Sick Daze

Zebraboymom

Disclaimer: They do not belong to me. I get a fever when I think about them though.

Author Notes: Okay, so what was up with Steve taking Lori running and not Kono? Guess the writers figured Kono wouldn't trip like that or let Steve carry her. Ha. In my story Kono has to take help from Steve. She isn't feeling well, but Steve is the only one who knows. Will he offer her some tender care? Of course he will. Steve/Kono. Sorry but this attempt at a one shot was too long, so I'm going to make it a short multi-chapter.

Steve McGarrett knew Kono Kalakaua really well. He had worked with her for almost two years now and he could tell something was not right. All day she had seemed off.

She was drinking more water than she usually did and once when she stood up too quickly from leaning over the tech table, she had swayed. He caught her with a hand to her hip and looked into her eyes, but she waved him away and said she just needed to eat something.

He had watched her, however, and she barely ate anything all day. Instead, she had made several trips to the bathroom and had come back each time looking worse than when she had entered in the first place.

Steve sat in his office finishing the last of the paper work on their case. Everyone else had left the building for the promise of the weekend, but Kono was sitting listlessly in her office with her head in her hand. She didn't look upset. There were no tears. When she put her head down on her desk and closed her eyes he knew something was really wrong.

He dropped the last file he had been working on in his basket and walked purposefully to hers.

"Kono?"

She didn't answer him and he thought maybe she was asleep, but as he approached her desk he was worried. The woman had amazing Spidey Sense, but she didn't even seem to be aware of his presence. He warned her as he approached.

"Kono are you okay?"

He reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder to rouse her and it was unbelievably warm to the tough. He gently shook her and she slowly lifted her head.

"Hmm?"

He slid his hand onto her forehead and knew instantly that she had a fever. Judging from how hot she felt it was high.

"Kono, Honey, are you sick?"

"Did you just call me Honey?"

Steve smiled. At least she was aware of him now. That was reassuring.

"I did and now I'm taking you home."

"Boss, I'm fine…really. You don't need to take me home. I just need a minute to…"

As Kono stood and pushed up from her desk she swayed and started to pitch forward. Steve wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his embrace. He reached up and smoothed her hair back from her pale face, looking down at her with concern.

"You are absolutely not fine and you are not driving. Understood?"

Kono leaned against him heavily and accepted his help. As she nodded her head it felt like it was going to split in two.

"Ouch. My head."

"Those kids we worked with Tuesday were sick too. I think they had the flu. Did you get your flu shot?"

"No. I never do. I don't get sick."

Steve grinned down at her.

"Well, kiddo, I think you are."

He pulled her to his side and started walking her to the elevator. He felt these new feelings of protectiveness for her all of a sudden. What was it about this woman that moved him so much? She was so incredible. Anyone could see it. She never appeared weak. This moment was a tiny little window into the woman she really was and he knew it. She always had her guard up, but being sick was crumbling it just a bit.

They walked slowly to his truck and he helped her in. He reached across her lap and buckled her seatbelt for her before tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Don't worry Sweetheart, I'll get you home and in bed before you know it."

Kono didn't even respond to the endearment or the joke about getting her in bed. This was not like her at all.

As he pulled out into traffic her head slumped against the window and he could tell from the look on her face that she was not even aware of him right now. He felt terrible for her and reached out to grip her shoulder affectionately.

"Steve. Pull over."

Steve eased over to the curb.

"What?"

"I'm gonna be…"

As soon as she had the door open she leaned out and threw up.

Steve reached in the back and grabbed a bottle of water. He undid his seatbelt and leaned over her holding her hair back. When she was done he handed her the bottle and she rinsed her mouth out.

Once she was back up in her seat again she started to shiver. He pulled his leather jacket out of the back seat and draped it over her.

"I didn't think I had anything left in my stomach to throw up."

"That's what you've been doing in the bathroom all day."

"Yeah."

"Kono, the next time you feel that bad just tell me. You're allowed to go home sick you know."

"I don't get sick."

"Yeah, you kinda do."

Kono closed her eyes and once again slumped against the window. Steve drove her the rest of the way home as fast as he could. Once he parked his truck, he ran around to open her door and when he released her seat belt, she slid out against him, trying valiantly to stand under her own power, she slumped heavily against him and whimpered.

That was all it took. Steve lifted her easily up into his arms and carried her in the house. He headed straight down the hall to her bedroom and laid her gently down on the bed.

She immediately curled into a ball and started to cry. He had never seen her this sick.

"Where's your first aid kit? Kono?"

It sounded like even speech was difficult for her.

"Un…under the bathroom sink."

Steve pulled it out and returned to her bed unzipping it and pulling out a thermometer. He pulled her limp body up against him.

"Open your mouth."

He slid it under her tongue and held her to him while they waited for a reading.

"Wow! It's at 102 already. That's high for an adult. Here. Take these for me Honey. He sat her up and handed her two Tylenol. He ran to her kitchen for a bottle of water and when he came back she had slid back down onto the sheets. He sat her back up and took the pills from her gently pushing them through her lips. His thumb brushed across her heated lip and he felt himself getting a little flushed too. He put the bottle to her lips and she drank a little as she swallowed the pills. He made her drink a little bit more.

"You have to stay hydrated Kono. Let's get you into some cooler clothes."

He laid her back on the bed and started digging through her drawers until he found a light weight large t-shirt that looked suspiciously like one of his Navy t-shirts. He smirked at the thought that maybe she had stolen it to sleep in.

He returned to her bed and sat her up again.

She groaned at all the movement. She just wanted to sleep.

"Arms up."

"What? Steve…"

"Arms up. I've seen you in a bikini before and your underwear is far less revealing. Now arms up."

Kono was too weak to argue and she held her arms up long enough for Steve to pull her top off and pull his shirt down over her head. He lifted her into his arms again and turned down the sheet before he carefully placed her under it.

"So hot…"

Steve thought for a moment that she certainly was before he ran to grab a washrag in the bathroom. He ran cool water over it, squeezing it out. When he returned to her bed she leaned into him seeking comfort. He felt that funny protective feeling again and brushed her hair back before bathing her face and neck with it.

"Mmm. Feels so good.

"You want me to keep doing it?"

"Yes, please."

The washrag was already getting warm from her fever, so he returned to the bathroom and repeated the process. Each time he touched her with the rag she sighed. He knew it was soothing her and he loved being able to be this intimate with her. Eventually she seemed to doze off and he stood up. He decided to see what she had in her fridge, but she called to him.

"Please…"

"What do you need Baby?"

The word just slipped out. He couldn't help it.

"Don't leave."

"Not on your life."

"Hold me?"

Steve kicked his shoes off and climbed on the other side of the bed. Kono instantly turned into him and settled on his shoulder, wrapping her arm around him and going to sleep. He ran his fingers soothingly through her hair and thought about how this time with her had changed his feelings for her.

Eventually her hot body was making him super uncomfortable and he was pretty sure the closeness wasn't helping lower her temperature, so he slowly slipped out from under her and left the sheet lightly covering her, knowing it wasn't good for her to get too hot.

Looking through her cupboards and fridge he found the ingredients he needed. He smiled to himself thinking about the fact that he was going to make her chicken soup. He didn't care. He just wanted to take care of her because he knew as soon as she was feeling better she would go back to being the enigma she was and he would once again be held at arms length.

He was just turning the stove down to simmer when he heard it. The shower. No. No.

No! That was the worst thing she could do. It would make her start shivering and shock her immune system. That could cause further infection and complications. He ran into the bathroom and reached inside to turn off the water. She had made it ice cold. He hesitated for a second before pushing the shower curtain aside. She was squatting in the tub shaking like a leaf. His heart broke at the sight.

"I just wanted to get cool. I'm so hot Steve."

"I know Sweetheart. I know, but this isn't a good way to do it."

He reached for a towel and wrapped it around her body. His shirt was clinging to her wet frame. She had climbed in clothes and all.

He rubbed the towel vigorously trying to dry her and warm her up again. He grabbed for another one and dried her hair. She started to slide down to her knees and he had her sit on lid of the toilet.

"Kono, I'm just going to take your shirt off and then you're going to have to take your underwear off. I'm going to get you a dry gown."

Kono's teeth were chattering and Steve rushed into her room digging through drawers until he found a lightweight baby doll gown. It was light fabric and would work. When he got back to the bathroom she was having dry heaves and was on the floor hanging her head over the toilet. She was still in her wet underwear and Steve was starting to feel really self-conscious, but he needed to help her and he pushed those thoughts aside.

Kono looked up at him with feverish eyes. He wrapped another towel around her and helped her to her feet. She was pretty dry by now, but he wanted her to get out of the wet underwear, so he pulled the gown over her head and reached behind her to undo the clasp for her bra.

Juggling the towel, Kono and her gown was challenging, but Steve managed to avoid seeing her naked. Even in her state she teased him a little. She was something.

"Are you trying to take advantage of me Commander?"

Steve chuckled.

"You wish."

"I do. All the time."

He knew it had to be the fever talking.

"What?"

He dropped the towel and let go of his grip on her. She swayed in front of him and reached under her gown to pull down the wet underwear. Once it was off, she pushed at him.

"I need to lie down."

With that she proceeded to face plant into his chest. She was still shivering and he pulled her close.

"Kono, Honey, I'm worried about you. Let's get you back to bed."

Once he had her tucked back in, he sat beside her and combed her almost dry hair back with his hands.

"You need to stop scaring me and promise you will not get out of this bed again tonight."

Her teeth were chattering so hard she could barely talk.

"O…okay."

"No more showers, okay?"

All Kono could do was shake and nod her head.

"Hey."

Steve reached for her then and held her close trying to stop the shivers. It seemed to work as she relaxed against him and started to calm down. Her head lay against his chest listening to his heartbeat.

This felt so right. Steve sighed and pulled her closer. He listened as her breathing evened out and she stopped shaking. Pretty soon he realized she was finally asleep. He placed her carefully back down in her bedding and sat watching her. There was no way he was going to leave her this weekend.