Chapter 5: Sickness

Brian lay in bed sick, and his beautiful wife Lisa was beside him sick as well. Lisa got sick from one of the little kids in her elementary school class and Brian caught it. Brian rolled out of bed and limped his sore sick body down to the kitchen.

"Brian, I don't want you to leave me here, why are you leaving bad?" Lisa croaked to no avail as Brian was too far away and her voice didn't carry very far down the hall. Brian could be heard from the kitchen rummaging in the cupboards. A few short minutes later Brian stumbled back into the bedroom holding a teacup and a small plate of crackers. He went to Lisa's side of the bed and set the teacup on her nightstand and he gave her the plate of crackers.

"Here eat these crackers, sweetie, and drink the tea it'll make you feel better." Brian barely managed to squeak out. His voice was scratchy and was going out due to the flu.

"Brian where is your tea?" Lisa said with tears in her eyes.

"We ran out of tea and I couldn't bear that you was sick so you drink it" Brian crawled over his now crying wife. She was touched that despite his being sick he was still thinking about her health instead of his own health.

"Brian you have work Monday school is on break for me please you drink the tea" Lisa tried handing Brian the cup of tea but he was already asleep "Sleep well baby" Lisa kissed Brian on the cheek and downed the tea and ate the crackers. Soon she too was awake.

5 years ago

Lisa was sick with the flu, she texted Brian telling him that she couldn't visit him at school that weekend. Brian texted back that he understood, Lisa knew he was upset. Brian was in finals week and seeing Lisa was a reward for a semester of hard work. Five hours later after she texted Brian, she heard a knock on bed room door.

"Sweetie there is a surprise downstairs for you so please hurry downstairs" Lisa's mother poked her head into Lisa's room and just as quickly disappeared. Lisa quickly wrapped herself up in her robe and slipped her slippers on. She trudged downstairs and on the coffee table sat a bouquet of yellow roses. She read the card attached and it read

Open the door its cold outside

Love,

Brian

Lisa jumped up and with surprising agility darted to the front door where Brian was standing in the driving rain.

"Ya know I always thought those movies where the boyfriend drives a million miles to see his girlfriend and stands in the rain to be a tad cliché but here I am" Brian laughed and then he took his jacket off and hung it up on the coat rack. He invited himself in and hugged Lisa and said "Lisa dear, close your mouth you're going to catch flies." He picked up Lisa and twirled her around.

"B-b-Brian you're here! When did you leave?" Lisa stammered then suddenly gasped. She realized she was still in her robe and slippers. She excused herself and ran upstairs to change. Twenty minutes later she daintily floated downstairs and seen that Brian and her dad was at the kitchen table discussing the presidency. Brian noticed her standing at the doorway and he immediately stood up "Brian I have a question why do you always stand up when I enter the room?" Lisa had noticed this many times before and she had never asked as to why he did.

"Because my father always told me that when royalty walks into the room to stand up out of respect. That and I have a gift for you worthy of a queen. After our last diving trip I found out I love it so me, Lee, and Tyler went out to a beach in North Carolina and I found you this!" Brian pulled a long needle like hair pin crowned in a pink sea shell. "This hairpin is for you my love" Brian pulled Lisa's hair back and put the pin in her hair. Lisa smiled faintly as she was still sick.

"Wow I don't know what to say, thank you Brian it's so beautiful. I'm sure you drove down for more than that though right?" Lisa asked this hesitantly as she was afraid he was still upset about her not visiting him

"Lisa you're sick, and I wanted to come down here and make you a special blend of my tea." Brian smiled and pushed a teacup towards Lisa.

"You drove five hours in the rain to make me tea?" Lisa looked puzzled and pinched herself. She wondered if she was merely running a high fever and she was imagining her boyfriend sitting in her kitchen serving her tea.

"Lisa I know you wanted to visit me this weekend but you're sick, I'm not upset I mean you didn't mean to get sick or did you? Lisa Bingham did you achieve a doctorates in microbiology, and then acquire a syringe full of the flu just so you couldn't see me? I am appalled." Brian caught the eye of her father which told him he had joked to far "or as I was saying I am shutting up now" Brian meekly sat down and took a sip of tea, her father still shaking his head.

"Lisa what I think Brian is trying to say is that he is here for you, and I do mean trying." Lisa's dad finally nodded and stood up. "I think you might want some time with him right now so I will be in the living room" he hugged Lisa as he left the room.

Lisa and Brian spent the rest of the evening talking. Lisa started to drift off to sleep at midnight. Brian wrote Lisa a letter for her and started to drive back to school. Lisa woke up at ten the next day and looked for Brian whom she assumed was behind the kitchen door making breakfast. Her mother handed her the letter and Lisa read it.

My Dearest Lisa,

By the time you read this I will be back at school. At about midnight you feel asleep and at the same time I got a text that my morning class which was cancelled wasn't really cancelled. I couldn't skip anymore of this class so I had to leave. I love you and wish I could have been there in the morning cooking you breakfast, which you assumed I was doing. School will be over in a two weeks then we can go on another dive trip like I promised we would. I love you Lisa Bingham and given that your dad proofread my letter I know he approves of me loving you. I like your family, thank your mom for the sandwich she made last night so I could eat on the road. Please get better soon I want to go diving with you in two weeks.

Your Prince,

Brian Fairfields

Present day

"You silly boy you sure know how to charm a woman don't you?" Lisa was talking to herself and folded the note back up and put it into a wooden chest Brian had given her so many years ago. She was feeling better now thanks to the tea and crackers though Brian was still asleep and sick. She decided that she would stay in bed and get better. She pulled the covers up and snuggled up to her sleeping husband and soon she too was asleep.

Chapter 5 Fin