Notes: I had a bit of a headache last week and a short little story about Steve bringing Catherine tea popped into my head. Operative word being "short." I honestly have no idea how it turned into *this*. What can I say . . . it took on a life of its own and somehow a little story about the flu became the longest thing I've ever written.
But I do know it wouldn't be here without Mari and Sammy. Massive thanks, ladies, for the Cammie-checks, the ideas for details and exchanges, and the *always* enthusiastic feedback, support, and encouragement.
Esther – you're incredible. Thanks for the last minute edits. You always make everything you touch better. Hence, your well-deserved namesake.
REAL Worlders - you absolutely rock! Every word of support and feedback in every format (reviews, tweets, emails, Tumblr likes, etc.) is appreciated more than you know! I hope you enjoy the story!
Operation Influenza (A McRoll in the REAL World Story)
It was the middle of the afternoon, and Steve was on the couch reading with his feet propped up on the coffee table and Cammie lying under his legs. He glanced up when Catherine entered the room from the kitchen. He narrowed his eyebrows slightly as he watched her rub her upper back and head for the stairs.
Pausing at the base of the stairs, she looked over at him and said, "Hey, let me know when Danny and Grace are on the way." Her voice lacked its usual energy. "I'm gonna lie down for a bit."
"Should I get interested?" he asked with a teasing tone.
Catherine smiled weakly in response and put one hand on the stair railing. He took note of her tired eyes and stiff posture.
"You okay?" he asked with growing concern.
She shrugged lightly and said, "Little bit of a headache. It's fine."
"Have we reached that stage?" he asked and quirked an eyebrow. "Next thing I know you'll be getting a pair of 'not tonight pants.' " He shook his head with a smile. "I'm not really propositioning you. You don't have to fake a headache."
She chuckled, but it sounded weak.
Steve rose from his seat and walked over to her. Cammie followed and stood in front of them, watching both.
"Not to mention you're much more likely to downplay any injury or illness, so a 'little bit of a headache' must be pretty bad for you to even mention it," he continued.
"It's fine, Steve. Really."
"You're going to lie down in the middle of the day. That's not 'fine,' Catherine. You never do that." He touched her arm and asked, "What can I do? Do you want some tea?" He scanned her for any other visible symptoms.
"No, I don't want anything with caffeine and we're out of herbal."
His hand moved down her arm and she grasped it when it reached her hand.
She squeezed his fingers and gave him a small smile. "Really, Steve. I'm just a little tired and my head hurts. It's not bad. I'm just gonna lie down until Grace and Danny get here." She shook her head. "Don't worry. I appreciate the concern, but I'm okay." She nodded toward the couch. "Go back to your book. Please."
"You sure?"
"I'm sure. I'm not even going to sleep. I'm just gonna close my eyes and stretch out for a few minutes."
He paused, still studying her. "Okay," he said finally and stepped back.
After a final squeeze she released his hand and started up the stairs. Cammie moved to follow.
"Cammie, stay here," he said firmly.
Cammie whimpered slightly, but remained at his feet. Both watched as Catherine walked upstairs and disappeared into the bedroom.
In the early evening, Steve opened the bedroom door and entered quietly with Cammie right behind him. The dog moved past him immediately to sit beside the bed where Catherine lay asleep. Steve put the cup of tea he was carrying on the bedside table and looked down at Catherine who was curled on her side.
"Cath," he said quietly, but she didn't stir. "Catherine," he repeated, louder this time.
He sat by her hip causing the covers to shift down slightly. He noticed she had put on a long sleeve shirt before getting into bed.
He placed a hand on her shoulder and felt the sweat soaking through her shirt.
"Catherine," he said again and shook her shoulder gently.
She inhaled and turned her head up toward him, but her eyes remained closed. "Hmm?"
"Hey, can you look at me?" he asked, pushing back the damp hair clinging to her forehead. He frowned at how warm she felt. "Cath, come on. Look at me."
She blinked open her eyes but seemed to have trouble focusing on him.
"Steve . . ." she started, her voice hoarse. She swallowed but winced as if it pained her. "What are you doing in here? You shouldn't be . . ."
He narrowed his eyebrows, his concern growing.
"Cath . . ."
"Why am I still in . . . I've got so much to do." She started to sit up but appeared shaky. "Gotta get that data correlated for Commander Akehurst ASAP . . ."
Steve's brow furrowed. He reached out to grasp her arm and steadied her as she sat up fully.
"Commander Ake . . . Catherine, do you know where you are right now?" he asked, unable to keep the worry out of his voice.
"I . . ." she stopped and looked around as if trying to get her bearings. Cammie put a paw up on the bed beside her arm while Steve watched Catherine anxiously.
Catherine finally seemed to focused on Cammie and shook her head slightly, closing her eyes momentarily. She put a hand on top of the dog's paw. Cammie promptly licked her hand.
"Cammie," Catherine said quietly.
Steve exhaled the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He released her arm and moved his hand to her leg. He watched as Catherine swallowed again, putting a hand to her throat with a groan.
Steve reached over to the nightstand and picked up the cup of tea. "Here," he said and offered it to her.
He kept his hand under the base of the cup as she brought it to her mouth.
She took a small drink. "Thank you," she said tiredly. "I thought we were out of herbal."
"We were. I went to the store."
She took another small drink and said, "I didn't hear you leave."
When she moved to put the cup down he took it from her and placed it back on the bedside table. He sat back and returned his hand to her leg, squeezing it lightly through the covers.
"Yeah, you've been asleep for almost two hours, Cath."
"What?" she asked in disbelief. "No, I . . ." she started with a shake of her head. She closed her eyes and groaned softly. "Oh, but Grace and Danny . . ."
"I told 'em we needed a rain check."
She sighed and said, "Steve . . ."
"Catherine. Something is wrong," he said firmly. "This isn't like you. And it's not just your head. What else?"
She paused and then sighed. She rubbed her neck and said, "I'm a little stiff. I thought maybe I slept wrong, but . . ."
"How long has this been going on?"
"Just today," she said.
"Why didn't you say something earlier?" he asked, his tone admonishing.
"It's just a headache and some stiffness, Steve," she insisted, though her voice was still weary. "I've got my yearly physical with my doctor next week. I was going to mention it to her then if it was still going on."
"I don't think you should wait that long."
"Steve . . ."
"I think we should get you checked out at the ER."
"We don't need to go the ER. It's the flu, if anything," she said, rubbing her head. "Probably caught it from one of those witnesses in the double homicide case. They were both coughing and sneezing like crazy."
"You had a flu shot," he said.
"Last fall, and those don't cover every possible strain."
Steve nodded as if to say she'd proved his point. "Exactly, so let's be sure that's what it is." He put his hand to her forehead. "You're really warm and you're sweating through that shirt. What are you doing in long sleeves? Were you cold?"
She shrugged and said, "A little chilled, I guess."
"Catherine," he said, his tone exasperated.
She paused and then sighed. "You're not gonna let me go back to sleep, are you?"
"Not until I'm sure you're okay." He narrowed his eyebrows. "Catherine, you didn't know where you were a minute ago."
"I . . . what?"
"You were talking about correlating data for Commander Akehurst. You don't remember that?"
"What?" she repeated, clearly having no memory of the exchange.
"Yeah, our CO from about twelve years ago. And that's definitely not like you, so let's get you checked out."
She sighed again. "And you already cancelled our plans . . ."
"You know Grace would agree with me."
Catherine smiled weakly and said, "Oh, that's nice, use Grace against me."
Steve smiled. "And let's not start on what Danny would say."
"Let's not." She sighed, putting a hand to the side of her face. "Okay, we'll go. If only to make you feel better."
"Thank you," he said and stood.
She pulled back the covers and gingerly moved her legs over the side of the bed. Cammie backed up, but only a step so Catherine could put her feet on the ground.
"Let me get changed," she said. "I'm sweaty."
"Yeah, I noticed. Stay there, I'll get you something to wear," he said, crossing the room to the dresser. "And drink that tea. You need to stay hydrated."
Cammie stayed right at her feet and put a paw up on her leg as Catherine reached for the cup of tea and took a drink.
She looked over at Steve and said, "Hey. Thank you. I think you're overreacting, but . . . thank you."
He gave her a small smile and a nod. "We'll see who's right, Lieutenant."
In the parking lot of the hospital, Catherine waited while Steve opened the passenger door of his truck. His hand hovered by her arm as she slowly climbed into the seat.
"Well, I was right," she said, her voice tired but firm. "It's the flu and I'm fine."
"After getting some rest you'll be fine," he countered. "And I was right. You needed to get checked out to make sure it wasn't more serious. You heard the doctor. She said, and I quote, 'With the amount of tourists coming to the island-"
"Okay, okay, we were both right," she said wearily before he could recite all of the doctor's words.
"And if your fever goes any higher or you start referring to former COs again, we're coming back here. I want that understood right now."
She gave him an exasperated look but nodded her agreement. She rested her head back against the seat and waited while he shut the truck door and walked around to get in on the driver's side.
"I'll get you settled at home and then run to the store to pick up some supplies," he said and started the ignition.
"Supplies?" She sighed. "Steve, this isn't Operation Influenza. All I need is our bed, lots of water, and maybe some ibuprofen. Maybe."
"You just rest and leave Operation Influenza to me."
She groaned quietly and closed her eyes as he pulled out of the parking space.
Once home, Steve opened the door of the house and stepped back so Catherine could enter first. Cammie rose immediately from where she had been sitting in front of the door and stepped to Catherine's side.
"Upstairs with you, Rollins," Steve said after he had closed the door behind them. He had noticed her growing more and more sluggish on the way home. "I'll bring you up some water. Do you want some more tea?"
"No, not right now, thanks," she said, pressing a hand to her forehead.
"Okay, I'll be up in a minute," he said.
"You're next, you know," she said as she started slowly up the stairs, Cammie at her heels.
"I don't get sick," he said, watching her progress.
She gave a half-hearted snort as she turned on the landing and continued up the stairs. "We've had that conversation."
He waited until she and Cammie were in the bedroom before heading for the kitchen.
A few minutes later, Steve came into the bedroom to find Catherine already under the covers with her eyes closed and Cammie lying on the bed with her head on Catherine's stomach.
Steve set down a large bottle of water on the bedside table along with a bottle of ibuprofen. He unfolded the blue and teal afghan he had over his arm. Cammie obligingly lifted her head while Steve tucked the afghan around Catherine who opened her eyes and looked at what was now covering her. She pulled her arms out from under the covers to run her fingers over the stitches.
"Ohhh, Nonna's afghan." She looked up at him with tired eyes and smiled. "Thank you."
He smiled back and reached for the bottle of ibuprofen. Opening it, he tipped two pills into his palm and held them toward her.
"Here, come on," he said. "Gotta get that fever down."
She nodded wearily and sat up on an elbow to take the pills. As she popped them in her mouth he handed her the water bottle. She accepted it and took a drink to swallow the pills.
"Drink some more. You need to stay hydrated," he said.
As she drank he stepped into the bathroom and returned with a damp washcloth.
"Lie back," he encouraged her. He brushed her hair back and placed the cool cloth across her brow. "How does that feel?"
"Nice," she admitted. "Thank you."
"All right, get some sleep. I'll be right downstairs if you need anything, okay?"
She nodded and pulled Nonna's afghan closer.
"Cammie," Steve said. "Come on."
Cammie looked at him and then put her paw on Catherine's arm, whimpering.
"No," Catherine said quietly. "Let her stay." She rested her hand on Cammie's neck.
Steve sighed with a smile and nodded. "Okay."
Cammie, seeming to understand she had full permission to stay where she was, lowered her head again to rest comfortingly on Catherine's stomach. Catherine closed her eyes and slowly stroked the dog's neck.
Steve bent down and kissed the top of Catherine's head. Before straightening he rubbed Cammie's head and said, "Good dog."
Quietly, he opened the drawer of Catherine's bedside table and removed her weapon. He closed the drawer and then walked around the bed to retrieve his as well.
"What are you doing?" she asked in a quiet voice.
He glanced over to see her looking at him but didn't stop, opening the drawer and removing his own gun.
"I'm gonna lock your weapon up," he said. "Mine, too. Just till your fever's gone."
She started to speak but stopped and nodded. He exhaled, relieved that she didn't protest.
"That really scared you earlier, didn't it?" she asked, her eyebrows narrowed. "I'm sorry."
He shook off her apology. "Nothing to be sorry about. I just want to keep you safe."
She nodded and he saw that she was fighting to keep her eyelids open.
"Go to sleep, Catherine. I'm here if you need anything."
He waited until he was sure she was drifting to sleep and then walked to the door, closing it about halfway before going downstairs.
An hour later, Steve received a text from Danny that he was at the front door. Steve opened the door and Danny stepped into the house carrying two large grocery bags.
"Hey, thanks for coming," Steve said in a low voice and closed the door behind him.
"Anytime," Danny said, matching Steve's low volume. "Cath asleep?"
"Yeah." He led Danny into the kitchen. "Did you get everything?"
"Of course I got everything," Danny said as he put the bags on the island in the middle of the kitchen. He started to pull out items. "Plenty of Powerade Zero. You said grape was her favorite flavor, right?"
"Yeah."
"Pineapple juice," he said and handed it to Steve. "Not my first choice, but it's your list."
Steve put the carton of juice in the refrigerator.
Danny said, "I also got some fruit juice popsicles for her throat."
"Good call," Steve said, taking the box and putting it in the freezer.
Danny continued to list items as he took them out of the bags. "Bananas . . . crackers . . . and chicken soup. Nonna would say what she really needs is pastina with chicken broth, but unfortunately we're not in Jersey."
Steve nodded distractedly as he looked at the nutritional information on the soup.
"I also picked up some over-the-counter flu meds," Danny continued.
"I doubt she'll take 'em, but thanks. I did get her to swallow a couple ibuprofen earlier. Fever was 103," Steve said, unable to keep the concern from his voice.
Danny winced. "No wonder you were worried." He looked around. "Hey, where's Cammie?"
"Upstairs in bed with Cath. She's sticking close, watching over her."
Danny nodded and smiled. "Scout does the same thing when Grace is sick."
Steve gave him a half smile.
"Speaking of," Danny said, "Grace was pretty desperate to come see Auntie Cath, but I told her she'd have to wait a few days. Last thing Catherine would want is Grace getting sick."
"Absolutely," Steve agreed.
"A major get-well card is in the works, I can tell you that much."
Steve smiled and said, "She'll love that." He sighed, and glancing up at the ceiling, he shook his head. "Staying in bed is gonna drive Catherine crazy, but it's the best thing for her."
"Well, if she's anything like you, and I think she is, good luck keeping her there."
Steve nodded to acknowledge the point.
"But you're right, it's the best thing for her. So to help with that, I grabbed a couple of magazines." Danny pulled them out of the bag. "Grace assured me Catherine enjoys these two, and this one," he said as he held up Guns and Ammo and shrugged. "Well, I just figured . . ."
Steve shook his head but smiled.
"Plus a book of crossword puzzles," Danny said. "Even with a fever I bet she does 'em in pen."
Steve chuckled and took the magazines and the book.
"And you got the–"
"Yes, I got it. Received quite the look from the guy at checkout . . . but I got it."
Steve smiled gratefully.
"Thanks, Danny," he said.
Danny nodded. "Anything you guys need, you know that." He smirked. "I mean, Cath's gonna need to get better fast so she can take care of you when you inevitably get sick."
"I never get sick."
Danny scoffed. "Ha. Of course, I forgot. SuperSEAL with the super immune system." He shook his head. "Never say never, my friend. Never say never."
The next morning, Steve was in the kitchen making toast when Cammie came into the room. She walked directly over to him and nudged his leg with her nose.
"Hey, Cammie, you hungry?" he asked.
She nudged his leg again and walked back toward the kitchen doorway. She turned to look at him and when he didn't move she came back over and nudged him a third time before walking back toward the doorway.
"What is it?" he asked, concerned. "Is it Catherine?"
Cammie gave a soft woof, and Steve immediately followed her out of the kitchen. Both took the stairs at a run and burst into the bedroom to find Catherine bent over by the dresser pulling out a t-shirt from one of the lower drawers.
Steve gave her an exasperated look and said, "Catherine, what are you doing?"
"I'm getting ready for work," she said.
Straightening, she swayed and grabbed on to the top of the dresser. He stepped toward her, but she waved him off.
"I didn't hear the alarm," she said. "Why didn't you wake me up?"
"You're not going to work. You need to get back in bed."
"Steve–"
"Catherine, no argument on this," he said and took the t-shirt from her hand. He guided her back toward the bed, Cammie following closely behind. "You need at least another day of rest. Besides, you want to get everyone else sick?"
She sighed and finally nodded. He pulled the covers and afghan aside so she could climb back in bed.
He started to pull the covers back over her but she stopped him. She narrowed her eyebrows as she looked at his shorts and t-shirt.
"Why aren't you dressed?" she asked. "It's after nine."
"I'm staying home with you," he said as if it should be obvious.
"Oh, no. I'm not taking both of us out of commission. You're going to work, at least."
His head fell back as he sighed. "Catherine . . ."
"Steve, I'm serious."
"Well, I already called Esther off, so somebody's gotta be here for Cammie. If I go to work are you going to be able to let her out, get her food . . ."
"Of course I can take care of Cammie," she said and put a hand on the dog's head. Steve eyed her doubtfully but sensed an opportunity.
"If I go, you'll stay in bed? Only get up to eat or let Cammie out?"
Catherine narrowed her eyebrows slightly as if trying to decide if she'd been tricked.
Finally, she nodded and said, "Deal."
He nodded. "Okay, then. I just made some toast, you ready to eat something?"
"Yeah, thanks."
"Okay, I'll be right back," he said and left the bedroom.
When Steve climbed the stairs a minute later, he heard Catherine talking to Cammie.
"You're going to miss playing with Esther today, aren't you? She's got as much energy as you do. Don't worry, I'll get out there with you a little later."
"Thought you just said you'd stay in bed today," Steve said as he entered the bedroom with a plate of toast and a glass of juice.
"I've gotta let her out," Catherine countered.
"Yeah, let her out. She can run around by herself today. You shouldn't be over-exerting yourself or you really will end up in the hospital."
She sighed but accepted the plate and glass from him.
"Thanks," she said with a small smile.
"You're welcome," he said.
She took a drink and put the glass on the bedside table, then bit into a piece of toast as he crossed the room to change his clothes.
Once dressed, Steve went to his side of the bed to grab his badge. He glanced over and saw Catherine still holding the piece of toast but with her hand resting on the plate, her gaze unfocused.
"Catherine?"
She inhaled suddenly and looked at him. "Hmm?"
He shook his head and put his badge back in the drawer. "That's it, I'm staying–"
"No, Steve, you don't need to do that. You're right. I need to rest. I'll stay in bed today. And I'll rest better knowing I'm not keeping you from what you need to do."
"What I need to do is make sure you're okay," he said and sat on the bed facing her.
"I am," she insisted, touching his arm. "You have. And thank you, again. But you should go. Really. I'll be okay here. I can take care of myself."
He regarded her for a moment and then looked past her to Cammie.
"What do you think, Cammie?"
In response, Cammie put her paw up on the bed and then moved it onto Catherine's leg.
"Yeah, I agree," Steve said. "And I'm counting on you to make sure Catherine stays in bed, okay, Cammie?"
"I can hear you, you know," Catherine said, a trace of petulance entering her voice.
He looked back at her and said, "Good. You were meant to."
She sighed. He put a hand on her arm and leaned closer to press his lips against her forehead.
"I know you can take care of yourself," he said quietly against her skin. "I just want you to get better, Cath." He pulled back to look at her. "That's not gonna happen unless you rest."
She nodded and gave him a small smile. "Okay. I will. Promise."
"Okay." He kissed her forehead again and then looked around her to her bedside table. "Do you need anything else?"
She followed his gaze to the table and shook her head.
"I don't think so. I got water, juice, toast . . . Danny's magazines."
He chuckled and then nodded toward the table. "Thermometer's there. Keep checking your temperature. You still feel warm. Take more ibuprofen if your fever doesn't go down, okay? You haven't had any since last night."
"Yeah."
"Okay." He kissed her head once more and with a final squeeze of her arm, he stood. Grabbing his badge again from the drawer, he walked around the bed toward the door. "You call if you need anything at all, okay?"
"I will," she said.
Steve looked at the dog beside her and said, "Cammie, I'm giving you my spot on the bed, so you take care of her for me."
Cammie gave a soft woof in response and pushed her head under Catherine's arm.
Catherine smiled down at her and rubbed her head. She looked back up at Steve who was hesitating in the doorway as he watched them.
"Go," she said. "I'll be okay here."
He paused but finally nodded and left the bedroom.
Twenty minutes later Steve walked into headquarters. Danny was exiting his office when he saw Steve and stopped with a surprised look.
"Didn't think you'd be in today," Danny said.
"Neither did I," Steve said with a slight sigh.
"Catherine make you come in?"
"Something like that."
"How's she feeling?" Danny asked.
"A little better. Wasn't easy convincing her to stay home."
"I'll bet. I still can't believe you left her alone."
"She's not an invalid, Danny." He shrugged. "Plus, she's not alone. Cammie's there."
"Yeah. And what time were you planning to go back and check on her?"
Steve paused and looked at his watch. "I was gonna give her about two hours."
Danny chuckled and nodded.
"Chin and Kono at the courthouse?" Steve asked.
"Yeah," Danny said. "Chin was hoping they'd be done by mid-morning, but you know how these things go."
Steve nodded.
"Where are we with Davilo?" Steve asked.
"Just got some notes from Fong. Should make conviction a virtual lock. Let me show you what he found," Danny said, motioning for Steve to follow him to the smart table.
Shortly before noon, Steve was alone in the office. He looked up from his desk when he sensed movement and saw Catherine enter.
Steve threw up his hands in disbelief and stood. He exited his office quickly and approached her, taking in her flushed cheeks, slightly glazed eyes, and messy ponytail.
"What are you doing here?" he asked incredulously.
"I work here," she answered and stopped at the smart table, putting her hands on top of it.
"Catherine," Steve said and rubbed his head in exasperation. "We had this discussion earlier. You promised you were gonna rest."
She narrowed her eyebrows slightly. "We . . . we did?"
Steve widened his eyes at her. "Tell me you remember talking this morning."
"I . . . I woke up late. I thought it was strange you had already left without waking me up. I fed Cammie and let her out for a bit." She fingered the badge on her hip and furrowed her brow. "Did I decide to leave my gun here? Because I don't think I would–"
"I locked your weapon up after we got back from the ER last night. We talked about that, too. Catherine, you need to be in bed," he said firmly, moving around the table to stand beside her.
"Steve, I can work. I'm fine."
He paused and then folded his arms. "Stand without holding on to the table."
Catherine gave him an annoyed look but stepped away from the table. She swayed a little as she turned to face him. He reached for her but she righted herself and held out her hands as if to demonstrate her balance.
He gave her an incredulous look and said, "And people say I'm stubborn."
"I'm gonna be sitting at my desk anyway."
Steve rubbed his head and decided to try a tactic that had worked earlier.
"Esther's not coming over, remember?" he said. "So someone needs to be home for Cammie this afternoon and you wanted me to come in to work."
Catherine paused. She appeared to be processing his words.
"You're right," she said finally. "We did talk about this, didn't we?"
"Come on," he said and put his hand on her arm gently but firmly. "I'm taking you home."
"I can drive," she insisted as she pulled her keys from her pocket. They fell to the floor, but she seemed not to notice immediately, giving him time to pick them up and pocket them.
"Clearly you can," he said and put his hand back on her arm to turn her toward the doors. "But should you?"
They started walking toward the doors as Danny entered. They stopped in front of him.
"Cath, what are you doing here?" he asked in surprise. "You should be in bed."
"I'm . . . I came to work on that . . ." she rubbed head and frowned. "Oh, you know . . . the–"
Steve looked at Danny and said, "I'm going to take Catherine home."
"What about her car? You want me to–"
Steve frantically shook his head, and Danny stopped abruptly. Steve glanced at Catherine who had closed her eyes and was still rubbing her head.
He leaned closer to Danny and muttered, "Remove temptation."
Danny nodded his understanding. "Ah."
Catherine turned to them and said, "I really think I'll be okay if I just stay at my desk. I could still get in a half day . . ."
Steve folded his arms and started to speak but Danny was quicker.
"Don't make me call Nonna," he said.
Catherine looked at him and paused. She sighed and gave him a small smile. "Okay, okay, I'll go. No need to threaten the big guns."
"Good, now get to bed," he said and gave her arm a squeeze.
Steve put his hand on Catherine's back, and Danny immediately stepped aside so they could walk past him. As Steve reached for the door, Chin and Kono appeared on the other side. Steve opened the door and guided Catherine out ahead of him.
Kono pointed at Catherine in confusion. "Aren't you supposed to be . . ."
Steve shook his head with a slight eye roll and kept Catherine moving past the two cousins.
"Hi, Cath," Chin said with a smile. "Bye, Cath."
"Feel better!" Kono called after them.
Steve parked the truck in the driveway and turned off the ignition. He started to open his door, but when he glanced at Catherine, he realized she was staring straight ahead and hadn't moved.
"Cath, we're home," he said but received no response. "Catherine," he repeated in a louder voice.
She shook her head as if coming out of a daze and looked over at him. "Hmm?"
"We're home," he said and nodded toward the house.
She paused and looked at the house, then back at him. "How long have we been sitting here?" she asked.
He gave her a small smile and said, "Not long."
"Mmm," she moaned and leaned her head back against the seat. "I really hate this."
He put his hand out and squeezed her knee sympathetically. "I know you do."
Steve opened his door and climbed out of the truck. He came around to her side as Catherine opened her door. He kept a hand close but let her ease herself to the ground.
"Come on," he said, closing the door behind her. "Let's get you out of those clothes and into bed."
As he guided her toward the house, she opened her mouth in what was clearly meant to be a retort but then narrowed her eyebrows. After a moment, she blew out a frustrated breath.
"Remind me to come up with a saucy comeback to that later," she said tiredly.
He smiled and said, "Will do."
They entered the house to find Cammie waiting right at the door. Catherine rubbed Cammie's neck with both hands and gave her a kiss on the head.
"I'm so sorry, Cammie," Catherine said. "You're such a good girl. You were trying to get me to stay, I just wouldn't listen."
"No comment," Steve muttered as he closed the door and locked it.
She gave him an annoyed look over her shoulder, but he could tell her heart wasn't in it. Her smile was tired as she straightened and reached out to squeeze his hand.
"Thank you for bringing me home," she said. "I'll be okay from here. I'm gonna get some more water, maybe some crackers, and then I'll get into bed."
"You go on up," he said, nodding toward the stairs. "I'll get your water and crackers."
"Steve, I can–"
"I'm not going anywhere until I see you in that bed, Lieutenant."
"Fine, fine," she said wearily. "Come on, Cammie."
Steve watched as they walked up the stairs before making his way to the kitchen.
After a long nap, Catherine came down the stairs with Cammie at her side to find Steve on the couch working on his laptop at the coffee table.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Hey," he said, straightening. He closed his laptop and turned toward her. "How are you feeling?"
"Okay, actually," she said honestly. "Why aren't you at work?"
"Guarding against your next escape attempt."
Catherine chuckled and plopped down next to him on the couch. Steve put his arm around her and shifted to sit in the corner, pulling her to lie back against his chest.
"I was gonna just hide the keys to the Marquis, but I figured even feverish you'd probably hot-wire it," he teased as he took her hand in his, keeping the other arm around her and resting his head against hers.
She laughed lightly and said, "I really did drive to work, didn't I?" She sighed. "I don't even remember the actual drive. I remember waking up and just thinking I needed to get to work. Cammie really didn't want me to leave," she said, looking at the dog who had positioned herself close to them. "Way more than usual. She planted herself right in front of the door. That probably should have been a big clue." She shook her head. "I was so out of it. I'm just glad I didn't hurt anyone on the way there."
Steve brushed her hair back from her forehead. "You really feeling better?"
"Mmm, yes," she said and leaned further into him. "I've had a very attentive nurse."
She felt his smile against her temple, and she continued, "She's really cute, too."
"Huh?" he said with a confused tone.
"Cammie," she said and reached out toward Cammie, who moved forward so Catherine could rub her head. "She's hardly left my side. It's really cute."
"I don't see Cammie getting you tea and driving you to the hospital," he grumbled in mock-annoyance.
She smiled and glanced up at him. "You're pretty cute, too."
He chuckled and kissed her temple, letting his lips linger. "You don't feel so warm. Fever's going down."
"Mm," she said and nodded. "I just checked. It's down to 99.8."
"Good," he said, rubbing her hand with his thumb.
"Did we get what we needed on Davilo?" she asked.
"We're not talking about work, Catherine."
She looked up at him with eyebrows raised until he finally nodded with a slight eye roll at her persistence.
"Yes, we did," he said.
"Good," she said through a yawn.
"You should go lie down again."
She groaned. "Ohhhh, I just don't want to be in that bed anymore," she said, leaning into his neck.
He smiled and kissed her forehead. "You're sick so I'm gonna let that one go. You're staying on this couch, though."
She sighed but nodded.
"I do have a movie we can watch," he said.
"Yeah?" she asked, looking up at him.
"Do you want something to eat first?" he asked. "Some more toast? Or soup?"
"Yeah, soup sounds good," she said. She smiled at him. "Thank you."
"Okay, stay here."
He kissed her head once more and gingerly extricated himself from behind her.
"I really think I should get to pick the movie," she said as he walked toward the kitchen. "I'm the one with the flu."
"Yeah, well, it's my turn," he said without turning around.
Catherine smiled at his retreating form. Once he had disappeared into the kitchen she turned to Cammie and reached out to scratch her under the chin.
"What do you think it's gonna be?" she asked the dog. "Die Hard?" She shook her head. "I don't think I can take the explosions in surround sound right now."
A few minutes later Catherine heard the ringtone on Steve's phone in the kitchen and after only a few words he came into the room holding the phone.
"Someone calling for you," he said.
"Who?" she asked, confused.
He just shook his head with a smile and handed her the phone.
"Hello?" she asked.
"Bella?"
"Nonna!" Catherine exclaimed, sitting up straighter. "How did you . . . did Danny really . . ." she sighed and smiled in realization. "Grace."
Steve smiled before he turned and walked back to the kitchen.
"Yes, I was talking to the bambina last night and she mentioned you had to cancel your plans together because you have the flu."
"I'm feeling much better now," Catherine said.
"Do you have a fever?"
"I . . ." she started to say but stopped and sighed. "Yes," she admitted. "But it's almost gone."
"Catherine . . ." Nonna's voice was admonishing.
"No, it really is. I just checked my temperature. It's down to 99.8 and I'm not nearly so stiff and achy anymore. I really think I'll be completely fine for work by tomorrow."
"Nonsense. Your teammates can handle things for the rest of the week. I don't want you to leave that house."
"Nonna . . ."
"Bella, if you try to do too much too soon, you'll only make yourself more sick. You're a smart girl, you know that."
Catherine sighed and said, "I do."
"Now, has Steven been taking care of you?"
Catherine smiled at Steve as he came back into the room carrying a bowl of soup and a water bottle.
"Yes, he's been very attentive," she told Nonna.
Steve set the bowl and water bottle down in front of Catherine and walked around the coffee table to sit beside her.
"He actually just brought me some soup," she said, looking at him.
Steve smiled at her.
"What you need is pastina with chicken broth," Nonna said.
"Let me guess. New Jersey comfort food?"
"The best there is. How does your throat feel?"
"A little sore," Catherine admitted. "But it was worse yesterday."
"And your head?"
"My head feels okay."
"Just okay?" Nonna prompted.
"Much better than yesterday or even earlier today."
Though he could probably only hear her half of the conversation, Steve clearly got the gist. He threw up a hand in exasperation and said, "Why was it like pulling teeth for me to get symptoms out of you, but you'll tell Nonna everything?"
Catherine smiled at him and reached over to squeeze his hand.
"I haven't been the model patient, Nonna," she said into the phone.
"This I believe." Nonna sighed. "You're used to being active and taking care of yourself. But you have to listen to what your body is telling you. And it's telling you to rest and let Steven take care of you."
"Cammie, too," Catherine said, smiling at the dog lying at her feet. "She's been a wonderful nurse."
"Oh, Grace has sent me so many pictures!" Nonna said, her excitement clear. "Plus the ones you sent. I can't wait to meet that wonderful dog in person."
"She's going to love you," Catherine said confidently.
"And I already love her because I can tell how happy she makes the two of you."
Catherine smiled, looking over at Steve. He returned her smile though he didn't know what Nonna had said.
"Now you take care of yourself, bella ragazza. I don't want anything to jeopardize your trip here after Christmas."
"Nonna, that's not for months yet," Catherine said, chuckling. "I'm sure I'll be fully recovered by then."
"If you take care of yourself, you will be."
"We can't wait to come. We're both very excited," she said, putting her hand on Steve's again.
"So am I, darling," Nonna said. "Now let me talk to Steven."
"Bye, Nonna. Thank you so much for calling. I feel even better just talking to you."
"Take care, Bella. I'll talk to you soon."
Catherine handed the phone to Steve and picked up the bowl of soup.
"Nonna, I'm here," he said.
Steve paused. Catherine ate a spoonful of her soup, watching him as he listened to whatever Nonna was asking.
"It's chicken noodle," Steve said and paused to listen again. "I . . . I don't think it's possible to Fed Ex chicken broth, Nonna." He paused. "That's not sass," he insisted.
Catherine snorted and mouthed 'little bit of sass,' before sipping another spoonful of soup.
Steve made a face at her and continued listening to Nonna.
"I don't know if they sell pastina here." He paused and nodded. "Okay. I will check at the store."
Catherine smiled around her spoon.
"What?" Steve asked into the phone. "Well, no, I didn't actually see the thermometer but . . ." he paused. "She really is a lot cooler to the touch. I promise." He paused again and then said, "Okay, I will take her temperature."
Catherine raised her eyebrows at Steve, but he just smiled with a slight shake of his head.
"Yes, she's been drinking lots of water and juice to stay hydrated," Steve continued. "Well, she was a little chilled so I brought your afghan upstairs for her after we got back from the hospital."
Both Steve and Catherine cringed simultaneously the moment the last word left his mouth. Catherine hit him gently on the side of the leg while he dropped his head momentarily and lightly smacked it with a fist.
Catherine could hear Nonna's worried tone even if she couldn't make out the words.
"No," Steve started, running a hand over his face as he straightened. "No, Nonna, we were just at the hospital to make sure it was the flu and nothing more serious. I actually insisted that we . . ." he paused, listening. "No, she didn't even have to stay overnight. We were there maybe an hour or so." He paused again and narrowed his eyebrows. "No, I didn't know the doctor personally. She was the attending physician on call." He paused and listened. "I'm not sure where she went to school." Another pause. "I . . ." he sighed. "Yes, I can find out."
Catherine laughed lightly in bemusement and shook her head. She turned back to her soup and ate another spoonful.
"Oh, don't worry about me, Nonna," Steve said. "I never get sick"
Catherine rolled her eyes and spoke loud enough for Nonna to hear. "He just never admits it, Nonna. Ask him about the chicken pox."
Steve gave her exasperated look before turning his attention back to the phone.
"It was nothing, Nonna. I'll tell you about it another time." He paused to listen. "Okay, I will," he said and looked at Catherine with an affectionate smile. "I promise, she's in good hands." His smile widened. "Yeah, we can't wait to see you, too. Bye, Nonna."
He ended the call and put his phone on the coffee table. Catherine smiled as he turned to her.
"I feel better just talking to her," she said.
"The power of Nonna," he said with a smile. "How much do you want to bet she ships a case of pastina by tomorrow?"
Catherine shook her head and said, "Fool's bet."
He chuckled.
She put her soup bowl on the coffee table.
"Done?" he asked.
"Yeah. Thank you for making it."
He nodded and said, "You still look tired."
"Maybe a little," she admitted.
"Want to watch the movie?"
She nodded.
"Okay," he said and stood, picking up her nearly empty soup bowl. "I'm gonna get Nonna's afghan for you. Do you want your pillow, too?"
"You make a pretty good pillow," she said with a slight smirk.
"I'll add that to my CV," he said with a smile as he headed for the kitchen before going upstairs.
He returned with Nonna's afghan and spread it over Catherine before grabbing the remote and sitting in the corner of the couch. He pulled her against his side again and she stretched her legs out on the couch, adjusting the afghan around her.
"Ready?" he asked.
"What are we watching? I still can't believe you're not gonna let me pick."
"I think you're gonna like this."
He pressed a couple buttons and the DVD menu for the The Notebook appeared on the screen.
Catherine looked up at him and said, "Aww. Did you buy this?" she asked, incredulous.
"Nah," he said and smirked. "Had Danny buy it."
Catherine chuckled and snuggled closer to him as he draped an arm around her and rubbed her arm. She pulled Nonna's afghan tighter around herself.
"You better be careful, Commander," she said.
"Hmm?"
She looked up at him and said, "One of these days it's gonna get out just how sweet a guy you can be."
He shook his head. "I'm not worried." He smiled down at her and then kissed the top of her head. He pressed play on the remote to start the movie.
"Thank you for taking care of me, Steve," she said.
"Always," he said, his voice sincere.
"And I'll do the same when it's your turn."
"Told you, I never get sick."
She rolled her eyes and said, "Steve, you were exposed."
"You interviewed those witnesses, not me."
"Exposed to me," she said in exasperation as she looked up at him. "Intimately. Several times. With chocolate sauce."
A slow smile spread across his face and he licked his lips involuntarily.
He shrugged and said, "In that case . . . it was worth it. Several times." His smile became a full grin. "Especially the chocolate sauce."
Catherine shook her head and smiled, settling back against him.
"We'll see if you're still saying that in a couple days," she said.
"I never get sick," he repeated confidently.
Note: Hope you enjoyed! Especially my first scene with Nonna. And yes, there will be a sequel :-)
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