Connor hated staying idle almost as much as he hated being sick. Combining both of those things however was a nightmare.
After his return from the hospital, he had somehow managed to sleep through the night, most likely aided by the meds, weariness and Robin's soothing presence. He had been rudely awakened early in the morning when his alarm started blaring and it took him a moment to realize it was the reminder to take the pill and not a call to go to work.
Robin blinked at him sleepily then nodded towards the bedside table where the pill awaited along with a glass of water. Connor leaned over and planted a kiss on her cheek.
"Thanks," he whispered, noting her eyes were already closed as she had fallen back to sleep. Connor took the pill and looked at his phone to check the time. Five in the morning. Too early for either of them to head to work... and he realized he was most likely off on sick leave anyway. He wasn't sure for how long, forgot to ask Robin, but the mere thought of missing another day or more of work made him grimace in frustration.
His field was just too competitive and he and Latham had only begun their road to finding some sort of understanding. Not to mention he had patients he cared for and wanted to see things through.
"You alright?" Robin asked, one hand moving to touch his shoulder.
"Yeah, sorry. Just thinking," Connor muttered and settled back down onto his pillow.
"Too early for that," she noted sleepily and Connor sighed, laying his hand atop of hers.
"I know. Go back to sleep."
"Only if you join me," she mumbled, inching towards him so now she was lying pressed against his side. Connor chuckled.
"I can't say no to that."
When another alarm broke through his sleep, the sun was already up. Robin had tried to turn it off quickly, but the phone slipped from her fingers and fell with a clatter on the floor. She cursed and Connor watched her attempts at stopping the phone from blasting the most annoying ringtone a person could pick in half awake amusement.
"Is that what you wake up to every morning?" He asked in wonder when she finally managed, earning a flustered look.
"It's either this or five more alarms," she admitted sheepishly. "None of them work like this one though."
"Yeah, no kidding. I think this one would wake the dead," he said with a grimace.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to wake you up," she said, settling down on the edge of the bed and giving him a studious look. "How are you feeling?"
Rubbing at his eyes and stretching his legs, Connor took an internal inventory. When his joints popped, he opened his eyes and shrugged.
"Actually, not that bad. A bit sore and tired, but otherwise fine," he ran a hand through his hair, grimacing. "Pretty gross though," he admitted, feeling the dried sweat on his skin and the somehow damp sheets.
Robin reached out and laid her palm on his forehead then cheeks.
"No fever," she noted with a smile. "That's good. Shower will take care of the grossness and you have all day to rest," she stated, sounding chipper.
Connor huffed.
"Shower, yes. But I'm not so keen on the resting part. I think I slept most of yesterday-" he said, feeling annoyed about that fact.
Robin pursed her lips.
"I would hardly call what you did yesterday sleeping. Even if so, you most decidedly needed that. And you will most likely do the same in the next few days."
"I feel fine now," Connor tried to argue, as if Robin was the one stopping him from going to work. Well, perhaps she was, he thought when he saw the determined look in her eyes.
"I'm glad to hear that Connor, but you know very well there's a chance the meds aren't an instant cure and you may very well suffer a relapse in several days. Besides... you are on sick leave until your blood work comes back clean."
Connor opened his mouth but Robin shook her head.
"You wouldn't want to infect an already critical patient if you manage to cut yourself during surgery, or am I wrong?"
A brow raised in silent challenge.
Connor rolled his eyes, giving up.
"How long?" he asked in defeat.
"I wouldn't be planning any surgeries for this week," Robin said, her lips twitching in a smile. "I will want some blood samples tomorrow and I suppose we will see in the next 48 hours if the chloroquine works. And in the meantime..." she leaned over, giving him a quick peck on the lips. "Shower and enjoy your day off. Preferably catching up on sleep. I have to go to work but will stop by later to cheer you up," she added with a smirk that promised a better spent evening than the last one. Connor felt a warm feeling inside his chest and he reached out, ready to pull Robin back down into bed.
"Don't you want to keep me company?" He asked but she had moved out of his reach, chuckling as she rushed into the bathroom.
"Sorry babe... work is waiting," she winked and vanished behind the door. Connor groaned, frustration battling with the urge to just hide under the blankets and sleep through the following days.
He did no such thing though. Instead, he made some breakfast and coffee which he enjoyed with Robin before she left in a hurry for work. Once he was left alone, he made several phone calls to update Latham and Sharon Goodwin about his absence. Both were understanding, even though Latham showed it in his usual straightforward way. Connor tried to offer coming in, to keep up with consults at least, but the man shot him down, saying it won't be necessary. Connor grimaced, ending up the call quickly, trying to drive away the sour taste in his mouth. Hearing that his presence wasn't necessary was a bit daunting. He made a similar attempt with Sharon, offering help in the ED but she turned him down even faster than Latham. At least from her it was clearly an act of caring. She told him to rest up and keep her posted and that was that.
Connor had to accept that for the foreseeable future he wasn't needed or wanted at Gaffney. Which would be fine. He wasn't a total workaholic yet and there were many things he could occupy his time with surely...
But he quickly found out that getting sick in the middle of the week had some downfalls. Such as most of his friends being busy working. He did call Claire, thinking that perhaps this was as good a time as any to catch up with his sister, but she was away on a business trip. When she asked what was up, he brushed it off with a sudden free day from work.
"Wow. One day off and you already call me from boredom?" She chuckled. "You can call up dad. I know for certain he is in Chicago," she added only partially teasing.
Connor snorted.
"I'm not that bored or desperate," he replied. Claire sighed, the sound conveying she was unhappy about the state of the affairs between Connor and Cornelius, but also cognizant of the fact she wasn't the one to change it. They exchanged a few more words then cut the call short. Connor had no wish to bother Claire with his woes. He used to do that, back when they were kids and left motherless. They had a much stronger relationship, but Connor had broken it with his leaving. He knew that now, even though it was a hard thing to accept. In his mind, leaving was the only way to stay sane and to get away from under his father's influence. Fortunately, things were different between his father and Claire and even though she did accuse him of leaving her behind... Connor knew Claire was well taken care of. And perhaps in the future she would realize that too.
Having no real plans, Connor decided to clean up around the apartment and perhaps catch up on some reading material. There were always new journal articles popping up relevant to his field that he needed to keep up with. In the end, by the time he deemed the apartment fit enough for a visit from Robin, his body let him know in no uncertain terms that he wasn't all cured and well yet. So he plopped down on the couch early afternoon and proceeded to fall asleep with a journal in his hand.
When he woke up it was already late afternoon. He did feel crummy, but after a quick shower and a cup of coffee he was ready to prepare some dinner, hoping he could make it up to Robin. He was annoyed with himself about falling sick, or rather for letting Robin see him in such state. He cringed, wondering what she must've thought. No, that definitely wouldn't do. He walked up to his fridge to check if there was something he could use for dinner. Or perhaps they could go out to eat. Would she agree?
As if on cue, his phone rang and he saw Robin's name. He smiled, picking up.
"Ah, my favorite Dr. Charles," Connor joked, leaning against the counter. She chuckled.
"And my favorite Rhodes," she replied easily. "How are you feeling?"
"Wonderful. I think the apartment has never been cleaner and I even managed a nap, so I shall not fall asleep on you again," he added.
"That's good," she said, though her voice was a bit off. Connor frowned.
"What about you? Everything alright at work?"
"Actually, one of the reasons I called. I'm afraid I won't be able to stop by tonight. I've got a new case and need to stay longer to run more tests. I could be finished around ten-" she said hesitantly but Connor was already shaking his head.
"No, that's okay. You should go home and get some proper sleep. I kept you awake most of last night already."
She sighed.
"I really wanted to stop by."
"I'd be happier to know you get enough rest, especially if you have a hard case to go back to next day. I'm fine now, really."
"You sure? No fever?"
"I'm cool as a cucumber, pinky swear," he joked and she chuckled.
"You know that's a whole different diagnosis?"
"Of course. And as soon as I turn green, I will report right back to you. Don't worry, I'm fine. Besides an urgent case of boredom and loneliness but that's par for the course."
"About that..."
Now there was an amused and a somehow cheeky tone in her voice. Connor raised a brow.
"What did you do?"
"Well, seeing as I won't be around, and there were a few people asking about you..."
As if on cue, there was a knock on his door.
"Robin?" he asked, suspicious. "Do you know who's knocking on my door?"
"Food delivery?" she guessed innocently. "Ah, I have to go. Don't overdo it and no alcohol please. I'll stop by in the morning to grab some blood."
Before Connor could voice his protest, about several of the things, she hung up, leaving him to stare at the phone, taken aback. It was the second knock on the door and the sound of muffled voices that reclaimed his thoughts.
"Coming," he called out, taking a quick sweep around his apartment, to make sure it was ready to accept other people, whoever they might be.
He wasn't sure who to expect, perhaps one of the guys with a pizza. He didn't expect to see a whole bunch of people from the ED, yet there they were. Maggie was in the front, holding a box from the nearby bakery. Next to her were Natalie and April, with a pack of sodas and the group was completed by Ethan, who was trying to balance several boxes of pizza while at the same time checking on his phone.
"Well, this is unexpected," Connor managed though there was a smile on his face.
"We thought you might need some company-" Maggie said, eyeing him up.
"And food," April piped in with a giggle, taking one of the precariously balanced pizza boxes from Ethan's pile.
"If you are up to it. If not, take it as a welfare check and we will get lost," Ethan added seriously.
Connor pursed his lips.
"That depends. What is in that?" He pointed to the box from the bakery with a raised brow.
"Bear claws and donuts," Maggie said.
"In that case, come on in my friends," he said with a smile and opened the door ajar to let them in.
As they passed him, he peeked back out into the hall.
"Will wasn't hungry?" he asked somehow puzzled. Usually if there was an outing, Will was the one in the lead. Especially if there was food involved.
"He had the day off and is taking a double shift again," Natalie said, looking a bit sour about it. Connor grimaced. He wasn't a fan of double shifts though he understood it was one way for Will to get some extra money. Still, he would have liked to thank the man for the previous night, even if he did tease him about Robin through most of it.
"Oh, that's a bummer," he noted, closing the door.
"He said to say hi though."
"Also something about checking how you survived the gentle care of the dragon lady," April added with a smile, earning a scolding look from Natalie. She didn't seem to care though, obviously in a good mood. Connor rolled his eyes.
"I survived just fine. Not sure about Will's future though if Robin gets whiff of the nickname," he said with a little warning towards April. She had the grace to blush a little while the others chuckled.
"Are you sure it's okay we came?" Ethan asked quietly when Connor came up to the kitchen counter to grab some plates and napkins, while the girls were setting things down in the living room.
"Yeah, its fine. I was getting kind of bored... and hungry," he added with a smirk as he opened one of the pizza boxes and saw his favorite one. "Sweet! Thanks man."
Ethan nodded, looking relieved.
"Do you guys want to watch something? I think there is a game starting shortly."
There was a chorus of yeses and soon they were all settled around the living room table, sitting on the couch and the carpet, watching a game of football, drinking sodas and eating the pizza, while regaling Connor about the day he missed. In between the occasional shout of protest aimed at the screen and the players.
He was aware of the occasional gaze, especially from Maggie, so he wasn't even surprised when as soon as the game finished she called an end to the visit. Connor had felt the weariness hit him several minutes ago and had tried to cover up a yawn when he noticed Maggie giving him an eye. As soon as she cleared her throat he knew he was busted.
Still, as the group exchanged a look and started excusing themselves, Connor couldn't help but look at Ethan and discreetly mouth 'now who's the dragon lady?' Ethan was just trying to finish up his soda and almost choked on it. Connor gave him a nice whack on the back, earning a half amused glare.
"Thanks, bro. I will remember that."
Connor raised his arms in mock horror.
"Just trying to be helpful," he said, all innocent. Ethan snorted.
One by one, the group piled out of the door. The girls each gave him a hug and Connor wasn't even surprised when he felt Maggie sneakily check his temp. He raised a brow in amusement, feeling oddly touched by the gesture.
"I am okay, I swear," he said quietly. "But thank you. For stopping by and all. It was..." he paused, unsure how to describe just how much it meant to him. That they cared. "I needed that," he said finally, knowing it wasn't perfect, but that Maggie understood anyway.
"You're more than welcome, Dr. Rhodes," she answered with a smile. "Now don't let us keep you up. You need your beauty sleep," she winked.
Connor pretended to be offended by that, but the smile on his face as he closed the door probably betrayed him anyway.
Oh well. Not like she wasn't right, he thought as he yawned. The bed was calling his name.
Connor thought the second day would pass in a similarly boring way. The only bright spot he was expecting was Robin's evening visit. He really hoped it would be in a different vein than her morning appearance, which happened to be short and somehow 'prickly'. She barely stayed long enough to drink a coffee with Connor, but it was enough time for her to grab some blood.
"I need to bring some breakfast to our favorite vampire after all," she joked while Connor held back a grimace of pain. There was something to be said about nurses having golden hands after all. Still, he did not dare to complain about becoming a seemingly favorite pincushion.
"I'll drop this off at the lab to check if the meds started working," she noted as she put the samples into the special little box in her purse and got ready to leave.
"Well, I feel fine so far, so they likely do work," Connor said, sounding confident as he grabbed her arm and pulled her into his embrace. "Perhaps I can show you how fine I feel tonight? With dinner?" he said with a seductive smile.
A thoughtful sound escaped Robin's lips as she leaned into his arms and they kissed. For a moment they just enjoyed each other, but then Robin pulled back with a sigh.
"I will see you tonight, though chances are you won't be up to much more than curling up on the couch. Don't forget this comes in cycles and there's a good chance the chloroquine didn't get rid of all the parasites yet."
Connor grimaced. He felt alright now and he didn't really want to think about the chance that he will be spending the following night once again caught up in the horrible chills and fever. Especially not with Robin around. For a second he thought about rescinding his invitation and telling her to come another day. No need for her to hang around only to watch him trashing around and sweat through the sheets.
She must've seen it on his face, because she grew serious.
"Don't even think about that."
"What?" he asked, startled.
"I'm coming, whether you like it or not. If the meds worked, we can have a nice dinner. If not, I'm definitely not letting you try and ride it out alone like last time."
And that was obviously the end of the discussion, as Robin gave him a peck on the lips and left for work.
Connor wondered if perhaps Will's words about him 'liking them fierce' had some merit. Well, not like he didn't know that already. And not like it didn't have its upsides and downsides too.
He closed the door behind Robin and looked around his apartment. What to do now?
Boredom wasn't something he was used to, but then he usually made himself useful at work. There was still a lot of time to kill until the evening and spending it lying on the couch just didn't sound all that enticing. Going for a second round of cleaning around the apartment seemed like a good way to make the clock move around. Connor thought about hitting up his sister and maybe getting her out for a quick lunch but then he remembered she was out of town. And however bored he might be, he wasn't desperate enough to call his father. He'd sooner spend an hour locked up in a room with Robin's father. Despite how awkward their latest meetings seemed to be, ever since the man learned about their relationship.
Grimacing at that can of worms, Connor turned on his sound system and chose one of his favorite playlists, turning up the volume until it overpowered his thoughts as he lost himself in the inane work of cleaning.
His lunch was spent wolfing down some leftovers from last night's visit while reading news articles on the phone. He got a phone call from Robin a short while later. She was a bit put out, because the lab was behind and she was waiting on results from two other patients as well. Connor reassured her, saying he felt right as rain and he actually meant it. He was almost surprised that all the cleaning around didn't make him tired as just a day prior he spent most of the day napping around. Hopeful that he was over the worst, his mood did improve and he asked what Robin would like for dinner.
"Seeing as I barely managed to grab a turkey sandwich from the cafeteria, anything warm and fresh will do," she reassured him.
Connor decided home cooked meal it would be then. Ordering takeaway seemed like a cop out, especially after all the effort Robin put in these last few days. Not to mention, he had his whole afternoon to actually cook the dinner. Now he just needed to figure out what to cook… and whether or not he had the ingredients.
One look into his cabinets made him grimace. They were hardly stocked for a proper meal, least of all for something he could call fresh. He needed produce.
A trip to the market was due. He glanced out the window to check the weather and see if he needed to take his jacket when he took in the dark clouds rolling in.
"You got to be kidding," he muttered as the rain started right as he changed his clothes and was about to put on his shoes.
The raindrops were heavy and he could hear thunder in the distance too. The storm came fast as the rain pounded at the windows, the wind adding to its force.
Connor wasn't made from sugar, he knew he wouldn't melt, but still the idea of getting drenched wasn't appealing to him, especially not after the fever and chills he had two days ago. Wet clothes made his skin crawl.
He glanced at the clock and figured there was plenty of time to run down to the market a bit later and still make dinner in good time. With how fast the rain came, he was sure it would pass quickly. No sense in going out now and catching a cold on top of malaria, Connor thought grimly.
Waiting, he settled back down on the couch, pulling up some articles to read. He would've done better turning on the television or playing some game on the phone, he realized as he yawned. The darkness and the sound of the rain bringing on a sudden wave of sleepiness.
He would close his eyes. Just for a minute. Until the rain stops.
A shrill beeping broke through the deep slumber Connor fell into.
Startled, he almost rolled off the couch as his hand flailed, trying to silence the blasted sound.
Smacking the edge of the table, he cursed at the pain but it cleared up his vision and he managed to locate his phone.
Almost smacking the phone into oblivion, Connor managed to silence the alarm.
His heart was beating wildly inside his chest, as if he just got shocked. Connor blinked blearily up at the ceiling. How was it that he felt like something ran him over after a nap?
Grimacing, he sat up with a groan, running hands over his face and trying to wake up. It took him a minute longer than he would've liked but finally he remembered what woke him in the first place. He looked at his phone, the reminder to take his meds flashing on the display.
Right above it was the time.
Connor cursed.
He had managed to sleep for almost three hours. He had maybe two until Robin's shift was over and he still had to buy groceries. For a moment he wondered whether it wouldn't be smarter to just order in but then he looked outside. The rain and the clouds were gone and the sun shone onto the still wet windows.
Connor had been cooped up long enough. He felt a sudden urge to go out and breathe in the fresh air, still smelling from rain. He took the meds before he could forget then grabbed his jacket and house keys. Patting down his jeans he made sure to have his wallet then he headed out.
The air was indeed refreshing and Connor headed towards the market at a slight pace. He knew he should probably make the shopping quick, to leave himself enough time for food prep, but he was still somehow tired from his unexpected nap. He did his best to convince himself the weariness was just from the sudden awakening and not a sign of an oncoming attack. He'd much rather woo Robin with his chef cuisine than by turning into her patient once again. He thought the last two days were plenty enough to put some serious chink in his armor where Robin was concerned, however ridiculous that idea might've been.
The sun broke through the passing clouds and Connor got a bit of spring in his walk. He couldn't but enjoy being outside, not even minding the usual thrum of the people milling around. Chicago was always busy, people rushing around blindly. While that could be rather disconcerting and stressful to most, Connor grew up in the city and was used to it. Sometimes he found it even calming, as strange as it might sound. Especially the rush in the emergency room, surrounded by people he knew he could count on most of the time.
Shaking off the sudden nostalgia, Connor focused on what he needed to buy for the dinner meal.
He had been wandering around the farmer's market, picking up vegetables and some fish. He was picking up fresh avocados when he felt a shiver run down his spine.
He paused, frowning. Did it get colder all of a sudden? He zipped up his jacket and looked around. No one else seemed to be cold, most people weren't even wearing jackets. Connor's gut churned, the realization that he might've miscalculated his luck hitting him all of a sudden. He cursed mentally.
"Sir? Do you want these?" the seller at the booth asked, pointedly looking at the avocado that Connor was doing a good job of turning into mush.
Connor blinked, focusing on his surroundings.
"Oh, sorry. Right. Yeah, I will take these," he said, somehow embarrassedly handing over the mashed avocado along with two undamaged ones he quickly picked from the pile, uncaring if they were ripe enough or not at this point. The seller gave him a look but didn't comment, just bagged the produce and handed it back to him.
Connor added the avocadoes into his paper bag and headed out, deciding to cut his shopping trip short. Perhaps it was just a cold gust of wind hitting him, or a start of a fever. No reason to panic.
He managed to convince himself of that well enough to stop at the small mom and pop shop on the corner, just to grab a bottle of wine and a tub of ice-cream he knew Robin enjoyed after a harrowing day at work. Would make a good dessert in a pinch he thought as he made his way over to the till.
He grimaced as he saw three other people standing in line, one of them a rather old man with shaking hands pulling out a large wallet and dumping a load of pennies onto the counter. There was a collective groan from all shoppers but the guy at the till seemed happy with the change so they all had to accept the wait and the counting.
It felt like ages. Connor was of half a mind to just leave the ice cream and wine and head home without it, but there was only one person ahead of him now. He could handle that surely. For Robin. She deserved something nice after all the trouble he put her through.
'God, but the shop could turn on the heat a bit,' Connor thought as he wrapped his arms over his chest in an attempt to warm up. His skin felt prickly and he was sure there were goose bumps all over his arms as he kept shivering. Gritting his teeth, Connor finally reached the till.
He tried to ignore the suspicious look he got from the guy at the checkout. He even offered a half smile, muttering something about the weather, quickly realizing that just made him look weirder.
When the man grunted and handed him back the change, Connor shrugged it off. He could survive without the pleasantries. As long as he could make it home without dropping the shopping bag while trying not to shiver like a drowned rat.
He huffed at the thought of the walk home. It was barely fifteen minutes on foot, even at his slower than normal pace, but the distance seemed suddenly insurmountable. Along the chills came the weakness and slight dizziness, though that might've been caused by the fact his breathing had become faster and shallow. Gritting down, Connor tried to ignore the discomfort, setting his mind on one thing only – reaching his apartment.
He thought about maybe hauling down a cab, but the looks he got from people passing him by… the disgust and apprehension clear on their faces as they made sure not to bump into him, told him that no cabbie would stop for him. Not when he most likely looked like a strung out junkie or someone who was sick.
No, he would waste more time waving his arm, futilely in his mind, than it would take to reach his apartment building. The idea of using his phone and simply call a cab never crossed his mind.
With new determination, Connor hunkered down, focusing only on the pavement ahead, looking up only when crossing the street. That was the reason why he didn't notice the danger until it grabbed him by the arm. Quite literally.
Connor stumbled, too startled to react as he was pulled to the side, into an alley. It took him a second to set his feet and stop, pulling away from the grip. His head was spinning and the wine bottle in the paper bag slammed against the tub of ice cream warningly.
"What the hell?" he spat out, eyeing the man in front of him.
He did not know him. Hell, he was pretty sure he didn't keep company of anyone who had that kind of vibe around them.
The man was wiry, with that shifty look Connor came to associate with people on the other side of the law.
"Easy man, I just wanna help," the man said, raising his hands in a sign that he was no threat, though the smirk on his face portrayed the opposite. His voice was smooth, sleazy, eyes roaming over Connor. Checking him out.
Connor took an instinctive step back, shaking his head.
"I don't need help," he said, cursing himself for the the crack in his voice as another chill hit him. He was about to turn, but the man once again grabbed his arm.
"Hey now, I can spot someone in need if I see them. Here man, what's your poison? I've got whatever you need, right here. I can do you good price too," another smirk, showing one chipped tooth and pinprick pupils, even though they were in a dark alley. Connor knew the guy was strung out on whatever he was selling. That spelled trouble.
"I don't need anything. Just leave me be," Connor attempted to back out from the alley, hoping the junkie wouldn't follow him onto the busy street. He wondered how the hell was this even happening, with people milling about only few meters further. But no one was paying them attention.
"What, my shit not good enough for you?" A pair of hands struck out just as Connor was turning. They hit him in the back, causing him to stumble, the bag with groceries slipping from his hands as he tried to keep his balance. The bag hit the ground and the sound of breaking glass gave him little hope that the wine survived. Though, he realized a bit dazedly that he had bigger problems.
His assailant seemed oddly encouraged by his clumsiness and inaction and before Connor could really do anything more than raise his hands in an attempt to protect himself, he was face to face with the man. The dour smell of nasty breath hit him in the nose as the man snarled, showing his teeth like an angry dog might. He jabbed Connor in the chest, showing him back into the alley. Connor grunted, his brain finally catching up. He planted his feet even as the junkie tried to show him again. This time he stood his ground and without much thought he showed back.
"Back off!" he snapped, hoping that would be enough.
It wasn't.
"Make me!" The junkie snapped back, with a decidedly wild look on his face.
Connor realized there was no way he could simply talk his way out of this, not when he saw the man rush at him, clearly edging for a fight.
'I should've just ordered in,' he thought inanely, just as the junkie swung at his face.
Connor managed to duck the fist by sidestepping, but he found himself stuck between the junkie and the wall and neither was dodging.
He didn't want to get into a fist fight, aware even in this situation that he needed his hands to work. But there wasn't a way out of it it seemed, as the man in front of him let out an angry shout.
"I can smell the money on you, you fucking pig!" He yelled and tried to clobber Connor on the head.
Connor reacted instinctively. He grabbed the arm and pulled it along with him, somehow managing to change their positions so now he was the one behind the man. He couldn't celebrate that however as the man jabbed his elbow back, hitting him right under his ribcage.
Connor doubled over, all breath leaving his chest as the world seemed to turn dark for a second. He was pretty sure the moment his sight cleared he would see a fist heading his way-
"Police! Hands in the air!"
There was a slew of curses and movement but Connor couldn't follow. All he could focus on was trying to catch his breath and keep standing. Something brushed against his shoulder and he blindly swung out, trying to protect himself. There was a grunt as he managed to connect with something... and the next thing he knew his arm was twisted behind his back and his face was pressing against the wall. There was a pressure between his shoulder blades and Connor had no clue what was happening. Not until his left arm was pulled behind his back as well and there was cold metal snapping over his wrists.
"Settle down asshole, or I will book you for assault too," a voice sounded, uncomfortably close.
Connor blinked, shaking his head.
"What?" He asked, confused by the sudden change of situation. His chest was throbbing and he could feel the chills hitting him, his body being wracked with intermittent shivers.
"Just stay still," the man behind him growled, pushing him harder against the wall. Connor grunted in discomfort, disbelief over what was happening turning his mind blank. Or perhaps it was the oncoming fever.
"I didn't do anything," he protested feebly, trying to turn around and see who had handcuffed him, but the man was relentless.
"Stop moving, you fucking junkie," the cop hissed into his ear and Connor froze. What the hell was wrong with people? Why did everyone assume he was on drugs?
"This is a misunderstanding," he said, trying to keep his tone calm and sensible. Surely the cop should see that he was the victim there?
"Sure pal, it always is," the cop snorted as he started patting him down. Connor gritted his teeth but there was nothing he could do. If he struggled, he was sure the cop wouldn't hesitate to use more force. The handcuffs were already pressing uncomfortably around his wrists and he could feel a twinge in his right shoulder from having his arm twisted. It would be the height of irony if he managed to get out of a street fight with a junkie, only to be beaten up by a cop. So he stood stock still, forcing his breathing to slow down. He let the cop pat him down and didn't even flinch when his wallet was pulled out of his pocket. His phone followed, with keys and several knick knacks that were left in his jacket pockets.
Connor expected some recognition or change in attitude when he heard the cop read his name from his ID but there was nothing.
"Look man-"
"Its sir for you," the cop snapped and Connor swallowed down a nasty retort that would surely land him in jail. He just nodded, leaning his head against the wall. It was cold, but at least it offered some stability. Connor was starting to think this was all just a fever induced nightmare. Surely, he couldn't have gotten himself into this mess just because he wanted to make dinner?
"Turn around," came the order and Connor slowly did. He was a bit surprised to see that the uniformed cop standing in front of him looked barely old enough to be out of school. He was buff, but with a face that screamed inexperience.
Great.
Just his luck to be apprehended by a greenhorn.
Connor opened his mouth to try and argue his case, when another cop was sprinting towards them from around the corner.
"Did you get him?" The young cop asked, earning a look of frustrated disbelief from both Connor and the other cop.
"Do you see him anywhere here?" The older cop snapped, shaking his head as he tried to catch his breath. "Dude must've been on speed or something... I lost him on the main street."
The man let out a deep breath as he stepped up towards Connor.
"What do we have here?"
"Another junkie. Probably a drug deal gone wrong."
"That's not what happened," Connor spoke up. The young cop shot him a glare, though the older one frowned, giving him a once over.
"Did you find anything on him Bill?"
"No," Bill admitted somehow sheepishly then quickly added: "But we can charge him with assault. He took a swing at me."
"I didn't!" Connor had about enough. "Look... sergeant?" He squinted, trying to read the older cop's nametag.
"Rivera," the man said. Connor nodded.
"Sergeant Rivera... this is all a misunderstanding," he tried to explain but Bill once again interrupted him.
"Sure it is," he scoffed disdainfully. "I might not be on the force long, but I can see a junkie if I see one. You tried to score a hit, but your buddy didn't sell?"
Connor thought he might actually try and slug the young cop. His hands curled into fists, the handcuffs cutting into his skin. His shoulders tensed and he took a step ahead but stopped when he saw Bill reaching for his taser.
Closing his eyes for a second, Connor let out a breath. A wave of shiver ran through him and he had to clench his teeth to stop them from chattering.
"I was just heading home, when that guy attacked me," he said, trying not to stutter from the cold. He looked imploringly at Rivera, knowing he was the one who might actually listen. "He was strung out. I tried to defend myself but he got the better of me-"
"Mm, I can see that," Rivera muttered. "Though my colleague here has a point too. No offense, but you look just like someone needing a fix."
Connor grimaced.
"I'm sick," he grunted out, feeling like admitting even that was more than what should be necessary. "I needed to buy some food... didn't realize that was against the law."
Or that everyone would be making the wrong assumptions.
"Sick with what?" Bill asked, suddenly looking slightly uneasy. Connor noticed the man brushed his hands over his pants, as if trying to brush off anything contagious.
'Plague,' was what Connor wanted to snap back but thought better off.
"None of your business," he replied, not feeling charitable enough to ease his mind.
Bill frowned, ready to protest but Rivera interrupted him, asking for Connor's ID. Bill handed it over, glaring. Rivera checked the photo and paused at the name.
"Rhodes?" He frowned, giving Connor another scrutinizing look. "Where do you work?"
"Gaffney hospital."
"You one of the docs here?"
Connor nodded. He didn't really feel very chatty right now. He had thought the chills were bad enough at home, when he could lie down in his bed. He didn't even imagine going through that in some dirty alley, handcuffed and sporting a few new bruises, while trying to convince a couple of cops that he wasn't going through a bloody withdrawal.
Rivera's frown deepened as he looked through Connor's wallet, his hand pausing at a card. Connor couldn't see what got the man's attention, but in a moment he closed the wallet with a sigh, looking at Connor then pulling out a key from his pocket.
"Turn around," he instructed, voice softer than before.
"Serg?" Bill started protesting but Rivera just shot him a warning glare. Connor did as he was told, almost thankful for the man's steadying hand on his shoulder when the movement caused his vision to swim.
There was a click and the handcuffs were off. Connor cringed as he moved his arms in front of him. His right shoulder felt tender and there were red marks around his wrists, although he was sure those would vanish quickly. Hopefully before any of his friends met him. He didn't want to explain why he was handcuffed and he also didn't want the rumor that he and Robin were into kinky stuff floating through the hospital. Rubbing his wrists, he slowly turned to face the two cops, at a loss of what to do next.
"So uh... can I go?" he asked as Rivera handed him his wallet.
"Unless you want to press charges, yes."
Connor paused. His shoulder twitched and his chest hurt and he could still feel the wall of the alley pressed against his face. Like a criminal. His eyes hardened and he glared at Bill.
"Against whom?" he asked, eyes on the young cop.
Bill's eyes widened.
"Now wait a second-" he took a step forward, hand raised. Rivera stepped between him and Connor.
"Shut it, officer." He warned, sharing a look with Connor. He gave the slightest nod, as if to say he was all up for scaring the newbie a little bit. And perhaps Connor would have enjoyed a few minutes of making the cop think that he was in trouble. The least he deserved was a discussion about making hasty assumptions and acting hot headedly, but Connor had no energy for that. He was glad he was able to stay on his feet without swaying around like a drunk. Which didn't give him much credibility anyway. Wouldn't he have assumed the same thing if he was a cop rushing to break up a fight in a dark alley?
He didn't know.
Maybe Bill's reaction was understandable. However, his goodwill had trouble excusing the rough handling once he clearly didn't pose any danger. Or even the wary looks he was getting from the teller at the mom and pop shop... as if the man hadn't seen him shopping there before. Surely he didn't look like a junkie on a daily basis?
"Sir?"
Connor blinked, shaking his head.
"Huh?"
"Are you alright? We can give you a ride to the hospital-"
Connor shook his head in protest, his mind clearing up a bit.
"Uh no, no. It's fine. I'm fine. Just need to get home and lie down."
Rivera shot him a doubtful look. Bill looked like he was biting down some words, but he kept silent.
"Alright. Well, if you don't want to press any charges-"
"No. It's fine. It was a misunderstanding, is all."
Rivera nodded.
"I'd suggest you head home, Doc."
Connor nodded, grateful that the ordeal seemed to be over. He looked around, searching for his shopping then cringed, remembering the sound of glass breaking.
"Great," he muttered, taking a few steps over to the bag lying on the floor. He could smell the wine and saw the puddle seeping from the bottom of the paper bag. He leaned over, trying to see if there was anything salvageable, when he was hit by a wave of dizziness.
"Whoa there," Rivera caught his arm and kept him up, saving him from face planting into the bag with the broken glass. "Maybe we should call in a bus."
Connor stumbled, straightening up. It took him a second, but his vision stilled, though he felt his heartbeat was still a bit fast. That worried him. He understood the chills, accepted the fact he was going to be miserable for the next few hours, but he didn't recall this feeling of weakness during the first attack. He was trying to chalk it up to the adrenaline of the confrontation though.
"No, I'm okay. Really. Moved too fast."
Rivera didn't seem convinced.
With a bit more carefulness, Connor leaned over and peeked into the bag. As he thought, there was glass and wine over the produce. He wasn't going to risk getting glass in his food. Not to mention, with the way things were going, he was pretty sure there won't be any cooking today. Still, there was one thing that was left undamaged. The ice cream.
He took that, shaking off whatever mess was on the tub then pushed the bag with his foot towards the nearest bin. There was trash lying around anyways. Shrugging, Connor shot a nod towards Rivera and headed out of the alley. He walked slowly, focusing on his feet and hoping he wouldn't stumble again. Why were his joints so stiff all of a sudden? He felt like his body aged twenty years in the last few minutes. He half expected to hear his hips and knees pop at every step.
"What's your address again?" Rivera asked and Connor was a bit startled to see the man was next to him.
Connor said his address, confused why he would need it. Did the man change his mind? Would he try to book him again?
"That's two blocks down, right?"
Connor nodded.
"Okay. Why don't you get into the car? We will give you a ride."
Bill grunted but didn't protest out loud. He seemed to accept the fact he wasn't going to be praised for his current actions, although Connor had a feeling he wouldn't be reprimanded either. Cops had their own set of rules after all and their jobs came with certain risks that made some of their actions more understandable. Not that Connor had a wish to excuse Bill in any way. But he couldn't care less at this moment. What he did care about was not getting into the back of a police car, like some suspect.
"I can walk. It's not far," he said, doggedly turning right on the busy street. The flow of people seemed to part around him and he wasn't sure if it was his looks or the two cops shadowing him.
"I must insist," Rivera said, blocking Connor's way.
Connor grunted, looking around but seeing only people that either ignored everything or gave him a glare as if he was the Typhoid Mary. Connor wasn't used to that at all and he wondered whether he had managed to roll in some garbage during the scuffle or if he really looked that bad.
"Doctor Rhodes," Rivera raised a hand, palm out, as if in a sign of peace. "The car's over there. Trust me, I would rather see you safely arrive at home or hospital than get a call later today about a body found in another alley. Or a pedestrian stepping into the road."
Connor grimaced at the images that brought up. Looking ahead, he also realized that the walk home would take him quite a time in his current condition... that was if he didn't get dizzy and smack into a pole or get run over, ignoring a red light. With a sigh, he rubbed at his face and gave a nod.
"Home then," he said, resignedly. There was no way in hell he was letting the cops drive him to Gaffney in the state he was in, not even if he was dying. Which he was not, Connor reassured himself. Just a bad case of a malaria attack and his even worse luck.
All he needed was a shower, clean clothes... and the bed.
He followed Rivera and get into the back of the police car without any more protest. He hoped there won't be anyone from his neighbors near when they arrived. Last thing he wanted was to be seen stepping out of the cop car in his state. There were too many curious people in his building and he would be the talk of the neighborhood for the next week. He did not need that.
The ride was surprisingly short and Connor felt silly for having agreed to it. Though he changed his mind as soon as he got out of the back seat. Standing up there was some dark spots around his vision and he had to lean against the car. Fortunately, he managed to do so without the cops noticing and after few deep breaths, he felt safe enough on his feet to lean down by the passenger window, where Rivera sat. Obviously, the driving had been relegated to the rookie.
"Thanks for the ride Sergeant," Connor said and Rivera nodded. "If you happen to find the guy-"
"I know where to find you," Rivera said then with a smile added: "And if not me then Hermann would I'm sure."
Connor chuckled. So that was what convinced the man. The card from Hermann's pub, with the man's personal number and a note jotted down.
"Right. Well, if you see me there, I owe you a beer. Thanks."
Rivera smirked then nodded towards the building.
"You better get inside, Doc. Looks like it will start raining again," he noted and Connor looked up, seeing the dark clouds above.
"Sure does," he muttered as the cop car pulled off. Feeling the first drop of rain hit his face; Connor shook off his stupor and headed inside. The bed was calling him and the ice cream needed to be put in the freezer before it could melt in his hands. As it was, the cold was just exacerbating his own shivers.
Connor had made it inside the building, giving a tired wave to Mike, the guy that sat at the reception desk.
"You have a visitor, Doc," Mike called out, first giving him a smirk then a double look. "You okay?"
Connor waved off the man's concern.
"What visitor?" he asked instead.
"That lady of yours? She went up just a moment ago-"
And as if on cue, Connor's phone started ringing. He gave Mike a nod of thanks and headed for the elevator.
"Hey Robin," he answered, failing to keep the weariness out of his voice. "I'm just coming up."
"Alright," she replied with a mix of wariness and exasperation, before turning off the call.
Connor punched the button for his floor and glanced at his watch, wondering if he managed to lose some time. But no. It was barely past four and Robin was supposed to be working still. He leaned his back against the cabin wall, cursing his luck once more. The last thing he needed right now was for Robin to see him in this state. His clothes were dirty; he was still shivering and most likely looking like crap. And as if it wasn't enough, all he had to show for his trouble was a melting pint of Ben and Jerry's.
The elevator came to a halt and a ping announcing his arrival interrupted his thoughts. Shaking off the sudden feeling of self pity, Connor straightened his shoulders (wincing when his right one twinged with pain) and headed towards his apartment.
Robin was standing in front of his door, an inscrutable look on her face as he approached.
"Hey," he said, offering a smile he hoped wasn't too off. "Sorry, I thought you would stop by a bit later," he said nodding to the locked door.
She gave him an appraising look and her lips tightened. She obviously found him lacking.
"And I thought you would be resting at home and not going out doing..." she took in an exasperated sigh, a frown marring her face. "What were you doing?"
Connor sighed, unlocking the door and letting her in.
"Buying ice cream," he offered as a reply, putting the tub on the counter. He struggled a bit with taking off his shoes, wavering ever so slightly.
Robin thankfully didn't notice, but her nose twitched and she looked at the tub with a raised brow.
"Why does it smell of wine?"
Connor paused, opened his mouth then closed it.
"Uh. Long story?" He said after a moment.
Robin eyed him with some doubt.
"Uh huh. How long have you been out and about to have a long story about ice cream?"
Connor shrugged somehow sheepishly.
"Not that long," he tried for a smile but shivered.
Robin stepped up into his personal space. While under normal circumstances Connor would have welcomed that, right now he just felt gross. Dirty, sweaty and achy. On one hand, he wanted to wrap her in his arms and lean his head against her shoulder for support, on the other he desperately longed for a piping hot shower to warm up and wash off the smell of the alley and garbage.
She didn't give him a chance to flee though. Her palm brushed over his forehead, pausing at his left cheek. He hissed as he felt her fingers slide over what must've been a bruise. Her brows furrowed in concern.
"Did you get into a fight?"
"A misunderstanding," Connor tried to brush it off. He didn't want to explain everything that happened, feeling like it was something he should have been able to avoid altogether if he had just had his wits about him.
Robin didn't seem happy with the answer and he knew she would keep asking, so he decided to deter her with a question of his own.
"Did they let you out of work early?"
It came out sounding off as the chills returned and he hissed involuntarily.
Robin's eyes narrowed.
"Actually, I left early, to check on a patient of mine," she said, arms crossing over her chest as she gave him a challenging look.
Connor might have enjoyed playing the game, but he was starting to feel more and more lightheaded. He swallowed convulsively and slowly took off his jacket. Suddenly the apartment felt stifling hot.
"Hm?" He gave a noncommittal sound, his mind trying to formulate a proper reply. It seemed like too much of an effort.
"Your lab results finally came through," she said, arms unfurling as she seemed to take pity on him. "Your parasitemia is up and the blood work was showing signs of anemia. I thought it would be best if-"
Connor didn't really hear what she said next.
His vision narrowed and suddenly Robin's face became a blur, just like everything else around him. He heard her call out his name and the tone was filled with concern.
Connor wanted to reassure her, but he was overcome by a feeling of panic. His head felt like it was trapped in a vice and his limbs felt too heavy to handle. He blinked, trying to clear his vision, but the darkness closed in and suddenly he couldn't tell what was up or down. There was movement, a crash and pain. Then finally nothing.