Chapter 5

Author's note: Again I am very sorry with the lack of updates. I just got a new puppy and can't believe how time-consuming it is:) Thank you to everyone who is supporting this story!

A few notes on this chapter: I have decided to take this story to a new level and get away from my personal experience with this illness. I found out what was wrong with me, took the meds and was fine within three-four days. But that would be just too darn easy for a fan fiction! The medical stuff in this chapter is from research only so hopefully it is accurate, if not, don't sue:) Enjoy!

Several hours later, Luka sat with his arm around the sleeping Abby on the old leather couch in the living room. The monotonous banter of two sitcom characters on the television was the only sound heard in the dark apartment. A candle's flame danced about on the coffee table, the melting wax slowly sliding down the candle, hardening before it reached the base. Luka watched its movement, mesmerized by the image.

Abby had insisted getting up to watch Friends re-runs and despite Luka's protests to stay in bed, she was able to watch two episodes before falling asleep. Her temperature had remained steady near 103 degrees for nearly two and half hours. Luka had told the lab to call him as soon as anything grew in the throat smear he had taken from her hours earlier. So far, he hadn't heard anything.

He didn't even think he was sleepy, but Luka was jostled awake much later by the shrill ringing of the telephone. Lifting his head from the back of the couch, he carefully extricated himself from Abby's still sleeping form and picked it up quickly.

"Hello," he half-whispered in the receiver. Through his heavy eyelids, he glanced at the clock hanging over the bay window. It was 11:45pm.

"Dr. Kovac?" a young woman's voice asked. "This is Cindy from County General Hospital down in the lab. I have the test results for A. Lockhart and there was a note on her chart to call you as soon as they came in.

Luka could barely hear her over the commotion in the lab. "Yes, thank you for calling."

"We've confirmed that the specimen that was submitted is indeed growing a large amount of Group A streptococcal bacteria."

Luka nodded silently to himself, "That was fast." He again looked at the clock to see if he had read it right. It was indeed only 11:45, a mere six hours after he dropped the sample in the lab.

"Yes, it was a quick growing colony. The patient must be very ill." Cindy looked at the numbers in front of her and was herself surprised at the rapid growth of the bacteria. "Can I transfer you over to the pharmacy and get a prescription started for delivery?"

"Oh no thanks, I actually picked up the antibiotics this afternoon. I had a feeling that the test would come back positive." Luka thanked her again and hung up the phone.

He quietly got up off the couch and went to his coat hanging on the rack. He dug out the bottle of PenVK and got a glass of water from the kitchen. Returning to the living room, he flicked the TV off and sat beside the lightly snoring Abby, placing a cool hand on her forehead. As soon as he did however, Luka recoiled his hand in alarm. Her brow was on fire and sweat now poured unchecked down her temples and onto her nightgown.

"Shit!" Luka quickly pulled the blanket off her and removed her socks. "Abby?" he shook her gently. "Come on Abby, wake up!"

She muttered something that wasn't comprehensible and turned her face away, unable to wake up fully.

Luka rushed upstairs to the bedroom and grabbed the tympanic thermometer and several towels from the linen cupboard. He raced down the stairs two at a time and back into the living room. Kneeling beside Abby, he carefully placed the thermometer in her ear.

Luka nearly fell back onto the floor when he read to display, 104.9F. "Oh SHIT!" He knew he needed to get her temperature down and very quickly. He grabbed the pile of towels he dropped on the hardwood floor and ran to the kitchen. Turning the tap in the sink on full-blast, he thrust the towels under the cool water and fully saturated them. He wrung the excess water out and hurried back to Abby's side. "I'm sorry," he told her before placed the frigid towels on her bare legs.

Abby's eyes flew open and she screamed, "Ackkk! My legs! Something has got my legs!" She started to pull at the towels and at her nightgown. "Snakes!" she was starting to cry. "Luka, I can't get them off! She was violently trying to squirm away from the imaginary snakes and free herself from the icy towels.

Luka tried to calm her down and it was a fairly easy task considering how sick she was. Her body lay back on the couch as tears mingled with the sweat on her face.

"Shhh, its alright Abby. I've got you, you are safe." Fear gripped Luka's stomach as he saw how unfocused her eyes were in the subdued light of the living room. He placed a small, wet washcloth on her brow and patted her face with another.

Just as his own breathing was returning to normal, Abby bolted upright on the couch and threw up. Luka tried to get the trash can but he was too late, she had thrown up all over her hands and the towels. Vomit dripped from her chin and her body was quivering as her stomach expelled what little substance it contained.

Afraid she would pass out and aspirate vomit into her lungs, Luka tried to keep her sitting as he wiped her face and gathered the towel she had thrown up in. He rubbed her back soothingly and kissed her hair. "Its okay sweetheart, just hold on."

Abby was shaking again so badly that the waste-bucket Luka had placed on her lap fell to the floor with a loud crash. He flicked on the table lamp and turned her face to look at him. Her complexion was dreadfully pale but her cheeks were red and blotchy, evidence of the fever that was raging her body. He noticed with distress that thick, green mucous was draining from her nose and she was unaware and unable to wipe it away. Grabbing a tissue from the table, Luka wiped her nose clean before another huge blob of mucous oozed out.

"Crap," he muttered to himself. Very quickly, Luka was realizing that Abby was dangerously ill and she wouldn't be able to swallow the penicillin and keep it down. He was almost certain that the strep infection raging in her throat had spread to her sinuses and her body was unable to fight it off at home. She needed to get to the hospital ASAP for IV antibiotics. Mulling over his options, Luka decided to call an ambulance to get them there quickly. Abby was already drifting back into unconsciousness and he didn't know how much longer he could keep her stable alone. He picked up the phone and dialed.