Author--Winnie
Disclaimer-I don't own these characters and no money is made from this fic.
Rating-K
Universe--The Firm
Characters—Chris Larabee, Vin Tanner, Nathan Jackson, Josiah Sanchez, Buck
Wilmington, Ezra Standish, JD Dunne.
Comments--Would love feedback. This is a Christmas story written for Shawna who
wanted a sick Chris H/C fic. Hope this fits the bill, Shawna. Thanks to Julie
for her medical help with this one. Thanks Antoinette for Beta reading it for
me. Thanks Muse for working your magic with the graphics once again...
ANGELS WATCHING OVER ME!!"As a Christmas angel you've been given a wonderful chance to go back and relive a special time in your life. It is up to you which one. The time of crisis we spoke of has arrived and you will be allowed to spend some time with him but it has to be something you both shared in life. New memories are not allowed."
She smiled as she thought of the man she loved and the child they'd produced. The first Christmas as a family. "I know where I want to go," she whispered, her quicksilver voice soft and lilting as she basked in the idea of being with her husband one final time.
M7M7M7M7M7M7M7
"Chris, why the hell didn't you just stay home?"
"Nathan," Larabee turned and grabbed for the box of tissues on his desk as a harsh cough tore from his lungs. "I'm fine. It's just a cold," he said as he turned back to the medic.
"Yeah, well, that cold's not gonna get any better if you don't start looking after it. Now why don't you let Vin drive you home and you can stop spreading your germs all over the office?" Jackson ordered.
"I said I'm fine," Larabee tried again, swallowing painfully against his sore throat.
"Chris?"
"Ah, hell, Nathan, I'm not in the mood to argue anymore. Vin!" he called.
"What?" Tanner asked as he stuck his head in the door. "Ya sound like shit, Cowboy," he grinned as his best friend started coughing once more.
"Thanks, Vin, you're all heart."
"Vin, I want you to drive Chris home and make damn sure he stays there," Jackson ordered.
"I don't need a babysitter," Larabee's scratchy voice mumbled.
"Come on, Chris, I'll get ya home and tuck ya in bed before I come back and finish that paperwork."
Larabee rubbed his aching head and nodded. "If it means you'll get the paperwork done then I'll go home to bed."
"Chris, take some Aspirin and don't come back until that cold is gone," Jackson ordered.
Larabee turned from the medic and reached for his heavy black jacket. He looked towards the window where snow continued to fall covering the town of Billings in a blanket of white. The brightly colored Christmas lights adorning most of the buildings and homes reminded him that Christmas was just a short four days away. The sound of Jingle Bells emanated from a small radio on JD Dunne's desk and Chris managed a small smile before once more breaking into a harsh bout of coughing.
"Aspirin and bed," Jackson called after the retreating man. "And plenty of fluids."
"Sure, Nathan," Larabee called as he stopped by Wilmington's desk and picked up the box of tissues, barely pulling two out in order to cover his nose as he sneezed four consecutive times.
"Damn, Stud, go home to bed."
"Don't you start, Buck," Larabee ordered as he walked towards the elevators, Buck's box of tissues still in his hands.
M7M7M7M7M7M7M7
"You sure you don't want me to stay, Chris?"
"Vin, I'm not a kid," he said as he closed the door of Vin Tanner's Jeep. "Look, I'm just gonna do as Nathan says and go to bed."
"Alright, Cowboy," Tanner grinned. "I'll come back and check on you after work."
Larabee nodded and wrapped his coat around his body, hitching up the collar in an effort to keep the thick flakes of snow from sliding down his neck. "Damn, it's cold," he shivered as he turned and hurried towards his house. He opened the door and walked inside, nodding to his friend that he could leave.
Chris watched the Jeep as it pulled out of his front yard and let the door close slowly behind him. He groaned as he pulled off his coat, his body a mass of aches and pains as he hung the jacket in the closet by the door. He held his chest as another bout of coughing struck him and swore loudly. He hurried to the kitchen fumbling for the bottle of Aspirin he kept there. He poured two into his hands and added another one for good measure. He grabbed a glass and poured water from the bottle in the fridge. He swallowed painfully and looked out his kitchen window.
Larabee smiled as he thought of the beautiful animal he kept there. He knew Pony was warm in the barn but he wanted to make sure. Grabbing his scarf he hurried out the door and pushed through the six inches of snow already on the ground. 'Nathan's gonna kill me,' he thought as he made his way to the barn, coughing harshly.
He felt the snow entering his shoes as he shuffled through it. He grabbed the door leading into the barn and entered quickly, shivering against the chill seeping into his bones. 'Damn, should've grabbed my coat,' he thought as he rubbed his hands briskly over his arms. "Hey, Boy, how're you doing?" he asked as he entered the clean, dry stall, smiling at the answering whinny from the beautiful horse. "Guess that means your alright," Larabee coughed again and held his chest. "Guess I should've done as Nathan told me," he smiled weakly as he brushed the shiny coat. "Sorry, Boy, I need to go lie down he rasped as he replaced the brush, made sure Pony had plenty of feed and patted the animal on the rump. "I'll get Vin to check on you when he comes out here," he explained as he turned to the door and hurried out into the cold morning snowstorm.
Once more he fought his way through the snow and made it into his house before his exhausted body gave out. He slid to the floor and waited for the room to stop spinning. Shivering and miserable he stood on shaky legs and stumbled towards his room.
He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled off his shoes and wet socks. He shivered and coughed as he pulled off his black turtleneck sweater and the black jeans he often wore. He stood up and pulled down the blankets, sliding his sick and feverish body into the warmth he knew he'd find there. He reached for the box of tissues on the night table and placed them on the bed within easy reach. He waited for the trembling to stop, coughing harshly as he tried to find a comfortable spot. Finally his body gave into the exhaustion and he slept, his raspy breathing the only sound in the quiet house.
M7M7M7M7M7M7M7
Vin pulled into the yard, amazed at the amount of snow that continued to fall. So far they'd accumulated nearly a foot of the fluffy white stuff and the weather man promised more would fall overnight. Larabee paid a man to come plough the snow from his driveway and Tanner was glad to see the job was already done. He turned to the man beside him as he stopped the Jeep. "Ya know he's gonna think you..."
"It doesn't matter what he thinks," Jackson interrupted. "The stubborn fool is probably in the barn or shovelling snow or some other stupid thing he thinks needs to be done no matter what."
Tanner smiled as the medic opened his door and climbed out. "I'll go check on Pony," he told the medic as they hurried towards the house.
"Alright, Vin," Jackson agreed as Vin used his key to unlock Larabee's home.
Nathan closed the door behind him and stepped into the darkened interior of the beautiful ranch house. He loved visiting Chris or Vin. The two men owned adjoining ranches and their friendship was an amazing thing to behold. There was no such thing as a property line between them, they did things together and now there was a tiny sapling growing between the two homes. A symbol of their friendship and a reminder that it could overcome anything. He shook the thoughts of the ordeal the two men had suffered the year before out of his head. "Chris," he called as he removed his coat and hung it in the closet. Receiving no answer he moved towards Larabee's living room only to find it deserted, a shiver of dread tingling down his spine.
He moved towards the bedroom he knew Chris occupied and looked into the room. The harsh breathing told him he'd been right to insist on checking on the older man himself. He hurried to the bed just as a series of hacking coughs issued from the blond.
"Chris," he said as he sat on the edge of the bed and touched his boss's forehead. "Dammit, you're burning up," he hissed as a pair of glazed green eyes slowly opened.
"Nate..." Larabee tried but his voice came out as a weak whisper. He grabbed for the tissues as he was again overcome with coughing.
"I knew I should've insisted you go to the hospital," Jackson hissed as he stood to call Vin Tanner.
"It's just a d...damned cold," Larabee wheezed.
"Well we're going to the hospital and we'll let the doctors decide if it's just a damned cold or not," Jackson snapped as he brought the extra blanket up over the shivering man.
"Don't n...need to go to the h...hospital," Larabee insisted through another series of coughs.
"Chris."
Larabee looked to the door as Vin Tanner entered the room. "Vin, Pony alright?" he asked knowing the sharpshooter would've checked on the animal while Nathan tended to him.
"Pony's fine. How're you feeling?"
Larabee tried to lift his head off the pillow and tried to sit up, groaning as the room once more did an impression of a merry-go-round. He felt strong hands push him back onto the bed.
"You just lie there. Vin, help me get him dressed," Jackson ordered.
"What's wrong, Nate?"
"I want to take him to Saint Vincents and get him checked out."
"Dammit, N...Nathan, I said it's j...just a cold," Larabee wheezed.
"Why don't you just humor me and I'll apologize for dragging you out in the cold as soon as the doc tells me it's just a damned cold," Jackson said as he helped Tanner dress the older man. They placed him back on the bed and Jackson covered his shivering form with a blanket. "Vin, go warm up the Jeep while I get his coat on him," Jackson ordered.
Tanner looked at the pale, coughing form on the bed and nodded to the medic as he hurried from the room.
Larabee couldn't find the strength to argue anymore and just let the medic have his way. The pounding of his head made his stomach churn and he kept his eyes closed.
"Chris, we need to get your coat and shoes on," Jackson said as Tanner came back into the room.
"The Jeep's ready. Hey, Cowboy, how're you doing?" he asked as they helped Larabee sit up and slid his boots on his feet.
"C...cold," Larabee grinned weakly, and once more grabbed for the box of tissues.
"Let's get your coat on, Chris," Jackson said as they helped the sick man dress. Jackson wrapped the coat tightly around him and added a woolen scarf around his neck. "Alright, lets get you out of here," he ordered and helped Larabee to his feet.
"Shit," Larabee wheezed painfully.
"Easy, Cowboy, we got ya," Tanner said worriedly as the blond's legs buckled.
"T...thanks," he whispered as the two men supported him to the door. By the time they reached the Jeep he was more than glad of their support on his arms.
TBC