AN: Sorry, sorry I know I said updates would be more often, but my sister
just got a lung transplant. We got the call Friday and zoomed up to
Jacksonville which is a 5 hour drive from where I live. She's doing great,
so hopefully I'll have some more time to update. Well anywho here's the
next part.
Two hours and several pieces of paper later, Richie was still writing. He knew he would have to buy Dri a new notebook, but right now he didn't care. All that mattered was that he got it right. Unfortunately he seemed to be having some sort of creative block. Every time he would get something down on paper, he wouldn't seem to like it. It was becoming extremely frustrating.
Richie needed a break. He glanced over at Dri. She was still sleeping peacefully. He stood up and smiled. Then he walked out of the room, notebook still in hand.
Richei walked into the kitchen, setting the notebook on the counter. He went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of pepsi. As he went for the glass he heard the gate go up on the elevator.
"Hey Joe."
"Hey Richie, hows the kid?" Joe asked walking over and sitting across the counter from him.
"I was actually going to call you about her," The young immortal stated.
"Mac beat you to it."
Richie raised an eyebrow. "He didn't think I could handle it?"
"No," Joe said in Duncan's defense. "He just thought I should be aware in case anything were to happen. You know unexpected immortal visits."
Richie looked skeptical.
Joe continued. "I came over on my own. I worry about the kid."
Richie sipped his pepsi, but didn't say anything. He didn't like what was going on, but the truth was he was glad Joe was here.
"So how is she?" Joe asked.
Richie shrugged. "She's sleeping, but her fevers still really high." He took another swig and looked at the Watcher. "You want anything to drink?"
Joe shook his head. "You know they do make glasses for a reason.
Richie smiled. "This is more me barbaric."
"Oh ya, you're so barbaric."
They both laughed.
"Besides the fever how is she?" Joe asked seriously a moment later.
Richie took a drink before he answered. "Pale, dizzy, vomiting," he sighed. "She was she was feeling better earlier though."
"But you're still worried," Joe said, making it a statement.
Richie nodded. "I know Dri. She hates hospitals and she'll do just about anything to keep from going. Even if it she was dying I don't think she'd go."
Joe wasn't all that close to Dri, but he knew what Richie was saying was true. She had a stubborn streak in her that he almost dared to say was worse than Macs. Almost. Atleast the Highlander would give in a when a life was a stake. Joe didn't think Dri's life was at stake, but it sounded as though she was still pretty sick.
"So what do you think we should do?" Joe finally asked.
The younger man shrugged. "I'm not sure. I mean it could just be a stomach virus, but then again it could be more."
"And if it's more?"
RIchie didn't get a chance to answer because the phone rang. He reached over and picked up that portable that was resting on the counter.
"Antiques..I mean hello?" He bumbled into the phone.
Richie had been so used to answering the phone for the antique shop that it had pretty much become routine. Sometimes he would answer the phone the same way when he was waking up and sometimes he just forgot where he was, like now. Sometimes he just wished Tessa were here with them. She would have loved Dri.
He broke out of his short lived thoughts by Duncan laughing on the other end of the line.
"Old habits die hard, I believe that's how the saying goes," He said.
"Hey Mac," Richie said dryly as he glared at Joe.
The watcher had a smirk on his face that let RIchie know he was amused at his expense.
"I just arrived," Mac stated, now serious. "How are things there?"
Richie almost shrugged, but stopped when he realized Duncan couldn't see him. "Dri's sleeping and everything else is fine."
"Is she feeling any better?" The Highlander asked, concern audible in his voice.
"She said she was, but you know Dri."
"Yeah and that could mean she's a lot worse off than she's admitting," Mac replied flatly.
"Don't worry so much Mac. I'll handle it. If anything happens I'll call you."
Richie heard a soft sigh from the other end of the phone. "You okay Mac?"
"Fine," he replied. "Worried is all."
Richie didn't want to admit that he was as well, so instead he said, "Look, just give me the information for the hotel your staying at and I'll keep you informed. If anything serious happens I'll call you, but hopefully I won't have to."
Duncan complied with RIchie who took down the hotel number and the room number, and the two men hung up.
"Everything all right?" Joe asked.
RIchie nodded. "Mac's just worried about Dri." Suddenly RIchie had a thought. "Joe, your Macs watcher."
"We established that a long time ago," Joe replied a bit amused.
"No I mean, if you're his watcher, why aren't you in Paris watching him?"
Joe smiled. "Even Watchers need vacations every once in a while."
Richie smiled as well. "I didn't know you were able to have them."
"We just put a temp on who ever it is we're watching until we get back to work."
"It's someone you trust right?" The young immortal asked, his smiling faltering just a bit.
"Would I send someone I didn't?"
"You're right, sorry," RIchie replied feebily.
Any further conversation was stopped by a shrill scream that came from the bedroom. Richie immediately took off towards the sound, Joe on his heels.
Richie threw the door open and saw Dri on all fours next to the bed. She was breathing heavily and even in the dark he could tell that she was completely soaked in sweat. Her shirt, her pants, everything was permeated with sweat.
He ran over and kneeled beside her. Her face was ghostly pale. Strands of her red hair were matted to her face from perspiration.
"Richie it hurts!" She cried through clenched teeth.
"What hurts," He asked worriedly, putting a hand on her back for reassurance.
"Stomach!"
"Where," Joe asked.
"Lower right," Dri replied and then cried out, grasping her stomach with her left arm.
"Richie we need to get her to a hospital now!" Joe said urgently.
Richie nodded and picked Dri up. She cried out again when he moved her.
Dri rested her head against Richie's shoulder and squeezed her eyes shut. The pain was excruciating. All she wanted was for it to stop. She didn't care how. It was like someone had set fire to the inside of her stomach. It was seering through her belly, but her whole body was hot.
"Make it stop Richie!" She cried.
"It's going to be all right," Richie soothed her as they rushed out of the dojo.
They got into Joe's car, Richie keeping Dri in his lap. He rocked her in his lap and brushed strands of hair out of her too pale face. The only thing he as thinking, as he spoke soothing words to her, was that he should have taken her a lot sooner.
TBC: Well Guys there it is. Please Review. TTFN
Two hours and several pieces of paper later, Richie was still writing. He knew he would have to buy Dri a new notebook, but right now he didn't care. All that mattered was that he got it right. Unfortunately he seemed to be having some sort of creative block. Every time he would get something down on paper, he wouldn't seem to like it. It was becoming extremely frustrating.
Richie needed a break. He glanced over at Dri. She was still sleeping peacefully. He stood up and smiled. Then he walked out of the room, notebook still in hand.
Richei walked into the kitchen, setting the notebook on the counter. He went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of pepsi. As he went for the glass he heard the gate go up on the elevator.
"Hey Joe."
"Hey Richie, hows the kid?" Joe asked walking over and sitting across the counter from him.
"I was actually going to call you about her," The young immortal stated.
"Mac beat you to it."
Richie raised an eyebrow. "He didn't think I could handle it?"
"No," Joe said in Duncan's defense. "He just thought I should be aware in case anything were to happen. You know unexpected immortal visits."
Richie looked skeptical.
Joe continued. "I came over on my own. I worry about the kid."
Richie sipped his pepsi, but didn't say anything. He didn't like what was going on, but the truth was he was glad Joe was here.
"So how is she?" Joe asked.
Richie shrugged. "She's sleeping, but her fevers still really high." He took another swig and looked at the Watcher. "You want anything to drink?"
Joe shook his head. "You know they do make glasses for a reason.
Richie smiled. "This is more me barbaric."
"Oh ya, you're so barbaric."
They both laughed.
"Besides the fever how is she?" Joe asked seriously a moment later.
Richie took a drink before he answered. "Pale, dizzy, vomiting," he sighed. "She was she was feeling better earlier though."
"But you're still worried," Joe said, making it a statement.
Richie nodded. "I know Dri. She hates hospitals and she'll do just about anything to keep from going. Even if it she was dying I don't think she'd go."
Joe wasn't all that close to Dri, but he knew what Richie was saying was true. She had a stubborn streak in her that he almost dared to say was worse than Macs. Almost. Atleast the Highlander would give in a when a life was a stake. Joe didn't think Dri's life was at stake, but it sounded as though she was still pretty sick.
"So what do you think we should do?" Joe finally asked.
The younger man shrugged. "I'm not sure. I mean it could just be a stomach virus, but then again it could be more."
"And if it's more?"
RIchie didn't get a chance to answer because the phone rang. He reached over and picked up that portable that was resting on the counter.
"Antiques..I mean hello?" He bumbled into the phone.
Richie had been so used to answering the phone for the antique shop that it had pretty much become routine. Sometimes he would answer the phone the same way when he was waking up and sometimes he just forgot where he was, like now. Sometimes he just wished Tessa were here with them. She would have loved Dri.
He broke out of his short lived thoughts by Duncan laughing on the other end of the line.
"Old habits die hard, I believe that's how the saying goes," He said.
"Hey Mac," Richie said dryly as he glared at Joe.
The watcher had a smirk on his face that let RIchie know he was amused at his expense.
"I just arrived," Mac stated, now serious. "How are things there?"
Richie almost shrugged, but stopped when he realized Duncan couldn't see him. "Dri's sleeping and everything else is fine."
"Is she feeling any better?" The Highlander asked, concern audible in his voice.
"She said she was, but you know Dri."
"Yeah and that could mean she's a lot worse off than she's admitting," Mac replied flatly.
"Don't worry so much Mac. I'll handle it. If anything happens I'll call you."
Richie heard a soft sigh from the other end of the phone. "You okay Mac?"
"Fine," he replied. "Worried is all."
Richie didn't want to admit that he was as well, so instead he said, "Look, just give me the information for the hotel your staying at and I'll keep you informed. If anything serious happens I'll call you, but hopefully I won't have to."
Duncan complied with RIchie who took down the hotel number and the room number, and the two men hung up.
"Everything all right?" Joe asked.
RIchie nodded. "Mac's just worried about Dri." Suddenly RIchie had a thought. "Joe, your Macs watcher."
"We established that a long time ago," Joe replied a bit amused.
"No I mean, if you're his watcher, why aren't you in Paris watching him?"
Joe smiled. "Even Watchers need vacations every once in a while."
Richie smiled as well. "I didn't know you were able to have them."
"We just put a temp on who ever it is we're watching until we get back to work."
"It's someone you trust right?" The young immortal asked, his smiling faltering just a bit.
"Would I send someone I didn't?"
"You're right, sorry," RIchie replied feebily.
Any further conversation was stopped by a shrill scream that came from the bedroom. Richie immediately took off towards the sound, Joe on his heels.
Richie threw the door open and saw Dri on all fours next to the bed. She was breathing heavily and even in the dark he could tell that she was completely soaked in sweat. Her shirt, her pants, everything was permeated with sweat.
He ran over and kneeled beside her. Her face was ghostly pale. Strands of her red hair were matted to her face from perspiration.
"Richie it hurts!" She cried through clenched teeth.
"What hurts," He asked worriedly, putting a hand on her back for reassurance.
"Stomach!"
"Where," Joe asked.
"Lower right," Dri replied and then cried out, grasping her stomach with her left arm.
"Richie we need to get her to a hospital now!" Joe said urgently.
Richie nodded and picked Dri up. She cried out again when he moved her.
Dri rested her head against Richie's shoulder and squeezed her eyes shut. The pain was excruciating. All she wanted was for it to stop. She didn't care how. It was like someone had set fire to the inside of her stomach. It was seering through her belly, but her whole body was hot.
"Make it stop Richie!" She cried.
"It's going to be all right," Richie soothed her as they rushed out of the dojo.
They got into Joe's car, Richie keeping Dri in his lap. He rocked her in his lap and brushed strands of hair out of her too pale face. The only thing he as thinking, as he spoke soothing words to her, was that he should have taken her a lot sooner.
TBC: Well Guys there it is. Please Review. TTFN
