Title: "Florence Nightingale at Your Service, Viking"

Summary: When Eric succumbs to a rare vampire illness, he must rely on Sookie to care for him.

Rating: M (though mostly for last chapter)

Pairing: Eric & Sookie (obviously) :)

Disclaimer: The talented Charlaine Harris is the rightful owner and creator of this fabulous world of hers, including one Miss Stackhouse and one sexy Viking. I'm just toying with them a bit…

A/N--- Here's another shorter one… I promise that the next one's longer and will go up soon! : ) Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews—they make my day! Sorry this has taken longer than expected to post!

End of Chapter 9:

[Sookie moved Eric back to her bed as the sun was about to rise]

I pulled myself out of the temporary comfort of Eric's now near-lifeless embrace to put the cover over the top of Eric's head and sat up to wait. I knew the moment I felt Eric fall dead limp beside me that the sun must have already risen, though no light penetrated the thick new shades.

After I was content with the quality of the shades, I settled back into my previous position, slinging Eric's arm back around my waist and re-entwining my fingers with his and fixed the comforter to cover our shoulders. It was wonderful lying here like this, and I only hoped that after this whole ordeal we were going through, we would be lying here like this after a night full of glorious lovemaking. That blissful thought carried me away to dreamland with a smile on my face.

Chapter 10

I woke with my brain addled and my eyes bleary with sleep. Where was I? It's so dark… And whose heavy arm is this? A moment later, the events of the previous night came pouring back into me and my eyes searched for the red numbers of my alarm clock. 2:35pm. Holy Jesus, I slept 9 and a half hours! I exclaimed in my head, alarmed after quickly doing the math. I untangled myself from Eric's heavy limbs and fumbled to turn on the light on my nightstand. I turned quickly to see how Eric was doing. I shouldn't have let myself sleep so long, I thought angrily. I was supposed to be watching to make sure his temperature doesn't get too high.

Eric was still on his right side with his right arm extended from where my head had rested. He looked so serene and handsome lying like this on my bed that I had to keep reminding myself that even though he doesn't sweat or flush like a sick human does, he was still, indeed, ill. I put my hand to his cheek, then to his forehead to first gauge his temperature that way. Warm. Very warm, I thought nervously. Crap.

I quickly spun around in my position on the bed, grabbed the thermometer and raised myself onto my knees. I turned Eric's lifeless head, knowing from experience that nothing short of screaming in terror and forceful blows to the face could wake him from his daytime rest, and brushed away his blonde locks to gain access to his left ear. The little thermometer display read 93.5 Degrees Fahrenheit. Damn it. Way too close to the "do anything to cool him down" point for my comfort, I thought nervously.

I decided that I needed to cool him down immediately, so I got a small bowl with cool water and two wash clothes in it and brought them both over to the bed.

"Sorry buddy," I said consolingly to Eric's unresponsive form, "I know you said no sponge baths without you being aware, but I'm guessing you probably wouldn't enjoy this one much anyhow."

I threw the blankets off Eric and struggled to peel off his tank top from his beautiful and heavy body, leaving him only in his boxers, and I set the bowl of water on the nightstand. I pushed at Eric's body until I got him lying flat on his back since being on his side wouldn't have worked at all. I wet one of the washcloths, squeezed it out, folded it and brushed it carefully over Eric's face, his neck and under his chin, finally placing it to rest on his forehead after gently brushing his hair out of his face. I followed the same procedure with the other washcloth, only this one I used to wipe every inch of flesh exposed to the air down with the wet cloth, leaving a thin film of water, mimicking sweat, on Eric's body. I climbed off the tall bed scuttled over to my closet. I rummaged through the pile of shoes and other debris until I found the fan that I had put away when the oppressive Louisiana summer heat had waned. I set the fan up to blow onto Eric's exposed body, knowing that when the water evaporated from his skin it would cool him off. Hopefully that will do that trick, I thought to myself. If not, I'll have to break out the ice packs and that would be even less pleasant to my poor, lifeless vampire.

While the fan ran continuously over his body, I tended to my own needs by jumping in the shower, very quickly shaving and washing my hair. When I hopped out and toweled myself off, I took my own dose of antibiotics with a big glass of water. I wrapped a bathrobe around me and put my hair up in a towel. I exited the bathroom and decided that I wanted to be sure Eric was okay before I left his side to go out and rustle up some food for myself.

I crawled back up on the bed and, with the thermometer in hand, I tipped his head slightly again and took his temperature, crossing my fingers as I waited the few seconds for the results. I sighed with relief, reading 90.2 degrees. I rewet each of the wash cloths and wiped down Eric's whole body again, hoping to bring his temperature down even more. After relaxing in Eric's situation, I felt comfortable leaving the room so I could go make some coffee, the elixir of life.

I was careful to slip through the new drapes around the door. After resealing the Velcro holding them together, I exited the room.

I set the coffee pot to percolate and decided to take inventory to see what I'd need Pam to get for me. I had almost a whole gallon of milk since Amelia bought it just before she left, and I realized that I actually could quite easily get by for the next four days without going food shopping since it was only me eating food in the house. Pam had gotten me enough TrueBlood, all in my blood type, type O negative (oh, Pam), to last a vampire a month, I'm pretty sure. Exactly how long did she think I'd be harboring her boss? I wondered. That Pam. I'd think about what else I might need over the next couple hours, but I was pretty sure I was going to be able to tell Pam she need not trek out to Bon Temps tonight.

I glanced at my calendar as I waited for the coffee to finish perking and realized I was supposed to be working at Merlotte's in 2 days and I now had other obligations. I decided that I would not lie to Sam, but would not be exactly springing with information either. That would be safest and easiest for all parties involved. I grabbed the cordless phone and plopped myself into the easy chair, wanting to make myself sound as calm as possible by being comfortable. I pressed the speed dial for Merlotte's and listened as it rang and Sam picked up.

"Hello, this is Merlotte's. Sam speaking," Sam's gruff and endearing voice answered.

"Hey Sam, it's Sookie!" I said, happy to hear his voice after a long night the day before.

"Hey there Sook—thought you'd be off enjoying your days off without worrying about work! What's up?" He paused, then cautiously, said, "Hey, is everything ok?" a note of concern in his voice.

Darn that Sam. He always knew, even over the phone. What has my life come to that the second I call someone they automatically think I'm in some kind of crisis? Probably because, lately, that's been the case more often than not.

I sighed. "Yeah, Sam… things are... well, they will be ok. I can't tell you more right now so please don't ask, but I have a big favor to ask of you." I said hesitantly.

"Uh oh. What is it Sookie? What do you need?"

"Welllll… I need Tuesday and Wednesday off, and maybe Thursday. I'll probably be able to explain why later but for right now, do you think you could just take my word for it that I wouldn't take off unless I had to?" I said, nervous to offend Sam. Sam had never been anything but trustworthy, but I didn't know how safe the phone lines were, and I especially knew Eric wouldn't want anyone to know the truth and I didn't want to betray his trust.

"Oh man, Sookie. I'm sure I can find someone to cover for you since Christmas shopping season is coming up soon and everyone wants extra spending money, but are you in some sort of trouble? Is it those vamps again? They're nothing but trouble for you, I swear. I wish I could just pull you out of their grasp once and for all." I could practically taste the agitation in his tone.

I was always touched by Sam's caring for me, though I couldn't help being a little annoyed at his constant attitude towards the vampires. Weres and shifters had gotten me in enough jams themselves, thankyouverymuch! Not wanting to sound catty right after Sam gave me permission to miss work, I swallowed back my retort.

"Actually Sam, I am not in any danger, but yes, they do need me."

"Hmph," Sam huffed, clearly with a 'yeah and I'll believe that when pigs fly' skepticism.

"Thanks so much for giving me the days off, Sam. If you need me to pick up anyone else's shifts after Thursday, let me know. Thanks a bunch!" I said, wanting this awkward conversation to be over.

"Bye Sook—listen, you be careful, you hear?" Sam said, concerned again.

"I promise, Sam. I'll call you if I need anything, I promise."

"Well, alright. Later, cher."

"Bye!"

I helped myself to a cup of coffee and sat at the kitchen table, breathing in the amazing aroma and allowing the caffeine to jump start my brain. As I sat relishing in the warmth and comfort of the beverage, my eyes caught the gleaming red of Eric's corvette outside in the sunlight. I groaned.

That's really conspicuous if anyone comes near the house. It stands out from a mile away, I reflected internally. Granted, Bill Compton was in South America again doing research for his project, so no company of his would be a concern for that reason, but I still felt exposed with it out there. I remembered a tarp my Gran had kept for another old car years back that would do just the trick. I rifled through the storage closet in the living room until I found the tarp in question. It was a hideous brown which I thought would perfectly disguise the sleek and beautiful Corvette.

I threw on my cranberry jacket over my bathrobe and slippers, laughing to myself at how I must look in my ensemble, and trotted out to the corvette to wrestle the tarp over it. I mused that if I kept running outside wearing minimal clothing as I was at present, I'd end up in the bed sick WITH Eric, but this had to get done so I moved as quickly as I could so I could get back inside in the warmth. When I was sufficiently satisfied with the coverage, I nodded to myself and went back in the back door, locking it as I went in.

Satisfied I had completed all the chores I needed to that day before Eric woke, I got myself some more coffee in a travel mug, some toast, a sandwich for later, a bottle of water and my Pride and Prejudice VHS set and carried my loot back into the bedroom, slipping back through the curtain and resealing it. I put the items on my dresser and grabbed up the thermometer and hopped on the bed to check to see how the fan was helping with Eric's temperature.

Eric had not moved since I left his side not long ago, and though this fact should be not surprising to me as I get to know vampires more and more intimately, this felt alien to me since humans would typically move around in their sleep. I lifted the cool washcloth off of Eric's forehead and put it back in the bowl of cool water on the bedside table. I tucked his hair behind his ears, gently turned his head to expose his ear, and used the borrowed device in my hand on my patient. It read 88.6 degrees Fahrenheit and relief flooded my body. I was finally comfortable enough to take the damp towel off Eric's forehead and just leave the fan on Eric while I relax and drink my coffee.

Still in my bathrobe with a towel on my head, I quickly hung it up both up and slipped on a pair of dark jeans, a sheer white lace bra and a white scoop neck shirt, going for casual but pretty. I smiled at my reflection. Hey, just 'cause Eric's sick doesn't mean I have to look like I am, right? I retrieved my brush and my romance novel from the bathroom, got my coffee and my toast from the dresser, and I settled on the bed to relax beside my poor, ill, shirtless and boxer-clad vampire.

A/N—Next chapters will be longer! Thanks for reading!

Reviews are better than shirtless and boxer-clad Viking vampires! (ok…being real here, maybe they're a very close second?) Regardless… please leave me one if you liked it! :)

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