Author's note: Luckily, not much sciencey-wiency in this part, but just you wait until the next couple of chapters. This one's mostly hurt/comfort, so enjoy it while it lasts!
Disclaimer: Not mine.


Chapter Six

Dreams say what they mean, but they
don't say it in daytime language.
--Gail Godwin

Astrid takes the girl for her MRI and CAT scan, and the rest of them settle in around the lab. Walter is studying Sian's brainwaves, occasionally asking Peter for input or remarking on odd occurrences that have nothing to do with anything. Olivia's working at her computer, although she's still exhausted. Her shoulders are slumped and her head keeps falling forward before she jerks herself awake.

Peter sits next to her after awhile, wondering if making her fall backwards would keep her asleep. "What've you got?"

"Not much," she says hoarsely, making a face. "It's a little hard to focus. Are you sure Walter didn't give me anything funny?"

"Cross my heart," he says with a charming smile. "What are you looking at?"

"Sian's surgery records. Her sinuses were causing her a great deal of pain, so she had surgery to enlarge them. She was under for 5 hours and left the hospital a few hours later. No one reported anything unusual," Olivia says, sounding frustrated.

"What about the doctor?"

"Doctors," Olivia corrects him. "They have two listed, Dr. Lewis Fitzgerald and Dr. Melanie Harding. Dr. Fitzgerald is listed as an ear, nose, and throat surgeon…Dr. Harding is just listed as assisting."

"Sinus surgery is a relatively simple procedure," Walter says absently from his area of the room. "Why two? Perhaps one was incompetent."

"Or wasn't there for sinus surgery," Peter concludes. "Can I see that?"

"Sure, why not," says Olivia, leaning back into the couch to give him space. Within minutes, she's fast asleep. He covers her with a blanket and gets to work.

Olivia's awake by the time Astrid and Sian get back, though only just, so she's groggy and bewildered when Sian flings herself into Olivia's arms.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" the girl exclaims. "The boys'll be so jealous."

Olivia's face still shows confusion, so Astrid gives her a lift. "The gifts for Sian…? So she's not bored?"

"Oh…yes." Olivia smiles a little. "I appropriated some money from the FBI to buy Sian some electronics."

"A DS and games and an iPod! I can put my CDs on it!" she says excitedly, practically bouncing. "Can I go play?"

"Go play," Peter says with a smile. With eight kids in a house that small, she's likely never even dreamed of owning those fancy electronics that a lot of kids took for granted these days. She finds an unoccupied area of the lab, puts on some headphones, and happily occupies herself. Walter equally as happily pours over the CAT scan and MRI films, and Astrid sets herself up at her computer after Peter explains what he's been researching so she can continue. This leaves him free to head over to Olivia, concerned that she still looks bewildered and that her cheeks are flushed.

"Open up," he says, and she does, glassy eyes focused on something else. He plops in the thermometer and waits until it beeps furiously. "Hundred and two point nine. Don't you feel it, Olivia?" She doesn't look at him. "Olivia? Hey, Olivia!"

She snaps her head towards him. "Peter?" She closes her eyes and abruptly goes limp, toppling over into him; it scares him enough that he almost yells at Astrid to call 911. But in a few moments, her eyes flutter open again. Though she seems surprised she's now using him as a pillow, she doesn't say anything about it.

"God, you scared me," he says, brushing her hair away from her face and gently stroking it.

"I'm sorry," she whispers. "I'm just so tired, and my head…and my throat, I can hardly swallow."

He frowns. "Astrid, you got a flashlight?"

"Sure," she says, bringing over a penlight. "How's she doing?"

"Not great, but I think I know what's wrong. Open up and say ah, Olivia."

"What are you, a doctor?" she asks, and Peter smiles, glad to hear a bit of snark.

"Shhh." He shines the light down her throat and sees the tell-tale white spots. "You have yourself a lovely case of strep throat, Olivia Dunham. Next time you're this sick, take yourself to a doctor, hmm? You could've avoided a good day and a half of being sick."

She winces and closes her eyes, and he brushes his thumb across her hot cheek as somewhat of an apology. "I'll get her a course of antibiotics," Astrid offers. "Are you allergic to anything, Agent Dunham?"

Olivia shakes her head, eyes still closed. "I'm going to give you some of the strong stuff. You need to sleep, Olivia," Peter says, still lightly stroking her hair.

"I don't feel well," she mumbles.

"I know," he says as he lays her down on the couch and gets some of Walter's good medicine. She's out cold for the rest of the day, minus when they wake her up to force her to take the antibiotics. But she's finally, finally healing.