The next day.
Karen let out a mumble that was somewhere between lethargy and weakness.
Feeling so stiff and tired, she managed to get out of bed in order to answer her door. She was surprised how quickly she adapted to using the crutches to hop down the stairs.
She opened the door, coming face to face with a very surprised looking Chris. She breathed faintly at the pleasant yet unexpected sight of him.

He frowned at realising that she'd answered the door by herself. "No one else about?"

She shook her head dimly. "All I've done since you've taken me back here is sleep." And that was true. She had lost track of all sense of time and what had been going on around her. It wasn't as though she didn't care about anything else, it was just sheer tiredness.

"Really?" He seemed more concerned. It was natural for her to not feel herself after being kept in a hospital overnight, but that coupled with the fact that she'd had trouble remembering what had gone on during the accident perturbed him somewhat.
"Can I come in for a bit?"

Karen looked over at the time. Four-fifteen in the afternoon? She'd slept through an entire day? She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and stepped aside to let him in, taking him through to her lounge once she closed the front door behind him.

Chris heavily sat down on the sofa next to her, taking in her extremely exhausted and weak form. It was concerning for him to see.
He didn't particularly want to interrogate her about the incident – that was probably the worst thing he could do at that point in time. After all, she was in no fit state to be subjected to any questions.
And he was very sure she hadn't eaten. There was absolutely no way she was going to be able to come back to work any time sooner if she wasn't strong enough.

She felt weak and shaky, and he knew full well it was from not being to able to eat anything. She couldn't– Jess spent practically most of the time looking after her little one, and Harry wasn't at the age to help with anything like that.

"How does your leg feel now?" He wanted to know, noticing it still in its original plaster cast.

She sat back, looking over at him. She certainly felt better that he was there. "It still aches, but I guess that's part of the healing process."

"It probably will ache for some time." He admitted. "Did they give you any painkillers before they discharged you?"

She nodded slowly. "I can't really take them though."

That on top of the fact that she hadn't eaten was not what he wanted to hear. "Why not?"

Karen lowered an eyebrow at the young male's question. What was he, some part-time doctor? "I can't take them without food."

"Oh." Chris cast his gaze away. He was right to guess that she hadn't eaten.

"I've barely even managed to eat, because of how tired I feel."

"Karen, that really isn't good. You've got a broken leg. By not eating, you're not helping yourself to get better and it'll slow everything down." He explained.

"It isn't as though I haven't wanted to eat…" She shrugged. "But with no one else here, what am I meant to do – do it all myself?"

"No," he knew she had him there, "but if you've had problems with that, you could've let me know. I know you don't have anyone else here with you and that your kids aren't disposed to look after you, but by not getting any other help it's slowing the healing process right down."

She shivered slightly.

"You want me to get you anything?" He offered freely. He did not want to leave her in the state she was in. "If you want me to go out…"

"I've got stuff here."

"Then let me sort something out for you." No beating about the bush with him at that point in time.
He felt lucky that he actually went round when he did, else in what state would he have found her a day or two's time? He wouldn't have liked to think, but he knew it wouldn't have been pleasant.

Chris helped Karen up the stairs so she could go back to bed. He lifted her injured leg onto the bed and under the blankets, before telling her he would get on and sort something out for her.
She knew that he was only trying to help, and she felt lost at the fact that he wouldn't be able to do so on a more permanent basis. He was becoming so protective of her, and it was something she was sure he'd had practice in.

Once she'd eaten, he wanted her to take the painkilling tablets the hospital prescribed for her before they let her go.
"Now you can't exactly back out of taking them." He teased, before taking on a more sombre expression. "Once you take them, you'll start to feel much better."

"What are you, my babysitter?" She asked him with a hint of sarcasm. She knew that he meant well and he was right to keep on at her to take the medication she was given.

"Might as well be." He felt better in the fact that he didn't have to head back to his place as soon as before.
Clara would be fine doing whatever she was doing – be it trying on what she'd bought the day before or maybe catching up on the rest of her sleep. She was still a bit tired herself, although he was happy that she'd managed to pretty much catch up on it all.

"I shouldn't have to keep you here like this." She protested, although deep down not meaning it. "You've got to go home…"

"Karen," he smirked playfully, "I'm not in any rush to go home. My concern is with you and I'm not going anywhere till you start feeling a lot better."

"But that could take some time…"

"You've taken the medication they gave you – at least that's a start." He explained. "They're usually a higher dosage and more fast-acting, so it's fair to say you should start feeling better soon."

Chris spent all the time he was there watching over Karen. She'd fallen asleep within no time, and her house was just so quiet.
He checked the time with his watch, considering about going home. It wasn't getting late as such, but he had to get something for Clara and himself before his stomach decided to shut down for the night.

Looking her over, he realised she was sweating slightly. The fact that she'd gone for so long without food didn't help and so to finally eat something had probably confused her body's normal processes.
He didn't want to leave her like that.

Through her feverish torpor, Karen felt something cool place itself against her forehead. It was contact that took her breath away, and she wanted it to continue for as long as possible.
It remained there for some time before gradually fading away and then coming back again. Icy shocks ran along her flesh, giving her a pleasant tingly feeling.

Chris kept the wet, cool cloth pressed against her, lessening the feverish chills that overtook her. He was relieved that her flushing had lightened and she wasn't sweating as heavily as before.

She didn't want to suddenly move while he was there. She knew exactly what he was doing to her, and so any form of movement might startle him and make him stop. She decided to keep the little game going for as long as she could. After all, what he was doing with her felt so good and if it meant keeping him there with her for longer…well, that was even better.

She almost gasped when two fingers softly grazed the top of her head to move a few stray blonde bangs away from her forehead. Although the touch was merely accidental, it sent hot flashes coursing their way through her, reactivating the feverish chills again. The contact between them, however unintentional and minor it was, was just…to her, inexplicable.

She sensed him leaning closer down against her, and what she wouldn't have given to let her eyes fly open and pull him down on top of her for their lips to meet.
Even the thought of it made the sweating that much worse and she knew she had to stop the naughty thoughts.

Chris kept the application going, knowing that it was doing some good, albeit in a very gradual way. He stopped once the feverish chills had slowed down, and moved her bangs back into position again once he felt happy enough to leave her. He rinsed the cloth out, squeezing the excess water back into the bowl he found lying about.

Karen relaxed at the interestingly soothing sounds of the water, knowing that he was close – so temptingly close – to her. She knew that he was still keeping a close eye on her, and so for her to open her eyes at that point would end her fantasy.

She felt a small weight shift itself from her mattress, and she covertly parted her eyelids to see his slender figure disappear from the room.
She sighed at their closeness seconds ago, falling back into a deeper, more relaxed sleep.