CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

Greg and Jim came back to the house about an hour later. Lucy had fallen asleep right after they left for the hospital. Jim had brought his medical bag. Lucy heard them come up the steps. She was pissed off that they woke her up, and she let them know it. They didn't pay any attention to her. While they were gone, Lucy's fever had shot up to 101 and she had chills. Greg took over and Jim didn't protest, but he was puzzled by Greg's actions.

He knew that these two were attracted to each other, but was sure nothing had come of that attraction. Jim couldn't understand why Greg was so worried about Lucy. He was acting like he cared. Jim had all the natural older brother issues when it came to Lucy and sex. She was his baby sister, so he couldn't see that Lucy and Greg were in love and sleeping together. He didn't want to see it.

Certainly Lucy would say something at least to him if anything were going on between her and Greg, and so far, she hadn't. At least Jim thought she would say something to him. After all, he had been the one who had comforted her the most after that disaster she went through in college. He remembered how fired up she was, not because the relationship went down in flames because she wasn't emotionally invested in it, but because the idiot boyfriend called her a frigid bitch.

He couldn't even remember how many nights they sat out on the patio talking about it. Taking sex out of the equation (he had to because he was her older brother), Lucy was still the warmest, most loving human being he knew, and he knew she couldn't possibly be frigid. She just hadn't met her match yet (or so he thought!).

Lucy's throat was swollen and her lungs were a little congested; it looked like she might have bronchitis. Since her voice was going, laryngitis, too. Greg took a swab to test for strep just in case. She was hanging around all of those Little League rug rats, who knew what she could have picked up from one of them! Greg swabbed Lucy's arm with alcohol and gave her an injection of antibiotics.

Just to get Lucy riled up, both Jim and Greg said she really should have the shot in her ass. Lucy just glared at them as if to say, "Try it. You'll never have kids if you do!" Her throat was so raw, she wasn't going to say a word unless she had to. Her hands curled into fists. Greg and Jim noticed, but kept discussing her like she wasn't even there. Greg didn't want to leave her alone. He wanted to admit her to the hospital, and Jim actually thought that was a good idea.

Lucy was uncharacteristically cooperative with them until she heard that. Then she went ballistic on them. "I'm not going to the hospital and that's it! People with bronchitis are not admitted to the hospital. You gave me antibiotics, and the best thing for me to do is sleep. Both of you get the hell out of here now!" They both stared at her like she had grown horns or something.

Jim spoke first. "Lucy, you know House is right. You shouldn't be alone. You have a fever." Then Greg chimed in. "Lucy, please be reasonable. You really shouldn't be alone when you're sick like this." "If either one of you tries to take me out of this house against my will, I'll scream so loud they'll hear me in Atlantic City!" Lucy barely managed to get out of her raw throat.

Greg and Jim looked at each other, then at Lucy. As sick as she was, she looked like she was ready to kill both of them. It really wasn't worth it trying to take her to the hospital and she was right. People with bronchitis weren't usually admitted to the hospital. Greg was still worried. "Wilson, what's your schedule like today" "I'll be done with my last patient by 3:30. Why? Greg made an "executive decision". "My team can take care of our patient, so I don't need to be in the hospital right now." he said "I'll stay here with Lucy. They can call me if they need me. Make sure you get that swab tested before you come back here.

That got Lucy all riled up again, but she was about to find out that they had played a dirty trick on her. When Jim and Greg went to the hospital pharmacy to get antibiotics for Lucy, Greg had a sedative mixed in with it. Lucy was beginning to feel the effects. She was getting light headed and realized what had happened. She looked at Greg. "You dosed me, you son of a bitch!" She shook her head to try and clear it, and looked at Jim, who was conveniently looking at the floor. "You let him?" she mumbled as she looked at her brother. Greg grabbed Lucy as she fell forward off the couch. He gently laid her back against the pillows, checked her pulse and pulled the afghan over her.

"You do realize we're in deep shit when she wakes up, don't you?" Jim asked. Greg, looking at the sleeping Lucy said "Yeah, I know, but do you know of any other way to make sure she stays put and sleeps? That's what she needs right now. Sleep." He unplugged the phone so it wouldn't wake her if the hospital called him, and he and Jim went downstairs.

Lucy slowly started to wake up around five. She smelled Chinese food. "What the hell happened?"she asked herself as she shook her head. Everything started to come back to her slowly. Greg and Jim had come back from the hospital to check on her. They were actually going to try and admit her until she had a fit. Damn, did that hurt her throat! Greg gave her an injection of antibiotics, and she was out like a light. They dosed her to make sure she stayed put in her room. Where the hell did they think she was going with a temperature of 101? She shook her head again to try and clear it and made her way to her bathroom. She looked like hell, but felt better. She took her temperature - 99. Good.

Then she brushed her teeth and followed her nose to the kitchen where Frick and Frack were enjoying Chinese take out. Greg quickly got out of his chair and went over to her. "Lucy, why are you out of bed?" Greg said to her with concern in his eyes as he led her to a chair. Lucy tried pushing him away but didn't have the strength to do it. Greg tried not to laugh. "Are you two idiots or what?" Lucy said with some of her normal crankiness, but she barely had a voice. "Why the hell did you have to dose me? I don't think I was going anywhere with a fever. Did either of you think to get me some soup or something?"

Both Greg and Jim just smiled. She was getting better if she was hungry and Greg had been smart enough to get her some Won Ton soup. He was trying to see if she still had a fever and Lucy was being her cranky self, pushing him away. Jim was smart enough to leave her alone. He knew his little sister was bitchy when she was sick, which fortunately wasn't too often. "Lucy, I'm just trying to see if your fever has gone down." Greg said. "Leave me the hell alone!" Lucy snapped "I took my temperature already. It's 99." Greg just put his hands up in resignation and didn't say anything else. Lucy swallowed some soup. Oh, did that feel good going down her throat!

Lucy, I called John and told him you wouldn't be able to coach for a few days." Jim said to her. "Damn, I forgot all about that. Thanks." Lucy told her brother. Greg and Jim looked at each other and then at Lucy. For her to forget about baseball meant she was in bad shape.

Lucy finished her soup, thanked them for getting it for her and went back upstairs without another word. She sat on her couch for a few minutes and decided to take a hot shower and wash her hair. She was all clammy from sweating out the fever. Jim and Greg were watching the game in the family room. After her shower, Lucy went downstairs to watch the rest of the game with them. She sat in the recliner instead of between them. She was still pissed at being dosed.

The game was over at 10:30. Lucy went back upstairs without saying goodnight to either Greg or her brother. As a matter of fact, she didn't speak to either of them during the game. They thought it was funny that Lucy was still pissed, but they knew they were still in deep trouble when she got better. They enjoyed the cease fire. Lucy started coughing during the game; the chest congestion was getting a little worse.

Lucy had just gotten comfortable on her couch and was dozing when Greg came in. Without a word, he handed her a bottle of prescription cough medicine and went to take his shower. Lucy looked at it. There was vicodin in it, so she took half the dose indicated. When Greg came back out, Lucy was still on the couch. He went over, sat next to her and put his arm around her. "Come on, Lucy, please get in bed." he said. Lucy angrily tried to pull away from him. "No!" she said as she had a coughing fit.

Greg put his arm around her again and tried again. "I'm sorry I dosed you, baby." Greg whispered as he stroked her hair. "Just leave me the hell alone and go to bed." she grumbled. Greg was almost laughing because she was still pissed and she had run out of steam to take it out on him. "Come on, you should sleep in bed. It's better for you." "No." Lucy said. "I'm going to cough all night and you have to go to work in the morning." "No, I don't, baby. Tomorrow's Saturday. he said with a grin, "If I didn't know your brother would be barging in for breakfast, I'd keep you in bed with me all day!"

Lucy really wanted nothing more than to get into to bed and have him hold her for the rest of the night and all day tomorrow, but she wouldn't admit it. She just looked at him. "Look, Lucy, I'm really sorry I dosed you this morning. I know you hate it when people fuss over you, but I was worried. You're just too damn stubborn for words sometimes. I wanted to make sure you got the rest you needed." He had a contrite look on his face, but Lucy was still pissed. Greg tried again. "Lucy, you have bronchitis. I can't catch it. Just come to bed." Greg said with a smart ass smile on his face. He could see that she wanted to fight him, but she just didn't have the strength to do it.

Lucy was about to tell him where to go and exactly what he could do with himself when he got there when she had another coughing fit that almost reduced her to tears. She gave up. She would have to deal with him and her brother later. Still trying to contain his laughter, Greg just picked her up and put her in bed. He got in and pulled the covers up over them, and put his arms around her. Lucy snuggled close and eventually fell asleep.