idonthavgeaname: Thank you. I really understand what you're saying because I find it impossible to write down a chapter until I can completely visualize it in my head so I guess that makes perfect sense. I have to admit though, that visualizing some of these things really messes with your head. ;o)

A/N This one's short but you can thank my dad for this one. My computer is having serious issues the least of which, I can't get online. He's trying to fix it but in the meantime said "Back up your story and post an update on my computer if you want. No need to leave your audience waiting." :D

P.S. Tomorrow is Thursday! Woohoo! I may have a little surprise planned for y'all to celebrate (maybe)... ;o)

Chapter 14

The nausea hit later that night. Melody had just hung up with Van Pelt after agreeing to meet with the team for breakfast at a café near her house. Her mother wasn't able to provide any useful information on Harold Cliff and the agents hadn't heard anything from their tech guy but he promised something first thing the next morning, hence the breakfast meeting. Melody was just about to have herself a quick bath when she heard the agonizing noise from where she sat in her bedroom, across the hall.

Melody climbed out of her and sprinted to the adjacent room, thankful that she had thought to place a wastebasket nearby just in case. Jane was sitting up in bed, curled around the plastic bin as heaves wracked his already weakened body. Moving on instinct, Melody slid onto the bed behind Jane, her back to the headboard, and began rubbing slow circles on the man's shaking back.

Jane was not one for comfort or physical touch but he also couldn't remember the last time he had been sick. He was fairly certain he had never felt this sick. Even after Jane was sure there couldn't possibly be anything left in his stomach, the spasms continued. Being the guarded man he was, Jane would never admit it, but he was relieved when he felt Melody slide in behind him, offering the little comfort she could. If he wasn't so focused on breathing in between heaves, Jane might have felt guilty for the words he had spoken to her earlier.

She watched as the involuntary contractions slowed and finally stopped. The tremors, however, continued so Melody tugged at one of the blankets and wrapped it around Jane's back as he tried to calm his breathing. She rubbed his shoulders in an attempt to warm him up but nothing seemed to be working.

"Are you cold?" She finally asked.

Jane nodded but said nothing.

Melody squeezed herself back out of the bed and went for the trash bin. "Here, let me go clean this out. I'll be back soon with something that should help."

Jane watched as Melody left. He clutched the blanket draped over his shoulders tightly in his fists and wondered what kind of war was going on inside of his body. Everything ached, especially his stomach, and he was freezing to the point where Jane figured he should be numb but wasn't. Eventually Melody returned with a now clean wastebasket, a cup of what he assumed was tea, and something small, made of glass.

"I don't really think I could keep down even tea at this point." Jane said weakly.

"I need you to try. This is green tea with sugar. I'm going to give you another dose of insulin and I don't want your blood sugar to tank. Orange juice would have been preferable, but I figured we could start with something a little easier to keep down." She handed him the cup but as she watched the trembling hand reach for it, Melody realized he may need some help. Instead, she sat next to him and helped him sip the tea, slowly.

Jane was embarrassed by his uselessness but slowly consumed the warm liquid, cringing at the unusual sweetness. He managed half of the tea before Melody was satisfied enough to give him the insulin. There were two things Jane feared most. One thing was a gun and the other, was needles. Jane turned away as Melody filled the syringe and lowered it towards his thigh. He flinched at the prick of the needle but Melody must have been a quick learner because before Jane knew it, the prick was gone and the ordeal was over.

Despite downing some of the tea, Melody was concerned about Jane and decided it was best if she didn't leave him alone. She propped a few more pillows behind him as he settled back down in the bed. Then, she walked around on the other side and lounged on top of the blankets. Using the remote, Melody turned on the tv and flipped through the channels, stopping on some National Geographic special.

They watched in silence and a half an hour later, Melody glanced over to find that Jane had fallen asleep. She gently checked his pulse (another thing Doc had shown her) and found it normal. Then, she turned off the bed-side lamp and lowered the volume of the tv. In the quiet, Melody simply watched Jane breathe and soon, unaware, she too began to drift off.

When Melody awoke, Jane was still sleeping soundly, only now, she had a pillow under her head and a blanket covering her. The television was also turned off so she figured Jane must have awoken sometime in the night and had tried to make her comfortable.

Melody showered, and dressed. She skipped her morning coffee figuring she would buy some at the café. Before leaving, Melody checked on Jane. He was still out so she left a note on the bed-side table along with a glass of orange juice, toast, a newspaper, and her work cell phone in case he needed to call her.

She desperately hoped the agents had some information they could use.