It was already quite late in the evening this second Friday of December and there wasn´t many people still in the office.
She heard him sneezing and coughing through his closed office door. Barbara got up went over to his office knocked and went in seeing he was sitting trying to read the finishing report of their just closed case.
He had gone quite wet while observing a suspect two days ago and what she now heard and saw was probably the result of that.
She went over in front of his desk: "Sir, please go home and try to get rid of this cold over the weekend." Tommy looked up at her with already glassy eyes: "I just want to finish reading the report, Havers, then I will be off."
Looking in his glassy eyes Barbara decided to be more persuasive this time. "No Sir, you go home now. The report can wait! Come on I drive you!"
Feeling really not well at all Tommy decided not to argue with his sergeant. "Okay, thanks! I just log out, see you in a minute."
Barbara went to fetch her coat from the staff room and was just back in time to steady him as he tried to get up and nearly lost his balance. Holding him she noticed that he was sweating and shivering at the same time. She put her hand up to his forehead and immediately noticed that he was quite feverish.
"Okay, we get your coat and of we go." As Tommy didn´t object in any way and let her drive his car she knew he wasn´t feeling well.
On the drive to his flat Tommy was just happy that he hadn´t have to drive himself as his concentration was everything but good. He closed his eyes and hoped to arrive soon and then just crawl in his bed.
Seeing him with his eyes shut shivering in the front passenger seat Barbara said: "I´m sure you have fever and you shouldn´t be alone. I guess it is better if I stay in with you if you don't mind."
Hearing that Tommy felt a bit better immediately as it was nice to have someone to look after you and for him especially when this someone was his Sergeant. With Barbara he could be who he really was.
Seeing that he didn´t say anything Barbara took that as a "yes".
She managed somehow to get him in his flat and up to his room. "Okay, Sir, now where is your medical thermometer and the hot-water-bottle?"
Sitting down on the bed feeling more ill than he had in years he answered: "Both are in the bathroom."
"Good, I go and fetch them while you change into your PJs, Sir", Barbara was a bit irritated that he didn´t object at all thinking that he really must be ill.
She went to the bath and found both after a while. When she came back Tommy had managed to change and was lying already in bed. Barbara went over and gave him the thermometer to check his temperature and then went down in the kitchen. She made hot water and when she came back with the hot-water-bottle the thermometer showed 39.1 degrees Celsius.
"Do you want something to eat, Sir?" she gave him the hot-water-battle which Tommy gratefully took under his duvet feeling the heat running through his body.
"Thanks, Barbara, but no. I only feel cold and tired." He got deeper under the duvet.
"I think we should do something to get the fever out of your body, Sir. Best thing is to sweat it out, my Dad always drank a strong hot grog to really sweat. Do you have rum in the house?"
Tommy only nodded and Barbara went down again making the grog and made Tommy drink it completely. Then she settled down in an armchair by the window in his bedroom while Tommy drifted off to sleep.
He slept and really sweat most of the night and when he woke up the next morning he felt a lot better. Seeing the thermometer still on his nightstand he took it again. It was back to a normal 37.3 degrees Celsius.
Trying to remember last night he looked around and saw Barbara sleeping peacefully in the armchair by the window. She had been there for him the whole night he remembered now. He had sweated so much that he had had to change his pyjamas two times and both times she had also changed his bedcovers to make him as comfortable as possible. She had brought him water when he had been thirsty and also made sure that there was a towel to get the sweat off his forehead.
Tommy tried to sit up and as it felt quite okay he tried to get up and went over to Barbara. She was snuggled up in the chair a book still in her hands. He now remembered that she had read to him to calm him and it had worked perfectly. Hearing her voice was soothing for him but he couldn´t remember what she had read. That hadn´t been important at all as long as he had heard her voice it could have been the telephone book of London but as he now checked it had been the great English ballads. He smiled when he saw that the book was open on "The Lady of Shalott" by Tennyson.
It made him smile seeing that Barbara had chosen something romantic. As he didn´t want to wake her as she must had been awake most of the night he fetched a rug from the cupboard to cover her and then he went to the bathroom and took a quick and refreshing shower and dressed in some sweat pants and t-shirt. When he came back to his room Barbara had cuddled herself up under the rug and as it didn´t look too uncomfortable he let her sleep.
So he went down and made tea for him and coffee for Barbara. Making some toast and a bit of scrambling egg he put it all on a tray and went up again.
Barbara was still asleep so he made himself comfortable on his bed and started eating feeling quite hungry all of a sudden.
Barbara woke up with a bit of a stiff neck and the smell of coffee. Opening her eyes she tried to remember where she was. Looking over to the bed and seeing Tommy it all came back to her.
"Looks like you´re feeling better," she mumbled still blearily.
"Good morning and yes, I do. Thanks to your good care, Barbara. How about some coffee and breakfast?" Tommy padded at the empty side of his bed as it were the most normal thing to have her there. As she was still tired and the coffee smelled so good she came over and sat down beside him the tray with the breakfast between them.
They enjoyed the breakfast in companionable silence. Also the coffee was really good it didn´t help Barbara to get more awake and when Tommy switched the TV on to see the news she couldn´t help it but the comfortable matrass and the lack of sleep let her slip down from the headrest of his bed and she was sound asleep in minutes.
Also he felt better now Tommy was also still tired after this night and so he just put the tray out of the bed and covering them both with the duvet he also drifted over to sleep again.
A/N:Okay as promised my first christmassy chapter. I first wanted to wait until I had the story totally ready but I´m on a good way and a bit of presure with having started posting already can´t hurt to go on :). So I hope you like it and let me know what you think.
