Jack hates flu season, and not for reasons anyone else might think so. Not because it sparks old memories of past girlfriends or because there begins an ever-present debate about health care for the poor. No, this is a special case. In this case this damned sickness has infected his girlfriend. He blamed it on her refusal to get a flu vaccine because there weren't enough for everyone, as if her liberal guilt hadn't already caused him enough grief. Just because they weren't going anywhere for Christmas she had deemed it unnecessary to vaccinate herself.

Nonsense.

Regardless, he loves her, and would rather see her taken care of in his own home than hear about her getting food poisoning from a cheap takeout place. It had taken some goading to get her to stay home from work, but after bribing her with food she had easily complied with his request to stay at his apartment. This is why he is currently home, during his lunch break, bringing Liz a bowl of chicken soup.

He walks into his own bedroom. Liz is sitting up in his bed in her cupcake pajamas with a box of tissues, a moist towel draped over her forehead. She momentarily looks away from watching The Daily Show to watch Jack come in with the soup.

"Jack," she says hoarsely, her speech slightly stunted from the congestion"For god sakes, you don't have to do that. I'm perfectly capable of getting my own food"

He smiles at the feminist inside her unwilling to be coddled by any man. He sets the tray down and sits down on the bed, taking the towel off to feel her forehead.

"Don't let the liberal media fill your head with crazy thoughts Lemon it's not healthy." he still felt a slight fever. He looked her face over. She looked sick, pale, and her eyes had deep shadows under them. For a second wished germs were self-aware so he were able to negotiate said sickness into leaving Liz's body, but that was not the case.

"He's a comedian, Jack not a newscaster. He doesn't brainwash his viewers like Fox News does."

Liz says, clearly annoyed by his misunderstanding.

"Whatever you say. He's still part of the same manipulation machine that got people to vote for Barack Obama."

Liz groaned and flopped back on the pillows, exasperated "I'm not going to discuss this again."

"You're right" he says "I'm sorry. How are you feeling?" he takes her hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze.

She perks up, trying to prove to him that she has enough energy to go back to work. "I'm fine!" though it comes our more like 'I'm find '.

"That's great," he laughs "But I'm pretty sure there is not a 'd' at the end of fine," he emphasizes.

"Ah," she laughs, testing how hot the soup was with the spoon "I see you have finished watching the sixth season of Friends. Took you long enough"

"Well we all can't spend our days watching old tv shows. I'm taking my time."

"Psh, whatever. If you haven't finished at least an 90s sitcom that gives you no right to bash this show. So...stick that in your cake and eat it."

"Gladly," he gave her his trademark Jack Donaghy smile.

"This is good!" she says after tasting some of the soup "Is it that new Progresso soup?"

He laughs, gets up from the bed to lean against the nearest wall. "I refuse to allow you to eat such peasant food. This is from a very good restaurant that I send Jonathan to earlier. It should help you get better faster than that Nyquil that you've been taking"

"Hey," she says, slurping up a mouthful of noodles and pointing to the half-filled bottle of Nyquil with her spoon "That stuff works, ask Lewis Black. He loves the stuff"

He gives her an endearing smile and walks back over to the bed, caressing her face and giving her a kiss on the forehead. "Just get better soon okay? I don't know how much longer I can handle your underlings on my own"

She smiled, knowing it was his own special way of saying 'I miss you'. "Fine, but I can't guarantee anything. I'm starting to like this." she smirked.

He gets leaves to get his coat from its hook on the back of the door. "Well as much as I'd love to stay, I have to go back. I suppose Jonathan is already suffering from withdrawals, and I have another meeting.

"Oh," Liz says, with fake enthusiasm "Promoting more synergy within NBC are we?" she scoffs.

"Yes," he says flatly. He blows her a kiss, winking and mouthing 'I love you'.

She smiles, maybe being sick isn't so bad.

FIN!