SMK
The Silent Killer
Chapter Sixteen
Part 2
Amanda Stetson slipped out of the embracing arms of her sleeping husband and, as quietly as she could, slid out from beneath the top sheet to get out of the bed.
Upon standing, she found herself swaying, just a little and she fought hard to stay upright. With light footsteps, she padded her way across the bedroom and into her bathroom. She closed the door slowly, not wanting to awaken Lee from his slumber.
Then, she flicked the light on, wincing as the brightness flashed across her eyes.
She leaned over the bathroom counter, her fingers gripping the cooling surface. She couldn't remember the last time that she had felt this lousy. Well, in all actuality she could but, on most days, she was able to repress those memories to the farthest recesses of her mind.
She didn't like to dwell upon something that she could do nothing to change now. In fact, right now, she felt too miserable to even care. And, upon looking in the mirror, she realized that she looked miserable as well.
Her eyes were glassy and her cheeks were flushed. She knew, without a doubt, that she was running a fever.
In an attempt to cool her hot skin, Amanda turned on the cold water and held a washcloth underneath the running water until it was soaked. Then, she lifted the damp cloth and swiped it across her face, relishing the feel of the cool dampness on her skin.
She followed this by squeezing the cloth on both front and back of her neck, allowing the cooling trickles to run down her heated flesh in attempt to provide some relief. This she followed by taking two aspirin and drinking almost an entire glass of water.
Finally, too exhausted to stay upright, she turned off the light and made her way back to the bed. She slipped under the cover sheet and nestled beside Lee. To her relief, he only muttered something unintelligible before reaching out with one arm and draping it across her.
Amanda closed her eyes and tried to stifle the urge to cough, not wanting to wake Lee. She found sleep elusive for awhile as she lay beside him, alternating between chills and hot flashes that made her uncomfortable while she forced herself to remain as still and quiet as possible.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she slipped into a restless sleep.
Unbeknownst to Amanda, her tossing and turning after that point did awaken her husband. Now it was his turn to lay there, in the dark and very much awake, as his being filled with an ever-increasing worry over the woman who meant everything in the world to him.