Author's Note: Hello everyone! I have this nice little one-shot inspired by PD31's story, 'A Place to Call Home'. I wanted to take a different interpretation and add something in my usual AU twist. I hope you enjoy it and read take some time to read both his stories in this series.
iComfort
By OneHorseShay
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. For God sakes, don't sue. Also based on the work of PD31 with permission.
Pairing: Jedi Friendship/Relationship, up to the reader.
Rating: T
Summary: Freddie goes to check on Jade after being infected by Trina's Pooka Fishes. An AU set after 'Cat's New Boyfriends' chapter from PD31's 'A Place to Call Home' that ignores the Caddie reconciliation... maybe.
West Residence
Los Angeles, CA
Monday, March 29, 2010
The time was late afternoon as Freddie tapped the doorbell of the West Residence. He didn't wait long at the front porch as the dark brunette matriarch opened the door and flashed the former Seattleite a smile. She stepped aside to nonverbally give him permission to enter as she greeted him, "Hello Freddie."
He took a step inside and put on a half grin while answering, "Hello Mrs. West."
She asked in a tone that suggested she already knew the answer, "Come to check on Jade?"
"Yes ma'am. I called my mom before leaving school and she said that they had released her."
Mrs. West nodded her head and answered, "Yeah and she's absolutely miserable. I think she could use the company even if she won't admit it." A thought occurred to her and she asked with a hopeful tone, "Are you going to stay for a while? I need to go out for a little bit. I need to get something light enough for Jade to be able to keep down, but I'm afraid to leave her by herself."
His brow instantly frowned with worry then quickly asked, "She's not able to keep anything down?"
"Other than saltine crackers and soda, no and I just can't keep feeding her that, so I wanted to head out to pick up everything the doctor recommended."
"I'll be more than happy to stay while you're out."
She rested a hand on his shoulder and gratefully commented, "Thanks Freddie. If anything comes up before I get back, my number is in Jade's phone."
He nodded. "Right."
She turned to head for the kitchen to pick up her car keys while Freddie quickly made his way up the stairs. He stopped outside the brunette's door and softly knocked.
"What?!" Jade bellowed out in annoyance through the door.
He turned the knob then pushed to door to enter the dark room. His eyes immediately searched for Jade and spotted her in bed. He gave her a pitiful smile as he watched her miserable lay in her bed in a black athletic top with a dark sheet pulled up just passed her stomach. Her normally pale complexion was even paler in what he thought was a scary way and under her eyes were already darkening as if she had been sleep deprived.
He softly called out while approaching the bed, "Hey."
She let out a heaving cough for several seconds then meekly answered, "Hey, what are you doing here?"
He took a seat on the edge of the bed and patted her sheet covered knee. "To check on you, why else would I be here?"
She grimaced as she annoyingly commented, "Your healthiness disgusts me. Why aren't you sick again?"
He gave her a half smile and casually replied, "She gave me something after the foot cleaning. I thought my mother was over exaggerating again, the advantage of my mom being a nurse I suppose… or overprotective mother."
She was able to work up to mild disgust, "Lucky you."
He was about to playfully respond in perhaps was going to be a vein attempt to cheer her up, but she suddenly clenched her stomach with her left hand and twisted to lean over the edge of the bed and started heaving into the trashcan next to Freddie's feet.
He immediately brushed her hair out of her face behind her left ear and held back the rest of her hair.
After a few more seconds of heaving, she muttered out, "Thanks."
He gently rubbed her back and whispered, "No problem." He slipped his hand around her back to rest a hand on the right side of her abdomen and helped her sit up. She closed her eyes and immediately leaned to her side against him and to rest the side of her head against his head as she couldn't support herself.
He took a tissue from the box sitting on her nightstand and started delicately wiping her lips and the corners of her mouth of spittle and little bits of goo from vomit. After he was finished, he balled up the tissue and threw it in the waste basket behind her stomach contents.
She opened her eyes to meet his soft brown concerned eyes.
He asked with a troubled filled voice, "Have you been able to keep anything down? Your mother said you've been eating and drinking just crackers and soda."
She shook her head in a pitiful manner. "Not really, but the doctor said the antibiotics he's got me on should knock it right out in the next day or two, but—" She suddenly turned her head away from Freddie and started coughing that progressively got worst for a few moments with Freddie only able to hold her tighter as the coughs racked her body.
She sat up and fell back to rest in his arms, taking several laboring breaths from how draining and exhausting it was from another coughing fit. She shivered the next moment as it also looked like she had the chills in addition to the rest of her problems.
The former Seattleite gently rocked the brunette in his arms to give her moment of respites and try to warm her up. He told her with a hushed tone, "I'm going to be right back; we don't need you to dehydrate."
She nodded her head as he gently helped her lay back into bed. He brushed some hair off the left side of her face and inadvertently stroked her cheek, drawing a slight smile from the sick girl.
He returned the smile and turned to hastily dart out of the room and quickly trotted down the steps to the kitchen. He went through the cabinets and quickly grabbed a glass and filled it with water. He walked a little slower back up the stairs and to her room in order to avoid spilling any water.
Freddie entered the room and Jade pushed herself up in a sitting position. He took a seat on the edge of the bed, offering the glass of water.
The brunette muttered in annoyance, "I want coffee."
He gently reminded her, "You wouldn't be able to keep the coffee down, so it's water for now. I'll run out and get you some Gatorade or something after your mom comes back." He brought the glass to her lips and she closed her eyes while accepting. She slowly sipped the water to take in several mouthfuls then struggled to swallow it down.
He pulled the glass away from mouth and sat it on the nightstand.
It nearly pained her to admit, but she did for a second time, "Thanks."
He gave her a supportive smile and answered back, "You're welcome."
The pair remained silent for a few moments until Jade bowed her head, refusing to meet his eyes as she muttered with a regretful tone, "I need to use the bathroom."
He cleared his throat then briefly nodded his head in understanding. "Okay."
He stood up and held his hands out to her, but she waved him off and struggled to slide out of bed and onto her feet using the dresser and the edge of the bed as purchase for her hands.
He wanted to help her, but her pride and stubbornness was too strong, which fortunately for her was enough as after several seconds of struggle, she got to her feet and stood up for the most part.
She wobbly walked past him to head out of the room and down the hallway towards the bathroom, Freddie one step behind her, ready to catch her if she stumbled.
Halfway down the hall, she broke into a surprise sprint to the bathroom as she felt her stomach ready to heave again. He was right on her heels as he broke into a run after her.
She made it just in time to drop to her knees and hang her head over the toilet as she emptied a little more of her stomach contents into the toilet bowl.
He knelt down beside her and pulled back her hair from her face again. Once she was done, she leaned back and rested the back of her head on his right shoulder while he took a seat on the floor. He wrapped his arms over her abdomen and she rested her arms on his arms while she rested her back on his muscular chest.
She took several more strenuous breaths then uttered with as much anger as she could muster, "Oh my God… I'm going to kill Trina."
"At least your feet are baby smooth."
She looked up at him with a dark frown and a sharp gaze, but in her present condition, he found the expression adorable.
He wasn't sure what possessed him, but he softly pressed his lips to just above her left temple. "Get better. You can't kill Trina if you can't stand on your own two feet."
She snorted out a soft breath and cracked a soft smile then whispered, "I can always bite her ankles and get her down to my level."
The brown eyed teenager snorted out a laugh which Jade joined, but was quickly silenced with another short, but intense coughing fit. He gently started rocking to help her get through it.
After the rough few seconds and taking of some more labored breaths, she looked up to him and asked with a strenuous voice, "Why are you so good to me?"
He returned the smile and softly answered, "Because you're my go-to-girl and I love you."
She took a shallow breath at the strange sensation his words brought up as she never doubted his feelings for her even as there had been several times where her feelings for him had been conflicted. The pair sharing several stage kisses and performances together and how recently the stark contrast between he and Beck's behavior.
He leaned over just enough to reach the flush handle and push it down.
The overly pale girl struggled to ask, "Could you help me have a seat?"
He swallowed down some of his nervousness for a split second then pulled his feet under him and started standing up, pulling her up in the process.
She latched onto his biceps as he helped her have a seat on the toilet. She looked up to meet his conflicted eyes and whispered, "I can take it from here."
He nodded his head and pulled away, leaving her to shiver for an instant from the withdrawn of his warmth.
He stepped away and exited the bathroom, but left the door partially cracked just in case. He rested his back against the wall next to the door while patiently waiting for her to complete her business. A minute or so later she called out, "Freddie?"
"Yeah?"
There was a pause from her end and his concern immediately spiked. He turned to the door and rested his hand on the knob, debating whether he needed to just enter. "Jade?"
She was loathed to admit it, but… she shouted, "I don't think I can make it back to my bed!"
He slipped back inside and saw her still sitting on the toilet. Fortunately for him, she had managed to have enough strength to have stood up long enough and took care of her business as her sweatpants were pulled up while sitting on the toilet.
She opened up her arms and tried to make it sound like a demand in an attempt to keep at least some of her dignity and not sounding overly pathetic in needing help, but miserably failing, "Help me stand. I have to wash my hands and brush my teeth." She smacked her lips then did her trademark sticking her tongue out to go across her front top teeth. "I got to get the vomit taste out of my mouth."
He looped an arm around him while she wrapped her left arm over his shoulders. He stood by her left side and held her in place with his arm around the small of her back and hand resting on her right hip to help her stand up.
She leaned against the inside of his left shoulder to help support herself as he led her to the sink. She quickly washed her hands then Freddie held her put toothpaste on her toothbrush with his left as she held the brush with her right then proceeded to brush teeth while using her left hand to brace against the counter.
She rinsed then spat into the skin then wiped her mouth. She glanced to him and huffed out with a breath, "Okay, now I got to get to bed."
She was about to turn and attempt to walk on her own, but she let out a surprise shriek as he bent down to his left side and scooped his left arm under her knees to lift and cradle her.
He was grateful for all the workout sessions or he didn't think he would have been able to pick her up.
She knotted her brow and frowned at him, but he innocently matched her stare. She eventually rolled her eyes then softly patted over his heart signaling her surrender.
He smiled in return in the hopes that it wasn't too smug in winning.
She rested her head on his shoulder while he remained silent as he carried her back to her room.
He stopped at the side of her bed, but since he was on her left side, it was a trick to get her back into bed. So, he took a seat then scooted backwards in order to lay her back in her original position. He remained silent as she fisted his shirt tighter in her grasp and nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck. He paused and just let her relax in arms for a minute or so, because could feel how exhausted she felt in his arms. He felt a twinge of guilt in not properly warning his friend of the dangers from the fishes.
During his brief self-loathing, he didn't notice that her breathing had calmed and she actually had fallen asleep in his arms. He looked down at her and was about to speak, but stopped he saw her semi-peaceful sleeping expression.
He awkwardly frowned as he realized that he was stuck for the time being since this was finally the first real rest she had obtain since all the bacteria had hit her system.
He blew out a tired breath then he scooted back on the bed just a little further, never letting her go then pulled her down with him while he relaxed backwards in her bed. She barely stirred from her position.
He cracked a soft smile at seeing her finally finding a moment of peace since he arrived with the coughing taking a break and his body heat holding the chills at bay. He kissed the crown of her head and took a moment to relax himself.
The only thing he had to worry about now was Jade's mother walking in on them.
Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this little drabble. Please continue to read PD31's 'A Place to Call Home'. Thanks again for reading.