I cough, or more accurately, hack like a dying hot-air balloon with a hole in it, and curl deeper into the warmth of my orange sheets. Even the extra blankets the Doctor put on top, combined with the fuzzy puppy-themed pajamas I've got on, can't keep me warm. It's like my body isn't producing heat, but cold… Even though I know that's not scientifically correct, because what is cold beside an absence of warmth?

Ugh. Science makes my head hurt.

And hurt it does, throbbing almost as bad as my old migraines used to be. At first, before I was bedridden, the headache caused me to really panic. That is, until I realized it felt completely different from that killing machine in my brain. It just felt like the whole front half of my head was being stuffed full of stones…

"Doctor?" I croak against the soreness in my throat, and an anxious Time Lord peeks into the doorway that appears in my bedroom wall.

"Evy? You alright, do you need some more ice? Maybe a hot cloth for your headache?" He says, sweeping into the room to sit himself down next to my pathetic form, resting a hand on my waist. Even sick with the flu, my body reacts to his touch, wishing one of these days he might do something besides give me a kiss here and there.

Like that's going to happen anytime soon. I'm a real catch at the moment, all whiny and drippy with snot. Yeah, real tantalizing.

Besides, since when is he doing any of the kissing? I'm the one who seems to take charge in that department...

Being a snot monster definitely isn't helping my case though.

"I was just wondering if there was a way to… watch movies, or something?" I say, coughing again, my lungs feeling like evil little gremlins are squeezing them together, preventing them from expanding. When I do try to breathe deeply, I just end up wheezing before coughing again.

This is so miserable. Not only is every joint in my body aching and throbbing, but I feel like I can hardly even breathe.

"Well, the cinema is just in the other room, if you think you can make it? But, there's only the sofas, so that wouldn't be very comfortable…" He pauses, his hand lightly moving up and down the curved shape my body makes covered by the blankets, probably meaning it to be comforting.

Well, it is delightfully distracting, by any means…

"Oh, that's okay… I'll just stay in here, then. If I move, I might die." I say, smiling pathetically at my attempt at a joke, before my expression twists into another cough. He just gives me a concerned look, obviously pitying me.

I hate being pitied.

We should be adventuring right now, exploring the unknown planets across the stars, saving strangers from certain doom, helping people right their wrongs, that sort of thing.

Instead, I'm cooped up with the gosh dang dingle damned fricking fracking flu. Not even a cool, alien flu. Just the normal, Earthy flu.

So lame.

Makes me want to kick a puppy.

No, no no no. Never… Not a puppy.

Makes me want to kick a… Oh, I don't know, something less innocent than a puppy, but who would be helpless to stop me from kicking it, and hopefully deserves a bit of a kick…

….How high is my fever, again?

"Well… I'm going to bring you some more ice chips to nibble on, maybe soothe that throat of yours. You should just rest your eyes for a bit, yeah?" He says, brushing a cool hand across my forehead, sweeping the hair away from my clammy skin. I just nod, and when he gets up, I curl up even more, closing my eyes and knowing nothing but aches and pains, all over.

After a while, I'm counting my heartbeat, the two-beat rhythm somehow relaxing. It's something to pay attention to besides the ball of pain that is my body, at least.

13-14

15-16

17-18

19-20

21-22

23-24

"Ah HA!"

I start at the loud voice of the Doctor, and when I inhale, it causes me to spasm into a fit of coughing. I groan, rolling over to see that he is pointing triumphantly to the wall.

"What, you stupid man, you scared me half to… Movie screen?"

He's grinning widely, a cup of crushed ice in his one hand, pointing with the other to the screen that has appeared on my wall, replacing my big antique mirror. It's complete with red curtains lining the edges, like an old fashioned silver-screen.

"I knew she'd come through for us, the clever old girl! I bet she's even lined up a movie you'd like to watch." He says, coming to sit next to me once again, and when he does, the pulsing green and white lights of my room dim.

"I love you, T.A.R.D.I.S." I whisper, sitting up a bit to take the cup of ice from the Doctor, gratefully spooning the coolness into my mouth. It does soothe my throat a bit, and lord knows I need the hydration…

"Oh, she definitely loves you, too. Look at that! She caters to you more than she ever did for me! You're spoiled, you are." He says, giving me a grin, and looking up at the screen once it begins to play.

"Beauty and the Beast." I say before it even really starts, and once I see I'm right, I can't help but smile. I'd always loved this movie when I was little. I must have seen it fifty times over, but I don't even care, "Want to stay with me and watch?"

It's more of a plea than a question, and he smiles softly, sidling up closer to me, getting under the blankets carefully.

"Course. I love Disney." He says.

We watch for a bit, and I wish I could sing along to all of the songs. I know them by heart, every single word, and I know all of the lines, too. The non-sung ones.

My throat simply won't allow that, though…

Once I finish my ice cup, I feel very cold again, and the Doctor feels so very warm. So I snuggle into him, resting my head on his shoulder. He is tense for a few heartbeats, before he drapes an arm over my shoulder, adjusting us so that we fit perfectly, comfortably.

"I'm going to get you sick," I say, nuzzling deeper into his chest even as the words leave my lips.

"Hi, different species, here. Your little human viruses are no match for a Time Lord." He says, and I chuckle, surprised that it doesn't make me cough.

"Well, good, because this is nice. And I've got a few more movies in mind." I say, and his chuckle moves my head up and down a bit, the vibration feeling pleasant against my throbbing head.

"Yeah, this is nice, isn't it?" He says, rubbing my arm soothingly, and then he's tracing patterns with his finger. It's so calming that I don't even get to watch the part where Gaston and the Beast fight.

No, I drift off long before that.

Maybe I should get sick more often…

A/N

Hey guys, sorry about the delay for ATGS, it's coming up next, it's just these drabbles are so much fun to write, and I now have several lined up for this, because I just can't stop writing them... Oopsies.

Anyhoo, promise I'll get on that, hope you enjoy this bit of fluff for the time being though!

Love,

A.