Nick woke up, aching and feeling worse than ever, in Jeff's arms. He reached for a tissue, his movement causing Jeff to stir.

"You okay?" Jeff murmured.

Nick hummed and wiped at his nose, balling the tissue up and throwing it in the general direction of the overflowing trash can, then scooted a little closer to Jeff and closed his eyes again, Jeff's arms tightening around him.

He woke up again a few hours later, sheets soaked through again, shivering in Jeff's arms.

Jeff shifted, tucking his chin to Nick's shoulder. "You're really overheated again, time for your temperature." he slid out of the bed, leaving Nick alone.

Nick groaned and got up, his pajamas sticking to every damp inch of him. He needed a shower, but he didn't know if he could stay standing that long.

Jeff was back, a gentle smile on. "Hey, sit down, you're swaying a little. You make me nervous like that."

Nick sighed and sat back down, his head falling into his hands.

"Give me your ear,"

He shifted to allow Jeff access, holding onto his free wrist.

"104.6. That's ER, Nicky,"

At that he did react. "No, you said 105. I'm fine, Jeff. I'm not going."

"It's close enough, still dangerous. And technically, if we're rounding - "

"No. We are not rounding, and I am not going. I'll - I'd rather die,"

Jeff frowned and dropped his hand, grabbing Nick's. "Hey, hey. Okay, we won't go. Promise. Not until you get to 105. I really think you should stay home today, though. Can you do that? For me?"

Nick looked down. "I should - I gotta go. I have ASL today, can't miss that, you know. I'll get slaughtered."

Jeff squeezed his hand. "Nicky, you and I both know you can miss a day of ASL, you're the best student in the class. I'll tell you everything you miss, you won't get behind."

"And Anatomy, and Biochem, I can't miss it. I have to go. I have to,"

Jeff sighed, recognizing he wasn't going to win this. "Okay, go to class, but come straight back and rest, no homework or study group or anything like that."

Now it was Nick's turn to sigh, in relief this time. "Thanks."

Jeff grinned and kissed his forehead. "I gotta go to class. Text me though, okay?"

"Okay,"

Nick heard the door slam and flopped back in bed, mentally preparing to get up and go to class. Maybe he should stay home today.

It was just after nine, and he had lecture at ten. He'd better hurry. He showered, having to sit down so he didn't pass out, then barely managed to get out alive, he was so lightheaded and nauseous.

He threw on some jeans and a sweater with a hoodie over top, bringing another for when he inevitably froze to death in the lecture hall. He had a granola bar, half a bottle of cold medicine, and four Ibuprofen for breakfast, then headed down to the parking garage, trying to fight off the cloudiness on his way down.

He just had to drive to school. It wasn't that big a deal, right? He'd done it a million times, and he'd do it a million more before graduation. Not that big a deal.

But fumbling with his keys walking to his car, he wasn't so sure.

He turned the heat up when he got in, shivering again. Keeping careful focus on the road in front of him, trying to gather his foggy head, he pulled onto the road, then the freeway, then into the parking lot.

His first class was ASL, he could afford to sleep through it. After that, he spent the hour and a half between then and Anatomy lab asleep in his car, managed to stay awake enough for lab, then let his mind go on autopilot taking notes in Biochem. By the time he was done for the day, it was almost four and he was exhausted and ready for a nap with Jeff.

He walked out to the parking lot and slumped into his car, his resting heart rate three times its normal speed, his lymph node half again as big as it was the night before. He just had to get home, then he could sleep.

Jeff: [Lecture over yet? Text me when you're home]

Nick: [Heading out now. See you soon]

His head wasn't hurting as bad, though, and the sun wasn't as bright, so it wasn't as hard on his eyes, so that was nice. On the freeway, he settled into a comfortable view. The sun wasn't in his eyes, the heater was on, he wasn't shivering for once.

He caught himself once. Snapped awake, the realization he'd been asleep dumping terrified adrenaline into his blood.

Then his eyes starting closing again. He fought it as hard as he could. Just had to make it home. Then he could sleep.

Sleep.

Jeff's phone rang, Nick. Nick didn't usually call, something special must be going on. He smiled at his boyfriend's face in his icon before answering. "Hello?"

"Is this a Jeffrey Sterling?"

Jeff's stomach dropped. That was definitely not Nick.

"Yes?"

"Hi, Jeffrey, my name is Thomas, I'm a nurse at Saint Agnes Hospital. Nicholas has been involved in an accident, please get here as soon as you can with proof of identity. There will be a staff member waiting at the main doors on the east side,"

"Okay. I'll - I'll be there as soon as possible,"

The whole drive to the hospital, he just felt sick. He could have forced him to stay home, insisted he not go to class, but he let him go. Jeff let him drive, thirty minutes each way, with a temperature of what might as well have been 105 degrees. What kind of boyfriend was he?

The promised staff member, a male nurse, waited for him at the doors, confirmed his identity, then smiled, face impossibly gentle. "I'm Thomas, we spoke on the phone."

Jeff swallowed back a sudden wave of tears. "Can I see him?"

Thomas nodded and lead him inside.