~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm not saying that it's nothing
I'm not gonna play along
I'm not wishing for a miracle
That miracle's gone wrong and you're too strong
Am I gone?
Is it too late to call and tell you to be strong?
Are you alive?
Am I gone?
Was the poison in our blood there all along?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Piper woke up a few hours later, surrounded by her family. Reluctantly, they stepped back to give her room to breathe.
"What happened?" she asked, her voice hoarse.
"You don't remember?" Paige asked. Piper shook her head.
"You were at my house, and you collapsed," Leo told her. "You've been drifting out of conciousness ever since. Is any of this sounding familiar?"
Piper squinted her eyes, trying to remember. "I don't know. It's all really hazy."
"Okay, well don't worry about it, honey," Phoebe advised.
"She's right, just try and relax," Prue added.
"Okay, fine, just as soon as someone tells me why I'm here," she replied.
Leo hesitated, not sure how to answer. "Um, well, we're still waiting for the doctors to figure that out. It's probably just the flu, but-"
"But what?" Piper demanded. She looked over at the clock on the wall, her eyes narrowing. "How long does it take a doctor to figure out whether or not I've got the flu?"
Prue stepped forward, sitting down on the edge of the bed and taking her sister's hand. "Honey, it might not be the flu. The doctor who saw you, Dr. Bartlet, called in an infectious disease specialist. They ran a few tests, and we should get the results any minute."
"Infectious disease?" Piper repeated. "They think I have an infectious disease?"
"Oh, honey, I'm sure this is just to rule it out," Phoebe conciliated.
Piper looked to Leo. "You're a doctor. What do you think it is?"
He shook his head. "To know that, I'd have to look at your chart, examine you myself, and see the results of the tests that were run. I'm not allowed to treat you, honey, you're my girlfriend."
Piper frowned, but didn't respond. A minute later, two doctors came in.
"Ms. Halliwell, you're awake," said the first, a tall, greying man with a cheerful expression. "I'm Dr. Bartlet, the one who's been treating you, and this is the specialist I've been consulting with, Dr. Wilson." The second doctor, a blonde the same height as the first, nodded his head at the sound of his name. Dr. Bartlet continued doing all the talking. "Sorry we took so long, but the test results were a bit more puzzling than I'd thought they would be, given your symptoms."
"Puzzling?" Piper repeated. "What does that mean?"
"Were you able to come to a definite diagnosis?" Leo cut in.
Dr. Wilson nodded. "Yes, we think so. Ms. Halliwell, have you been to South America recently?"
Piper snorted. "I wish. But no, I haven't been out of San Fransisco in a while."
The specialist frowned. "Well that's odd. Because according to the blood tests, you've contracted a disease called Aroya Fever. It's a rare disease, especially around here, but it's native to South America. It's usually carried by insects, do you have any suspicious bug bites?"
She nodded, pulling her hospital gown down far enough to reveal a purplish bite mark on her shoulder. "I think I got it at the club, while cutting.... the fruit..."
"Honey, didn't you say that fruit came from South America?" Phoebe prompted.
Piper nodded. "Yeah. Could a fly have been in the crates?"
"Well, I've seen very few fruit flies survive the quarentine period, but in this case, I suppose it's the only likely explanation," Dr. Wilson replied.
"Okay, so now that you know what it is, how can you treat it?" Prue asked.
"We'll be started your sister on intravenous antibiotics," Dr. Bartlet told her. "That, along with fluids to keep her fever down, should do the trick."
"We'll have a nurse come set up the IV's in a few minutes," Dr. Wilson added to Piper.
"Thank you," Paige called to them as they were leaving. She turned back to her sister. "See, sweetie, you're gonna be fine."
Piper nodded. "I know. Which is why I want all of you to stop worrying. Phoebe, go to class. Prue and Paige, back to work. Leo... you can stay here, but only because it's your day off and you were going to spend it with me anyway. Now you three, shoo."
Prue shook her head, laying down over her sister, across the width of the bed. Phoebe and Paige followed suit.
Piper laughed until she started coughing. "I mean it, you guys. I'll be fine. Just go back to whatever the hell it is you do during the day. Phoebe, go to school, Paige, go to work, and Prue, go relieve whoever it is you found to watch Ava."
"Hey, that reminds me, who did you find to watch Ava?" Paige asked.
"I, uh, I left her with Jack," Prue admitted.
Piper smiled mischeiviously, glad to get the focus off of herself. "Jack, huh? Things must be getting pretty serious between you two, if he's already taking care of your kid."
"Actually, things really aren't," Prue countered lightly. "We're comfortable with each other, and we talk a lot, but that's about it. As for him taking care of my kid, the only reason that Aviva's with him is that he happened to be there as I was getting ready to leave, and he offered. If Tanya had been in early this morning, then Ava would be with her."
"Still the fact that he offered to take care of her has to mean something," Paige pressed. "It's going somewhere, right?"
Prue shrugged. "I don't know if there's something between us or not. At the moment, I'm happy with the way things are." She paused, then added, "But if you really want to know, I don't think it's going anywhere. Neither of us is ready for something serious right now. But that's okay. I told you before, I'm not looking for anything long-term."
Piper bit the side of her lip, slightly disappointed. "Okay. Just as long as you're happy, honey."
"I'll be happy once you get better," Prue replied, leaning in to give her sister a kiss on the cheek. "Get some rest, sweetheart."
Paige and Phoebe each gave Piper a good-bye kiss before Leo ushered them out the door with Prue. None of them spoke a word until they got into the elevator.
"So, Paige, do you want your car back now?" Phoebe asked.
Paige shrugged. "You can use it for the rest of the day, just as long as somebody can drop me off back at the clinic and then pick me up after work."
"I'll do it," Prue volunteered. "You're closer to Buckland's than to the college. We can go back to the hospital after work, just as long as you don't mind taking shifts in the waiting room with Ava. I hate that they don't let kids visit patients, although I guess I see why."
Paige nodded. "It's a plan."
By now, they'd reached the first floor. They walked out to the parking lot together, then went to their seperate cars. Phoebe watched Prue and Paige weaving through parked cars, then set off toward the much-close Volkswagon. She was so lost in thought about Piper that she bumped into a man on his way into the building.
"Oh, sorry," she apologized, pausing to make sure he was okay.
"It's okay, I wasn't looking either," he replied, with a warm smile that made his blue eyes twinkle.
Phoebe smiled back, then started walking again. When she turned back, he was gone.
****************
A/N: Okay, next chapter is going to be more Prue/Phoebe/Paige-focused, but after that there's lots of P/L, so yeah, hang on. Also, I bet you can't guess who that blue-eyed stranger was that Phoebe just bumped into. ;)
A/N2: Just hit over 800 reviews! ::squee:: You all rock so freakin' hard!
~from the song "Amigone" by the Goo Goo Dolls~
I'm not saying that it's nothing
I'm not gonna play along
I'm not wishing for a miracle
That miracle's gone wrong and you're too strong
Am I gone?
Is it too late to call and tell you to be strong?
Are you alive?
Am I gone?
Was the poison in our blood there all along?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Piper woke up a few hours later, surrounded by her family. Reluctantly, they stepped back to give her room to breathe.
"What happened?" she asked, her voice hoarse.
"You don't remember?" Paige asked. Piper shook her head.
"You were at my house, and you collapsed," Leo told her. "You've been drifting out of conciousness ever since. Is any of this sounding familiar?"
Piper squinted her eyes, trying to remember. "I don't know. It's all really hazy."
"Okay, well don't worry about it, honey," Phoebe advised.
"She's right, just try and relax," Prue added.
"Okay, fine, just as soon as someone tells me why I'm here," she replied.
Leo hesitated, not sure how to answer. "Um, well, we're still waiting for the doctors to figure that out. It's probably just the flu, but-"
"But what?" Piper demanded. She looked over at the clock on the wall, her eyes narrowing. "How long does it take a doctor to figure out whether or not I've got the flu?"
Prue stepped forward, sitting down on the edge of the bed and taking her sister's hand. "Honey, it might not be the flu. The doctor who saw you, Dr. Bartlet, called in an infectious disease specialist. They ran a few tests, and we should get the results any minute."
"Infectious disease?" Piper repeated. "They think I have an infectious disease?"
"Oh, honey, I'm sure this is just to rule it out," Phoebe conciliated.
Piper looked to Leo. "You're a doctor. What do you think it is?"
He shook his head. "To know that, I'd have to look at your chart, examine you myself, and see the results of the tests that were run. I'm not allowed to treat you, honey, you're my girlfriend."
Piper frowned, but didn't respond. A minute later, two doctors came in.
"Ms. Halliwell, you're awake," said the first, a tall, greying man with a cheerful expression. "I'm Dr. Bartlet, the one who's been treating you, and this is the specialist I've been consulting with, Dr. Wilson." The second doctor, a blonde the same height as the first, nodded his head at the sound of his name. Dr. Bartlet continued doing all the talking. "Sorry we took so long, but the test results were a bit more puzzling than I'd thought they would be, given your symptoms."
"Puzzling?" Piper repeated. "What does that mean?"
"Were you able to come to a definite diagnosis?" Leo cut in.
Dr. Wilson nodded. "Yes, we think so. Ms. Halliwell, have you been to South America recently?"
Piper snorted. "I wish. But no, I haven't been out of San Fransisco in a while."
The specialist frowned. "Well that's odd. Because according to the blood tests, you've contracted a disease called Aroya Fever. It's a rare disease, especially around here, but it's native to South America. It's usually carried by insects, do you have any suspicious bug bites?"
She nodded, pulling her hospital gown down far enough to reveal a purplish bite mark on her shoulder. "I think I got it at the club, while cutting.... the fruit..."
"Honey, didn't you say that fruit came from South America?" Phoebe prompted.
Piper nodded. "Yeah. Could a fly have been in the crates?"
"Well, I've seen very few fruit flies survive the quarentine period, but in this case, I suppose it's the only likely explanation," Dr. Wilson replied.
"Okay, so now that you know what it is, how can you treat it?" Prue asked.
"We'll be started your sister on intravenous antibiotics," Dr. Bartlet told her. "That, along with fluids to keep her fever down, should do the trick."
"We'll have a nurse come set up the IV's in a few minutes," Dr. Wilson added to Piper.
"Thank you," Paige called to them as they were leaving. She turned back to her sister. "See, sweetie, you're gonna be fine."
Piper nodded. "I know. Which is why I want all of you to stop worrying. Phoebe, go to class. Prue and Paige, back to work. Leo... you can stay here, but only because it's your day off and you were going to spend it with me anyway. Now you three, shoo."
Prue shook her head, laying down over her sister, across the width of the bed. Phoebe and Paige followed suit.
Piper laughed until she started coughing. "I mean it, you guys. I'll be fine. Just go back to whatever the hell it is you do during the day. Phoebe, go to school, Paige, go to work, and Prue, go relieve whoever it is you found to watch Ava."
"Hey, that reminds me, who did you find to watch Ava?" Paige asked.
"I, uh, I left her with Jack," Prue admitted.
Piper smiled mischeiviously, glad to get the focus off of herself. "Jack, huh? Things must be getting pretty serious between you two, if he's already taking care of your kid."
"Actually, things really aren't," Prue countered lightly. "We're comfortable with each other, and we talk a lot, but that's about it. As for him taking care of my kid, the only reason that Aviva's with him is that he happened to be there as I was getting ready to leave, and he offered. If Tanya had been in early this morning, then Ava would be with her."
"Still the fact that he offered to take care of her has to mean something," Paige pressed. "It's going somewhere, right?"
Prue shrugged. "I don't know if there's something between us or not. At the moment, I'm happy with the way things are." She paused, then added, "But if you really want to know, I don't think it's going anywhere. Neither of us is ready for something serious right now. But that's okay. I told you before, I'm not looking for anything long-term."
Piper bit the side of her lip, slightly disappointed. "Okay. Just as long as you're happy, honey."
"I'll be happy once you get better," Prue replied, leaning in to give her sister a kiss on the cheek. "Get some rest, sweetheart."
Paige and Phoebe each gave Piper a good-bye kiss before Leo ushered them out the door with Prue. None of them spoke a word until they got into the elevator.
"So, Paige, do you want your car back now?" Phoebe asked.
Paige shrugged. "You can use it for the rest of the day, just as long as somebody can drop me off back at the clinic and then pick me up after work."
"I'll do it," Prue volunteered. "You're closer to Buckland's than to the college. We can go back to the hospital after work, just as long as you don't mind taking shifts in the waiting room with Ava. I hate that they don't let kids visit patients, although I guess I see why."
Paige nodded. "It's a plan."
By now, they'd reached the first floor. They walked out to the parking lot together, then went to their seperate cars. Phoebe watched Prue and Paige weaving through parked cars, then set off toward the much-close Volkswagon. She was so lost in thought about Piper that she bumped into a man on his way into the building.
"Oh, sorry," she apologized, pausing to make sure he was okay.
"It's okay, I wasn't looking either," he replied, with a warm smile that made his blue eyes twinkle.
Phoebe smiled back, then started walking again. When she turned back, he was gone.
****************
A/N: Okay, next chapter is going to be more Prue/Phoebe/Paige-focused, but after that there's lots of P/L, so yeah, hang on. Also, I bet you can't guess who that blue-eyed stranger was that Phoebe just bumped into. ;)
A/N2: Just hit over 800 reviews! ::squee:: You all rock so freakin' hard!
~from the song "Amigone" by the Goo Goo Dolls~