply climbed over him, sliding under the blankets to hold him as he finally slipped into peaceful slumber once again.

As soon as he was awake enough to realize he wasn't dreaming, he realized also that he wasn't alone. There was a warm body tucked up against his. His first thought was that it was Lila, as she sometimes snuck into his bed early in the morning to snuggle up or tickle him awake, but he knew right away that it wasn't Lila. The warm body beside his was no child, but a woman, warm and soft and close. He opened his eyes and turned his head to find not Lila or even Brynne beside him, but Lis, peacefully sleeping with one arm tucked almost protectively around him. He realized next that he wasn't in his own bed or even his own home, but he was slow to remember where he was or how he'd managed to get there.

Despite her own disturbed night, she stirred as he moved, the arm about him loosening but not letting go. Dark eyes blinked open slowly to meet his with a sleepy smile. "Buenos d"as, Eduardo," she murmured, shifting to gently touch his forehead, checking for any sign of the fever that had knocked him back so badly the night before.

He felt a little warm to her touch, but nowhere near the fevered heat of the night before. "What happened?" he asked, as she touched her fingers to his forehead. "Was I drunk" Did I pass out?" he asked, slow to recall the previous night's events that had led to this moment. He only just seemed to realize that he was nearly naked and flushed with heat of a different kind. "Oh, did we..." he broke off, too embarrassed to ask a question he should have known the answer to.

She smiled, shaking her head as she drew her hand back to brush her black hair off her face. "No, we did not," she assured him. "You collapsed at the restaurant with a fresh fever. I brought you back to my apartment and put you to bed, but you could not settle to sleep until I lay down with you."

"Oh," he said, almost disappointed, though if something was to happen between them, he wanted to be conscious enough to have remembered it. "Oh, gods!" he exclaimed suddenly. "Brynne will be worried sick!" Though he had told her not to wait up. "She's going to have my head!" he added, worriedly, looking around for his phone, which was most likely still in his coat pocket.

Lis laughed a little at the exclamation, rolling onto her back to stretch. "Your phone is beside you," she told him, indicating the bedside table. "I should make you something to eat." Without removing the covers from him, she made to slip out from under them herself, long legs making the trip over him a lot less embarrassing than it would have been if she'd been shorter.

He forgot the phone and his sister as she climbed over him, too aware of her presence to think of his sister just then. Part of him wanted to stop her, to keep her there, to hold her close a little bit longer. He almost wished he hadn't woken her, that he'd just laid there and watched her while she slept, quietly memorizing her face, but it was too late for that now. He realized again that he was half naked and tugged the covers up higher, though he had very little to hide that he thought was worth a second glance. "I, uh..." he stammered, unsure what to say now that the fever was no longer loosening his tongue.

It probably didn't help that she had dressed for bed before joining him, comfortable in a soft cotton chemise and very little else. She paused as he spoke, turning to look down at him, and took pity, understanding that he must be a little tongue-tied. Instead of leaving, she sat on the edge of the bed, reaching over to stroke the curls from his face. "You have nothing to be ashamed of, or concerned with," she promised him. "And in case you have forgotten ....I like you, Eduardo. And I would like to be more than a friend to you, if you wish it."

"You would?" he asked, only now remembering the bits of conversation from the previous night before he'd succumbed to the fever. "I would like that, too, Lis," he admitted, feeling a little embarrassed as the situation he found himself in, but also touched and grateful for her help. Another woman might have just shoved him in a cab and let his sister take care of things, but not Lis. She was too caring and compassionate for that. "Bloody hell!" he exclaimed, as he remembered something else, sitting up a little too quickly so that the blood drained from his face again. "The car!"

She swayed back as he sat upright, hands reaching automatically to hold him there as his face went abruptly pale, forgetting that perhaps he wouldn't be too comfortable to have her hands on his skin. "Is in a garage," she told him. "I had it moved last night, by a professional driver, into a secure garage not so very far from here." It had cost a ridiculous amount of money, but he'd warned her the night before how precious the car was to his cousin. "All is taken care of, I swear."

"Oh." He visibly relaxed a little, as if, once again, the car was more important than his own health. He wasn't thinking of the money now, but once he did, he'd offer to repay her for all her expenses and then some. He had the money, after all, sitting unspent in his bank account. "Thank you," he told her, not only for the car but for everything. She may have even saved his life, for all he knew.

"Do not worry so much," she told him, her smile warm and gentle, offering a tease that made her eyes sparkle with mischief for a moment. "You will make yourself ill."

Lisbeth Granger

Date: 2014-12-31 04:11 EST
"I'm not....I'm not worried," he told her, chuckling at himself a little and at the ridiculousness of the situation. "It's not every day I wake up in bed half naked beside a beautiful woman, only to find out I passed out."

She seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding in agreement, laughing with him. "Then I should give you something to make up for your disappointment," she said, that sparkle still in her eyes as she leaned forward to touch her lips to his. Perhaps it was forward, perhaps she was chancing her arm a little, but he was just too adorable not to kiss in that moment.

His eyes widened when she leaned forward to touch her lips to his in a very unexpected kiss, though he made no move to stop her. In fact, if anything, he reciprocated that kiss, his lips a little too warm, but soft and tender against hers, nonetheless. He touched his fingers to her face to gently stroke her cheek, the first kiss he'd shared with a woman since he couldn't remember when.

Blushing, she drew back, flustered by her own actions, by his response to her action. "I-I am sorry, I ..." She hesitated, glancing toward the door. "I should see about feeding you." And there, perhaps, was the biggest clue as to why she had never been on a date before last night. She had never learned to savor a tender moment without running away from it, certain that she had done something unforgivable.

He seemed to sense some fear and shyness on her part, and instead of letting her run away, he very gently turned her face back to his. "Did you enjoy it?" he asked, coming straight to the point, despite his own nervousness.

Surprised to find his fingers gently on her face, the flush on her cheeks deepened, embarrassed by the tremble she could feel in herself. Her eyes searched his, looking for the laughter or the rejection she had grown accustomed to and not finding it at all. And to her surprise, she found herself answering him honestly, in spite of her uncertainty. "S"," she said softly, catching herself a little late. "I mean, yes." Her gaze flickered to his lips once again. "Yes, I did. Did ....did you?"

"Yes," he replied just as softly, his turn this time to lean close and offer a kiss, the second between them, the first of his own accord. The kiss he offered was soft and sweet and all too short, but he didn't want to overwhelm her or scare her off, and he was still feeling too weak to give it his all.

She warmed to him only too easily, drawing her fingers down over his sides as he kissed her, a soft sound rumbling in her throat that might almost have been a human purr. Far from scared off, she seemed deeply reassured, brushing a last kiss of her own to his lips before he could draw too far away. She gazed into his eyes for what felt like an eternity in a heartbeat, finally drawing back to murmur to him. "You wanted to call your sister," she reminded him softly, wanting nothing more herself than to crawl back beneath the sheets and trade kisses, as though that would restore his strength better than any meal she might make,

He seemed in no hurry either, happy to sit there endlessly staring into her eyes, but his sickness wasn't going to allow it, not yet. He found himself having to stifle a shiver, despite the warmth of her kisses, wishing he had something more comfortable to wear than the suit he arrived in, but he also knew he wouldn't be able to stay here very long. His sister wasn't going to be very happy with him as it was, and he had no idea how she was going to react once she found out he and Lis had further blurred the lines between employer and employee. He frowned a little as he was reminded of that fact. "I suppose I should. She'll be worried."

She frowned back at him, feeling him shiver. "Call her, but stay in bed," she told him. "Tell her I will come by later, to pick up some of your things. You are not traveling while you are unwell, it is too risky."

He frowned back at her, before reaching for his phone. "You're her maid, not my nurse. She's not going to like it," he warned, though if he knew Brynne like he thought he did, she'd be more concerned for his health than her own breakfast. "Lis, this is my fault. I'll take the blame."

She held his gaze for a long moment. "I won't let you travel while you are ill," she told him. "I will work something out with Miss Granger - meals are not so difficult, and I would not be gone long from you."

He thought she was being a little over-protective, but he didn't want to argue with her. What was with the women in his life always trying to henpeck him' Or was it just that they cared about him so much' They were probably right, anyway. If he'd listened to them, maybe he wouldn't have gotten himself in this mess to begin with, though the prospect of staying in Lis' bed a while longer wasn't exactly an unpleasant one. "Don't worry. I'll handle it," he assured her, checking the time on his phone before he scrolled through the names for Brynne's number.

She nodded, rising to her feet once again, tucking a second blanket over him before she moved to leave the room. She knew she was being a little unreasonable, but then, she had seen the state he was in last night. Just traveling from the restaurant to her apartment had knocked him out, and after sharing a kiss or three, she wasn't prepared to risk his health any further. Brynne Granger might be about to find out that her mild-mannered maid had teeth.

He was grateful for the blankets, not only for their warmth but for the fact that they covered his near nakedness. How he wished he had met her six months or even a year ago, before he'd fallen ill, before he'd lost Zahan, before Ebola had scorched its way through West Africa, but then he wouldn't be the man he was now, and it was this Edward she seemed attracted to, though he had no bloody idea why. He waited for Brynne to pick up the phone, tapping a finger against the phone nervously. Remember, you are the eldest, not the other way around, he told himself. You are a man, not a child.

The phone rang about three times before it was picked up, and it wasn't Brynne who answered. "Hello Juniper Lodge Lila speaking," was declared in a breathless rush down the phone line, the little girl's grin audible.

Edward breathed an almost audible sigh of relief at the voice on the other end of the phone. "Lilabean! It's me, Uncle Teddy. Is your mom there?" he asked, which was another way of asking, "Is your mom mad at me?"

Lisbeth Granger

Date: 2014-12-31 04:11 EST
"Uncle Teddy!" In the background, Brynne's voice was suddenly very present. "Lila, don't you dare hang up when you're done talking!" There was a pause as presumably Lila nodded her agreement, and the little girl turned her attention back to the phone in her hands. "Mummy's here, and she wants to talk to you, and did you have fun last night?"

He winced at the sound of his sister's voice in the background, hoping she'd give him a moment to explain before she gave him a piece of her mind. "No, yes..." He sighed again. "It's complicated. You'd better give her the phone so I can explain."

"Okay." At least Lila was biddable these days - Edward had missed her rebellious pre-teens. There was a clatter as the phone was handed over, and Brynne's voice came onto the line. "Teddy' Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine, Bree. I'm sorry I didn't call or come home last night. I had a bit of a setback," he started, hoping she hadn't lost any sleep over him. He had told her not to wait up, after all.

Brynne's frown was as audible as her daughter's grin had been. "What kind of setback?" she asked worriedly. She'd sat up until two o'clock, until fatigue had finally sent her to bed, and discovering that he still wasn't home this morning had not improved her temper. "Where are you?"

"I'm at Lis' place," he told her honestly. "I-I guess I've been doing too much lately, and I almost passed out at the restaurant so she took me back here, and I just woke up a little while ago," he explained all at once in one long and winding sentence. "I'm sorry, Bree. I don't mean to worry you." Though she couldn't see his face, she could hear the apology and the sincerity in his voice and knew her brother well enough to know he wasn't a liar.

"You passed out?" Despite her formidable temper, Brynne did know what her priorities were. "Stay right there, I'll come and get you. I know I have her address around here somewhere, and there's a healer Jon knows who can come by and get you back on your feet again ..."

"Brynne, I'm not sick. I mean, I am....I was..." He sighed. "I just need to recuperate, that's all. I don't think a healer can help with that," he pointed out. "I just need some rest. I've been doing too much with the holidays and all. It's my own fault."

"All right, then," she conceded, trusting him not to lie to her about that, anyway. "I'll be 'round in ....oh, blast, Lila's got football practice ....Give it about three hours, and I'll come and get you. Do you need me to get Jon's car back here?"

"Brynne, I'm fine. Really, I am," he insisted, though he had a feeling Lis would disagree. She didn't want him going out in the cold, which meant he'd have to stay here. It wasn't such a terrible prospect really, but he had a feeling Brynne wouldn't be too happy about it. "Lis already arranged to have the Bentley taken home," he replied, debating just telling her flat out that he wasn't going anywhere. He was her older brother, after all, but he didn't want to hurt her feelings. He knew she was just trying to do what she deemed best for him.

"Okay, so the car's taken care of, good." Brynne very carefully kept her opinion of Lis to herself. As a cook and housekeeper, she could find no fault with the woman, but the first time she'd been out alone with Edward, he had collapsed. That had not done much for Brynne's opinion of the prospective match. "Just take care, okay' I'll be 'round later."

"Okay," he replied, not wanting to argue with her. Truth be told, the phone call alone was exhausting, though he wasn't sure if it was because he was worried about his sister's opinion of him seeing Lis or because of the fever. He wondered if a healer was a good idea or not. Could a healer help, or would seeing a healer just be a waste of time" "Try not to worry, all right?" he said, trying in his own way to reassure her.

His sister snorted a little derisively before catching herself. "I'll try," she said, a little apologetically. "You take care of yourself. Properly, this time. Okay?"

"Yes, ma'am. Promise," he replied obediently, dutifully, and sincerely - not that he had any choice, really. He lacked the strength and energy to do much more than lay around in bed, anyway.

"Good. I'll see you later, Teddy." Abrupt as always, she hung up before he could say anything further, leaving him in silence. In the room beyond, Lis was audible in the kitchen, and the smells certainly suggested he was getting more than just dry toast for his breakfast. How had he managed to get himself stuck between two women who only wanted to look after him"

He sank back against the pillows with a groan, the phone still in his hand, though Brynne had already hung up. He was asking himself that very same question, wondering what he was going to tell Brynne when she got here. It was almost easier just to do as she said, but as well-meant as Brynne was, she wasn't a nurse. How had he gotten himself into this mess? It was a like a tug-of-war between the two women, both with his best interests in mind, or so it seemed, but with different ways of going about it. Well, at least something was smelling far better than broth or dry toast for his breakfast.

It had a distinct meaty smell, and indeed, when Lis reappeared, the tray she presented him with contained a plate laden with sausage, bacon, tomato, and fried potatoes. A smaller plate held a couple of toasted muffins; there was a small pot of butter, together with two different types of jelly if he wanted them; and a steaming mug of black coffee.

It was more food than he'd eaten in a long time - more food than he was likely going to be able to fit in his shrunken stomach - but it smelled divine and had his stomach growling loudly at once. "I don't think she's very happy with me," he admitted with a frown, despite the array of food Lis had set in front of him. He set the phone on the table beside him, forgotten for the moment. "You're going to spoil me," he said, that frown turning into a faint smile.

"I doubt that," she smiled back to him, pulling a rather ingenious pair of legs out from the base of the tray to set it down comfortably over his thighs. "And I do not think she is unhappy with you, Eduardo. Concerned, I do not doubt, but I do not think she will be angry with you. She loves you very much, it is very clear to see."

Lisbeth Granger

Date: 2014-12-31 04:12 EST
"She thinks I should see a healer," he murmured quietly, sitting up a little straighter so that he could eat his breakfast without making a mess. "She's going to think I'm an idiot, going on a date when I haven't fully recovered. I don't think she likes the idea of my seeing you," he admitted worriedly, as he poked at his bacon. "This smells delicious," he added, as if an afterthought, his stomach grumbling again to agree with him.

Lis shook her head, choosing not to comment on Brynne's approval or disapproval. She had a feeling her employer would only be too glad to make her feelings known on the matter at the first opportunity. "A healer is not appropriate," she said quietly. "As I understand it, a patient must first have a certain amount of strength within them for the healing to take place. Since a lack of strength is your problem, I do not believe a healer would be able to do anything but recommend that you take things easier for a while."

"Yes, well....It would be nice if someone could wave a magic wand and make me all better. I'm sure that would make Brynne happy anyway," he said, that frown in place again. He really didn't want to be any trouble or for anyone to make such a fuss over him, but it seemed he was incapable of taking care of himself, for some reason, or he wouldn't be in this situation to begin with. He cut into his sausage first, just because it was so tempting. He had a feeling this was exactly what he needed - to get a little rest and to put some of the weight back that he'd lost.

"Resting does not mean you must stay in bed, or do nothing all day," Lis assured him softly, perching herself at the end of the bed comfortably. "All it means is listening to your body. When you feel tired, sit down or lie down; when you want to be up and moving, do not throw yourself into something terribly energetic straight away. Small steps, little and often, will get you where you want to be faster than trying to do everything at once."

He washed down a few bites of sausage with a bit of coffee, grateful for real food he could chew for once and not soups and broths. "I've been thinking," he started, as he skewered a bit of fried potato onto a fork. "I've got volumes of notes and photographs I've taken over the last decade or so. What do you think about a book?"

"You mean like a memory?" she asked, frowning as she caught the wrong word. Her hand waved in circles as she groped for the right word, unable to find it. "I know that is not right. Uh ....a memory book, a collection of stories of your life, your work, yes?"

"Memoirs, yes," he corrected, though he wasn't quite sure if that was exactly what he had in mind or not. He'd certainly had to make it interesting or no one would want to read it, but the real point of it would be educating people about the continuing problems of life in Africa, or at least, the poorer areas of Africa, where people were struggling every day just to survive. "It would give me something to do while I recuperate," he explained, knowing that if all he had to do everyday was watch the world go by, he was going to be bored very quickly.

"It would," she agreed, mentally noting the word memoirs. "Something to keep your mind busy, while your body recovers, is a very good idea. And when you are a little stronger, you should begin a little exercise to help build your muscles. But only when you are stronger." Her lips curved into a smile that seemed to understand how frustrating it was to be mothered. "I am sorry, I should not be telling you what to do. I will stop."

"No, it's all right," he said. "Maybe I need someone to tell me what to do once in a while," he admitted with a thoughtful frown, before skewering another hunk of sausage. He was making short work of breakfast anyway, but it was doubtful he was going to be able to clean his plate.

"But that someone is not me," Lis smiled ruefully, laughing a little. "I am sorry for the way I spoke to you earlier. If you wish to go home, then of course you should. I did not mean to suggest that I would hold you here against your will in any way."

Edward frowned, a little disappointed at her insistence that it shouldn't be her to take care of him or tell him what to do. What was he doing here then" Had he misunderstood her when she'd said she wanted to be more than just friends" "I don't understand," he said, lowering his fork, a confused expression on his face.

Her own confusion showed on her face in response to his. "I ..." She hesitated, having to think very hard to find the words in the correct language to try and make herself understood. "It is not that I do not want to look after you," she ventured, "but that it is not my place to. I have no claim on you but my hopes, and I have no wish to push myself on you if you want to go home to your sister and to Lila."

He sighed, setting his fork aside, feeling torn between his sister and niece, and this lovely young woman who he was starting to care for and whom he thought was starting to care for him. "Why do I have to choose?" he asked quietly. He had assumed he'd return home in a day or so, when he was feeling a little better, but now he thought maybe he should just go home to his own bedroom, rather than cause a fuss between them.

"You should not," she said awkwardly, looking down at her hands. Honesty did not come easily to her around men, but she made an effort, nonetheless. "I am frightened," she admitted softly. "That you will grow tired of me, that you will become angry with me for looking after you. I do not know what to do, Eduardo. I want very much to see you well again, and to have a hand in your recovery, but it does not matter what I want, does it' It is your life, and your choice, and I do not want to make the choice difficult for you."

"And I don't want to be the reason you lose your job," he pointed out, wishing he'd never caused such a complicated mess for her. The important part was that he got well again so that he could do all the things he wanted to do, and one of those things was get to know her better. In the end, it wasn't up to Lis or to Brynne to make him better; it was up to him.

"You would not be the reason," she told him in a gentle tone. "If it were to happen, I do not think Miss Granger would be so very foolish as to have such a vindictive reason for sending me away. You should not worry so. You should only be concerned with getting better."

Lisbeth Granger

Date: 2014-12-31 04:13 EST
"Lis, I meant what I said before. I like you a lot, and I want to get to know you better. It has nothing to do with my illness or my sister. You're the first person I've felt a connection with in a very long time, and I'd be a fool to ignore that," he told her, fingers itching to reach out and touch her hand, but holding himself back.

"I meant it, too," she promised him, her voice quiet but fierce as she looked into his eyes. "I do not know what to do. I have never felt this way, for anyone, and I am already making mistakes."

He offered a warm smile her way, looking a little tired, but needing her to understand how he felt. "You haven't made any mistakes, Lis," he reassured her, reaching for her hand now, though it was difficult with a tray of food separating them. "You're not going to lose me, not unless you want to. I promise," he told her, meeting her gaze with one that was as sincere as her own.

Her fingers curled into his as she edged closer, keeping him from needing to lean so far forward over the tray between them. "Then ....then you will stay?" she asked hesitantly. "At least until you are well enough to travel safely?"

"If you think it's best, then yes. I trust you, Lis. I put myself completely into your hands, until I am better," he told her, his smile softening as she took his hand. He'd deal with Brynne later.

A shy smile touched her face. He trusts me. It was one thing to be trusted; quite another to have someone she was beginning to care about say it to her without needing to be prompted. "Thank you," was her answer, her fingers gently squeezing his, not realizing that he had essentially given her leave to order him about until he was fully healthy once again. "You should eat," she told him, her smile deepening with amusement to hear herself beginning that process so soon.

"Is that an order?" he asked, with a growing grin of his own. It amused him to hear her give him orders and somehow, it didn't bother him so much as it did coming from his mother or his sister, though he was sure they all had good intentions. He would have kissed her again, but that would have to wait until he was feeling a little more lively. For now, it was all he could do just to find enough energy to feed himself.

Grown in confidence with just a little reassurance, Lis giggled quietly, hiding her own grin behind her hand for a moment. "If you do not eat, I will have to feed you," she teased him, mischief setting her dark eyes sparkling in the morning sunshine.

Though he said nothing about it, he thought those were the most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen. Dark and mysterious and as lovely as she was. "I'm not sure I can eat all this," he admitted, letting go of her hand finally so that he could finish his breakfast - or at least, most of it.

"You do not have to eat it all," she assured him, a fond tone in her voice for the concern he showed. "But no more soup, no more broth, no more omelettes. You will have more appetizing food from now on, even if I have to protect your plate with a carving knife."

"But I like omelettes!" he pointed out, with a frown. Eggs had to be good for him, weren't they' He made no argument about the soups and broths, which he could do without. He wanted food he could chew. He took up a muffin and began spreading butter and then jam on top of it. Even if he could only get half of it down, it was better than nothing.

She laughed. "Do you like Spanish omelette?" she asked him then, though she wasn't sure if he had ever come across that particular variation. It was certainly more filling than a standard omelette, that was for sure.

"I don't know. I've never had one," he admitted before taking a bite out of the muffin, followed by another swallow of coffee. "Do you think I should ask Brynne to bring a change of clothes?" he asked, realizing he was still in only his underwear. It would never do for her to see him like that, or she might get the wrong idea entirely. He'd at least have to put a t-shirt and pants on or something.

"I think you would like it," Lis nodded, already determining to test it out on him at some point soon, anyway. His mention of clothing brought her eyes wandering down over his chest, hastily dragging her gaze back to his face, cheeks burning with shy embarrassment. "Did she say when she is coming?" Because there was no doubt that Brynne Granger was coming, Lis was sure of that.

"A few hours, she said. Lila has football practice," he answered, taking another bite of that muffin, enjoying the buttery-jammy goodness. He guessed Lis already knew Brynne and Lila's schedule even better than he did. Football meant European Football, not the kind of thing that Americans knew as football.

"Oh, of course." She nodded, relaxing a little. "Then we can have you dressed in at least your pants and shirt before she arrives," she assured him, though she had a feeling he was going to be asleep when his sister showed up. He had all the signs of a man who only just had the energy to eat and use the facilities before he passed out again.

Edward frowned at the thought of putting any part of that suit back on. It reminded him of their date the night before and how he'd ruined it. "I'm terribly sorry about last night, Lis. I was running a fever all day yesterday, but I didn't want to disappoint you by canceling. It was just a slight fever. I thought I'd be fine," he confessed.

She shook her head, smiling gently. "You should not feel you have to apologize for being ill, querido," she told him firmly. "I enjoyed myself, even toward the end. And I believe I did say that it all depended upon your idea of what it is that makes a successful date. After all ....you did sleep in my arms."

He smiled a little at the term of endearment, knowing enough Spanish to know what it meant, a little embarrassed at the reminder of their sleeping arrangements, though nothing had passed between them, but a few fairly innocent kisses. "I wish I could remember that part," he admitted quietly.

"It will be repeated," she promised him, just as quietly as he had spoken. After all, she had already slept beside him once; where was the harm in continuing to do so, especially since her presence seemed to have calmed him even in his fever" "Do you need to use the bathroom?"

"I probably do, don't I?" he asked in reply, not expecting an answer. After all, he'd been sleeping most of the night and he'd yet to relieve himself. He assumed she wasn't so interested in his bathroom habits so much as she was in helping him get there, and he had to remind himself that she was a nurse. He wasn't going anywhere, however, until she moved the tray from his lap.

Lisbeth Granger

Date: 2014-12-31 04:14 EST
Well, that was certainly true. Satisfied that he seemed to have finished eating for now, at least, Lis moved to rescue him from where he was pinned to the bed by the tray, slipping quickly out of the room to set it down in the kitchen before she returned. She pulled a large bathrobe from behind the door. "This should fit you," she told him warmly. "It has always been too big on me."

His fever had abated enough that he was able to swing his legs off the bed, scowling a little at the over-sized bathrobe that threatened to make him look like a squashed lemon, but then it was better than walking around in just his underwear. He'd couldn't deny that he was taller than her, though he weighed quite a bit less than was normal for him. At least it wasn't pink. So long as his sister didn't see him in it, he thought it would do for now.

She made no move to help him, allowing him the freedom to move himself as he liked and was able to, understanding that he didn't want to be coddled as much as she would have liked to. She did, however, laugh at the scowl on his face. "You will look lovely, I am sure."

It wasn't that so much as the fact that he was once again acutely aware of being clad only in his underwear. "Somehow, I get the feeling that you're enjoying this a little too much," he said, reluctant to slide out of the covers for fear she'd see more of him than he'd like right now.

"Am I not supposed to like looking at you?" Lis asked with deceptive innocence, her smile just a little too mischievous to keep up that pretense. She offered him the robe. "You could always put this on before you stand up, querido."

"I have to reach it first," he pointed out. There wasn't much room to maneuver in the small room and she was only a few feet away, but in order to put the robe on before he got off the bed, he was going to either have to reach for it or she was going to have to meet him halfway.

Giggling a little at the obvious statement, she moved to the bed, holding the robe out to help him into it. The lemon yellow didn't do much for his fevered complexion, but then, Lis wasn't really paying much attention to that. Despite his lack of build at the moment, she was still finding herself very effected by the sight of his bare chest, blushing dark as she dragged her eyes back to his face. "Would you like help?"

"No, I think I can handle it," he said, pushing slowly to his feet to slide his arms into the sleeves of the robe. It did nothing for his coloring, and he was too ill to blush, even if he was embarrassed. He couldn't help but notice her blush, however, and wondered at it. He knew he wasn't much to look at, at least, not these days.

She couldn't help reaching out to assist in tying the thing about his waist. It might have been an unflattering color, but it was warm, which made all the difference. "It is not far to the bathroom," she assured him, clearing her throat when she realized her voice had gone ever so slightly hoarse just from looking at him.

He wasn't quite sure why she was clearing her throat except that she seemed embarrassed for some reason, though he was the only who was hardly dressed. "Um, I'll just be a moment," he said, once she had the robe tied about his waist.

Lis nodded, stepping back to gesture toward the door that led into a tiny bathroom. It was just big enough to hold a sink, a toilet, and a shower cubicle. At least he wouldn't be able to fall over; there wasn't much floor to fall on.

He got the feeling her eyes were following him as he made his way to that tiny bathroom and slipped inside, closing the door behind him. As much as she'd seen already, he didn't want to embarrass himself further by her seeing more of him than either of them were ready for.

At least while he was wearing the robe, they both had the same number of layers on, though Lis would reluctantly have to get dressed sooner rather than later. With Edward doing what needed to be done, however, she turned her attention to making the bed, refreshing the sheets and plumping the pillows before laying the blankets smooth once again. At the very least, she could make sure that he was comfortable, after all.

He didn't have the strength yet to shower, but he did wash up enough to make himself halfway presentable, even though all he was doing was going back to bed. He wasn't sure why he was feeling so weak again, when he'd thought he'd been on the mend, but his body seemed to be telling him to rest, and he dared not ignore the warning this time around. He emerged from the bathroom looking a little more pale than when he'd entered, but at least he felt relieved and a little refreshed. "Do you know how much I've missed a regular bathroom?" he asked as he returned to the bedroom.

"As much as you have missed normal food?" she asked, straightening from her lean over the bed to turn and look at him. Concern flickered in her dark eyes, but she didn't mention the pallor of his skin. working hard at not smothering him with care.

Thankfully, there was a chair nearby, which he lowered himself into while she finished making the bed. Besides, he couldn't just lay in bed all the time, could he" From the look on his face, there was something on his mind though, besides normal food and bathrooms. "I should be sleeping on the couch," he said - if she even had a couch.

"No, you should not," she insisted once again, bending over the bed to finish her self-appointed chore, hospital corners and all. "The couch is far too small, and you would not be comfortable to sleep there." Her hand self-consciously tugged the hem of her nightdress down over the pink flash of her shorts as she straightened up. "Would you like another drink?"

Once he was settled, he couldn't help noticing her legs or the way her nightdress was trying to creep up every time she moved this way or that. He tried to avert his gaze so as not to embarrass her further, but it was hard not to notice, and especially hard not to find that flash of leg enticing. "If I have any more coffee, I'll be shaking harder than an earthquake," he replied with a faint smile at his small attempt at a joke.

She laughed, moving to crouch beside him. One hand gently brushed the curls from his forehead as she felt his skin. "I have juice and water," she pointed out warmly. "I would not feed you exclusively on coffee, or you will never sleep." The sweep of her hand touched not just his forehead, but his cheek and jaw, too, in a tender touch that seemed as shy as her smile.

He looked almost boyish as he met her gaze, a small frown on his face when she touched him, though he was not sad, only thoughtful. Her touch did something to him, though he couldn't quite understand what it was. Her hand was soft and cool, her touch soothing, comforting even. "You are too kind, Lis," he told her quietly, unable just how to put his feelings into words.

Her lips quirked into a soft smile as she shook her head, letting her hand come to rest against his leg. "I do not think there is such a thing," she said quietly, other hand brushing her hair out of her eyes once more. "I need to shower. Will you be all right out here" I will not be long."

He wished he could join her, but not only was it too soon for that, but he doubted he'd be able to remain on his feet long enough. "I'll be fine," he replied, tempted to kiss her as she leaned close, but content for now just to bask in her presence. "Thank you, Lis," he told her, his voice quiet with sincerity.

"It is my pleasure, Eduardo," she promised him, moving to her feet once again. "I will fetch you a glass of water before I shower," she added, bending to open a plastic crate she pulled out from under the bed. From it, she produced her clothing for the day before nudging the thing back under the bed once again. "Do not hesitate to call for me, if you have need. Yes?"

"Yes," he replied, feeling a little torn about his circumstances. On the one hand, he didn't mind being here with her, but he would have preferred it to be under other circumstances. He had a feeling he was going to have to make a decision sometime soon about whether he was going to stay or go home to Brynne and Lila.

She smiled once again, rising with an armful of clothing. Perhaps it was close quarters in her pokey little apartment, but she felt comfortable with him in a way she had not with anyone else. Even though he was ill, he was good company, and that was something Lisbeth had been missing for a very long time. But for now, she needed to wash, to fortify herself against the arrival of Brynne, which Lis did not think was going to be a pleasant sort of encounter in the slightest. She just hoped that Edward was going to sleep through whatever she and his sister had to say to one another.

He watched her go, missing her already, though all she was doing was taking a shower. She wasn't gone long, but by the time she got out, he was already curled up in bed, fast asleep, the illness getting the best of him, despite himself.

Lis smiled when she returned, glad to see him sleeping of his own accord. Now she just had to convince him to rest for a few days. Somehow.