Ty snuggled tighter to the depths of his cover, all while realizing he would not feel any warmer either way. His sensitive-to-light eyes raveled toward the cellphone that laid next to him on his bed and he eventually extended his shaking hand out under the covers like the limb would be the first flower of the spring, weakly reaching toward the sun.
He knew it was going to be ten o'clock soon and Amy would be leaving from Heartland to Maggie's to their date. Even though it was not a big deal essentially - they were already dating after all -, it was still important to have those special moments with just the two of them. No other "excuses", like ranch work or family dinners to spend time together, but just them, being a normal young couple and learning new sides from one another even after knowing each other for five years now.
Ty buried himself deeper to the bed when he had pulled his arm back to himself and adjusted the phone against his ear, all while trying to keep himself from shaking. When Amy picked up, she sounded so happy that it was almost enough to break Ty's heart.
"Ty, I was just about to hop into the truck", Amy told him. "Can't wait to see you soon!" He could hear the gravel under her cowboy boots and the wind that was probably making a mess of her blonde hair. It was going to be hard to cancel their plans, knowing he wouldn't see her for another day.
"Amy…" he hesitated, but knew that he was in no condition to leave the trailer. "I can't make it… I'm really sorry."
"What…? Is everything okay?" the tone in her voice changed and she became alarmed. Ty knew he had to explain himself quickly before Amy would think something worse was going on. She knew how much these dates meant to him as well.
"I'm sick. I think I have a fever. I haven't taken my temperature, but… I feel so weak. I'm so cold and my muscles ache", Ty explained heavily as his body experienced another fit of shivers.
"Oh no…" Amy was empathetic and not at all mad at the cancellation. "Well, I can come over too?"
"It's fine. I think I'll just try to sleep it off", Ty assured. He was trying to collect enough strength to look for aspirin so maybe the drugs would help him shake away this illness.
"Are you sure?" Amy asked again.
"Yeah. You just go for a ride or do something else instead", Ty smiled a little, imagining Amy on Spartan, galloping at the hills that filled the space between the Rockies.
"Okay. If you're sure… Will you be okay?" Amy couldn't help but fuss.
"Yeah. I'll be fine. I'll call you later, okay?"
"Okay. Love you."
"Love you too."
But as she often wasn't, Amy was not one to listen to Ty this time either. About 40 minutes later, she was knocking on Ty's door in hopes to bring him some health if she could. The young man had fallen asleep after the phone call and upon waking felt himself sweaty and weak. It took him some time to respond to the knock which worried Amy.
"Yeah…?" Ty was too weak to answer the door by actually walking to it, so a holler would just have to do.
Soon after, Amy entered the trailer. Her eyes went straight to the bed and she saw Ty cocooned inside of his cover like a moth not quite ready to be born. It took a while for Ty to realize she wasn't just some mirage caused by the fever, but actually here with him, holding a little plastic cup and a thermos mug.
"Oh no…" Amy said, her voice full of concern when Ty revealed his pale face.
"Amy… What are you doing here…?" Ty frowned, feeling the shivers rocking him again. Amy kicked off her boots, laid the food on the side and walked up to Ty's bedside. She sat on the edge of the bunk, carefully caressing Ty's temple and wet hair before she felt for his temperature with her hand.
"I came to take care of you", Amy explained like it couldn't have been any more obvious. Ty on the other hand could've almost sworn he felt immediately a bit better just by the touch and sight of her, but that would have been just the placebo effect talking.
"But I thought I told you to do something else instead", Ty recalled. He didn't want to waste Amy's time like this - she hardly had any time for herself with her busy schedule and ranch chores anyway. She deserved to have some time to just relax.
"How could I do something else when I know you're here, all by yourself and running a fever?" Amy asked, not really even waiting for an answer. "Poor baby", she pouted. It made Ty smile a little because even though he wasn't too keen on being called a baby or too pleased to have Amy wasting her time with him, she was still the most adorable thing ever and it felt good to have someone there to take care of him when he wasn't really capable of it himself. "I brought you some chicken soup and green tea."
"Amy, you didn't have to", Ty sighed for all the trouble she had gone for him.
"I know. But I wanted to. Now that we are dating again, I'm going to be the best girlfriend this universe has ever known. There are some duties that I, as a girlfriend, should be doing and I'm going to do them willingly", she explained, making a face that indicated that she was half-joking, but also very serious about this.
"Like…?" Ty was curious.
"Like, well, let's see", Amy started to count the things,"there's helping you to eat and making sure you regain as much fluids as you sweat away", she listed. "Then there's taking your temperature, keeping you company - and of course, cuddling."
"Now, I might not be a doctor myself, but I'm pretty sure cuddling is just what the doctor would order in a condition like this", Ty tried to be sneaky, of course making it so obvious that Amy would play along. "I hear it's the best remedy of them all."
"I think so too", Amy agreed, grinning. Ty might have been weak and sick, but he had not lost what made him who he was: softness. "But first… you'll eat, then you'll drink, then I'll take your temperature and only then are you ready for the cuddles. How does that sound?"
"Like a plan", Ty nodded, looking forward to it already.
"Then let's proceed", Amy said, kissed his forehead before getting up and fetched his fluids for him.
Ty watched her go and realized just how lucky he was to have this - even if he was somewhat miserable, he couldn't feel completely bad with a nurse like Amy…