It was about an hour before Avery stirred again. She woke up to the sound of voices surrounding her. She was freezing cold, but sweating. The room span before her eyes, her muscles ached and she felt as thought she would vomit right there and then.
"Mommy..." Avery groaned. She heard the rustling of sheets before Erin's face appeared in her blurred vision.
"Hi baby girl, I'm here." Erin said, stroking Avery's hair gently. "How are you feeling?"
"Momma...I don't feel good." Avery said.
"Honey you're sick, Shay thinks you've got flu." Erin said. "Do you remember what happened in the shower baby?"
Avery breathed deeply, trying to stem the nausea. Avery couldn't usually remember what happened during her panic attacks - her only memories of the incident were getting in to the shower and then her Mom soothing her in the shower.
"Kinda..." Avery said, she felt the nausea rise in her throat. "Mom I'm gonna be sick."
Shay immediately passed Erin a bucket and got there just in time as Avery vomited. Erin rubbed her daughters back. "It's okay Aves, good girl."
"I'm...sorry." Avery groaned.
"No no baby, I'm sorry I didn't realise you were sick." Erin said. "Were you feeling ill when I was in the hospital?"
Avery nodded. "Yeah a little bit."
Shay came over and placed her hand on Avery's forehead. "Her fevers getting worse." Shay said, worried. Avery drifted back off to sleep, her fever rising by the minute. Erin remembered that Avery was still only wrapped in a towel. She got up and went over to Avery's messy chest of drawers, pulling out a pair of shorts and an old AC/DC shirt. Shay had gone to the kitchen to get some water and a wet rag.
Erin changed Avery in to her Pajamas, lifting up Avery's limp and fever ridden body because she was too weak to sit up herself. Erin took the towel from underneath the duvet and put it on the dryer before tucking her back in to bed. Shay came back in with water and a wet rag. She put the rag on Avery's forehead and put the water by the side of her bed.
"Thanks Shay." Erin said.
"Hey, no worries." Shay said. "She should start feeling better in a week, flu can take it's toll. I can come round every couple of days and check in."
"That would be great actually." Erin said. She hugged Shay before showing her out.
Erin went back to Avery's bedroom and laid down next to her daughter, who was stirring slightly. Erin gently sat Avery up and tried to get her to drink some water, tilting the glass to her lips. Even water made Avery's stomach churn, but she had a few sips before settling back down again. Erin brushed the stray hairs out of her face and just stayed there with her daughter.
"Never catch a break, do you baby?" Erin chuckled slightly. She messaged Jay that Aves was sick - he hadn't replied so he was probably out on a lead. Voight had called Erin and Erin told Voight how Avery was. He must've told everyone because Erin got messages from everyone in Intelligence except Jay and Ruzek, who were probably not at the office. Kim and Hailey had offered to drop by.
Correction.
Hailey and Kim both texted. 'I'm coming by to yours later. No excuses.'
Erin smiled and shut off her phone. Avery looked really pale but her cheeks were flushed and Erin could see the sweat on her forehead beading. She got the rag and put some more cold water on it, before putting it back on Avery's forehead. Erin went under Avery's bed and got out her bunny toy. Very few people knew about her toy, but she couldn't ever sleep without it. She tucked the toy in with Avery before getting up and going to the kitchen.
Hailey was the first to come round. About an hour after she texted, there she was at the door.
"Hiya Hailes, come on in." Erin said.
"Hi Erin, how is she? How are you?" Hailey said, worried about Avery, and also Erin.
"Yeah she's pretty sick, I think she picked something up at the hospital maybe. I feel terrible, it's just one bad thing after another at the moment." Erin sighed. "Shay reckons it's flu."
"Is she in her bedroom?" Hailey asked.
"Yeah, she's resting right now. She's not really been fully awake, but I'm sure she'd love to see you." Erin said, taking her to Avery's room. They went in and Hailey sat down next to Avery, who was sleeping, the wet rag still on her forehead.
"Hey Aves." Hailey said. Avery opened her fever bright eyes and looked up at Hailey, before smiling weakly.
"Hailey?" Avery mumbled.
"Yeah girlie, your Mom told me you were sick." Hailey said, cupping her cheek, noticing how heat radiated off the teens face. Hailey turned to Erin. "She's really burning up, Erin."
Erin came over to Avery and checked herself. She was really hot. Erin got the rag and put some more cold water on it, before placing it back on her forehead. "There you go baby, do you want some water?" Erin said.
Avery mumbled something of a yes, and Erin gently sat her up, before putting the glass to her lips. She had a good amount of water before lying back down again. Seeing Avery like this reminded Hailey of when she'd take care of her brothers when they were sick. Hailey's mom would usually be arguing with her Dad so she didn't have time to care for them, so Hailey did.
Hailey turned to Erin, who looked exhausted. "Hey, you look exhausted Erin." Hailey said. "Go take a shower, go get some sleep. I'll sit here with Aves."
Erin bit her lip, looking reluctant. "Are you sure?"
"Go. Go on. I've got this." Hailey said.
"Thanks so much Hails." Erin said as she headed towards her bedroom.