Chapter 13: Doxy Flu

January 28, 1998

The New Year came and went, and before Katie knew it, practice had resumed and she was once again busy with Quidditch. When she wasn't at training or matches, she was spending time performing protection patrols, and meeting with Tonks to plant target areas for patrols for the sixteen other Quidditch players they had brought on to the cause. And of course, spending as much time as she could with Oliver. Although she was glad for all that was being accomplished, she was exhausted at the end of every day. So, it should have come as no surprise to Katie when she fell ill at the end of January.

Katie wrapped her blankets around her body more tightly as she shivered. She had come home from practice early after becoming lightheaded and nearly falling off her broom. A quick examination from the team medi-witch had produced a diagnosis of Doxy Flu and orders to return home and rest.

Katie had sent an owl to Oliver, letting him know she wouldn't be joining him for dinner at his flat as planned, and gone straight to bed. She adjusted her pillow and closed her eyes when she heard a light knock at the door.

Oliver peaked his head in, then quietly stepped through into her room.

Katie feebly sat up as she shook her head at him.

"Don't," she instructed her voice hoarse. "The medi-witch said it's Doxy Flu. Heidi had it last week. It's very contagious."

Oliver gave her a small smile as he sat on the edge of her bed.

"Lucky for you, I've already had it. During the big '96 outbreak. I tried to take a Pepper-Up Potion and report to training anyway, but I was too feverish to fly within an hour. So I'll be seeing to it that you stay in bed," he said, his voice firm but caring.

He reached out to brush a piece of hair out of Katie's face.

"You're burning up, love," he said as his hand skimmed her forehead.

Another shiver ran through Katie's body.

"I'm not sure how," she replied weakly. "I feel like I'm freezing."

Oliver tucked the blankets more tightly around her as he cast a warming spell around her.

"Would you like me to make some tea?" he offered.

Katie shook her head.

"My throat is burning," she told him.

"Water, then," he responded as he Summoned a glass from the kitchen and cast an Aguamenti Charm to fill it.

Katie raised her head high enough to take a drink, then laid back down.

"Where's Alicia?" Oliver asked her.

"Luxembourg," Katie croaked. "She's covering a series of international matches for the magazine. She'll be gone all week."

"Have you let your parents know you're ill?" Oliver inquired.

Katie shook her head again.

"No," she said, "and I'll thank you not to tell them. If Mum hears I'm sick, she'll want to come. And then she'll get sick. And she could give it to her students. Can you think of the mess that would cause, a bunch of Muggle primary school children sick with Doxy Flu?"

Oliver gave her a conceding nod.

"I'm staying, then," he stated.

"No, you don't have to stay," Katie tried to argue, "I'll be fine, really."

Oliver shook his head.

"I'm not leaving you all alone feeling ill," he said. "Now, you shut your eyes for a bit while I make you something to eat."

Katie tried to disagree, but Oliver just smiled at her, shook his head, and kissed her head as he rose to go to the kitchen.

A while later, Katie felt Oliver rubbing her shoulder to wake her. She opened her eyes to see him sitting on the edge of her bed holding a mug of soup, and to find that her head had started pounding.

"Thanks," she told him hoarsely as she pushed herself into a sitting position. She took the soup and sipped a spoonful. The warm soup burned her aching throat, but the taste was comforting. She swallowed a few more mouthfuls as Oliver looked on with concern, then set the mug on her bedside table.

"Do you want something else?" Oliver asked, noticing that Katie hadn't eaten much.

Katie shook her head.

"I don't have much of an appetite," she replied. "I'm just really tired."

"Rest then, love," Oliver instructed. He waved his wand to dim the lights and picked up Katie's discarded mug. "I'll be here if you need anything.

Before Katie could think to argue again, her heavy eyelids won out. She fell into a slumber, but her sleep was not restful. Katie tossed and turned. The fever confused her mind, weaving memories and frightening new scenes together into upsetting dreams. She woke several times for just a moment, noticing Oliver asleep in a chair he'd conjured next to her bed, but was always pulled back into her fitful sleep almost immediately.

Sometime near dawn Katie's fever broke, and she woke up covered in sweat. She weakly pulled her jumper off, leaving the t-shirt she was wearing underneath, and pushed most of her blankets into the floor. Oliver was still there, his chin tucked into his chest as he dozed in the chair. Katie laid her head down and fell back asleep, this time into a dreamless slumber.

When Katie woke again, she could tell that she had slept late into the morning. Oliver was not in his chair, but she could hear movement in the main part of the flat and assumed he was there. Katie pushed herself up in bed and took an inventory of her symptoms. Her head was still aching, as were all of her joints and muscles. She didn't feel feverish anymore, but her throat was burning and her stomach felt weak. She could scarcely remember a time she'd felt more miserable.

"Oliver?" she called out feebly.

Katie heard Oliver's footsteps approaching her room. Her door pushed open and Oliver quietly treaded in, his expression full of concern.

"How are you feeling, love?" he asked sympathetically as he sat on the edge of Katie's bed.

"Like rubbish," Katie answered.

Oliver took her hand and rubbed the back of it with his thumb.

"Are you hungry?" he asked. "I made some oatmeal for you."

Katie nodded as she sat up straighter in bed.

"I should probably try to eat something," she replied.

Oliver Summoned a bowl of oatmeal and a spoon from the kitchen and handed it to Katie. She accepted it gratefully and took a small bite.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"Nearly 11:00," Oliver told her.

"I can't believe I slept so late," Katie said as she took another bite of oatmeal. It was difficult for her to swallow, and the burning in her throat made the dish taste off.

"You needed the rest," Oliver said as he surveyed at her with worry. Katie could only imagine how terrible she must look. She took another bite as a thought occurred to her suddenly.

"Why aren't you at training?" she asked Oliver. "You're not missing on account of me?" Her voice was weak, but had an accusing edge to it.

Oliver smiled at her.

"No, love," he said. "They're giving us some time off."

"But you've a match this weekend," Katie pressed. Giving time off days before a match was certainly something Portree never did, but perhaps Puddlemere had a different policy.

"They've been pushing us hard. The coaching staff wanted us to rest," Oliver responded. "I reckon being undefeated has its privileges."

Before Katie could consider this any further, she felt her stomach turn.

"Oh no," she mumbled as she sat down her bowl of oatmeal on her bedside table. She frantically tried to untangle herself from the blankets wrapped around her legs.

"What is it, love?" Oliver asked her, concerned.

Katie vomited in his lap in response.

A look of surprise appeared on Oliver's face, and Katie was mortified. She covered her face with her hands.

"Oliver, I'm so sorry," she apologized, but he shook his head at her.

"Not to worry," he told her with a small smile as he grabbed his wand and Vanished the mess. "Are you ok?"

"I don't know," Katie admitted as she lay her head back on her pillow. Her mouth tasted foul. She sat back up, slower this time, and uncovered her legs.

"I'm going to brush my teeth," she said as she set off for the loo.

Katie caught a glimpse of her reflection in the bathroom mirror and sighed. Her hair was limp and stuck to her head, her face was pallid, and there were dark circles under her eyes. She opened the medicine cabinet, retrieved her toothbrush, and applied toothpaste. She managed to get a few swipes across her teeth before the minty taste of the toothpaste made her gag. She tried to hold her hair back as she vomited again noisily in the bathroom sink. She groaned as she leaned forward, letting her forehead rest on the cool porcelain of the sink.

There was a light knock at the bathroom door, then Oliver opened it and stuck his head in.

"Katie?" he inquired.

Katie only groaned again in reply.

Oliver put a hand on her waist and guided her toward him.

"Let's get you back in bed, lass," he instructed gently. Katie shuffled next to him and let him lay her back down. He filled a cup of water and offered it to her. Katie tentatively took a small sip then gave the glass back to Oliver.

"What can I get for you?" Oliver asked.

"I think I'm just going to try to sleep some more," Katie said. "You really don't have to stay."

Oliver smiled at her.

"Nice try, Katie," he told her. "I'm not going anywhere."

"If you insist," she conceded as she closed her eyes.

Sleep came easily, and when Katie awoke she saw that the sun had set. She rubbed her eyes and turned her head to see Oliver still sitting in his chair next to her bed, reading a paperback book. She recognized it as her copy of The Hobbit.

"What do you think?" she asked him.

Oliver looked up with a start, not realizing Katie was awake

"I like it so far," he told her. "Gandalf reminds me of Dumbledore a bit, though," he said with a smile. He closed the book and reached for her hand. "How are you feeling?"

"About the same," Katie said. "My body aches from laying down so much though. I think I need to get up for a bit."

Oliver nodded and offered her his arm, which Katie leaned against heavily as she rose from the bed. She used the loo, then returned to the living room and sat on the couch. The short walk had exhausted her energy.

"Do you feel up to eating something?" Oliver asked her. "Broth and crackers?"

Katie nodded uncertainly.

"I'll try," she said. "But I don't know if we have any. Alicia and I are overdue to visit the market."

"I stepped out while you were sleeping and picked some up," Oliver told her as he stood and walked to the kitchen.

Katie smiled at Oliver's thoughtfulness.

"Thank you," she told him.

Oliver stood and headed to the kitchen, returning after a few moments with a mug of warm broth and a plate of crackers on a tray. He sat down on the couch. Katie cautiously nibbled on the corner of a cracker. She waited a few moments, then took another bite. Satisfied that she could keep the crackers down, she ate a few more and took a sip of her water. Even chewing seemed to make her tired. She leaned her head over on Oliver's shoulder. Oliver took a throw pillow from the edge of the couch, placed it on his lap, and guided Katie to lay her head on it. He brushed a stray piece of hair away from her face and gently rubbed her arm.

"Would you like to try some broth?" he asked after a few moments.

Katie nodded and sat up slowly. She took the broth from the tray. It was now lukewarm. She thought about reheating it, but decided she didn't care. She brought the mug to her lips and took a sip. Her stomach immediately clenched. Katie grabbed her wand and Summoned a nearby rubbish bin just in time to throw up into it. She set the bin aside and slumped back on the couch, feeling defeated. She could feel tears of frustration and exhaustion burning in her eyes and closed them. She heard Oliver Vanish the contents of the bin, then felt him take her hand.

"I'm worried about you, Katie," he told her, his voice full of concern. "Maybe we should take you to St. Mungo's to get checked out?"

Katie sat up and shook her head insistently.

"Please don't," she replied. "I hate that place. It reminds me of being cursed."

Oliver didn't look convinced, but Katie didn't have time to defend her opinion. The sudden motion of shaking her head had made her stomach turn again. Determined to at least make it to the loo this time, Katie stood up quickly – too quickly. She was immediately light-headed and saw her vision narrow and fade to black.

xxxxxx

When Katie came around, she was lying in bed. She looked over to see Oliver leaning forward in his chair, his chin resting on his folded hands, a dark look of worry on his face.

"What happened?" she whispered, her mind still feeling foggy. She was beginning to feel chilled again.

"You fainted," Oliver told her. "I caught you just before your head hit the coffee table. I think your fever's back too."

"Putting those Keeper skills to work, I see," Katie said in a feeble attempt to lighten Oliver's mood. She was unsuccessful. The fretful expression painted across his face remained.

"Katie, I really think you need medical attention," Oliver tried again. "Will you at least let me owl my dad?"

Katie considered this for a moment. She certainly wasn't keen on the idea of going to St. Mungo's, but perhaps Mr. Wood could suggest something to help her feel better.

"Alright," Katie agreed reluctantly. "Alicia's owl is in her room. You can use him."

Oliver nodded and rose from his chair. He gave Katie a kiss on the head and brushed her cheek with his thumb, then left the room.

Katie hadn't intended to fall back asleep, but she woke to the sound of two male voices talking lowly in her living room. Alarmed, she sat up quickly. She was shivering again, and unsure if she was still in a fever dream. She reached for her wand and padded toward the living room. She raised her wand and glanced through the slightly ajar bedroom door. Oliver was standing there, speaking to his father. Katie hadn't realized he was going to ask his father to come over; she had only thought he'd planned to ask him for advice. She pulled the door open to step through, and both men turned at the sound of the creaking hinges.

"Katie," Oliver said as he walked over to her and gently rubbed her back. "How are you feeling, love?"

Katie looked to Mr. Wood and suddenly wished she had put a dressing gown over her clothing; her sweatpants had a rip in them, and there was a stain on her t-shirt that she prayed was soup, but feared was vomit. It was certainly not how she wished to be seen by her boyfriend's father.

"I've been better," she replied, forcing a small smile. "Thank you for coming, Mr. Wood."

"Aye, of course," he said warmly as he gestured toward the couch. "Please, sit. Let me take a look at you."

Katie obeyed and sat on the couch. Oliver's father followed her, with Oliver close behind him. Mr. Wood waved his wand about, murmuring several spells that Katie recognized as diagnostic charms. After a few moments, he lowered his wand and looked at Katie.

"You're very dehydrated, but that's not unexpected," he diagnosed. "I can give you an elixir for the vomiting, but I'm afraid the fever will have to run its course."

Katie nodded as Mr. Wood opened his bag and pulled out a glass vial and handed it to her.

"Ginger and fennel tonic," he told her. "You won't enjoy the taste, but it will settle your stomach so you can eat more."

"Thank you," Katie said as she accepted the vial.

"I'm going to leave you with some Sleeping Draught as well," Mr. Wood told her. "I recommend you take some after you've had a chance to eat something. It will allow you to fall into a deep sleep so you can rest through most of the fever." He rummaged through his bag again and pulled out a second tiny vial.

"No more than two drops, under the tongue is best," he instructed as he handed the container to Katie. She accepted it hesitantly, and gave Oliver a look of uncertainty.

"What is it, love?" he asked her with concern.

"Katie?" Mr. Wood asked, seeing her look to Oliver. She turned to the medi-wizard.

"I think Oliver's told you that I was cursed," Katie began, looking to Oliver for confirmation. He nodded. Katie continued, "I was at St. Mungo's in a coma for six months. The Sleeping Draught…it sounds too close to being back in the coma." She looked down at her lap. Oliver took her hand and gave her a reassuring smile.

"I understand," Mr. Wood replied. "Do you have trouble with nightmares?"

Katie nodded.

"The Draught will give you a peaceful, dreamless sleep. The extra rest will help you recover faster," Mr. Wood explained.

Katie nodded again.

"Ok," she conceded. "I'll try it."

"I wouldn't recommend you take it alone, though," Mr. Wood cautioned her. "With a fever like yours, there is a risk of sleepwalking."

"I'm staying with her," Oliver interjected. Though she was feeling like rubbish, Katie still didn't miss the nonverbal exchange between Oliver and his father. Mr. Wood raised his brow at Oliver, who nodded once. Mr. Bell pressed his lips together slightly, then looked back to Katie.

"I'll leave you to rest, then," he told her as he stood. "Owl if you don't begin to feel better by tomorrow afternoon."

"Thank you again, Mr. Wood," Katie said.

Oliver's father gave her a nod.

"Of course," he said. He turned to Oliver. "A quick word?" he said, nodding his head to the door.

Oliver nodded and rose, following his father out to the hallway.

Katie stood and shuffled to the kitchen. She retrieved a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water. She drank the contents of the first vial and followed it with water. A warm feeling slid down her esophagus, and she felt her stomach relax. She retrieved the crackers and the remaining broth that Oliver had brought and walked back to the couch. As she sat back down, she heard the crack of Mr. Wood's departure, and Oliver re-entered the flat.

"Is everything alright?" Katie asked him as she sipped her broth.

"Aye," Oliver answered with a nod. "Dad just wanted to ask me about Saturday's match."

Katie took a bite of cracker as she looked at him. She felt there was something he wasn't telling her, but she also felt too tired to think about it too much.

After Katie had eaten and drank two large glasses of water, she felt full and exhausted. Oliver picked up the Sleeping Draught vial from the coffee table.

"Ready to get some rest, love?" he asked her.

Katie looked up at him anxiously.

"I know it will help me rest, but I'm just worried it will make me feel…trapped," she told him. "In the coma, I felt like I couldn't quite break the surface. I don't want to feel as though I can't wake up again."

Oliver pulled her into him, and Katie rested her head on his chest.

"Would it help if I hold you while you sleep?" he asked her.

Katie smiled a bit.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt."

Oliver kissed the top of Katie's head and stood, gently pulling her up with him.

"C'mon, lass," he instructed. "Let's get you to bed.

Katie entered her bedroom and sat on the bed. She took the Draught vial from Oliver and carefully tipped it up, administering two drops under her tongue. The drowsiness hit her almost immediately.

"Stay with me," she mumbled to Oliver sleepily.

Oliver kicked off his trainers and sat on the bed. He reclined, propping an extra pillow behind his head. He guided Katie down so that she was cradled next to him, her head resting on his chest. She could feel sleep quickly pulling her down.

"Rest now, love," Katie heard Oliver say as her eyes closed and she fell into deep slumber.

Xxxxxx

January 31, 1998

Two Days Later

Katie heard the lock turn on the front door to her flat and sat up straighter, putting aside her parchment and quill. She had been jotting down some notes for the next round of protective patrols, which she'd fallen behind on due to her illness. The door opened and Alicia stepped through, carrying a suitcase and a knapsack, looking a bit frazzled.

"Welcome home!" Katie greeted her, standing to help her friend get her luggage through the door.

"Thanks!" Alicia said appreciatively. The two witches briefly exchanged security questions then set the bags down as Alicia flopped onto the couch with a sigh.

"Six matches in seven days. I'm knackered," she declared. "And there was an issue with our international Portkey home so we were delayed at the Ministry in Belgium for hours. I was nearly ready to fly back." She shook her head. "Merlin, I'm glad to be home."

"Well I'm glad to have you back," Katie told her. "I missed you."

"Me too," Alicia answered. She frowned as a look of realization crossed her face. "I'm surprised you aren't at the Puddlemere match though. Is everything ok? With you and Oliver?" She looked concerned.

"Oh yes, we're fine," Katie assured her. "I was actually ill all week, Doxy Flu. I'm feeling much better now, but Oliver practically banned me from the match so I could rest."

"Merlin, Katie!" Alicia declared in surprise. "I'm sorry you were ill! You're ok now though?"

"Yes," Katie said, "just a bit tired still. And dreadfully behind on these patrol plans, so it's probably best I'm staying in today."

"Well, I stopped by the office before I came here so I could drop off my notes from the international matches, and I saw the update from the Puddlemere match. Oliver's not playing anyway, so you aren't missing much," Alicia told Katie with a shrug.

Katie gave her flatmate a look of confusion.

"Oliver's not playing today?" she repeated.

"The update memo said he was out for an injury," Alicia said, looking confused that Katie knew nothing of this news.

"Hmm," was all Katie could say. Her mind was beginning to spin.

"Oh, guess who I saw!" Alicia exclaimed, interrupting Katie's thoughts.

"Who?" Katie asked, still a bit distracted.

"Viktor Krum," Alicia said dreamily. She'd had quite a crush on the Bulgarian Seeker when he was at Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament. "At the Bigonville Bombers match in Luxemborg. He's playing with the Vratsa Vultures. He's still as fit as ever." She gave a longing sigh.

Alicia recounted stories from her trip as Katie half listened, half wondered about Oliver. How had he been injured? Surely if it was serious, he would have owled her.

Just then, a knock came at the door. Alicia was closest, so she rose to answer it.

"It's Oliver," she said as she peered through the peephole. She opened it and raised her wand.

"Oliver, hello," she greeted him. "Let's see….What gag gift did Angelina, Katie, and I give you after we won the Cup your seventh year?"

"A pair of boxer shorts with Gryffindor Lions on them," Oliver replied dryly. He had been quite embarrassed to receive underpants as a gift from his three female Chasers; Katie knew now though that he did wear them from time to time.

"How did you lose twenty points for Gryffindor your fifth year?" Oliver asked with an amused smile.

Alicia gave him a slightly annoyed look as she answered.

"McGonagall caught Cormac McLaggen and me snogging when we were supposed to be asleep in the Great Hall after Sirius Black broke into the castle."

Oliver snorted and Alicia rolled her eyes, then laughed. The former teammates seemed to have an unspoken policy of trying to embarrass one another with their security questions. Alicia stepped aside, and Oliver walked in. Katie stood to meet him.

"How are you?" she asked with concern. "Alicia told me you were injured and didn't play, what happened?"

"Oh, aye, er, took a Bludger funny during warm-ups," Oliver answered dismissively. "I'm fine. Coach was just being cautious. Plus the Kestrels aren't much this year without two of their first-team Chasers. Turner and Denbright are both Muggle-born, you know. So Jordan got some flying time today. He hadn't played in a League match yet, so it was good practice for him."

Katie nodded and hugged him.

"I'm glad you're ok," she said. The pair sat on the couch. Oliver put his arm on the back cushion behind Katie.

"I'm fine," he assured her again. "How are you feeling? I see you're already back to planning," he said, gesturing toward the parchment she had been working on before Alicia had returned home.

"I'm doing ok," Katie answered. "A bit tired still, but I should be ready to return to training on Monday."

Alicia gathered her luggage and set off toward her bedroom.

"I'm going to unpack," she told the other two. "And shower. That international Portkey dumped us out in a bloody marsh and I feel disgusting."

After Alicia's bedroom door closed behind her, Oliver turned to Katie.

"So I wanted to talk to you," he began with a small smile, "about your birthday."

"Oh," Katie replied in surprise. With as busy as she had been and then falling ill, she had all but forgotten that her birthday was in just four days.

"Your birthday falls on a Wednesday, so we'll both have training," he said. "And I figured you'd be having dinner with your family that night."

"You'll join us, of course?" Katie interjected eagerly.

Oliver smiled at her.

"Aye, if that's what you'd like," he answered.

"I would," Katie said, returning his smile.

"Ok," Oliver agreed. He continued, "the weekend after, though, next weekend. Neither of our teams have a match, so I was thinking we could get away for a couple of days."

Katie was surprised at this suggestion.

"Oh?" she asked, her interest piqued.

"You've been working so hard with planning the patrols, and then you fell ill, I thought something relaxing would be nice. A change of scenery."

"And what did you have in mind?" Katie prodded, unable to contain her girlish grin.

"I booked us a little place down in Cornwall, on the shore," he told her. "The weather won't be much warmer there than it will be here, but I thought the view would be nice." He shrugged uncertainly as a touch of blush appeared on his cheeks as he looked at Katie for her reaction.

"Oh, Oliver!" she exclaimed. "You planned this? That sounds so lovely." Katie was properly flattered at Oliver's romantic gesture and his forethought.

"Does it sound ok?" Oliver asked her. "If you'd rather stay here, see your friends..."

"It sounds perfect," Katie said as she snuggled into his chest. "Thank you for arranging it. I can't wait."

"You're welcome, love," he told her. "It will be fun to go back to Cornwall. A lot's changed since we were there last summer."

Katie laughed.

"That's true. Cornwall is where it all started for me playing with the Prides." She looked up and gave Oliver a teasing smile. "Oh, and you too, I suppose."

Oliver feigned offense and laughed.

"I see where I rate," he joked.

"Hush, you," Katie told him. "You know I'm only kidding. I love you, Oliver. Thank you for doing this for my birthday."

Oliver leaned down and gave Katie a light kiss on her lips.

"I love you too, lass," he told her sweetly. "And you're welcome."

xxxxxx

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this week's chapters! Next week I'll be posting Chapter 14: Surname, so be sure to check back. Have a great week! :)