Huge, enormous apologies for the delay in posting this, but work has been hell and then I covered Comic Con Paris for 4 days, full time.

Let me know what you think, you know I love reading your thoughts :D

Chapter 10

After washing her teeth and freshening up, feeling more like a human being, Kate Murphy glanced at the face reflected in the mirror. No wonder Megan was a little worried, she clearly looked like hasn't been much improvement since she was sent back home. No that she'd expected any since she had barely eaten and sleeping was painful with the tactyle mellodyvia. She silently thanked Megan for her diagnosis, she knew there was a name for the pathology she had but couldn't put a name on it. What a skilled praticien she made.

Sighing, she splashed her face with cold water and realized it wasn't very polite to leave a guest all by herself. Especially since she had the bad habit to loose track of times these days. She'd lay in bed staring at the ceiling, praying for her aching muscles to leave her some rest and a glance at the clock would make her realize she had been doing it for the last five hours, sometimes even more. Yet she didn't think she did disappear this long or Megan would have come looking for her.

When she emerged, she found Megan Hunt back in the kitchen, pouring some steamy tea in a mug. Before she'd voice her fears, the older woman rose a hand.

-"It's for me … guess we'd wait a little more in case you're hungry. But I wouldn't wait past 11 pm", Megan explained.

Kate was a little surprised by Megan cautious planning, looks like she thought it through. Was she planning to stay the night? It was barely 5pm, she surely had better things to do than keep vigil and babysit her.

-"Megan?", she decided to voice her concern.
-"Kate?", their eyes locked over the ring of Megan's mug.
-"Not that I mind having you around and all but … are you planning to stay overnight?"
-"I … I guess I do. I mean ... until you've eaten something", she admitted.

Kate found it quite endearing that Megan was babbling. Was she worried she had crossed a line by imposing herself in her boss' home?

-"I don't mind Megan. I don't mind at all. It's just that I thought you might prefer be home and relax. Job surely isn't a synecure lately".
-"I can relax just fine here", Megan retorted.
-"Oh yeah I'm sure you can Doctor Hunt. There's nothing more relaxing than taking care of of your boss".
-"First I'd appreciate you let me to be judge of this and second, bubble bath are overrated", she joked.
-"Hmmm .. bubble bath, my secret dream", Kate whispered. Realizing she had spoken outloud, she met Megan's amused look.
-"What are you saying boss? You don't have a bathtube in this demeure?"
-"I do … it's just that I don't have the time to sink in very often".
-"Oh … ok … Well I see why when you've worked all day but I don't see what's stopping you since you're under home arrest", she wondered outloud.
-"Well … I …."
-"You didn't think about it? You forgot you owned a bathtube?", she questioned as she came nearer Kate, invading her personal space.
"Or is it because PVD makes you too tired to run it yourself?", she finished, green eyes looking into blue ones, barely two inches apart.
-"I ...", Kate was at a loss of word. She didn't know what to respond without giving too much away, and for a minute she was caught by Megan's fiery glance. Until the older woman turned on her heels and left her standing there.

It took her a couple minutes to recover and when she did, she found her in the bathroom, bent by the tube, a hand under the hot spray testing the water. The room was already filling with steam and it smelled heavenly, Megan had found the lavendar salts she kept by the bathtube's corner.

-"Megan", she queried, as mile on her lips when she saw Megan's frown in concentration.
"What are you doing?"
-"Running a bath, isn't that obvious?", she responded, her attention still focused on the water's temperature.
-"That I noticed, thank you. But why? You'd go home if you wanted to take one".
-"That's for you silly", Megan retorted.
"I am perfectly capable to run myself a bath home".
-"So am I", Kate retorted sharply. She didn't like Megan's tone, she wasn't some kind of china doll.

-"Kate … hot water will loosen your muscles and help with tactile allodyvia. You'll feel much better and sleep will come easily", she advised.
-"Megan … I ..."
-"It always helps Lacey when she comes back from the gym or horse riding. When she was ..."
-"Megan … I'm not your daughter, you don't have to do this".

All of a sudden, Kate found Megan's attention a little too much and she didn't like that she was mistaking her for her teen daughter. She was her boss, not some kind of broken persona.

-"Kate", Megan sighed and looked at her like she was 5.
"I'm not mistaking you for my daughter ok? You're my boss and a friend who is just recovering from a deadly virus. All I'm trying to do is make you feel a little better. There's nothing wrong in helping a friend … or request a little help", she added with a wink and a lopsided grin.

Chewing on her bottom lip, Kate Murphy gave in. After all, the hot bath looked very appealing and she didn't wish to sound rude, well more than she had already been.

Returning Megan's grin, she nodded, crouching just enough to test the water's temperature with the tip of her fingers. Heavenly, she decided.

-"Ok … I … I'm sorry Megan. I really am, I've been rude ... again ...", she admitted in a low voice.

But Megan dismissed her apology with a gentle squeeze on her shoulder and then exited the bathroom noiselessly, shutting the door behind her, leaving Kate by herself, with a very appealing steamy bathtube.

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