A/N oops. It happened again...
COLD
She felt cold, so indescribably cold. Her teeth chattered and her body would not stop shivering. Another blanket, a hot water bottle? Tea? She longed for something to warm her up. Anything was welcomed if it only stopped her from feeling cold.
With shaking hands she pushed down the blanket and tried to move her body out of the bed and onto her feet. One more blanket, just across the room, in the bottom drawer. But she could not make her legs move. They were too heavy and they hurt so much. Exhausted she let her head fall back on the damp pillow and drew the blanket up around her once more in a vain hope to get warm after all.
It did not work. Her legs still shivered, she could not stop her teeth from chattering. Whatever was wrong with her probably required more than an additional blanket to make her feel better. If only someone would come through that door now and help her. Where was he? Why wasn't he here already? She had been at his side so many times, nursing him back to health. Why wasn't he doing the same for her now?
A coughing fit shook her entire body. Once it had ceased it was followed by another. She could not stop it. Her chest hurt, her throat was sore and tears flooded her eyes. She tried to call for help but her voice was only a whisper.
ooo
He woke with a start. What was that noise? It had sounded horrible, so unreal. There it was again, coming from the room next to his. Coughing, so frightfully loud it sent a shiver down his spine. As fast as he could, he got out of his bed, ignored the cold floor and did not bother with his robe. He had to be at her side this instant.
The connecting door was locked, the key on the other side, hanging on its hook. He could smash the glass or walk down the stairs and take the other entrance. In the end he opted for the latter and made his way down and up the cold stone steps in a hurry until he stood in front of her door, out of breath.
ooo
He was here, finally. Her knight in shining armour. She could barely see him in the darkness and her eyes refused to focus, blurring his features. But it was his voice she heard through the feverish fog.
"Elsie my love, oh my god, what's wrong?" She reached out to touch him, to tell him that she was so cold, so horrible cold. He had to warm her, stop the shivering. Her hand fell listlessly down on the blanket. He took it, stroked it, put one hand no her forehead. Not there, no fever, cold. "You're burning! I'll go and wake Mrs Patmore, then call for the doctor!"
Her mouth tried to form the words No don't go, stay with me but he could not hear them. A quick kiss on her cheek and he was gone again, leaving her alone in this dark room. She closed her eyes. He would come back, he loved her, he would make her feel better…
"Mrs Hughes? Can you hear me?" Someone touched her face, not gently like he always did. "We need to get her out of these damp clothes and change the bedlinen too." No don't do that, I'm cold. She tried to open her eyes, slowly, and was blinded by the bright electric light someone had switched on in her room.
"Mrs Hughes?" Doctor Clarkson looked down at her, worry written all over his face. Where was he? Where was Charles?
"Doctor? I'm cold", she whispered.
"I know and we will try to make you feel better. Mrs Patmore will help you change."
"Where's…" her voice faltered and she could not keep her eyes open for much longer.
"He's outside." Mrs Patmore was at her side and carefully whooped her forehead with a wet cool cloth. "I'll tell him to come in as soon as you've changed into fresh clothes."
ooo
She slept for two full days and her fever broke on the morning of the second. He stayed at her side throughout the entire time, while Mr Barrow was in charge of the butler's duties downstairs. No one had questioned this decision, not even Lord Grantham. If he was the one Mrs Hughes needed to get back on her feet than there was no use to argue about it.
He held her hand when she woke up. She looked exhausted and fragile but there was a smile on her lips. "You are here."
"Of course I am." His lips placed a gentle kiss on the back of her hand. "I didn't leave you alone for one minute."
"I knew you wouldn't." She closed her eyes again and he was afraid she would fall asleep once more. "And we shouldn't have walked back in the pouring rain the other day." Her voice was only a whisper nut he could hear the smirk in it nevertheless.
"I'll remind you of that the next time we're taking a walk."
(you can keep the typos :-p)