Hey guys! RV is back, again, because we're crazy like that. So, here's our first major subplot that will be in this story, Jodi and Larry slowly getting a little closer (along with a little bit of pushes from Nancy, but we'll let them think it was all their own doing, shall we? ;P). We'll be switching back and forth between JoLa and BuTy, Burt an Ty being the next chapter. Which means, yes, there will be Cliffhangers of Doom that you will have to cling to for a whole 'nother chapter before being able to climb back up. *evil smirk* Don't you just love us?
It was nearly two in the morning when Jodi suddenly lurched out of her bed, racing for the bathroom and practically falling against the side of the tub, heaving. After several minutes she leaned back, sitting on the cold floor and resting her cheek on the side. She crinkled her nose up at the smell, closing her eyes so she wouldn't look. She really wasn't looking forward to cleaning that up and mentally berated her half-asleep mind for not using the toilet.
Having refused to let her stay home sick alone for the night, Larry had camped out on her couch. He was jolted from his sleep at the sound of the door slamming shut behind her, and the tiredness in his head was instantly replaced with worry. He pushed the comforter off of him and headed over to the bathroom door, knocking softly.
"You okay, Jode?" he asked through the door.
A faint groan of discomfort and mental death was all he received in reply, Jodi too tired to exert energy into coherent words.
"Is it okay if I come in?" he asked.
Jodi gave a small grunt of agreement. Or rather, a grunt of, "I don't care what the hell you do, I'm busy puking my guts out."
Larry pushed through, kneeling down next to her with a very anxious look on his face. "So much for you being fine," he frowned. "You shouldn't have been up at all today."
Jodi sent him a half-hearted glare before coughing up into the tub again.
The science fiction fan held back her black hair, rubbing small circles on her back. "You're staying in bed tomor- I mean today. I'll take care if the store and everything but you are way too sick," he said.
For a moment it seemed as though the store owner was going to protest, but another convulsion left her too tired to even try grumbling. Her mind was having a hard time focusing and she felt way too hot. She just wanted to sleep for a few years.
After a while the vomiting had subsided, but the fever emanated heat off of her and she looked completely exhausted. "You feeling a bit better? Good enough to get back to bed?"
Jodi nodded weakly.
"Come on," Larry urged her to get up, offering her a hand.
She took it and let him lead her back to her room where she promptly collapsed onto her bed, burying her head in the pillows. Larry sat down a bit on the edge, reaching behind her nightstand and unplugging her alarm clock to make sure it didn't wake her in the morning. He glanced at the Asian woman out of the corner of his eye, secretly feeling bad that there wasn't more he could do to make her feel better.
Within moments, Jodi was asleep again, looking more restful than she had in the bathroom. Larry considered going back to sleep himself, but now that he was up he wouldn't be able to fall asleep again. He was too worried as well, so he left momentarily and returned with a cold cloth that he placed on her forehead. He made a mental note to ask Nancy for some advice on how to make her more comfortable in the morning.
Nancy ended up being the one finding Larry the next morning, instead of the other way round. She knew Larry had most likely spent the night with Jodi, judging by his constant hovering yesterday, and she definitely knew that he would need help. As nice as he'd been when she'd caught a cold after the invasion of the bugs, he hadn't been able to actually help much. Simple medical knowledge didn't seem to be his forte.
The usually rather childish man was sitting at the counter when Nancy walked in, looking tired and drawn.
"Oh, hi, Nancy," he greeted without his usual excitement.
"Jodi not feeling better?" she guessed, sitting next to him.
Larry shook his head. "She got really stomach sick early this morning," he said. "And her fever is higher I think, but she's sleeping okay. Been up the whole time and I'm gunna take care of the store for her."
Nancy couldn't help laugh at his determined resolve. "I'm sure she'll appreciate that."
"I just hope she feels better soon," he said sadly. "I don't like seeing her so sick."
"No one ever likes seeing their loved ones sick," Nancy agreed.
Larry bit his bottom lip, face growing slightly pink. "L-loved one?" he stuttered at the implication. "I, um, care about Jodi a lot, but, I, uh-"
Nancy just looked at him pointedly. "I'm a mother, Larry. I've had this conversation several times before. Save your energy."
He crossed his arms on the counter in front of him, burying his face in them. "I feel like everyone figured it out even faster than I did."
"Oh, honey, that's not true!" Nancy said, rubbing his back comfortingly. "I'm pretty sure Burt's still oblivious...but then he is Burt, so..."
Larry managed a bit of a laugh at that. "Yeah. I just wish... well, I could tell her," he said, looking up.
Nancy chewed her lip for a moment, thinking. Finally, she spoke, leaning her head on her hand. "Did you know Jodi was jealous of Skyler?"
"What? She was?" Larry asked. "How come?"
"Oh, I dunno," Nancy rolled her eyes as if trying to remember. "Maybe because you became such good friends with so quickly, and would sit there and talk for hours about all your favourite stuff?" She threw him a teasing smile.
"But I thought Jodi just found a lot of the stuff I talk about annoying," he said thoughtfully.
"Well of course she does!" Nancy chided. "But that doesn't mean she want other girls to enjoy it."
Larry fell silent for a second, thinking. "Was she really jealous?" he asked, remembering how he felt when Randall Lewis was flirting with Jodi. Doesn't that mean she kind of likes him back?
The potter sat and watched the man as he stared into nothing. She could practically see the gears in his head turning as he slowly figured out what exactly that meant, and she couldn't help but smile. A small but excited grin crept onto Larry's face even as his face grew a little redder.
Nancy giggled. "Got it now?"
Larry nodded with a happy laugh. "I never thought she might, you know, like me like that. Thanks, Nancy," he said with a bit of a goofy smile.
She grinned back. "Okay, now go to bed," she ordered, shoving him off the stool gently. "I'll take care of Jodi for a few hours, but you need your sleep too, or you'll be useless later." Her tone held no room for argument.
Larry nodded reluctantly, heading to the back room to collapse on the couch.
"Jodi? You awake?" Nancy asked quietly as she entered the room, holding a tray of chicken noodle soup and crackers and a glass of water. She placed the dinner on the table and sat down on the edge of the bed, feeling the woman's forehead.
The store owner's eyes blinked open at the older woman's cool hand on her head. "Hm? Where's Larry?" was the first thing she asked, confused.
Nancy chuckled softly. "He's attending to a small group of tourists in the store," she replied. "He'll be back once they're gone and he closes up."
"Oh," she responded in a puff of air, closing her eyes. "Uhg, I feel awful. I think somebody rubbed my throat with sandpaper."
Nancy gave her a sympathetic smile, lowering her hand. "Well, your fever's gone down some at least. It was worse this morning." She stood up and reached for the tray of food. "Think you can handle some homemade chicken noodle soup?"
Jodi crinkled her nose at the thought of getting sick early that morning, but her stomach felt much better than then. "Yeah, I think so."
"Good," Nancy set the tray down on the bed as Jodi sat up, making sure nothing would spill before sitting down again.
Jodi carefully slowly swallowed some of the noodles, wincing slightly. Nancy rubbed her back comfortingly. "We're all out of lozenges here, but I'll see about running to Bixby in the morning to get some. Might help."
Jodi nodded slightly. "How's Larry handling the store?" she asked between another spoonful of soup.
"Okay. Not as well as he usually does, but it's understandable."
"Huh? Why?" Jodi asked. "What's the matter?"
For a moment, the older woman just stared at her as if the answer were completely obvious. "You're the matter, Jodi. What else did you think? I mean really."
She let out a puff of air. "He's still worried about me? It's just a bug."
"Oh, honestly!" Nancy cried, throwing her hands into the air. "I swear, you two are completely hopeless sometimes! Have you still not figured it out?"
"No, enlighten me," the sick woman shot back, slightly annoyed.
"He loves you," Nancy said, enunciating each word clearly so as to leave no doubt or confusion. "And you love him."
Jodi glared into her soup as she felt her cheeks grow hot, even compared to her fever.
"Don't deny it," Nancy chided. "I've already had this conversation with both of you before. I know everything."
"I won't," Jodi sighed. "You just love making things awkward for the two of us," she joked.
Nancy shook her head. "I do nothing but state the facts. It'll happen eventually, everyone knows it. Except you two, for some reason," she added, giving the younger woman an odd look.
Jodi looked up at Nancy for a second before returning her eyes to the soup. "Did he... Really say he loved me?" she asked, internally blaming the crack in her voice on her sore throat.
"Uh...Well...not exactly..." Nancy replied, frowning in thought. "I think the only L word he's used so far is 'like'."
"Why doesn't that surprise me?"
Nancy just rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Just eat your soup. And drink your water slowly, we don't need you throwing up again in the middle of the night."
Jodi just nodded idly, sipping slowly at her soup. Nancy had certainly got her mind going.
Vee ol lah! It has been said! Those three little words everyone wants to hear. *swoon* Except...it wasn't with pronoun "I" and it was said by the third wheel. pffffft.
Remember, Burt and Tyler are next, you get to see more of Tyler's "punishment" towards Burt. XD I'm having way too much fun with that by the way. Maybe it's because I know what happens... *notices audience staring with wide-eyed, curious, nervousness* ...ISAIDNOTHING! *runs away*