When Emma returned twenty minutes later she had three blankets, a bottle of cough syrup, two Thermoses full of Granny's chicken soup, a carton of orange juice, ibuprofen and a jug of water. Took two trips to get it all up too - Killian needed to find an easier way onto his god damn boat. The place had warmed up nicely she noticed as she dropped all her supplies by the door. First thing she did was focus on arranging a place for Hook on the floor near the fire to keep him warm.
She could see he had resumed his shivering even though it was reasonably warm in the cabin. She knew how the chills were, he probably could have been wearing a couple of sweaters and he'd still feel cold. But much like how the fever had been intense for Emma it appeared the chills were on the same severity for Killian.
She finished arrange the blankets, not to far and not to close to the fire before going up to fetch the pirate.
She didn't think she could carry him, he'd have to be at the very least semi-conscious.
Emma began gently shaking his shoulder.
"Come on Killian open your eyes" she said softly.
Killian groaned but his eyes remained closed.
Pale, lips dry and cracked, poor guy looked a mess. She continued trying to gently coax him awake but became more and more worried when she still couldn't get him to open his eyes.
She pressed her palm to his cheek and was alarmed by how cool his skin was on hers.
She'll admit it - she had no idea where the next words seem to burst out from but in her defence she was getting really worried.
So...
"Killian I just took my shirt off, are you really going to miss this?"
Yeah…
She watched his face hopefully, and at first nothing happened
Then a few minutes that felt much longer then normal his eyes peeled halfway open. She put both hand on either side of his face, looking into the his veiled blue eyes.
She actually laughed, both slightly relieved and exasperated.
"Seriously - that's what gets you to open your eyes? My god man"
He mumbled something then and she was pretty sure it was her name.
"Yeah Killian it's me - we need to get you closer to the fire, can you sit up?" she asked.
He managed to half smile at her and reached up, brushing his hand against her cheek and making her jump a little t the touch.
He muttered something again but she couldn't make it out.
"What?" she asked, leaning closer to better hear him.
"Shrtz still awn" he complained, a bit of laughter in his voice.
"Jesus chr- sit up Hook" Emma huffed, putting her hand behind his neck.
"Ready? One, two, three" she pulled him up upright while he helped as much as he could.
The effort seemed to cost him a lot as he rest his head on her shoulder, Emma's arm on his back giving him enough support to stay upright.
Emma didn't realize it but her hand rubbing comforting little circles into his back as he leaned his weight against her.
He couldn't believe how weak he felt even in this dream, he barely had the strength of new born kitten - he was so tired, his mouth felt like he'd been eating cotton and his joints ached. Just sitting up felt like a gargantuan feat.
Emma held him up, letting him rest. She felt so real, so warm - so genuine.
The fog in his brain seemed to pull back just enough for him to wonder if he was dreaming at all…
Wow, Just him sitting up took a lot out of him Emma saw as he seemed to try and regroup a bit. No wonder he'd just laid here as it got colder and colder. She was immensely glad she'd decided to come looking for him - god knows what might have happened if she'd delayed.
"Almost there" she said glancing a bit sceptically at what now looked an impossible distance to the nest of blankets.
He sighed something against her neck, she would have missed it if he hadn't said it so close to her ear.
"Don't think you can?" she repeated back "That doesn't sound like the Killian we know and love."
She nearly swallowed her tongue - had she just said that?
"Besides I thought you never turned down a challenge?" she said quickly to move past what she'd just said, peeling the blankets back and off him.
She stood up, maintaining a hold of him with one hand to keep him up right, using the other to pull his legs over the side of the bed.
She sat down beside him and put his one arm over her shoulders, his chin resting against his chest and eyes looking as if he'd closed them again.
"We're almost there, come on you can do it" Emma encouraged, slipping her other arm around his waist in preperation to take more of his weight.
"On three, ok?"
Hook seemed to force his eyes open, lifting his head just enough to look at the goal.
"Onetwothree" Emma said in one breath, standing and pulling Hook up with her.
One shaky step forward, two steps forward -
She had to carry most of his weight but Hook took each step with determination and it made her smile a little - never turn down a challenge indeed.
He stumbled and she caught him, pulling him tighter to her as they both swayed on the spot so she could keep them both standing.
"Are we… dancing Swan?" he whispered, pausing between breaths. She swore to god she saw him wink in the corner of her eye.
"Maybe another time Killian" she said, sounding amused "When you can stand"
"Hold you… too it" he promised, wearing the ghost of his usual grin.
"Course you will" Emma nodded, readjusting his arm and unintentionally causing his hand to rest on her -
"Hook - hand, handhandhand!"
He moved his hand off her, umm, chest. A bit too slowly she noticed.
She was pretty sure she heard him chuckle.
"I'll beat a sick man Hook, don't tempt me" Emma growled.
They made it there just as he started to cough again.
The coughing seemed to take what little strength he'd mustered into the feat of getting closer to the fire.
His knee's buckled under him and it took every ounce of strength and finesse Emma had to gently lower him down to a sitting position - doing her damndest not to collapse on top of him.
"God - I really don't like that cough" Emma said as his shoulders shook with every violent hack, staying up right with Emma's help. Good thing she'd gotten some really good cough syrup.
"You made it" Emma congratulated him, catching her breath while she wrapped one of the blankets around his shoulders, "Knew you could do it" she told him as his eyes closed again, nodding off even while sitting upright.
She knew he was dehydrated by the state of his lips alone, she wasn't prepared to let him sleep yet. "Ha, not getting off that easy" she said lightly tapping his cheek to wake him while putting her hand under his chin and lifting his face to look at him.
His eyes opened again, managing to looking annoyed.
"Yes, I know you're tired" Emma acknowledged as she leaned away from him and towards the door, snagging the supplies she brought with her fingertips and pulling them closer.
"But I need to get some fluids in you or you're going to get worse"
He coughed in response, so hard it made Emma flinch.
Her priorities changed on the spot.
Her hand searched blindly through the things she'd brought until it closed on what she was looking for.
Emma pulled out the cough syrup, letting Killian lean against her while she started to unscrew the lid.
"You're not going to like this" she said pouring a capful of the thick purple liquid.
"But to be fair no one likes this so too bad" she shrugged.
"Consider it penance for being pain in the ass" Emma smirked.
She gently pushed him back so she could pour the medicine down his throat - though she had to wait for that awful cough that shook his very frame to stop.
"This'll help - promise" Emma told him.
As soon as it touched his tongue his face screwed up like she was making him suck a lemon and he was about to spit it out.
"No, no, no Killian you need to drink it"
His eyes opened to see the almost pleading look on her face. For a moment the cloudy 'I'm not entirely sure any of this is happening' look in his eyes cleared and it was like he knew she was really there. She saw the visible effort it took but he swallowed.
She sighed before smiling "not so bad right?"
"Awful" he corrected, face still pinched with disgust.
"Your pirate moonshine is the equivalent of drain cleaner and you complain about cough syrup?" Emma laughed as she laid him down into the blankets, pulling them around him as he spoke.
"Are you sayin you'll hava drink wit me?" he slurred.
It appears she'd lost him in the fog of chills again.
She couldn't help but smile, not matter how sick apparently - Killian would always be Killian. Emma let him rest for a few minutes, marvelling at how quickly the cough syrup worked it's magic as the violence of each cough lessened. She decided she should try to get the water in him now as she reached into the plastic bag again and pulled out the water jug, pouring it into a large cup she'd brought along.
She stopped when she realized he was trying to say something to her again.
"What?"
He said it again a little louder but it still eluded her so she leaned over him to hear him.
That's when he reached up and tapped his finger on the end of her nose.
"Boop"
Emma blinked, stunned as Hook smiled somewhat goofily at her, eyes barely open.
"Did you just… yeah you did. No more cough syrup for you" Emma sighed, putting her hand under his head and lifting him up to meet the rim of the cup, slowly helping him drink.
His hand came up as soon as the water touched his lips, trying to tilt the cup up more.
"Whoa, whoa" Emma said pulling the cup back "Easy, don't want you to choke"
"T-thristy" a violent shiver made the statement almost a plea and Emma was surprised at how it tore at her to hear it.
"I know, I know - just drink slow" she said, tilting the cup back to his lips.
"You're gonna be ok" she reassured him.
Four cups later Emma laid his head down, pleased by the progress.
She brushed the hair out of his face as his eyes closed again, his shivering had ceased and the warmth of the fire seemed to be doing him a great deal of good.
As she watched him sleep she realized what she was doing.
Why was she wearing a crooked smile?
Why was she still stroking his hair?
If he'd been awake, if he hadn't been sick she'd have made herself stop instantly.
But he was sick and he was asleep - and this once she couldn't see the harm in it.
She looked at the fire and watched the flames dance as she sat by his side, keeping silent vigil over Captain Hook.
Little did she know that Killian wasn't asleep.
He kept his eyes closed, half awake and mind clearing bit by bit with the fire warming him and the water re-hydrating him. He felt Emma's hand smoothing his hair from his face in a comforting rhythm. Even if he'd had the strength to open his eyes again he wouldn't have no mater how tempting it was to see her face. So very guarded his Emma swan - she only revealed herself when no one was looking.
This is not a dream he thought, almost smiling as he drifted off.
...
Not gonna lie, this chapter... irks me, but every time I tried to rewrite it this pretty much kept happening - I hope it does not irk you guys as well. as always thank you for the wonderful comments so far! :D
