He found her in the kitchen, washing dishes. "Did you even try to go to sleep?" he asked, the frustration evident in his voice.
"I'm not sick," she said simply. Her statement might have been convincing if not for the coughing fit that immediately followed it.
Aaron let out a sigh before walking over to her. With one hand he reached forward and turned off the sink while gently rubbing her back with the other. Aaron was under no false pretense about how stubborn Emily could be. However, he hadn't realized that getting her to admit she was sick would be such a struggle. She had woken up that morning soaked with sweat and barely able to speak. This, however, had not stopped her from trying to get ready for work. It wasn't until he had threatened her with the hospital that she allowed him to lead her back to bed. After convincing her take cough medicine, he figured she would go back to sleep while he went into the office to get some files. As usual she proved him wrong.
"Okay Miss 'I'm not sick', what would you call that then?" he questioned when she finally finished.
She grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like a profanity and he couldn't help but laugh. Taking her by the hand, he led her out of the kitchen and into the living room. After helping her to sit on the couch he covered her with a blanket. He leaned forward to kiss her forehead before going back to the kitchen to get her a bottle of water.
When he returned to the living room he joined her on the couch. Her voice was hoarse as she thanked him for the water. He felt his heart clench with pity for her. Even though she could be a real pain in his ass, he knew she was only being difficult because she hated being sick. To her, being sick meant having to rely on another person, something she was still getting used to. After years of being on her own and having to look out for herself, showing vulnerability to others was still something she struggled with. But, he reminded himself as she allowed her head to rest on his shoulder, she was trying to get better.
"Can we watch a movie?" She sounded so terrible he couldn't help but wrap an arm around her and kiss her forehead again.
"Of course we can, Sweetheart," he said, reaching for the remote.
Twenty minutes into When Harry Met Sally she was snoring on his shoulder. As much as he wanted to leave her undisturbed, he knew sleeping on the couch wouldn't help her condition at all. So he untangled himself from her as gently as possible before standing up. Bending over, he scooped her up and headed upstairs.
As he carried up the stairs, she began to stir. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him. He fully expected a sassy remark or for her to protest being carried. Instead she turned her head to kiss his chest before snuggling into him even further. His heart swelled with emotion at her unexpected display of affection. After tucking her into bed he stood back for a moment and just watched her sleep. Yes, he thought when he finally climbed back into bed with her, she's trying to get better.
