He awoke to coughing and sneezing as he turned over to check his phone. 2am. 'Well at least we've both had some rest' he thought to himself pushing off the couch and heading to the bedroom.
"Hey…how are you feeling?" He asked her softly, sitting by her in her bed.
She pushed herself up slightly into a sitting position.
"Still pretty crap…*cough* but better than earlier. What time is it?" She gave him a weak smile.
"Just after 2am."
He brushed the hair from her face. She still felt hot as he placed the back of his hand on her cheeks and forehead.
"You still feel warm. Do you think you can try and have a cool shower?" He asked.
She cringed at the thought, not wanting to leave the bed. Her temperature was still high though and she was starting to feel uncomfortable in her damp pyjamas.
"Can you *cough* help me?" She asked innocently looking at him to gauge his reaction, knowing that her legs could give way at any time.
"Of course," He didn't hesitate. This wasn't about anything besides helping her feel better.
Grabbing the covers, he slowly pulled them back as she started to move her legs to the edge of the bed. He put his hand on her back and she grabbed onto his arm for support. She was still light headed but having him there gave her the support she needed to make her way into the bathroom.
She looked up at him once they were in the bathroom feeling slightly awkward about what would happen next. She was honestly too tired and weak to care if he saw her naked right now but still tried to maintain some professional boundaries.
"I'll just turn the shower on okay?" She nodded grabbing onto the towel rack as he made sure the water temperature was right.
He turned back towards her when it was right.
"Uh, I'll wait outside?" He asked, not sure what to do next.
"No. Stay…just…would you mind turning around?" She blushed.
He nodded, sitting on the edge of the bathtub as she slowly undressed.
She managed to get herself into the shower. God the water felt good on her skin after being covered in sweat. She hadn't had the flu in a long time and she did not miss the feeling one bit.
She quickly washed her body, not bothering with her hair this time as she broke out in a coughing fit.
"Molly? You okay?" Cavennaugh stood, still not turning around but ready to if she were in trouble or needed help.
When her coughing subsided, she spoke "Yeah. Thanks. Could you pass me the towel?"
He grabbed the towel off the rack and walked backwards towards the shower door with the towel in his hand. She grabbed it from him, wrapping it around her slender form.
He heard her small footsteps coming towards him. "Is it safe to turn around?" He asked. Instead of speaking, she reached out and touched his arm lightly, giving him the okay to face her again.
She looked so frail in this state, he hated seeing her like this. She looked like she was going to cry as she stepped forward towards him. Surprising him, she walked into his arms and rested her head against his chest. He slowly wrapped his arms around her once his shock subsided and squeezed her gently. She felt safe in his strong arms.
"You're good at this…taking care of me and all" She mumbled against his chest.
He laughed softly. "Unfortunately, I've had a lot of practice." He rubbed her back gently. She looked up at him curiously. What did he mean by that? Maybe it had something to do with the family member who had passed away months ago when he had missed the funeral.
"Come on, let's get you dry and back into bed before Fenway kicks my ass". Now it was her turn to laugh.
She directed him on where to grab her pyjamas and underwear. He handed it to her before turning around to face the other way, giving her privacy to dry herself and get dressed. By the time she was done, she was out of breath feeling very lightheaded.
"Okay, I'm done" She told him, sliding her legs under the covers.
He turned back around to face her and finished tucking her in, when she reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing lightly.
"What did you mean earlier when you said you'd had a lot of practice?"
He sighed, sadness sweeping his features.
"My mom…she was sick for a long time. Jimmy and I took turns taking care of her when we were younger and still at home"
"I'm sorry" She said, her own sadness appearing on her face. That must have been the family member who's funeral he attended when they were on the Park case she thought to herself.
"It's okay. She's resting peacefully now. No more pain" He smiled gently.
He reached over for her pills and handed them to her with a glass of water. She swallowed them down in one gulp, handing the glass back to him.
She yawned and her eyes became heavy as she sunk further back into the bed and her eyes began to close.
"Thank you" She whispered to him as he got up off the bed. He couldn't resist how gorgeous she looked right now and bent over to lightly kiss her forehead. She was still running a fever however he could tell she was on the mend. She sighed peacefully as her breathing slowed and she fell into a deep slumber.
He made his way back to the living room and lay down on the couch. It was a lot more comfortable than he had expected. Molly had good taste in furniture as he looked around her apartment appreciatively. Turning on the television he turned on his side until he passed out himself.