Red returned within fifteen minutes to find that Liz hadn't moved an inch. She was still sitting on the floor with her knees up and her head in-between them. He sat down on the closed lid of the toilet and put his hand on the back of her head. "Lizzie."
She didn't move or look up. He knew she was ok, because he could hear her breathing, but he was worried. He moved his hand from her hair and trailed it around her head to her forehead. She felt hotter than before; he needed to put her in the bathtub to reduce her fever as quickly as possible. He shook her shoulder a little and said a little louder, "Lizzie, we need to cool you down. We need to get your clothes off and put you in the bathtub."
She made a little groaning noise, but still didn't move.
Red stood up then knelt in front of her. When she didn't acknowledge him, he reached on either side of her and pulled her shirt over her head quickly. She moved her head and leaned it against the wall behind her with a groan. Her eyes were closed and a sheen of sweat covered her face; but yet she was shivering. He grabbed her arms from where they were lying in her lap and pulled her up into his body; putting one arm around her waist to support her while the other hand worked on the clasp of her bra. She laid her head on his shoulder and buried her face in his neck as he managed to unhook her bra, then unbutton her pants. She was so hot that her forehead was burning his neck. He pulled her pants down with one hand as she continued to lie against him. It took him a few minutes, but he finally pushed them and her panties all the way to her feet. He was breathing hard by the time he finished pulling all her clothing off of her. He picked her up and put her in the tub gently, then turned the water on cool so she wouldn't go into shock. She didn't open her eyes once as the cool water ran over her body.
He heard a knock from the outside door and called through the door for him to come in. Dembe walked to the doorway a few moments later with antibiotics and ibuprofen. He avoided looking in Liz's direction as he said, "How is she?"
Red shook his head and bit his lip. "She's burning up. I'm not sure if she'll be able to keep these medications down, but we need to get something in her or we'll have to take her to the hospital."
They both heard her quiet, raspy voice float to them over the sound of the running water coming from the faucet. "No, I'm not going to the hospital. I'm fine."
Red sighed and dismissed Dembe with a quiet "Thanks", then made his way back over to Liz and sat back down on the closed toilet lid and shut the water off. She had her eyes open, but they were glazed with fever and kept closing, then opening seconds later. Red set everything down on the floor and pulled out a thermometer, then ran it across her forehead. Her temperature was 104. He tried not to show any outward reaction because he knew she was watching him. He looked up and gave her a small smile, then picked up the antibiotic and ibuprofen. "Sweetheart, are you up to taking a couple of pills?"
She opened her eyes slowly and grimaced. "I don't need to take anything. I'm fine." Her eyes widened suddenly and she looked down at herself, then where she was. "Why am I sitting in freezing cold water..and why am I naked?"
"Lizzie, you're sick. You have a high fever and I needed to cool you off. We're in Arizona and you were sick before we left. Do you remember any of that?" She furrowed her brows in concentration, then nodded after a few seconds. "I remember getting into your jet, but that's the last thing I remember. What's wrong with me?"
"I'm quite certain you have the flu, or a variation of it, but I'm not a doctor and can't say for sure. Will you take these pills for me?" He held up the bottles for her to see.
She nodded in defeat and closed her eyes again. He stood up and filled a plastic cup up with water, then took two pills out and walked over and knelt next to the side of the tub. He reached out and shook her shoulder lightly. She moved her head around and squinted at him. "Open your mouth so I can put these pills in. Then I'm going to put the cup up to your lips so you can drink some water. Just a little bit though, do you understand?"
She tried to roll her eyes, but it looked more like a grimace as she said, "I'm not stupid, Red."
He huffed a quiet laugh and put the pills in her mouth, then let her drink a little from the cup. She swallowed the small pills with difficulty, then closed her eyes again and slumped down a little more in the water. He stood up and set everything back on the counter, then sat back down on the toilet lid and watched her breathe. He hadn't taken care of a sick person, let alone someone he loved for a long time. They sat in silence for another fifteen minutes, then he ran the thermometer back across her forehead and breathed a little sigh of relief when it read 103.4; at least it was going down and not up. He reached forward and put his hand in the water; it wasn't very cold anymore, so he said quietly, "Lizzie, are you awake?"
She opened her eyes. "I guess."
"Your fever has gone down a little, so I'm going to take you out of the water now, can you help me or do you need me to carry you?"
She moved her neck and tried to sit up, but she couldn't make her body move; he could tell she was frustrated. "Don't worry about, sweetheart. I'm going to pick you up now." He stood up and pulled her up to where she leaned against him, then grabbed a towel from the rack next to him and pulled it around her. As soon as he had the towel wrapped around her, he picked her up bridal style and walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, then laid her on the bed. He dried her off as best he could, then pulled the towel from under her and pulled the sheet over her body. She was already asleep and didn't seem to mind that he left her clothes off.
During the entire ordeal he had tried not to look at her body, but he was a male and couldn't help admire her as he attended to her; she had a beautiful body, one that he intended to cherish and love the rest of his life. He pulled his eyes from her sleeping form and reached over and turned the lamp next to her bed off; he would leave the bathroom light on in case he needed to attend to her again. He pulled his wet t-shirt off, then walked over to the other side of the bed and laid down next to her. She needed to stay cool, so he wouldn't move closer to her, but just being by her side brought him some comfort that everything was going to be alright. He fell into a sleep riddled with dreams of Liz sick and dying.
OOOOOO
Red awoke to the sound of Liz's cell phone buzzing on the nightstand beside her. He leaned up and looked over her to see that it was past 8:00; it would be Ressler calling. Liz didn't move to answer her phone, so he slid out of the bed and walked around to her side, then picked it up and answered it. "Donald."
"Reddington, what the hell are you doing answering Liz's phone?" He sounded annoyed, but he could also hear the curiosity in his voice.
"She was sick all night, so I've been taking care of her. I don't think we-"
"Red." Liz rasped as she turned on her side and looked at him. "We're going. I have to be there."
Red pushed mute on the cell phone and looked at her. "Lizzie, you have to be able to walk in order to do that. You couldn't even do that a few hours ago."
She sat up determinedly and scooted to the edge of the bed. "I'm going. With or without you."
Red sighed and shook his head, then pushed the unmute button and caught Ressler mid-rant. Red interrupted him, "Donald, we'll be there shortly. Don't slip on too many banana peels." He ended the call before Ressler could say anything else.
Red turned to see Liz standing up on unsteady legs and holding her head with one hand. He opened his mouth to say something, but Liz held her free hand up and said without looking at him, "Don't say it. I'm going. I'll be fine as soon as I get some more ibuprofen in me." He didn't think she had noticed that she wasn't wearing any clothes.
He kept his eyes on the top of her head as he said, "Very well, but I wish you wouldn't. I'm going to go get dressed, do you need help?"
"No, I'll be fine. Just hurry please." He could tell she still wasn't feeling well, but was trying to put on a good front for him.
"Your medication is in the bathroom. Be careful, sweetheart."
She nodded and he turned and walked into his own room as he heard her heave a sigh.
OOOOOO
They were both out the door and riding towards the crime scene in twenty minutes. Liz had managed to make herself look like she hadn't been up half the night sitting on the bathroom floor. Red on the other hand looked like hell, and he knew it. He couldn't help but notice how she wore heavy layers and a jacket as if it were cold outside. They were in the desert in springtime, it definitely wasn't cold. She rubbed her hands up and down her arms and pulled her jacket closer around her. "Lizzie, do you want me to turn the heat on?"
She shook her head and moved closer to him in the seat. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her as tightly against him as she would allow; she didn't offer any resistance. "How are you feeling?"
She buried her face in his chest and mumbled, "I'm better than yesterday, but that's not saying much."
He bit the inside of his cheek and moved his hand up and down her arm. "I'm assuming you don't feel much like eating?"
"No, and I doubt you will after seeing the crime scene." That wasn't true, he could eat whenever and whatever; his lifestyle made it so he had to be like that, but she didn't need to know that.
"You're probably right." They rode the rest of the way in silence as Red kept her warm and Liz slept on his chest. When the car slowed, Red squeezed her shoulder. "You might want to wake up so it looks like your not about to keel over."
She took a deep breath and moved away from him towards the door. "I'm fine, Red. Stop acting like I'm on my death bed. I'm not, it's just the flu."
Red held up his hands in surrender. "As you wish, but just let it be known that I don't believe a damn word you say." He stepped out of the car before she could protest.
As they began to make their way towards where all the police officers and FBI agents were standing, Ressler broke away from the group and walked over to them quickly. "It's about damn time. Why the he-"
Liz cut him off impatiently. "I don't need to hear it, Ressler. Fill me in please." Liz had held her hand up to stop Ressler, and that's when Red noticed a series of tiny red bumps and rashes on her fingers. He chose not to mention them in front of Ressler, but he would ask her about them later; that wasn't normal.
Ressler began to explain to them what happened and what they suspected it was. Red began to pay attention when he heard "Anthrax".
Red interrupted him. "You think this was Anthrax?"
Ressler rolled his eyes, "If you had listened instead of staring at Keen's hand then you would have heard me say that they suspect it's something like Anthrax, but not exactly."
Interesting. He saw her glance at him with an annoyed look, then begin to speak. He tuned back into the conversation. "Have all the previous attacks been this same substance?"
Ressler shook his head. "No, and that's why it's been so damn hard to track this "Mailman". He uses something different for every attack, so we can't exactly track where he's getting his supplies because there are so many different compounds and ingredients he's using."
Red pursed his lips. "I have some contacts that would be capable of supplying him. When we get back, I'll get in touch with them and offer them something they can't refuse for information."
Ressler nodded, then turned and waved his arm. "Follow me and I'll show you the crime scene."
Liz and Red followed after him slowly. He could tell Liz was having a hard time keeping up appearances. He put his hand on her back lightly and said quietly. "You don't have to do this, Lizzie. You can go back to the car and wait. Wouldn't that be preferable to collapsing in front of everyone?"
Liz sped up a little so his hand would break contact with her back, then she said over her shoulder. "Quit it, Red."
He sighed quietly and followed after her as they donned masks and gloves -just in case- and walked inside the post office. The scene was eerie and quite grotesque as they were shown all the bodies and evidence, then told why they suspected what they did. The whole thing didn't take more than fifteen minutes, but Red was ready to get out of there; there was nothing here that would help them anyway.
As they stepped back into sunlight and fresh air, Red turned to Ressler. "Are we needed here any longer? This entire trip was a waste."
Ressler grimaced and put his hands on his hips. "While I agree that it didn't shed much light on the situation, it still needed to be investigated."
Liz stepped between them before they could continue and looked at Ressler. "Thanks for the tour, Ressler. I'm not feeling well though, so I'm going to go back to DC and help Red with his contacts."
Ressler nodded and his features softened as he looked at her. "You're welcome, Liz. I hope you feel better."
She patted his shoulder then turned and began to walk towards the car. Red rose an eyebrow at Ressler, then said, "Safe travels, Donald." Ressler nodded and stared after Liz as Red turned his back to follow her; Red wondered if Ressler had feelings for her.
OOOOOO
They were back in the jet flying back to DC within the hour. Liz had her arm on the armrest next to him, so he picked up her hand and studied the bumps on her fingers closer. They didn't look like anything he'd seen before. "What are these, Lizzie?"
She looked up from the report she was reading and shrugged. "I don't know. They just appeared yesterday; I'm probably allergic to some soap I used or something."
Red didn't think so, and he didn't fail to notice that she still hadn't eaten anything or taken off any of the layers of clothing she was wearing; she was still stick, but was trying to convince him that she wasn't. "Lizzie, do you mind if I take your temperature?"
She took her hand back and looked at him. "Why?"
He pulled the thermometer out of his suit coat and said, "Because I know you're still sick and trying to pretend that you're not."
She sighed and said, "Fine, take my temperature, but like I've said a hundred times, it's just the flu."
Red didn't answer as he moved the device over her forehead. It read 103.2. "Have you taken any of the antibiotics that I provided?"
She nodded. "I took one a few hours ago along with the ibuprofen. Why? What's my temperature?"
He put the thermometer back in his pocket before she could look. "It's still too high. I'm convinced we need to go to a doctor. I know someone who will keep your privacy intact and is extremely skilled and knowledgeable; if only for my piece of mind, Lizzie, I ask that you consider seeing him."
After seeing the concern in his eyes, she nodded and laced her fingers with his. "Fine. I'll go, but just for you."
He gave her a small smile and leaned over and kissed her softly. After pulling away, he pulled their hands up and lifted the arm rest, then patted his leg for her to lie down on his lap. She pulled her hand away and did as he asked, then let out a little sigh as he began to run his fingers through her hair. Her head was hot, along with the rest of the skin that he touched, but he could still feel her shivering slightly; he was concerned.
As soon as he heard her deep breathing indicating that she was asleep, he motioned with his hand for Dembe to come over to him. As soon as he was close, Red whispered, "Will you call my doctor and tell him that we'll be there within a few hours? Lizzie needs to be seen, I fear it's something other than the flu."
Dembe nodded and pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket, then walked away from them so as not to disturb Liz.
Dembe returned within moments and nodded in confirmation that it was all set up. Red nodded and watched as his bodyguard returned to his chair. Liz mumbled unintelligibly as Red resumed stroking his fingers through her hair. Her fingers that were curled up against her chest twitched, then went still; he wondered what she was dreaming about.
OOOOOO
They landed at Red's private airstrip a few hours later. Liz had been asleep the whole time despite repeated attempts by Red to get her to wake up and eat something; she simply refused.
He had Dembe scoop her up from his lap and carry her to the waiting car; she just wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed herself to be carried; which definitely wasn't like Liz.
They returned to DC in record time and pulled in front of his doctor's house. It was a beautiful three story brick home, with a perfectly manicured yard. Red didn't stop to appreciate any of that though, as he woke Liz up and attempted to help her walk inside. She was lethargic and couldn't seem to get her legs to move right, so Dembe picked her up again and carried her to the front door while Red knocked. The door was answered immediately and they were shown into a room that looked to be used as an office. There were bookshelves behind them and a big, beautiful mahogany desk in front of them with matching bookshelves filled with books behind it. Dembe sat Liz down in her own chair as Red sat down next to her, then moved to stand against the back wall.
Red moved the chair closer to her and ran his hand softly over her jaw. She looked at him with tear-filled eyes and whispered, "I'm scared, Red. I've never felt like this before."
He nodded and moved his thumb over her cheek. "Don't worry, sweetheart, we'll figure it out."
She nodded and opened her mouth to say something, but the door behind them opened and the doctor walked in. He was the same age as Red, but looked quite a bit older. He had white hair and many wrinkles around his mouth indicating that he had once been a heavy smoker; Red knew he didn't smoke any longer. He smiled at Red. "Reddington, it's been what..a year since I last saw you? You look healthy; I'm glad to see that."
Red just gave him a small smile and nodded. It's good to see you again too, Kevin, but now is not the time for pleasantries. I've brought this young woman to you because she's extremely sick and we need your expertise."
Red looked at Liz, who in turn was looking at him anxiously. "Lizzie, this is Doctor Holt. I trust him, so you can too. Can he look at you?"
Liz sat up a little more and nodded. "Nice to meet you Dr. Holt."
The doctor nodded and began to ask Red and Liz about her symptoms and the circumstances surrounding their onset. By the time they were done explaining, the doctor looked concerned. "I have a theory, but you're not going to like it; either one of you I'm afraid."
Red looked at the doctor impatiently. "We don't have time for games, Kevin. Come out with it."
The doctor's eyes darted to Liz first, then Red's as he said, "I think she's being or been poisoned, and I'm not sure if there's a cure."
AN: Ok first of all, I'm so sorry its been so long since I last updated; no excuses. Second, thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews. I know this chapter was kind of slow, but I'm trying to build towards something. Poor Liz. I would love to know what you think. Please leave a review, even if it's to tell me that you hate it. Thanks for reading! Happy Sunday. :)