Arthur takes care of Ariadne when she's sick.
Sick Day
~ Arthur felt his cell phone go off in his pocket.
Thankful, as was his habit, he put it on vibrate, he waited until their new client stopped talking before excusing himself.
Their new client was a loud, self important man who thought every idea, if he had them, wouldn't fail. Since he had made billions this way, who was anyone to argue? But Arthur didn't care if he was rich or not. Rude was rude, and all the money in the world didn't buy that back.
He quietly excused himself from the discussion and ducked into the bathroom to check his texts.
'Can you come get me? If not, that's okay.'
He blinked and looked at who sent it. Not many people had his cell phone number and would even think of him at all.
Ariadne.
The Point Man felt his heart beat a little faster at the name. The Fisher job had scattered the team a few weeks ago and it took them all a while to get back together. Now in Paris for good, they were all working on a new job without her. Since Mal no longer haunted their extractor, Cobb could go back to building dreams himself.
But Arthur missed Ariadne. She kept them all... grounded somehow. More honest and faithful to their work. Also, she was a much needed distraction at times.
'Where are you?' he typed quickly into his smart phone and pressed send.
Was she stranded somewhere? It wasn't even noon yet, she couldn't be at some party with a drunk man trying to take her home. Was she hurt? Was someone stalking her?
His mind raced over these possibilities as she seemed to take forever to text him back.
Finally, his phone buzzed and lit up with her respond text.
'I'm at the college. I'm sick. I need a ride home and you're the only one I know with a car.'
He let out a small sigh of relief and felt a grin spread on his face. He hadn't smiled like that in a long time.
'I'm leaving now. Text you when I get there.' he texted back and quickly left the bathroom.
"Cobb, I'll need a personal day." he said hurriedly as he grabbed his jacket and started heading to the door.
"You? Take a day off?" Eames teased.
"Yes. I do that." Arthur said angry that their forger was going to start in on him again.
"I've never seen it." Eames said.
"Well, I've seen you slack off enough for everyone." Arthur said hatefully.
Eames gave him that shifty grin that meant he knew too much and Arthur left the meeting; taking the stairs two at a time down to street level.
~ The college wasn't a long drive away, but the traffic was hellish. Tourist, locals, delivery people, it made for a complicated obstacle course that kept him from Ariadne. Finally, he arrived at the school and had the challenge of finding a parking space. The city of lights was beautiful, magical and amazing in every way, but it didn't regard cars as well as America did.
In the end, he paid the fee to have his car parked in a pay garage and walked the few yards to the college.
He texted her he was there as he entered the trendy, rebuilt school with it's hordes of students everywhere.
Her text came back that she was in the administration building, in the health office.
His French wasn't what it should be to live in Paris, but the posts outside were in several languages, so he was able to find the right building and office.
He walked in to find their architect, not laying down on a cot, but sitting up in a chair in the waiting room, reading one of her text books. A tissue over her nose.
Several other students were there, taking advantage of the doctor who was on duty on school days. Each waiting to be seen in turn.
"Ariadne?" he whispered as the room was deathly quite.
She looked up at him as her eyes became wide with happiness.
"Hey!" she exclaimed. "You came!"
Her voice was groggy and she sounded more like a blues singer than her normal voice just now.
"Course I did." he tried not to smile.
"I'd hug you, but they said I've got a cold." she said as she dabbed her nose with the tissue and looked pitiful.
"I didn't want to walk home." she explained, somehow looking even more pitiful. "And you were the only one I knew who had a car."
"It's okay. I wasn't doing anything important." he told her convincingly. "Let's go home."
"Can we go by the pharmacy? I have a prescription." she said hopefully and showed him a piece of paper.
"Sure." he said.
~ "You paid to park? Why didn't you use the visitor's 20 minutes parking over there?" she asked once they were out on the street and walking to the garage.
Arthur looked to where she pointed, noticed the obvious free parking for guest who would be there for less than 20 minutes, and cursed himself.
"I wasn't sure how long I would be." he said brightly. "It's okay."
~ It felt good to have Ariadne in his car. Despite her sniffling, her obvious fever and her need to cling to a no doubt disgusting tissue, Arthur felt light hearted.
"You have a really nice car." she told him as she looked over the immaculate front and back seat.
He tried not to agree with her, but he took a lot of pride in his cars.
~ Back into the hideous traffic, he drove to the nearest pharmacy. Ariadne, not wanting to walk again, elected to stay in the car and listen to music as the Point Man went in.
"It will be a few minutes." the chemist told him in rough English.
The Point Man perused the little pharmacy and decided to pick up a few things to comfort the invalid. He wasn't sure what she would like, but thought PEOPLE would be alright. He got her an issue of some other gossip magazine, a bar of chocolate, some sugary soda, new box of tissue and another gossip magazine for good measure.
He was summoned to the pharmacy counter, where the chemist directed him on the cough syrup and fever medication she was to take.
"Make certain she gets enough rest and fluids. Take this every twelve hours." he was saying in his labored English. "Take two of the fever reducers now, as well."
"Thank you." Arthur whispered, paid the enormous sum for the drinks, magazines and medicine before returning to the car.
~ Ariadne had been half asleep when he came back. The Point Man grateful he had locked her in before going inside himself.
"How much do I owe you?" she sniffed and looked hopefully at her medicine.
"Don't be silly." he laughed and pulled out the cough syrup.
"Arthur." she moaned in irritation.
"He said to take a dose now..." the Point Man had to read the directions again. "Then in twelve hours. You may want to go to sleep after, so lets get you home."
She let out a sigh as he measured a bright yellow liquid into the included cap, and gave it to her.
Like taking a shot of whiskey, she swallowed and handed it back to him. The Point Man, unsure of what to do with a now dirty, germ filled, plastic medicine cup in his nice car, quickly stuffed it in the bag.
"Got you some more tissue. Throw that away." he ordered as he fished for the box.
His charge looked stupidly at her well used tissue and nodded in agreement. Throwing the tissue in a handy trash bag he kept in the car.
"Are these for me?" she asked as she took out the magazines. Her voice still sounding like she was suffering and couldn't breath.
"Yes." he said and started the car, ready to face the traffic agin.
~ Ariadne lived in a tiny apartment in the city. It would have been a walk to get home if she had missed her bus.
"I have to take a train and the bus to get home. I really appreciate this." she told him as they walked up the stairs.
The Point Man wanted to hold her hand, but it was clear she was running a fever. Her cheeks were bright pink as she labored under each step.
She looked tired and he felt sorry for her.
"Let's get inside. Are you hungry?" he asked.
"A little." she said pitifully and unlocked her door.
Arthur knew apartments in Paris were small, but hers was insanely small. Her living room and kitchen was essentially the foyer of a normal apartment. There was a small sofa against one wall, and a efficient kitchen until built into the wall opposite. A closet was built by the front door to provide the illusion that this place could be livable.
"I know it's small, but it's enough for me." she laughed and shrugged off her jacket.
The Point Man felt slightly embarrassed by his own judgements. Of course she was a college student and this might be the best she could afford.
"It's very cozy." he said at last.
The opposite wall was a pair of French doors that opened into a bedroom. The bedroom was much larger than the hallway-living-room-kitchen. She had a full sized bed, dresser and work desk there.
"Do you want to order in? Or shall I cook for you?" Arthur called out as she disappeared into the bathroom beside her bedroom.
He could actually cook very well, but upon snooping in the small, dorm size fridge, found she had little more than salad dressing, half and half, and yogurt.
"I normally order in from the deli across the street." her nasally, blues singer voice said as she snuck up behind him.
Arthur jumped and turned in surprise. She was already in her night clothes. A simple pajama set with kittens on them.
"I wasn't snooping." he lied.
She smiled.
"Arthur, you've been really sweet to take me home. I'll be alright." she told him.
"Well, let me put the drinks in the fridge so you'll have something. I can got down and get you something to eat from the deli you like. What do you want? You have to be starved."
She looked uneasy.
"Well, they make a nice chicken soup. Maybe a turkey sandwich for later." she said hopefully. "I mean, if I need to rest for the day."
Arthur felt elated.
"Alright, I'll go get you something to eat. You rest." he told her hopefully.
As he was leaving the door he turned back.
"Lock the door after me, don't let anyone in but me." he warned.
She hook her head and smiled.
"I know, Arthur." she said. "Thank you."
He waited to bound down the stairs for the sounds of her locking the door. When he heard the chain latch, he went, two at a time, down to the street.
~ He found her deli easy enough. It was a large one that not only cut meat, but was a restaurant and coffee shop. It was packed with young people and Arthur saw why.
The prices were great by any standard, and the serving sizes where generous. The Point Man had to figure they did so much volume in this area, it made up for the price cuts. He looked over the menu and ordered Ariadne her soup, her turkey sandwich and one for him to eat as well.
It was a fast moving place as his order was ready in less than a few minutes. The staff yelling orders over each other as they made salads, pizzas and more sandwiches.
The Point Man got Ariadne a cup of hot coco to go with her soup and went back to her apartment.
~ She let him back in and Arthur was pleased to see she had broken into the gossip magazines he had gotten her.
"Thank you!" she breathed as she took the large soup and fished into a drawer for a spoon.
"That place was busy!" Arthur said as he spied a picture int he magazine of a woman in a halloween costume. They both sat on her small sofa to eat lunch together.
"Lady Gaga." Ariadne told him and he nodded. He wasn't one for pop culture. "I've heard she's really nice in real life. She just dresses like that for her image.
He nodded, pretending to care.
"Do you want to watch a movie?" he offered. Hoping to buy some more time with her.
"I don't have a television." she said. "I watch Netflix on my computer." she amended.
"Sounds great." he smiled.
~ Lunch done, and five episodes into "Breaking Bad" Ariadne was nodding off.
"You need to go to bed." Arthur was whispering to her.
He was enjoying this show. It was very smart and he liked things that treated him with intelligence.
"No." she moaned in her tired, nasal voice.
"Ariadne, you're sick." he whispered and moved a strand of her hair off her warm face.
"I'm too hot." she said fitfully.
"You'll feel better after you've slept." he said and helped her to her feet.
He tucked her into bed as though she were a child.
"I'm scared to be alone." she whispered as she body seemed to melt into the mattress and she was nearly asleep.
"I'll stay in the living room." he whispered as she started to snore.
~ Her sofa wasn't large enough to sleep on comfortably, but the Point Man made do. His feet dangled off the side as he watched the rest of "Breaking Bad". Making a mental note to get a Netflix account as soon as possible and finish the season.
He could hear her snoring loudly in the bedroom and soon fell asleep himself.
~ "Arthur?"
The Point Man didn't want to wake up.
It was too early and he wanted to sleep. His was uncomfortable, but he wanted to sleep.
"Arthur?" came a rough, yet feminine voice.
He opened his eyes and saw Ariadne, her dark hair a mess, her kitty pajamas slept in.
"You fell asleep on the couch." she whispered.
He roused himself into a sitting position and looked up at her groggily. Her large windows showed it was night out.
"What time is it?"
"Late." she told him. "You need to go home."
"Are you going to be alright?" he asked feeling foolish as he put his shoes on.
"Of course I'll be fine." she said. "Thank you so much for taking care of me."
He stood, saw her cheeks were still a bright pink from her fever, and couldn't help himself.
He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. Her skin still warm, but he felt it was worth the exposure. She looked too perfect to not kiss.
"Take another dose of your medicine." he whispered as he got ready to go.
"I will." she promised.
"Don't open the door for anyone." he warned.
"I won't."
"Maybe we can go out for dinner when you're felling better." he asked as they stood on the threshold of her apartment.
"Alright." she agreed happily.
"Okay." he said and felt a warm rush of joy fill him.
"Get some rest." he ordered.
She nodded and closed the door. He waited to hear the locks turn in their places, even the deadbolt.
Feeling happy, the Point Man bounded down the stairs, two at a time, to his car.
~ END ~
Wrote this because I took a sick day today. When I was about 8, I remember my grandpa coming to my school to pick me up when I was sick. That was a rare event. I guess everyone else was at work.
Anyway, he took me to the doctor and then the pharmacy and bought me soda and a new Barbie doll. Then we went home and watched Donahue together and I think it was one of those times when I was really happy because I felt very loved.