Alexis Davis cried out as another wave of chills wracked her aching muscles. Her whole body seemed to shake, her heart felt like it was pounding out of her chest but she felt too weak to move and so nauseous. She panted unable to slow her breathing as more bile rose up in her throat and she began to sweat.

XXXXXX

Julian laid another blanket over Alexis's shivering form and patted her shoulder and back through the blanket. "I'm right here, honey, you're going to feel better," he said as he prayed what he said would be true.

Alexis didn't respond to him but her breathing quickened and became more ragged as she broke out into another drenching sweat.

Julian sensed she was about to vomit again so he reached for the basin and raised her head. She heaved and vomited and then collapsed in his arms as he wiped her face with a wet cloth. He started to wonder if maybe Dr. Davidson was right. Maybe she really did need to be in the hospital. He also knew Alexis wouldn't want that and wouldn't want her family involved. Maybe if she could just stop vomiting, she would be ok.

XXXXXX

"The phenergan injection should stop the vomiting and I'm giving her another bolus of the saline to help correct the fluid deficits," Dr. Davidson said as he fiddled with one of the IV bags.

"Thank you," Julian said as he sat on Alexis's bed gently rubbing her back. He wondered if the words sounded as empty as they felt.

"Listen, I get it, but at the same time I did take an oath to do no harm so, if there isn't some improvement by tomorrow then we need to bring her to a hospital. I know I told you it can take a few days for patients to become afebrile which it can but usually there is some improvement by now."

"Not to dispute your medical judgment, Ben, but Alexis always takes a while to bounce back. I think it's because she pushes herself past the point of exhaustion even when she is ill. Unfortunately, this has probably been brewing for a while. I'm just glad I got here when I did."

"She called you?" Ben asked.

"Umm, not exactly, her doorman is one of my guys. He called me after she nearly passed out in the building lobby. She had given me a key for emergencies so I let myself in and found her on the bathroom floor."

Ben clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Ok, I'll check in with you tomorrow morning after I make hospital rounds. Try to get some sleep yourself if you can," he said.

XXXXXX

Alexis's body felt heavy and overheated as she struggled to open her eyes but found them drooping shut again. Opening them again seemed to take an energy she just didn't possess so she gave in and let the darkness overtake her once again.

August 16, 1979

It was instinctive to fight to, to claw, as Alexis Davidovitch found herself suffocated under the weight of her cousin's business associate, Alexander Cambias. She felt her fingernails grip flesh and then felt the sharp sting against her cheek as he slapped her.

"You scratched me, Wench!" Alexander cried as he raised his hand to slap again.

"Here, let me bind her hands," Stavros's voice offered.

Moments later Alexis felt her arms being pulled roughly above her head and the burn of tight cord being wrapped around her wrists. It was then, as the pain intensified, that everything went black.

XXXXXX

Alexis's screams pulled Julian from his slumber. He sat up, reached for the light, and tried to comfort Alexis's flailing form.

"Shh, honey, it's ok, I'm right here. You're safe, Alexis, you're safe," Julian said in the most soothing tone he could muster as he patted her shoulder.

Eventually her limbs stilled and Julian gave her shoulder another pat and replaced the o xygen mask on her face. He hoped she had drifted off to more peaceful sleep but then he caught a flash of brown eyes.

"Julian?" Alexis asked. Her voice sounded faint and raspy.

"I'm right here sweetheart, how are you feeling?"

"I don't feel very well," Alexis said. She tugged at the mask on her face.

Julian refrained from laughing at the obvious understatement. Instead he took her hand into his and patted it. "I'm sure. You're pretty ill; the doctor thinks you have a kidney infection."

"Doctor?" Alexis asked.

"I have a friend who makes housecalls. He can be discreet, don't worry, this will not get back to your family."

"They would use it against me," Alexis said. Her voice sounded more drawn out and Julian had noticed her breathing was quickening and she was moving fitfully as if she was uncomfortable which he was pretty sure she was.

"I think your fever is back up," Julian said as he pulled the covers back and left just a sheet covering her. He reached for the thermometer and adjusted the oxygen mask to insert it. She felt so warm.

Julian raked a hand through her hair, now damp with sweat and then removed the thermometer which read 105.4. No wonder she felt so warm. "Alexis, honey, stay with me, ok, we need to get the fever down," he said.

He drew up the liquid Tylenol Ben had brought over earlier and pulled her up close to him before slowly squirting it into her mouth. To his surprise she seemed to swallow. He kissed her forehead as he laid her back against the pillows and went into the bathroom to refill the wash basin with lukewarm water. Ben had said that was more effective than cold water as far as reducing the fever.

XXXXXX

Julian again took Alexis's hand into his as he laid down beside her. After thirty minutes of sponging she had seemed more comfortable so he had just laid a wet cloth over her forehead and let her sleep as he drifted off beside her. He prayed tomorrow would be a better day.

**For everyone who is hoping for longer/more frequent updates, this story has been challenging. One of the things that has helped with Who We Are (which is actually written in parallel) is that I have 2-3 faithful reviewers who have really offered great constructive feedback and I think that definitely has helped me flesh out and write that story.**