Kirsten could sense that a storm was coming when she woke up that morning with a sore throat. She looked around her medicine cabinet for any something to take, but neither she nor Cameron had bought any medicine recently.
"Morning," Cameron said from the kitchen as he worked on making breakfast for the two of them. He walked over and tried to kiss her, but Kirsten pulled away. He frowned at the movement. "Everything okay?"
Nodding quickly, Kirsten assured him. "Everything's fine. Though I think I'm coming down with something."
Cameron put a hand to her forehead, presumably to check for a fever. Kirsten quickly said, "I only have a sore throat for now."
Pulling out his phone, Cameron sent out text. "You should stay home until you feel better," Cameron said, "It's not a good idea to stitch when you're not 100%."
Kirsten frowned, feeling like she was able to stitch. "What if another body comes in?"
"We'll deal with that if it comes up," Cameron said. He went back to finish with the eggs and then served them with a smile. Kirsten made them some coffee as they ate their breakfast.
When they were finished eating, Kirsten tried to help clean up. Cameron shook his head and said, "I've got it. You should rest."
Kirsten mock-glared at him. "I'm not sick yet."
Cameron smiled. "I know, but I'm going to take care of you when you are." Deciding not to try and argue with her boyfriend, Kirsten settled on the couch and flipped on the TV.
She looked through the channels looking for something to watch. She settled on a Harry Potter movie marathon and caught the first movie about ten minutes in. Cameron walked past and said, "I'll be back," in his best Arnold Schwarzenegger accent.
Kirsten couldn't help but laugh at her boyfriend's dorkiness as she watched him leave. When the door closed behind him, she refocused on the movie.
Near the end of the first movie, Cameron returned. He had two grocery bags in his arms. Kirsten attempted to help him unpack the groceries but Cameron stopped her. "I can help," Kirsten said, slightly annoyed. "I'm sick, not disabled."
"You're right," Cameron apologized, "I'm sorry." Kirsten smiled, knowing that Cameron was only trying to be a good boyfriend. He handed her a bag and Kirsten carried it to the kitchen.
She was thankful to find some medicine inside the bag and unpacked the other items from the bag. "Thanks," Kirsten said as she grabbed the medicine and took a dose as directed on the packaging. The liquid tasted bitter on her tongue, but she hoped that it would work quickly.
As she went to put the groceries away, Cameron stopped her. "I'm making you some soup," he explained.
Kirsten couldn't help but smile at Cameron's thoughtfulness. "Thank you. Do you need any help?"
Cameron quickly shook his head. "I've got this. It's my grandmother's recipe. It's helped me through many colds myself." He took stock of the ingredients lying on the counter and said, "Once I get it prepared, I'll join you."
Kirsten had to fight the urge to kiss him. She simply smiled and went back out to the couch where the second Harry Potter movie was underway, though mid-commercial break.
About a half hour later, Cameron joined her on the couch. Kirsten was tempted to snuggle into him, but she didn't want to get him sick. He seemed to sense her hesitation and said, "Don't worry about me."
She put her head on his shoulder and Cameron wrapped his arm around her. They watched the movie, but Kirsten pulled away as she felt her nose start to get stuffy. She reluctantly pulled away from Cameron and wrapped a nearby blanket around herself.
About a half hour later, the timer from the kitchen rang out and Cameron went in to work on the soup. Kirsten sneezed and went to grab a nearby tissue box. She climbed back under the blanket, wrapping it around herself. Cameron came back not too long after. "It's nearly ready," he said with a smile. "How are you feeling?"
Kirsten sneezed again. "Could be better," she admitted. Cameron looked at her with concern as he rejoined her on the couch. They watched the end of the second movie and the third movie began soon after. About twenty minutes later, the timer in the kitchen rang out again and Cameron ran back into the kitchen.
Ten minutes later, Cameron called out to her from the kitchen. Kirsten felt her stomach growl with hunger as she walked into the kitchen. The smell of chicken broth reached her nostrils and Kirsten felt hungrier.
She looked at the table and saw that it had been set for the two of them. A bowl of chicken noodle soup sat steaming on a small plate next to a plate with two pieces of toast. Kirsten was glad to see a jar of her hazelnut spread was placed next to the plate.
"Lunch is served," Cameron said with a big grin as he pulled out Kirsten's chair for her.
Kirsten sat down and said, "Thanks, Cam." She picked up her spoon and tasted the broth. It was way better than the normal store bought broth. She tasted the chicken, noodles, and vegetables and thought that they tasted delicious.
Cameron watched her taste is with an eager look on his face. "What do you think?" He paused and then asked, "Can you taste?"
She nodded and smiled at him. "It's great," she said, "It might be the best chicken noodle soup I've ever tasted."
"I'll be sure to let my grandmother know," he said, smiling. They ate their lunch and Kirsten was glad that she could enjoy it while she was still able to taste. When she was done, Cameron insisted that she go back to the couch while he cleaned up. She settled back into her blankets and Cameron joined her soon after.
Though she wasn't able to kiss him, she reached for his hand. "Thank you," Kirsten said, "For everything."
Cameron grinned as he took her hand. "It's no problem," he said, "I'll always be there for you."
Kirsten smiled back at him. "And that's why I love you." She was still getting used to saying those words, but she knew that she meant them.
"I love you, too," Cameron said. They refocused their attention back to the movie and Kirsten couldn't stop smiling as she thought about how lucky she was to have Cameron. Though she knew that it would take a couple of days for her cold to go away, she was thankful that Cameron made being sick slightly more bearable, even a little enjoyable.