Chapter 2: Good Morning Sunshine Liz woke up to the water running. She groaned. Her whole body felt like a lead weight was sitting on top of it, and she could barely make out the time on the alarm clock. 4:30 am she saw. Another early morning to the Tribune. She sat up in bed and a sudden wave of nausea hit her like a tsunami. She jumped from the bed and ran to the bathroom her hand covering her mouth. She pounded on the door with such force it left a red mark on her palm. "Todd!" Liz shouted as he opened the door. She pushed past him with such force he almost stumbled. She opened the toilet lid and purged into its contents. Todd had just been up, taking a quick whiz, ready to get back into bed, when Liz scared the shit out of him by her sudden pounding on the bathroom door. He stumbled backward a step as she pushed past him, and his behind bumped into the sink. He watched from the lovely side view he had been so lucky to get as Liz throw up. He made a face as he watched her, it was totally gross. It was a good thing she couldn't see his face, seeing as how he was was currently hovering over the toilet. "Awe, Liz, are you coming down with the flu?" he asked her. "You look awful." Liz scarcely heard Todd but before she could respond she felt another wave. She held back her hair as it seemed like her whole stomach was going to come out. After a few moments it seemed to past but she still felt queasy. She stood up slowly flushing the toilet. "Why don't you tell me something I don't know Todd!" she stomped past him. She grabbed her towel and started stripping her clothes off for a shower. Hopefully the warm spray would help make her feel better. Todd watched her, a little taken aback and confused by her tone and attitude. "Sorry" he mumbled, not sure on what else he should say on the subject. "You're not getting up for work already, are you?" he asked her, curious, "I mean, its still so early." Liz stepped in the shower and turned it on, "Yea," she said bluntly, "I have some extra work I need to work on for the Christmas feature." "Oh" Todd stated. But it was still so stinking early! I mean, he was just up to take a whiz then get a little bit more sleep until it was time for him to get up for work. She had woken up early to drive into LA two days ago, he remembered, since he had been the one to set the alarm for her for 5:00am the night before. And now- another crack of dawn morning for her? This was was even earlier than the last! Maybe this special issue that she had been assigned by her editor was actually more trouble than it was worth. He watched as the spray hit her body then rolled down it, sliding over her smoothness and crevices and curves. "You know, maybe I'll just have to join you" he said cockily, "I know I could get a whole lot more done in a shower with you than by just sleeping in bed." He seemed to totally not take into account that she was sick, and had just been hurling a minute ago. But that's how the male mind worked, as soon as it saw something it liked better, especially if it was a naked woman, all else left his mind. "Don't you dare," Liz said in a threatening tone. She was in no mood to deal with Todd. And just the thought of his hands on her body right now made her feel sick to her stomach. She grabbed the shampoo and squirted some in her hand and lathered it into her hair. She was aware that todd was still staring. She closed the curtain all the way. Todd snapped his lead back a little at the sound of the curtain snapping. Whatthefuck? Umm....ok.... like a dog with his tail between his legs, he left he bathroom, to leave Liz alone with her precious shower. He shut the bathroom door- loudly. With a huff he crawled back into bed and drew the covers up around him. GOOD! he thought stubbornly. Now he could get some more sleep! Liz finished up her shower wrapping a bathrobe around her. She quickly dressed and started blow drying her hair trying as hard as she could to prevent todd from sleeping. If she was miserable she was going to try her hardest to make Todd miserable. Todd had just almost dozed off again when Liz's shower ended and the noise began. He heard the dryer come on at turbo speed, and of course she didn't have the door shut all the way! So the noise crept out......He gritted his teach, and put a pillow on top of his head, pulling it down. And it just wasn't the blow-dryer. He heard cabinets being opened then slammed shut. And bottles hitting the sink tile noisily! And things clicking and clanging, AND! Man, she was sure tying to be a bitch this morning, Todd realized. He wondered if this was somehow payback for his blasé performance in bed two nights ago after she had made that special spaghetti dinner. Nah, probably not, Liz didn't usually hold grudges. She must just REALLY not like getting the flu, Todd decided. Liz finished in the bathroom and walked through the bedroom stomping her feet. She slammed the bedroom door feeling power in the sudden clap. She walked out to the kitchen and started making the coffee. If was a house rule, who ever was up first, brewed the coffee. As much as she wanted to piss todd off this morning, she could not break the unbroken rule, so she grabbed the coffee filters and measured out the desired amount. She went to the front door, "Damn," she screamed. The paper wasn't' there yet. OF course it wouldn't be there seeing as how dawn hadn't even cracked but that didn't affect her mood. She went back to the kitchen and grabbed some coffee. She poured it into a coffee mug and headed for the door. She yelled good bye to Todd and left slamming the door. Todd had closed his eyes when Liz had left the bedroom, thinking that now he'd be able to get back to sleep. But he couldn't of course. And it just wasn't from the doors slamming in various places. It was because things didn't feel right. And things weren't right. Todd had gotten up to piss and the next thing he knew he was in some sort of a fight with his wife. And he hadn't even done anything! He thought he heard a loud, and not happy, "bye" but he could of been wrong. Todd sat up in bed, and decided to just get up anyway. It was evident he wasn't going to be getting any more sleep- his heart was too heavy. He had no idea what was up with Liz this morning, except that she was not happy to learn that she was coming down with the flu, but still, did that give her a right to pick a fight with him? Todd didn't think so. He hated it when he and Liz fought. At least it didn't happen often, he thought to himself. He flung himself back down onto to bed, figuring she'd be back to her old self by dinner that night.P