Title: Snuggling Charles Dickens
Pairing: Daniel/Betty
Rating: K+ (or PG)
Summary: Daniel Meade is having an awful day, but can his assistant help turn things around?
Timeline: AU; Takes place in late January 2007 - sometime after the episode "In or Out" but before "I'm Coming Out".
Disclaimer: I'm sorry to say that I neither own the show nor any of its characters.
A/N: To everyone who's been following this story, I'm very sorry for the long gap in between chapters. I'm currently juggling work and a college project/thesis at the moment, so my brain is kind of stretched out in various places, LOL. But I'm still very much inspired to write this story and I will finish it soon. There are only a few chapters left before we get to the end.
As always, I greatly appreciate your reviews, feedback, and support! Thank you to all the usual readers, and to the new ones who've come by recently, thank you very much for giving my story a chance. :) I hope everyone will stick with me to the end on this one.
But now, on to the chapter...and I hope you don't mind long ones because this chapter is one of the longest I've ever written for this fic. I hope you all enjoy! ;)
Chapter 7
"Yay! You won't be sorry, Daniel! I promise."
Despite his lingering reservations about the situation, Daniel couldn't help but grin as Betty beamed at him. Her cheerful disposition always made him smile, but this time it affected him even more. She was about to waste the rest of her day at his loft – knowing it was a bacterial breeding ground – yet she couldn't be more genuinely happy about being there.
"Now…let me just get this…" Speaking more to herself than to Daniel, Betty fumbled with the strap of her handbag around her shoulder and proceeded to pick up the paper bag on the floor.
"Let me take that," he offered.
She shook her head as she picked up the bag. "No, that's alright. I've got it covered. Besides, your blanket will fall."
As she moved past him into the loft, Betty couldn't help but smile inwardly at Daniel's manners. Even in sickness, he still managed to be thoughtful. For Betty, it was a pity that most people never saw this side of him. Often, the public was used to seeing her boss in a very glamorous (and often scandalous) light. Practically every major magazine in the world had chronicled the flashy, jet-setting lifestyle of Daniel Meade, while even more tabloids detailed his weekly womanizing escapades. However, after five months of getting to work with him, Betty realized that there was much more to the man than his famous name and his infamous reputation. Take away the fancy suits and the wealth, and all that the world would have left is the "real" Daniel Meade - a talented guy with a kind heart. If only more people would pay attention, then they'd really see that, she thought.
As Daniel closed the door, she turned to watch him over her shoulder. "Daniel, you don't have to carry that bag. I can get it." Betty carefully set down the paper bag that she was carrying against the wall. She reached out to grab the duffle bag from his hand, but he held on to it as he bolted the door.
"I'm fine, Betty," he replied hoarsely. "It's just a bag. You know, having a cold doesn't mean I'm invalid. I can…handle…whoa…" As Daniel turned towards her, an intense wave of dizziness came over him, causing him to shut his eyes and lean against the door for support.
Immediately, Betty's eyes widened with concern. "Oh!" She quickly stepped over to him and gently placed her hand on his arm, which felt unusually cold. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"
He squinted his eyes and rubbed at his forehead. "I'm not sure. It felt like I got the wind knocked out of me just right now. This cold is really playing games with my entire body."
Fearing that he might fall, Betty placed her right hand on his back to steady him. I think this is more than just a little cold, she sighed. We'll find out soon enough.
"You definitely need to get back into bed right now. But first, let me hold that." Betty gestured toward the duffle bag in Daniel's hand. He relented and handed it to her. "Do you think that you can make it to the bedroom?"
Daniel slowly opened his eyes and turned to her. "Yeah…I can make it."
"Do you need to lean on me?" Betty took her hand off of his arm but continued to support his back.
"No, it's okay. I think I can make it," he replied softly, ignoring the dizziness that remained and the wobbly feeling in his legs. A shiver went down his spine, causing him to move away from Betty's supporting hand. He tugged at his blanket and brought it closer around his shoulders.
Slowly, Daniel pushed off the door and straightened up. After pausing for a second to gather his bearings, he started to walk forward cautiously. Betty followed him from behind, keeping a sharp eye on his every move. It worried her that he was experiencing intense dizzy spells. However, she took it as a good sign that Daniel hadn't sneezed at all since her arrival.
Or so she thought.
"ACH-CHOO!"
Betty halted in her tracks and cringed. So much for wishful thinking. "Bless you."
"Thanks," Daniel replied weakly. He continued to walk forward, but within a matter of seconds, he lost his balance and swayed to the side.
"Whoa!"
As Betty rushed forward to help, Daniel moved away from her and leaned against the wall.
"No…I don't want you to get too close to me, Betty," he said quietly as he stuck his right arm out to put distance between them.
"Why not?"
"Well, just look at me. Who knows how many germs are residing in this body? I still think I'm putting you at risk by letting you in here."
Ignoring his protests, she moved closer towards him and gave him a sympathetic look. "I had the flu shot, remember? I'm good to go, Daniel. Really!" She emphasized the last part when she saw the skeptical look on his face. "Look, you know that you can't walk on your own. You're going to fall without my help. If that happens, there's no way that I'll be able to drag you to your bedroom, or even to the couch. So, I think it's best that you let me help – unless you want to sleep on this hard floor." Betty raised an eyebrow at him.
Looking to the floor, Daniel ruffled his hair before glancing back at her. After considering her words for a few seconds, he nodded. "Alright." He lifted his right arm as a gesture for Betty to come closer to him. Immediately, she stepped up next to him and placed her left hand on his back, underneath the blanket. In turn, Daniel clutched the blanket and put his right arm lightly around her shoulder, allowing his blanket to cover them both.
Slowly, they trekked their way towards the bedroom, which proved to be harder than Betty had anticipated. Two months ago, when her boss fell drunk on Thanksgiving, she was able to assist him to his town car and back to her home without much trouble. However, this time there were more obstacles to contend with that Betty didn't consider. To begin with, Daniel's blanket proved to be more foe than friend. The blanket was so lengthy that Betty often found herself stepping on it as they walked past the corner and around some furniture pieces. Secondly, there was the issue of Betty juggling both the duffle bag and Daniel. She realized a little too late that the extra weight of the bag was definitely making it harder for her to hold on to Daniel as easily as she would've liked. Unfortunately, at that point, dropping the bag was out of the question since it was bound to get tangled in the blanket.
For the most part, Daniel tried his best not to lean too much on Betty's shoulders, but the uncontrollable dizziness in his head forced him to hold on more heavily to her petite frame than he would've wished. In return, Betty tried her best to keep him steady and upright by holding on to his waist. However, as her shoulders and arms became tired, she pursed her lips and silently prayed that she wouldn't lose her grip on him. It worried her that at any moment, they would both fall into a blanketed heap on the floor. Luckily for her, they reached the edge of Daniel's bed before her limbs gave out.
Oh, we made it. Betty sighed with relief, as she dropped the duffle and her handbag on the floor. Thank God. Slowly, she released her hold on Daniel and gently removed the blanket that was around his shoulders. As she did so, he seated himself on the bed and prepared himself to lie down when Betty stopped him.
"Wait – let me fix those." He angled himself up and allowed her to fluff and position his pillows neatly before laying down his head. As he settled himself in bed, Betty gently tucked the comforter up to his shoulders. She then took the thin blanket that Daniel had wrapped around himself and stretched it over the comforter as an extra layer.
Feeling that something was still missing, Betty turned around and surveyed the room. Although it was warmer inside the loft than in the corridor, she could still feel a chill in the air. The tall ceiling and the large amount of space certainly made the loft feel more airy and colder during winter. In an attempt to garner warmth, Betty rubbed her hands together. Finally, she returned her attention to Daniel as he lay on the bed breathing heavily with his eyes closed. Maybe he needs another blanket.
"Daniel?" She leaned over and softly nudged his arm. "Where do you keep the rest of your bed sheets? I'm going to get another blanket."
"Hmm?" Daniel's eyes opened slightly, and he shifted to face her. "Oh…this is it." He tugged at both blankets that were on his bed. "I don't have anything else."
"I thought you might say that," she replied quietly with a nod. Turning away from him, she picked up the duffle bag and her handbag off the floor and positioned them on the nearest chair. Daniel watched her curiously from behind as she unzipped the duffle.
"So…what exactly do you have in that bag?" He asked cautiously. She's not thinking of staying over here, is she? For a moment, he thought of asking her directly but decided against it. "You know, from the size of that thing, it looks like you're going to pitch camp," he mumbled quietly.
"Well…sort of." She stopped unzipping the bag and turned to face him with an innocent look on her face. "This is just my sleeping bag and a few toiletry items. There's enough room in your bathroom for my stuff, right?"
"What?! You can't be – I mean, wait a minute. Let's talk – "
"Gotcha."
For a few seconds longer, he continued to stare at her in confusion, which made Betty smile even more. Yup – there it is. The "Daniel in headlights" look. It never fails. Without a doubt, it was the same look from two months prior, when Betty had tricked him into believing that they had "slept together". His expression was so priceless that there was no way she could ever forget it.
"Relax, it's just a joke! You know – a joke?" She waved her hand dismissively at him in an attempt to persuade him. "Sorry, Daniel, but that was too good to pass up. You really should've seen the look on your face just now."
"Very funny," he replied awkwardly, as he lay back down and pulled the covers up further. I've got to stop falling for that one.
Turning back to the duffle, Betty pulled out a multi-colored blanket and laid it on the chair. As she walked over to Daniel, he blinked at the sight of the blanket in her hands. "Wow. That is one large blanket."
"And it's really comfy. We have a few of these at home, so I decided to bring one over."
Daniel watched his assistant as she laid the blanket down on the bed and carefully unfolded it. "You didn't have to do that."
"It's not a problem." She shook her head as she stretched the thick blanket over the other layers. "When I came over here last time, I couldn't help but notice that things seemed pretty plain in your apartment. Kind of…Spartan, you know? That's when I realized you might be lacking a few necessary items, so I brought them with me – just in case. And now, I'm glad that I did."
Daniel opened his mouth to argue, but reconsidered as Betty tucked the blanket under his arms. I guess she has a point. I am missing a few things. But, c'mon – Spartan?
"Hey – wait a minute. What do you mean Spartan? My place is not that bad. It's minimal, but classy," he replied in a hoarse, yet mildly defensive voice.
For a second, Betty looked at him as she walked to the other side of the bed to stretch the blanket. Finally, she stopped and crossed her arms over her chest. After glancing around at the room's decor, she nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, it's nice, but it just seems a little…I don't know…boring, I guess? That's just me, though. I mean, I'm sure this is the fashion." She shrugged her shoulders casually and returned both her attention and her efforts to smoothing out the blanket in front of her.
From the corner of her eye, however, she noticed the indignant look on Daniel's face as he opened his mouth to retort. When the words failed to come to him, he looked away and sighed in exasperation instead, causing Betty to bite her bottom lip in an attempt not to giggle.
Suddenly, Daniel turned his head away from her and grabbed his handkerchief from the bed stand. "Ohhh…" He closed his eyes and braced himself as he felt another strong urge to sneeze coming on. "Ach-CHOO!" Groaning, he noisily blew his nose and plopped his head back down on the bed.
Betty grimaced and looked over at the empty tissue box lying sideways on his bed stand. "Bless you. Again."
"Thanks," he replied weakly.
Hmm. Let's see here… As she removed her coat, she walked back to the chair that held both of her bags. After laying it next to her handbag, she fumbled through the duffle and brought out a small, cube-sized tissue box.
"Here you go." She grabbed the empty Kleenex box on the bed stand, and placed the new tissue box on the bed next to her friend. "I wasn't sure, but I thought you might be needing this."
Daniel opened his eyes and looked at the item next to his arm. "Hey, I'm definitely out of these," he replied eagerly. Slowly, he picked up the cubical box and stared at it. "When the other box ran empty, I was forced to use the silk handkerchief from my suit pocket." He looked back at Betty and managed a tired smile. "This is a big help, Betty. Thank you."
She smiled down at him. "No problem." Her smile, however, turned into a tiny frown as she took in Daniel's complexion. His face was still flushed, which brought back her initial worries. However, she decided to push them out of her mind for a little while longer in order to concentrate on the remaining tasks at hand.
As Daniel tore through the plastic slit on the tissue box, Betty glanced over at his bed stand and noticed the nearly-empty bottle of Nyquil. She picked up the box of Tylenol Cold tablets that lay right next to the Nyquil and turned it upside down, only to find that there was one blister-packaged tablet left.
She turned to Daniel, lifting both the Nyquil and the Tylenol tablet in each hand. "Is this all that you have left?"
He turned to her as he pulled a tissue out. "No, I'm sure there's more in the bathroom. I didn't get up to look yet since…" (He paused to rub his nose.) "…since I just finished taking some two hours ago." Slowly, he laid his head back against the headboard and closed his eyes.
"Alright. Well, I'll take a look." She walked towards the direction of the bathroom and gasped as soon as she set foot inside. "Oh my God – what happened in here?"
He immediately knew what she was referring to. "Oh yeah…my tux is still in there."
"Well, yeah – among other things." Betty leaned halfway out the bathroom door and held up Daniel's tuxedo coat and shirt in one hand and the pants in the other. "Why is it crumpled all over the floor like this, along with your towels…and your bathrobe?" She went back in and continued to pick up the rest of the items off of the floor. "Then again, maybe I don't want to know," she added meaningfully.
"I heard that," he retorted. "And no, I didn't have anyone over this weekend." Scooting further under the covers, he pulled the blanket layers up to his chest and rested his left arm over his forehead. "Vera Wang was hosting a charity benefit on Saturday night, so I went. I think I mentioned it to you last week, right? Anyway, I left early when I started feeling like crap. I came home, changed, and fell into bed just like that." Daniel slowly opened one eye and looked in the direction of the bathroom before shutting it again. "As for the rest of the mess…well, my bathroom's usually like that…until the cleaning lady comes by," he added sheepishly.
"But Daniel," Betty called out, as she laid out each piece of clothing onto her arms, "You should've at least put these on the chair. Do you realize that you could've tripped over these and hurt yourself? I know I almost did."
He paused momentarily before giving off a weak laugh. "Hey, it gives new meaning to 'killer wardrobe', doesn't it? That would make an interesting tag line in our next issue, don't you think?"
Betty poked her head out of the bathroom door and eyed him skeptically. "Have you been drinking liquor with your Nyquil?"
"No, of course not." Daniel quieted down and looked tiredly at her. He rubbed his face with both hands in frustration. "What you're actually seeing are the effects of insomnia on my brain." He paused to stare at the ceiling. "The truth is, I haven't been able to sleep much since Saturday night, and it's driving me nuts! It doesn't matter what I try, Betty – music, medicine…I mean, nothing is helping. Honestly, I don't know what to do anymore." He grabbed the extra pillow that was lying next to him and covered his face. "This feels like the seventh circle of hell."
With her boss's tuxedo in her arms, Betty walked out from the bathroom door and stood by the edge of his bed. She watched him sympathetically as he lay with his face covered.
"Are you still feeling dizzy?"
"A little," he replied softly from beneath his pillow. "But if I lie here long enough, I'm sure it'll go away. I'm…good, I guess. No problem."
It was bad enough for Betty to see her usually healthy boss lying in misery, but it was even more painful for her to hear the hint of desperation in his voice. I really hope I can help somehow.
After laying his tuxedo carefully on the chair, she returned to the bathroom and glanced at the items sitting on the sink. When she saw nothing useful, she decided to open the medicine cabinet instead. Carefully, she picked up and perused each item inside.
Okay, let's see. What do we have here…shaving cream, Old Spice aftershave, deodorant, CK cologne, Trojan co – whoa!
Betty grimaced and drew her fingers away from the open Trojan box as if it were on fire. Unfortunately, the sudden movement of her hands caused it to fall and crash into a plastic cup that was sitting on the edge of the sink in front of her. Before Betty could catch them, both items dropped noisily onto the floor, leaving a tiny mess of condoms all over the floor. For a few seconds, she did nothing but gape in horror at the floor.
Crap! Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap…
Wincing, she poked her head out the door to see if Daniel had heard the ruckus. To her relief, he was still too busy turning restlessly with his head underneath the pillow to pay any attention. After taking a breath, Betty rushed back inside. Getting on her knees, she quickly picked the cup off the floor and placed it on the sink. Hesitantly, she grabbed the box of prophylactics and proceeded to pick up every loose strip from the floor using only her index finger and thumb.
Oh boy…one minute I'm picking up his dry cleaning, and the next minute I'm picking up his condoms. Ack! Betty scrunched her face as she picked up another strip and placed it inside the box. But at least life with him is never boring. Never a dull moment.
As soon as she picked up the last strip and dropped it in the box, she rose to her feet and secured the flap on the box. Eager to get rid of it, she hastily pushed the box towards the back of the cabinet, away from her line of sight.
Taking another deep breath, Betty quickly washed her hands and glanced at herself in the bathroom mirror. "Okay. That never happened."
"Did you say something, Betty?" Daniel called out suddenly from the bedroom.
Yikes. Slowly, she leaned out of the doorway and gave Daniel a calm smile. "Nope. But I'll be out in a minute."
"Okay," he replied groggily and shifted in his bed once again.
Leaning back in, Betty looked at the floor and let out a deep sigh. That was close. As she pushed up her glasses on her nose, she turned her attention back to the medicine cabinet and continued sifting through the rest of the items. However, after a minute or two of searching, she came up with nothing more than a bottle of multivitamins. So, this is it. Well, at least I came prepared with something, she thought with satisfaction.
As Betty walked out of the bathroom, she looked over at Daniel as he lay curled up on his side, tightly hugging one of his pillows. "It looks like you don't have any more medicine, except multivitamins," she explained as she dug her hands into her handbag.
"No kidding." Daniel peered at her from behind the oversized pillow that was huddled against his chest. "That's great," he replied nasally. "It's not like it matters, anyway. None of it was conducive to sleep. I would know, of course." He turned on his back and squinted at the ceiling, as if he were trying to decipher a puzzle. "I think I can do without the medication."
Betty gave him a questioning look as she continued to rummage in both bags. "Are you sure?"
"I'll be okay." His attention remained fixated on the ceiling as he let out another cough. "I mean, I guess it helped a little, but as for my sleeping problem? Forget it. I'd probably have better luck counting sheep." Suddenly, his face became pensive as he considered the sheep concept. "Now there's something I haven't tried." Would that work?
"Well, if you change your mind, I'll put these over here," Betty walked over to his bed stand and laid out several medicinal items, including Robitussin and a box of Tylenol capsules.
Daniel looked over in surprise as he watched Betty arrange the items. As he slowly propped himself up on his elbows, he switched his gaze from Betty to the medicine. "Betty…you brought all of this with you?"
She turned to him and smiled brightly. "Yeah, of course. I had to come prepared, especially since your loft – "
"Is plain, boring, Spartan – yes, I know. Thanks for the reminder," he finished wryly.
"You know I was only kidding with that, Daniel."
"I know," he nodded with a small, knowing smile.
"Good." She bit her lip and turned her attention to the medicine. But just when Daniel thought the discussion was over, Betty gestured to the floor and added, "Still, I'd probably change this rug. And you know that girl painted on your wall? What is – "
In response, Daniel fell back onto his bed and rolled his eyes. "You really know how to kick a guy when he's down, don't you?"
Upon seeing the half-pained, half-amused expression on his face, Betty giggled quietly and put her hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay. Seriously, I'll stop." Smiling softly, she turned towards the bed stand and continued arranging the medicine.
Lying onto his side, Daniel looked thoughtfully at Betty as she broke through the plastic wrappings and sealants on each item. For a moment, he smiled to himself as he recalled the first moment he saw her. How could he ever forget it? She had walked smack-dab into one of the glass walls in the office, wearing that bright red poncho. To everyone (including himself), Betty appeared to be out of her league at Mode. Initially, he thought that she would never be able to fit in, especially as his assistant. Now, he couldn't imagine having any other assistant at his side but her. Without a doubt, she had all of the qualities that an editor-in-chief would appreciate in an assistant: Intelligence, creativity, diligence, resourcefulness…you name it. But after five months of working with her, he realized that those weren't the qualities that made her stand out from the crowd. What made Betty really extraordinary was her big heart. In that respect, she was completely different from anyone that he had ever met in his whole life. There was nothing shallow or cold about her. Instead, she always managed to be kind and respectful towards everyone, regardless of how they treated her. More importantly, it never ceased to amaze him just how truly considerate and caring she could be around him, both in and out of the office.
There really should be more people in the world just like her.
As Betty crumpled the wrappings and the sealants into a ball, she looked over at him and gave him a quick smile. Daniel returned the smile and continued to watch her as she walked into the bathroom with the plastic ball in her hands. But I guess that's what makes her so special. She'll always be one of a kind. And I wouldn't want to change that.
Soon, Betty emerged from the bathroom with a glass full of water and placed it on the bed stand. "Here you go. You can use this when you take your medicine."
Daniel smiled up at her as he looked over at the bed stand. "Thanks for doing this, Betty."
"You're welcome. I just want to speed up your recovery," she replied, grinning warmly at him. "And that's why you can't blame me for teasing you."
His eyes narrowed in confusion as he looked at her. "Uh…how exactly does that help me?"
"Haven't you ever heard the saying, 'Laughter is the best medicine'?"
At that, Daniel raised his eyebrows at her. "Well, yeah – but so far, I'm not the one laughing here. You are!"
"Okay, that's true." Betty giggled at the feigned expression of hurt on her friend's face. "But hey – it works, right? Look at me. I'm healthy."
Daniel shook his head as a lop-sided grin graced his face. "I give up." Running a hand through his hair, he slowly sat up and reached for the glass sitting on the bed stand. After he had taken a sip and set the glass down, he picked up the Tylenol and was attempting to break open the box when Betty took it from his hand.
"Wait! Not yet." She placed the box back on the table.
Daniel stared at her with surprise as she snatched it away. "Why not?"
"First things first." Betty reached into her vest pocket and presented a thermometer. "I need to take your temperature."
He sat up as she spoke. "You brought a thermometer with you? Oh, come on." He looked at the instrument and raised his eyebrows at her. "Betty, is that really necessary?"
Before he could say another word, Betty laid her hand on his forehead and immediately noticed how warm he felt compared to the coolness of her hand. This isn't normal body temperature, she concluded.
As soon as Betty touched his forehead, Daniel immediately scrunched his eyelids shut. Within seconds, however, his lids relaxed as her palm moved slowly across his head and brushed the top of his eyebrows. To his surprise, the soft, cool touch of her hand felt nice and comforting against the warmth of his skin. As her hand moved gingerly across his skin, a tiny part of him hoped that she would continue to caress his forehead a little while longer. Suddenly, Daniel opened his eyes and blinked as he considered the inappropriateness of that thought. Where did that come from?
Before he could give more thought to it, Betty lifted her hand from his forehead and voiced her worry. "I think it is. Daniel, you insist on saying that all you have is a 'tiny cold', but I really think you have the flu. In fact, I've been thinking that since I spoke to you this morning. Now, it seems like you might even have a fever."
Daniel lay against the headboard and rubbed at his throat. "You know, it's possible that all of these blankets are making me warmer than usual. Don't you think?" he countered logically.
"I doubt it." Betty shook her head and moved closer to him on the edge of the bed. "When I came in earlier, I noticed that you already looked pinkish."
"Well, that could mean anything," he replied hoarsely, slowly edging away from her and tugging at the covers.
"There's only one way to find out for sure." She waved the thermometer in his direction, and smiled cheerfully at him with a knowing look in her eyes. "Let's get a reading!"
"That's okay. Let's skip it. Less work for both of us." Daniel smiled tightly and gestured at the bed stand. "I think I'll just take the medicine and everything will be fine. I mean, that's what it's here for, right?"
Looking away, Betty tapped the thermometer lightly against her hand and fought the urge to roll her eyes. God, it's just a little thermometer. Why does he have to make this harder than it is? She looked back at Daniel, as he slowly shuffled with the blankets. It's times like this that I wish he were drunk, she pondered. This would be so much easier.
"Besides, Betty, I know my own body. If something was really wrong with me, I would kn – AW!" Without any warning, Betty leaned forward on the bed, cupped his chin, and slowly positioned the thermometer under his tongue. Luckily for her, she had an easy time at it, since Daniel was too stunned to move at all.
"I'm sorry that I'm pouncing on you, Daniel – really, I am," Betty emphasized as she took in the dazed look on his face. "But you're trying to filibuster your way out of this, and frankly, I don't want to hear it. I need to know if you have a fever right now, before you get any worse."
Daniel blinked and switched his gaze between Betty's face and her hands. She continued to gently hold his chin in place, as she fixed the thermometer. As soon as she was satisfied, she straightened up and smiled at him. "See? That wasn't too bad, was it? Not painful at all!" Neither expecting nor wanting an answer, Betty continued on and pressed lightly on his chest with both hands. "Okay – now, lie back."
He hesitantly obeyed and lay back against the bed. "Beddy, wot – ?"
Betty hovered the tips of her fingers close to his mouth. "No – don't talk while that's in your mouth. Just relax." She lowered her hand and walked around the bed, while smoothing and stretching the blankets around Daniel's lean form.
Stepping back, Betty took a look at Daniel tucked into the bed and smiled happily. "Great!" Rolling up the sleeves of her blouse, she stopped to look up at her friend, who was looking unsure and confused at the moment – almost like a little lost boy. She turned her eyes towards her sleeves in an attempt to suppress the smile that was threatening to creep onto her face. The last thing she wanted was for Daniel to get edgy again by seeing her giggle. After fixing her sleeves, she composed herself and looked him in the eyes.
"It takes approximately five minutes or so to get an accurate reading. So, just sit tight and I'll take that out when I come back, alright?" Betty nodded in Daniel's direction before turning to walk out.
The sight of her leaving without so much of an explanation bothered him so much that he quickly sat up. "Beddy, wer – " This is ridiculous, he thought as he pulled the thermometer out of his mouth. "Where are you going?"
She grabbed the paper bag that was leaning near the doorway and pointed down the hallway. "I'm just going to the kitchen. I need to get some food ready."
"Food? But you don't know where everything is. Really, you don't have to cook –"
"Don't worry, Daniel. I have it covered. I won't be making anything from scratch, so you don't have to worry about me burning down the place."
He looked at her curiously as he scratched at the nape of his neck. "If you're not cooking, then how – "
Betty smiled cryptically at him. "Don't worry. You'll see." Soon, her attention returned to the misplaced thermometer lying in his hand. "Okay, now I'm going to have to put that back in." Betty walked back to the bed and gave him an admonishing look, but Daniel acted before she could reach him.
"No, no, I can do it!" Afraid of being tackled again, he quickly placed the thermometer back under his tongue and pulled the covers up to his chest. He looked back at Betty and gestured with both hands to assure her that everything was put back just as she left it.
Upon seeing this, Betty halted in her tracks and smiled, nodding her assent. "Alright, but don't remove it. I need to get an accurate reading on you." As soon as he nodded back at her, she turned and disappeared around the corner.
Daniel could do nothing more but shake his head in disbelief as she departed from the room. I can't believe my assistant just grabbed me - and she's holding me hostage in my own bed. He continued to stare blankly at the spot where Betty stood just seconds earlier, but soon a tiny, amused smile formed on his lips as he considered the humor of the situation. It was both amazing and funny that a tiny, sweet girl from Queens could act this way with him – or with anyone, for that matter. But that was Betty for you. She was always a woman on the move, especially when she set her mind to something. And this time, she had set her mind on taking care of him at all costs, no matter what.
Reaching over to the bed stand, Daniel picked up the Robitussin bottle and looked at it momentarily before setting it back down. As he looked down at the thick blanket covering his body, he thought back to how hopeless he felt before Betty arrived. He had to admit – now that she was there helping out, things felt…different. Of course, his head still hurt and his throat continued to itch, but despite that, he felt more at ease with everything.
I guess it really doesn't hurt to have her around right now – even if she does "rough me up" in her own way. Chuckling at the thought, Daniel rubbed at his eyes. As his head began to throb again, he laid flat on his back and slid further underneath the blanket layers. With nothing better to do, he stared quietly at the ceiling, with the thermometer pressed in between his lips, and waited patiently for Betty to return.
A/N: I hope that wasn't too long for you all, and I hope you enjoyed Daniel and Betty here. The next chapter shouldn't be too long from now. Anyway, kindly review and tell me what you think. :)
