Violet didn't even think ghosts could get sick. Surely since you were already dead, you couldn't catch anything. Since there was no blood running through your body, it couldn't get infected.
It seems she was wrong.
The teen woke up like she did every morning; to the sun streaming in her bedroom window, and Tate's arms fastened around her middle. She moaned happily and snuggled into her bed covers to get another hour's rest, when a sudden bout of nausea hit her. She gagged and threw Tate's arm off of her, running to the bathroom just in time to lean over the toilet and puke the contents of her stomach into the porcelain tank.
When her head was still in the toilet she felt a hand gently move her hair away from her face and rub her back reassuringly. Someone was saying something, but it was muffled. And when did the house get so hot? Violet felt as if she were sweating buckets.
"Vi? You alright?" Tate's holding her in his arms after she's finished throwing up, pressing her face into his neck, "You're sick, aren't you?"
She moaned in response and nodded her head.
"Okay," Tate reaches under her to grab her legs and lift her up bridal style, "Let's get you into bed."
"Really I'm…" Violet trails off, "I'm fine, Tate." Her voice sounds weak and small, and she flinches at the sound of it. She sounds terrible.
"No, you aren't, Vi." Tate argues, and lays her down on the bed. "You need to stay in bed today. I'll get Moira to make some soup, and then you need to rest."
"That's boring." Violet whines, and Tate smiles, amused, at her behavior. "I want to do something today. You aren't my nurse, Tate."
"That may be true, but it's been far too long since I've played the role of concerned and overprotective boyfriend."
"You play that role every day."
"And I'm great, aren't I?"
"No. You're annoying."
Tate laughs, and heads downstairs to get the soup ready. He's just asking Moira to make it when Vivien walks in with Jeffrey.
"Tate," She greets with a forced smile, and Tate can see how her hold protectively tightens on the baby in her arms. "Good morning."
He smiles back awkwardly. "Hi, Mrs. Harmon."
Moira, sensing the tension in the air, starts up a conversation with Vivien as she cooks the soup.
"What're you making, Moira?" Vivien asks at one point.
The maid gestures to Tate, "He wanted me to make some soup."
"Is someone sick?"
"Violet," Tate speaks up, "She woke up sick. Now she's resting, but I wanted her to have something. Soup always helped me when I got sick."
Vivien frowns. "I didn't think ghosts could get sick. Is she alright?"
"Weak and nauseous, but she won't admit it."
Moira chuckles from where she's stirring a pot on the stove. "That girl's a spitfire, boy. You've got your hands full."
When the soup's finished Tate takes the warm bowl gratefully. "Thanks."
"Do you think she'd mind if we went up to see her?" Vivien asks, rocking Jeffrey gently.
"You're her mother. You probably know what to do better than me."
Vivien grins, and leads the way to Violet's room. When they enter, they see Violet, out of bed, leaning heavily against her wardrobe.
"Vi!" Tate exclaims, setting the soup down to grab his girlfriend. "What are you doing?"
Violet's face is white, but her skin's covered in a sheen of sweat. "Dressed—" she squeaks, gesturing towards the dresser, which is open.
"You wanted to get dressed? Violet, you're sick." Vivien scolds.
Violet still manages in her delirious state to roll her eyes at her mother. "I'm… fine…"
Tate shakes his head at the girl in his arms, "God, what am I gonna do with you?" He picks her up to set her back on the bed, and grabs the soup.
Vivien leaves the room to give the baby to Ben, since she doesn't want him to get sick. She returns with a wet towel. "Here, let me see her."
Tate moves from where he's been spoon-feeding Violet the soup. Vivien sits down beside her daughter and places the washcloth on her forehead, smiling gently when she hears a sigh of relief from the sick girl.
"There, we'll have to replace the washcloth when it dries up, but it'll keep her temperature down for now."
"You know a lot about this." Tate observes.
Vivien smiles. "My sister used to get sick all the time, and I'd have to take care of her. Luckily Violet has a pretty strong immune system, so she doesn't get sick too often."
"What do you think this is?"
"Maybe a really strong flu? Whatever it is, she's gonna go through a couple days of hell before she recovers. Will you be able to take care of her?"
Suddenly Vivien's face is hard, and Tate swallows, catching the double-meaning in her words. "I won't leave her. I'll make sure she has everything she needs."
"Do you love her, Tate?"
Tate's taken aback. "Of course," he says passionately, "I love her more than anything in the world. I'd do anything for her."
Vivien nods. "Good, I guess."
A soft sound emits from the sick girl on the bed, "Tate?"
Tate leans down to Violet's level, "Yeah, Vi?"
She grabs his hand, and he's shocked by how hot hers is. "Tate, they're coming."
"Who is?"
"The lizard people." Violet's eyes are wide, and her pupils are so dilated that the hazel is completely swallowed by black. "They're coming for us. We have to hide!"
Tate smiles gently at his girlfriend, resisting the urge to laugh out loud. "Violet, there are no lizard people."
"Yes, there are! They're right behind you!"
"No, Vi. I'll protect you, alright? I promise."
She still looks concerned, but her grip on Tate's hand loosens. "Okay."
Vivien strokes some of Violet's hair way from her sweat-soaked skin. "Hallucination. It's alright, baby."
Violet looks up at her mother, confused. "I'm tired." She states.
Tate kisses her forehead, "Then sleep, Vi. I'll be right here."
She turns her head to look at him. "And you'll fight the lizard people? You know, they're part of the government. They have guns."
Tate nods gently. "I won't let them touch you. Now sleep, Violet."
"I love you, Tate."
"I love you too."
After a few days of bed rest, Violet's recovered from her flu. Tate recounts her hilarious hallucinations, and by the time he's done Violet's hiding under her blankets in embarrassment. Chad had visited a few times while she was sick, and apparently once she told him he had rainbows flying out of his ass, and if he didn't catch them in a jar soon he'd fly into outer space.
"I have no idea where you got that idea." Tate laughs, kissing her cheek.
Violet's face is flushed. "I don't either. And lizard people? What the hell was I on? Did you drug me?"
"Nope. You're just that insane."
"God, this is horrible."
"I just wanna see what you're like when you're drunk."
Tate didn't find the whole situation so funny a few days later, when he was laying in bed with a high fever, spouting stories about magical paperclips and lampshades from the future.
Aww, Tate gets sick too! Haha, I was just wondering what would happen in Violet got sick and Tate took care of her, and this is what my brain came up with. Let me know if you like it :D
Please review! And if you want me to write about anything particular, PM me. I'm open to suggestions and constructive criticism.
Love you all! -A