FOUR
"Oh, this is horrible," Cole said as Phoebe wiped his head with a wet cloth. "I can see now why people complain so much when they get the flu. It's like dying without any of the fun."
"You'll be okay, sweetie," Phoebe said. "It won't last long. And I'll be here to help all I can."
"You can't," Cole said. "You have your job. You can't stay home and take care of me just as your career is starting to take off. Oh no!"
Suddenly Cole jumped up from the sofa and rushed toward the bathroom holding his mouth. Phoebe just sighed. She knew what it was like to be that sick. It must be even worse for Cole. He'd never been sick a day in his life. He had nothing to gauge it against. She decided to go see what Piper was up to in the kitchen.
Cole stumbled into the kitchen a few minutes later. He finished wiping his mouth with some toilet paper and tossed the used paper into the trash. He pulled the blanket around him tighter. He saw Piper stirring a pot on the stove. Phoebe was sitting at the table.
"How do you feel?" Phoebe asked, getting up to steady Cole.
"Like I'm dying," Cole responded. "Someone just vanquish me, please. I'm not sure how much longer I can put up with this."
"Oh, grow up," Piper said, more than just a bit annoyed. "It's only the flu. It's not like it's anything serious. You'll be over it in a couple of days."
"That's easy for you to say," Cole responded. "You aren't the one who's sick. What's that you're cooking? A potion?"
"Just something to help fix you up," Piper said. "Grams used to make it for us."
"A healing potion?" Cole inquired. "Oh, thank you Piper. I really appreciate it. Leo may not be able to use his healing power on me but you aren't under such restrictions. And from what I've heard of your grandmother, I'm sure it will do the trick all right.
"I'm really sorry about all the trouble I've been. I know I can be a pain in the ass some times. And I know I've been more than my share of trouble to you guys. A lot of people wouldn't give me a second thought. They'd just let me suffer through this. I knew you were a kind, caring person. And I'm going to do everything I can to justify your faith in me. Especially after this. I can't tell you how much it means to me that you'd make one of your potions for me."
"Yeah, right," Piper said as she spooned the contents of the pot into a bowl and handed it to Cole, along with a spoon.
"Isn't that a lot of potion?" Cole asked looking in the bowl.
"It's not a potion," Piper said. "It's chicken soup. Grams used to say there was nothing better for the flu. Now, eat your soup and get into bed. You need rest and plenty of fluids. And for crying out loud, stop complaining. Or I'll grant your wish and drag out that vanquishing potion we made up for you a while back."
Cole opened his mouth to say something, and then thought better of it. He took his bowl of soup and went back into the living room.
"That was kind of harsh, wasn't it?" Phoebe asked. "After all, it is the first time he's ever been sick."
"And it won't be the last," Piper said. "Now that he's fully human, he has to get used to it. Make sure he eats all the soup and I'm going to run to the store and get him some more juice."
"Thanks, sis," Phoebe said. "I appreciate everything you've done, too."
"Go on," Piper said. "Take care of your boyfriend. And keep him out of my hair."
Phoebe kissed Piper on the cheek ad then went back into the living room to comfort Cole.
* * *
"I think he's getting worse," Phoebe said to Piper, Paige, and Leo the next morning. "He didn't sleep well at all last night even when he was able to sleep. I'm getting worried. Maybe this is something worse than the flu."
"More than likely," Leo said, "it's just because he's never been sick before. Remember humans build up antibodies when they get sick. Cole has never had any need for those antibodies. His human half would have had them but they've never been used before."
"Which means this could be worse than your run-of-the-mill flu," Piper said. "Could it be dangerous for him? Or for us?"
"I don't know," Leo said. "There's no precedent for it. Remember, there aren't that many half demons walking around. And as far as I know, there's never been one who had his demonic half vanquished. Not even the Elders are sure how far this might go."
"Can't you heal him?" Phoebe asked. "I know that it's technically against the rules, but he is an innocent now. Wouldn't that fall under your purview of protecting the innocent?"
"Technically, I don't protect the innocent," Leo said. "That's your job. My job is to help and guide you. I'm afraid I can't do anything for him."
"What about a healing potion?" Paige asked. "If it's our job to protect the innocent, not even the Elders can object to us using one on him. Especially since we're sort of responsible for this mess to begin with."
"No, no potions," Cole said, leaning against the doorway to the kitchen. "My demonic half may have been vanquished, but half my body is still composed of demonic DNA. There's no way to determine what a healing potion would do to that. It could make things worse."
"We can't just stand by and do nothing," Phoebe protested. "You're sick. And you seem to be getting sicker. This could become very serious if we don't do something soon."
"There is," Cole said, handing Phoebe a piece of paper. "Call this number. See if he can fit me in right away."
"Dr. Stein?" Phoebe questioned, looking at the paper. "You want to go to a doctor?"
"Surprised I know a doctor?" Cole asked. "I may never have had need for one but I do know some."
"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Leo said. "If he runs any tests...."
"Don't worry," Cole said, "there's nothing to worry about. Dr. Stein has a very select and.... unique patient list. There's no danger of exposure. But I'm sure he can help me. Please, just call the number."
"Okay," Phoebe said. "You get back to the sofa. Conserve your strength."
Cole just turned and stumbled back to the living room as Phoebe picked up the phone.
"Oh, this is horrible," Cole said as Phoebe wiped his head with a wet cloth. "I can see now why people complain so much when they get the flu. It's like dying without any of the fun."
"You'll be okay, sweetie," Phoebe said. "It won't last long. And I'll be here to help all I can."
"You can't," Cole said. "You have your job. You can't stay home and take care of me just as your career is starting to take off. Oh no!"
Suddenly Cole jumped up from the sofa and rushed toward the bathroom holding his mouth. Phoebe just sighed. She knew what it was like to be that sick. It must be even worse for Cole. He'd never been sick a day in his life. He had nothing to gauge it against. She decided to go see what Piper was up to in the kitchen.
Cole stumbled into the kitchen a few minutes later. He finished wiping his mouth with some toilet paper and tossed the used paper into the trash. He pulled the blanket around him tighter. He saw Piper stirring a pot on the stove. Phoebe was sitting at the table.
"How do you feel?" Phoebe asked, getting up to steady Cole.
"Like I'm dying," Cole responded. "Someone just vanquish me, please. I'm not sure how much longer I can put up with this."
"Oh, grow up," Piper said, more than just a bit annoyed. "It's only the flu. It's not like it's anything serious. You'll be over it in a couple of days."
"That's easy for you to say," Cole responded. "You aren't the one who's sick. What's that you're cooking? A potion?"
"Just something to help fix you up," Piper said. "Grams used to make it for us."
"A healing potion?" Cole inquired. "Oh, thank you Piper. I really appreciate it. Leo may not be able to use his healing power on me but you aren't under such restrictions. And from what I've heard of your grandmother, I'm sure it will do the trick all right.
"I'm really sorry about all the trouble I've been. I know I can be a pain in the ass some times. And I know I've been more than my share of trouble to you guys. A lot of people wouldn't give me a second thought. They'd just let me suffer through this. I knew you were a kind, caring person. And I'm going to do everything I can to justify your faith in me. Especially after this. I can't tell you how much it means to me that you'd make one of your potions for me."
"Yeah, right," Piper said as she spooned the contents of the pot into a bowl and handed it to Cole, along with a spoon.
"Isn't that a lot of potion?" Cole asked looking in the bowl.
"It's not a potion," Piper said. "It's chicken soup. Grams used to say there was nothing better for the flu. Now, eat your soup and get into bed. You need rest and plenty of fluids. And for crying out loud, stop complaining. Or I'll grant your wish and drag out that vanquishing potion we made up for you a while back."
Cole opened his mouth to say something, and then thought better of it. He took his bowl of soup and went back into the living room.
"That was kind of harsh, wasn't it?" Phoebe asked. "After all, it is the first time he's ever been sick."
"And it won't be the last," Piper said. "Now that he's fully human, he has to get used to it. Make sure he eats all the soup and I'm going to run to the store and get him some more juice."
"Thanks, sis," Phoebe said. "I appreciate everything you've done, too."
"Go on," Piper said. "Take care of your boyfriend. And keep him out of my hair."
Phoebe kissed Piper on the cheek ad then went back into the living room to comfort Cole.
* * *
"I think he's getting worse," Phoebe said to Piper, Paige, and Leo the next morning. "He didn't sleep well at all last night even when he was able to sleep. I'm getting worried. Maybe this is something worse than the flu."
"More than likely," Leo said, "it's just because he's never been sick before. Remember humans build up antibodies when they get sick. Cole has never had any need for those antibodies. His human half would have had them but they've never been used before."
"Which means this could be worse than your run-of-the-mill flu," Piper said. "Could it be dangerous for him? Or for us?"
"I don't know," Leo said. "There's no precedent for it. Remember, there aren't that many half demons walking around. And as far as I know, there's never been one who had his demonic half vanquished. Not even the Elders are sure how far this might go."
"Can't you heal him?" Phoebe asked. "I know that it's technically against the rules, but he is an innocent now. Wouldn't that fall under your purview of protecting the innocent?"
"Technically, I don't protect the innocent," Leo said. "That's your job. My job is to help and guide you. I'm afraid I can't do anything for him."
"What about a healing potion?" Paige asked. "If it's our job to protect the innocent, not even the Elders can object to us using one on him. Especially since we're sort of responsible for this mess to begin with."
"No, no potions," Cole said, leaning against the doorway to the kitchen. "My demonic half may have been vanquished, but half my body is still composed of demonic DNA. There's no way to determine what a healing potion would do to that. It could make things worse."
"We can't just stand by and do nothing," Phoebe protested. "You're sick. And you seem to be getting sicker. This could become very serious if we don't do something soon."
"There is," Cole said, handing Phoebe a piece of paper. "Call this number. See if he can fit me in right away."
"Dr. Stein?" Phoebe questioned, looking at the paper. "You want to go to a doctor?"
"Surprised I know a doctor?" Cole asked. "I may never have had need for one but I do know some."
"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Leo said. "If he runs any tests...."
"Don't worry," Cole said, "there's nothing to worry about. Dr. Stein has a very select and.... unique patient list. There's no danger of exposure. But I'm sure he can help me. Please, just call the number."
"Okay," Phoebe said. "You get back to the sofa. Conserve your strength."
Cole just turned and stumbled back to the living room as Phoebe picked up the phone.