See Day 1 for all pertninent info and disclaimers.
Day 2
Llanfair
"Mom!"
"Mom!"
"Hold on girls, I'll be there in just a few moments!" Viki shook her head as she finished getting the trays ready. Jessica had come down with the flu, she barely had a fever but her temperature was steadily rising. Natalie's fever was almost down to a hundred and one. A knock at the front door startled her. 'Who could that be?' she wondered as she went to open the door. "Cristian, hello."
"Hi, Mrs. Davidson, I came by to see how Natalie's doing."
"Why don't you see for yourself. Take her this tray," she said, handing him one of the trays. "I have to get this one to Jessica."
"Jessica's sick?"
"Yes, she is. Both of my girls would have to get sick at the same time, you know. Wake up at the same time. Have aches at the same time. Need a pillow fluffed at the same--I'm sorry, Cristian, here I am rambling on and on--I'm a bit overwhelmed, to say the least. How have you been? I heard you had the flu last week," she said, starting up the steps.
He followed, "Yes, ma'am. I was in bed for two days."
"I'm sure Carlotta took excellent care of you."
"She dropped off a week's supply of soup and some cold and flu medicine. Came by to check on me regularly."
"How is she?"
"She's fine. In perfect health," he said as they stood in the hall.
Viki looked at him, "Well, that's good. I know you and Natalie were spending quite a lot of time together right around the time you got sick."
"Uh, yes, ma'am," he said, starting to look slightly uncomfortable.
"I assume that there's a good possibility that she caught the flu from you."
"Probably."
"Well, just remember, she's in no condition to be passing germs back and forth, okay?"
"Yes, Mrs. Davidson."
Viki took a few more steps down the hall and stopped at Jessica's door and looked at Cristian, "You can go in. Just give her a courtesy knock."
He nodded as she went into Jessica's room. He took a deep breath before knocking on the door. He received a raspy "come in." He slowly opened the door and peeked in, "Hey."
Natalie looked at him, groaned, and turned over. "Go away. You gave me your germs."
He set the tray down on the desk. "I didn't know I was getting sick."
"Excuses, excuses," she rasped, turning back over. "You come over here to infect me with something else?"
"Oh, come on, you're acting like I gave you the flu on purpose."
"Even if you didn't, giving me the flu at all is completely unforgivable. I hate you," Natalie said before reaching for a tissue and blowing her nose. "I feel so miserable. I'm all congested and queasy, my throat's sore, my head hurts and it's all your fault."
"Yeah, maybe. But you don't hate me."
"Yes I do."
"That's the flu talking," Cristian said, sitting down on the edge of her bed.
"I'm contagious."
"I don't care. I already had the flu, remember?"
"And you could get it again."
"I'll take my chances. Besides, I love you," he said, leaning over to place a kiss on her forehead.
She stopped him, her hand pressing against his chest, "Since when does love mean never having to say, 'Don't give me your germs?' or 'Ew, get away from me, I don't want your germs?'"
"Since now," he said, lifting her hand and holding it, kissing her on the forehead.
In Jessica's room...
Viki nudged the door shut with her elbow, "Hi, darling. How are you feeling?"
"I don't feel that bad, Mom, really. You should just take care of Natalie. I'll be fine, I just need some more tissues," Jessica said, pushing the covers back.
"Oh, no, you don't. I will not have you making yourself worse. You are going to stay in bed until I say you're all better," Viki said, bringing the tray over to Jessica. "Seth called. Said he's sorry that you're sick and that he hopes you feel better soon."
"We had a study date for tonight."
"Well, just because you can't go out doesn't necessarily mean that he can't come over."
Jessica looked at her, "What do you mean?"
"If you temperature doesn't go up and he would like to and you're still feeling all right, I would have no problem with him spending just a few minutes with you."
Jessica hugged her mother, "Thank you."
"You're welcome, Jessie. Now I want you to eat your soup, I'll go get you another box of tissues."
Bo & Gabrielle's Apartment
Gabrielle slowly shuffled out of her room. She could barely whisper, "Bo?"
He was sitting on the couch. He looked over his shoulder and got up, "Gabrielle, what are you doing out of bed?"
"I'm not an invalid and I'm not a child. I don't have a fever, I can take care of myself, you know."
"You sound terrible."
"Thank you very much, I feel bloody awful enough as it is. It wouldn't be so bad if I did have a fever," she said, shuffling into the kitchen.
Bo followed her, "Let me make you some tea."
"Bo, I don't want you going through all this trouble. I can make it myself. That's what I came out here to do."
"It's no trouble. And stop arguing with me. Stop talking, it's only going to make your throat feel worse."
"If I didn't feel so ba--"
"Ah, no talking."
Gabrielle pursed her lips together and stood in front of him, looking defeated.
"Now that's better. I want you to go get back into bed this instant. I'll fix you some tea."
Gabrielle sighed and shuffled back into her room and into bed.
RJ's apartment
"RJ, you haven't touched your soup," Keri said, leaning over him at the table.
He dipped the spoon into the bowl and stirred it half-heartedly before letting it sink into the soup. "I'm not hungry. And even if I was, I doubt that I'd be able to keep anything down."
"Well, would you at least drink that flu stuff before it gets cold? And your juice too. You need plenty of fluids."
RJ huffed, "Fine." He took a sip, grimaced at the taste, sat the glass down, and pushed it across the table, "Ugh, Keri, this stuff is disgusting.
"It's supposed to help you feel and get better. I want you to drink it all."
RJ looked at her, "Since when did you become the parent?"
She moved her hair from in front of her face and placed her hand on her slightly rounded abdomen, "I'm practicing being maternal. Now, drink!"
RJ gave in and picked the glass back up.
Keri smiled and patted RJ on the shoulder, "You'll be better in no time now."
"What did I say about you, my grandchild, and germs?"
Keri pulled her hand away and took a step back, "Oh, right. Sorry. Well, after I make sure you've taken some tylenol and are back in bed, I'll be on my way."
"Thank you," RJ said, before taking another sip of the disgusting mixture. "And, by the way, this, this, whatever it is, tastes nothing like lemon. I know what lemon tastes like and, I can tell you, this does not taste the least bit like lemon. It's nowhere near being lemon-flavored," he complained.
"Just drink it, RJ," she snapped.
He looked at her, surprised. "Yes, Keri."
"Hormones. Sorry," she said.
Cramer Mansion
Starr slept on her back on the right side of her bed while Blair napped on her side on the left side of the bed. Todd leaned against the doorframe, watching them sleep.
Starr's eyes fluttered open then closed again. She rolled onto her stomach, her arm hitting Blair, causing her to stir. She opened her eyes and looked at Starr's pale face. She brushed some Starr's hair back behind her ear, noticing the beads of sweat along her hairline, and felt her forehead.
"My poor girl," Blair said, stroking Starr's hair. She looked at Todd and sat up, "She's so hot. I mean, she's burning up."
Todd nodded, "She'll be all right."
"I know. It's just--I wish she wasn't sick. I get scared when she's sick. And we don't know, this could end up being one of those fatal cas--"
"No, it won't." Todd debated whether or not he should try and comfort Blair. "You're just being silly and paranoid."
"Maybe I am, but I worry. Anyway, what are you doing standing in the doorway? Were you watching us sleep?"
"No. I wasn't watching you sleep. I was watching Starr sleep."
"Did she wake up any?"
"No. Not really."
Starr coughed in her sleep, both of her parents looked at her, concerned.
"It's been a while, she should take some more medicine," Todd said, turning to go get the medicine.
Blair watched him walk away then looked at Starr, still sleeping, and sighed.