Chapter 57:

Anna hustled into the Deli, it wasn't crowded, she got dinner and then popped into the drug store and grabbed Doug some Theraflu before heading back up to his house. She pushed the door open and hurried inside shaking the snow off her, "god its cold out there. Drugs and dinner have arrived." She said as she kissed the top of his head, "what you want first?"

"Thanks babe," he said standing up. "Uhh better give me the medicine. I want to shake this by tomorrow. It would look bad if I call in sick on my second day." He walked into the kitchen with her and could smell the chicken. "That looks good." He said grabbing another drink, "why don't you bring all this over to the couch?"

"Yeah sure." She said picking up the food and heading towards the couch. "Next time I'll cook for you." She said as she crossed her legs under her.

"That would be a nice surprise." Doug said downing some medicine. He made a face and reached for his drink. "God that stuff tastes bad." He scooted over next to Anna and grabbed some chicken. "My mom makes really good food. It must be the Italian in her or something. I wish I had inherited that from her." Doug started to cough. "Ohhh I cant get sick...its only Wednesday." He coughed again and set his chicken back down. "Maybe I'll just stick to water." He said with a smile. He had been looking forward to spending time with Anna all day...and it didn't involve sitting on the couch and feeling crappy. 'the powers that be must hate me' he thought.

She looked over at him, setting the chicken down as she stood up, "come on." She extended her hand, "there is no way that I am letting you sit here miserable. If you're good I'll even tuck you in and sing you a song."

Doug looked up at her and screwed on a fake smile as best he could. "I'm fine...I'm ok." He cracked his neck and looked back up at her. "I want to spend time with you. I didn't get to see you all day."

"What and me miss the opportunity to tuck you in for a change?" She said still looking at him. "You're not fine. Listen to you. You've had hardly any sleep over the past couple of weeks; you're running yourself down, please. I'll snuggle up next to you it doesn't matter to me what we do as long as we're together."

Doug sighed. He knew he wasn't going to win this one. He grabbed her hand and stood up. "Alright, but only cause you're beautiful," he smiled as he put his arm around her and walked into the bedroom. He started to cough and walked into the bathroom and doubled over coughing. Finally he got it under control and splashed some water on his face, looking into the mirror and grimaced. "God I look awful." He said before standing up straight again. He walked back over and sat on the bed with his back facing Anna and looked at the clock. It was only a little after nine. "Its pretty early, if you're not tired you don't have to lie down with me...you can watch the movie in there."

She scooted across the bed wrapping her arms around him as she leaned over him, "I wouldn't be anywhere else right now. I know its not late, but I want to be here." she kissed his check as she pulled him backwards onto the bed and wiggled out from under him.

"How'd I get so lucky to find you?" Doug asked in one last attempt to salvage the night. He reached for the covers at the bottom of the bed as he coughed again. He didn't grab them but laid back down on his back. He had, had it, he hated being sick and it was coming at such a bad time it pissed him off.

"Lucky to find me, well that might be a stretch," she said as she pulled the covers up over him and snuggled next to him. "I know you're not happy being sick right now, and I can totally sympathize with you baby." She stretched up and kissed his forehead. "Just rest you'll feel better before you know it. If not we can gimp around together."

"Mmm that'd be nice." he said scooting down and resting his head on her shoulder. Doug rolled his eyes and sighed. Anna had come in at the perfect time in his life. Even though he didn't see it that way then he did now. "So come on...you promised me a song."

Anna closed her eyes, "yes I promised you a song. Don't cover up your ears and howl." She said laughing as she took a deep breath and stroked his hair, she slowly and softly started to sing, "it still feels like our first night together, feels like the first kiss, and it's getting better baby, no one can better this I'm still holding and your still the one. The first time out eyes met, its the same feeling I get only feels much stronger I want to love you longer you still turn the fire on so if your feeling lonely don't you're the only one I'd ever want i only want to make it good so if I love ya a little more than I should please forgive me." She sang her voice soft as she tried to lull him to sleep.

Doug tried hard to keep his eyes open. Her voice was beautiful and he wanted to tell her. But the soft melody made his body realize how tired it really was, slowly he began to relax and was asleep before she was halfway done.

Anna kissed his cheek and she slipped off the bed. She walked out the living room and opened up her lap top. And headed back to the bedroom she sat back down on the bed and she pulled up her downloaded email and started to go thru them. She had over 200 from the last week and most of them where from her patients that she had left in Philadelphia. The kids and parents had kept in touch with her. There was some good news in there and some bad news. She would send the replies back when she was at her apartment tomorrow. She sat there and wrote the happy to hear you're doing betters, the sorry to hear things are going well for you, and unfortunately she had to sent out two condolences to parents who's children hadn't survived. She laid back against the bed and closed her eyes. It was now a little after 1. She hadn't intended to stay up that late. But she had a few more that she wanted to finish. She hit the save button as her eyes drifted closed.

Doug woke up coughing. He tried quickly to get into the other room so he wouldn't wake up Anna and he closed the door to the bedroom. Once he was in the living room and ran his hands through his sweaty hair. He knew he had a high fever. He stared at the green numbers on the clock in the kitchen. 2:00 burned into his sore head. he sighed as he shuffled over to grab some aspirin and more of the medicine Anna had bought. after downing some more he practically collapsed on the couch. he tried to muffle his coughs the best he could and reached for a blanket. the house was always really cold at night and being sick made it feel even more so. Doug reached for his Discman and slipped it over his ears. Shawn Mullins played into his head as he tried to get back to sleep.

Anna awoke to find her hair tangled up in her lap top. And Doug not in the bed. She glanced over at the clock...ugh she had only been asleep for a few hours. She was stuck; there was no getting out this one by herself. "Oh SOB!" She muttered. She padded out to the living room where she found Doug on the couch. "Hey," she said her voice not very loud, "Doug, hum I hate to bother you, but baby I'm stuck." She stood over him her lap tap miserably now twisted in with her long blonde hair.

Doug was singing in his head to the music playing on his CD player. music always seemed to make his mind get off what was bothering him. he felt a strange feeling that someone was looking at him. slowly he opened his eyes to see Anna...and her laptop, standing above him. he slowly pulled the earphones off his head and tried not to grin as he sat up. "what the hell did you do?"

She lifted the lap top up so that she could see him, "I fell asleep while I was answering my emails and the laptop closed with me in it." She said, "would you please for god sake help untangle baby please this is so not funny. I am bloody stuck to my laptop."

Doug couldn't help it. he had to laugh. "yeah come on." he said standing up. Doug looked for a solution and decided it was best to just try and open up the computer. "you're lucky I'm a talented guy, otherwise I'd just cut your hair off." he joked before pressing the release to get her free. "all better?" he asked before coughing again. Doug rolled his eyes and sat back down. "I didn't wake you did I? I tried to be really quiet cause I know you need to sleep."

"No you didn't wake me. It was the blasted machine thinking it needed me for a snack." She said laughing herself. "You know maybe we should find someone to cover for you tomorrow you look..." She stopped for a minute, "beat." She was going to say awful, but he didn't look awful, he looked worn out and sick. It hit her that she was being mother henish towards him, "okay wait a hate it when people do that to me. You want me to sit up with you? Or go back to bed and let you lay here blissfully listening to your music?"

Doug made a face as he looked up at her. "blissful wouldn't be the word I would use... then again neither would beat but either way..." doug sighed as he looked at the clock again."There's no since in both of us being miserable...and I cant call in sick tomorrow. Weaver would have my ass. I'll just have to suck it up I guess." Doug patted her hand as she stood in front of him. "You have to go shopping tomorrow anyway, you need energy for that." Doug stopped for a second. He knew there was something he had wanted to tell her. "you know I should have said it as soon as I saw you but you looked beautiful today...I really liked that dress." He said with a wink and grin.

"Why thank you." She said smiling. "Oh I totally managed to forget about doing that. Guess I got a little involved in other things today." She said sighing, and she leaned down to kiss the top of his head. She turned and headed back towards the bedroom, "thank you for rescuing me from me. I love you baby."

Carter smiled at Abby's remark's "Yea they do don't they, i mean sometimes people just don't go as far as they need to "Carter told her "I'm glad were together" he told her as he held her in his arm. Just the smell of her hair. She smelled nice today. "You smell nice, "He told her with loving tender.

"I love you too." Doug said as he waved Anna off. he really didn't want to sit up alone but he knew Anna needed her sleep and there was no reason for her to stay with him. he set his head back down and tried to sleep. he tossed and turned so much on the couch that it was impossible. his back already hurt from getting hit by the cops and the hard couch didn't help. Doug quietly walked back into the bedroom and laid back down next to Anna again. he closed his eyes tightly as he tried to be still and not make any noise. he knew it was only a matter of hours before his alarm clock sounded and he's have to be up again.

Anna felt him get into the bed as she snuggled up next to him, the warmth of his body drawing her sleeping form next to him.

"Thanks John." Abby said to him. "But I know that I smell like I've been living at a hospital. We'll get you home and tucked into bed when Romano discharges you and then I'm going to take a long hot shower."