Lunch this afternoon was the usual, casual affair: small talk and a big fat juicy steak. Thorin talked about how much he hated his job (which was all a lie); I talked about my plans for the day (nothing at the moment); and Kili gave his input every once in a while. Kili was always loud and a real bundle of energy. But, today none of that was happening.
I zoned out for a bit, Thorin was rambling about something Bofur had done trying to impress a woman. I focused my eyes on my brother. He appeared to be listening to Thorin, but I saw through the façade. Kili's eyes were not completely focused on Thorin's, slightly to the right of him. He was more accurately staring at the wall. A slight grimace was forming on his face and beads of sweat were appearing on his forehead. The longer I looked, the more I could see that his face had taken on a rosy hue. I knew it wasn't from embarrassment.
Kili continues to sit there, oblivious to the looks I have been giving him. Finally, I know I have to interfere.
"Kili. What's wrong?" I interrupt Thorin mid-sentence.
"Kili? Kili, answer me." Now Thorin is getting suspicious.
"Kili!" I snap. This was bad. Very, very bad.
"Wha- sorry. Zoned out. Man, it's hot in here." Kili says, fanning his face with the dessert menu with one hand and tugging at his shirt with the other.
"No, it's not. Actually, it's quite chilly." I tell him.
"Maybe we should leave…" Thorin stands grabbing his briefcase.
"Yeah, I think I'll take a nap when we get home." Kili agrees almost immediately.
"I didn't mean we were going home. I meant we're going to the doctor and getting you some help." Thorin states, matter-of-factly.
"No. I'll be ok. I just need some sleep. Honest." Kili is nearly pleading.
"I don't thi-"
"He'll be fine. Besides, we've got some cold meds at home. That should do it." I say, interrupting Thorin.
Kili looks at me, giving me a silent "thank you." I nod my head and manage a small smile.
Thorin seems to think this over for a while, and after a once-over of Kili, agrees to skip the doctor visit. He throws a couple of twenties down on the table, and leaves a note: keep the change as a tip. He grabs his keys and we make our way out to the parking lot.
"Hey, Kee. We're home." I tell my brother as we pull into the garage.
Kili had passed out for the twenty minute drive as soon as we had exited the parking lot of the restaurant. With a stretch and a mumbled, "Where are we?" Kili sits up and squeezes his eyes shut once again.
"Kee, c'mon. We're home. You can sleep in your own bed, not my car."
"I'm comin'. I'm comin'." Kili opens the passenger side door and steps out of the car. Suddenly, he begins coughing and can't seem to stop.
"Kili, breathe. C'mon." I hold on to my brother as he doubles over; from lack of air or weakness, I do not know.
"Is he all right?" Thorin asks, stepping out of his Mercedes. Just one of the perks of being a highly successful lawyer. And having the last name "Oakenshield," but whatever.
"I-I don't know." I answer him.
Thorin grabs Kili's shoulders and forces him to stand upright. "Kili? Kili! Breathe. Just breathe. You're ok."
Kili's coughing finally ceases and he struggles to find his breath. "I'm fine. Just tired." Kili wheezes.
I stare at him in shock. "Bull crap."
Kili manages a weak glare and does his best to intimidate me. Not working.
"C'mon. Let's get you inside. Go take a nap." Thorin says, grabbing a hold of Kili's trembling left arm.
"I said I'm fine. I don't need help walking to my own room." Kili jerks his arm free of Thorin's and my grasp and marches into the house.
"Look after him. I'm calling Oin." Thorin orders me.
I eagerly nod my head and follow Kili into the house.
I'm approaching the stairs when I look up. Half way to the top, an exhausted Kili leans against the wall, panting for breath.
"Hey, slow down. Deep breaths. C'mon."
Kili seems startled. He didn't even hear me approach. "I think I'll take that help now."
Oh, right. Now he accepts it. "About time."
I reach down and pull my brother to his feet. I give him a few moments to steady his wobbly legs, and when he is ready, we ascend the remaining stairs.
We make our way down the hall to the right. Passing the first two doors on the right and finally reaching the third. I push the door open, and lead Kili into the room. Immediately he collapses onto his unmade bed.
I can see that he is now shivering and throw him a sweatshirt. He struggles to put it on but manages to do it. When he lays back down, I smother him into a cocoon of blankets.
I lay the palm of my hand onto Kili's sweat soaked forehead. "You're burning up."
"No-t reee-allll-yyy." Kili's teeth are chattering now.
"Yes, really." I say sternly. I know I need to relay the latest news to Thorin. "Take a nap. I'll check on you in a while."
Kili needs no further encouragement and shuts his eyes.
I walk down the stairs and find Thorin making something to drink in the kitchen.
"How is he?" Thorin asks, as he stirs something into the orange juice.
"He's got a fever and he's freezing. I told him to sleep and that I'd check on him in a bit."
"How bad is the fever?"
Like a furnace. "It's not too bad yet, but he's definitely too warm." I tell him.
"Oin said the flu is going around. He told me to mix some fever reducers into some orange juice and have Kili drink it."
"All right. Do you want to be the one to wake him or shall I?" Kili was always the worst when his sleep was interrupted.
"I think I will accept the challenge." Thorin says and exits the kitchen, heading to the stairs.
I reach the top of the stairs, turn right, and make my way to the third door on the right. I turn the door knob and enter my nephew's room. My eyes land on the massive mound of blankets, which I can only assume is Kili.
I reach out to the bed and try to find the top of the blankets. Finally, the mess of dark hair comes into view. Kili appears to be asleep. His right cheek pressed into the pillow. I brush some hair from his forehead. Two things scare me: 1) Kili's skin is way too hot. 2) He doesn't even look close to seventeen years old when he sleeps. It's almost like I'm staring at the eight-year old boy who had the permanent mischievous look on his face.
I shake myself and bring myself back the present. At seventeen, Kili was still that little boy, but not now. This isn't Kili at all.
"Kili, wake up. I need you to drink this."
Kili groans in response.
"Kee, I know you're tired, but you need to take this. After that, you can sleep as long as you want."
There's silence followed by a heavy sigh, and then I see two brown eyes opening. Kili struggles to unravel himself from the blankets Fili has buried him in. I try to help, and eventually Kili's arms get free. Now, he's panting for breath.
"Just breathe. Here, let me help." I grab Kili's shoulder with one hand and his arm with the other and pull him into a sitting position. Once he is sitting upright, I tell him once again, why I am there. He gives a slight nod of his head to let me know he heard me and reaches out a shaky hand for the glass.
I give him the glass, keeping my hand on his to gently lead it to his mouth. Kili drinks about half the glass before he starts to cough. And then he can't stop.
I climb onto the bed and squeeze in beside him, gently rubbing circles onto his back and whispering reassurances in his ear. When he finally stops, he collapses into me. "…hurts." He barely manages to whisper.
That's when I know he isn't ok. Kili always puts on a strong front when in my presence. He has a fear of showing weakness to anybody, but for seem reason, it was always worse with me. "What hurts?"
"He-ead, e'rythn…" Kili relays between coughs.
"There were some fever reducers mixed into the juice I just gave you. In a few hours, that problem should be solved. Maybe after some rest, your head will feel better, too."
"No it won't." Kili says bluntly.
"You don't know that." This fever must be worse than I think. Has to be.
"I'm dying." Kili insists.
"Kili, snap out of it. You are NOT dying. You have the flu."
"Whatever."
"Kili, shut up and go to sleep. It's 3 o'clock. If you're not up for dinner, do you want me to wake you?" This is frustrating.
"I guess."
"Ok. Problem solved. Go to sleep." I pat him on the shoulder and help him lay back down. After wrapping him back up, I ask, "Do you need anything else?"
"No," Kili says with his eyes already closed.
I stand there, once again, seeing the small, seven year old with the chest cold. The small child clinging to me for dear life. My precious nephew who would fall asleep in my arms as I sang him lullabies about old dwarf fairytales. Kili. My Kili.
"You're going to be ok," I whisper as I walk to the door.
"Uncle?"
I almost didn't hear it. I turn around, looking at the bed. "Yes?"
"Thanks." Kili says with a yawn.
"Go to sleep, Kee." And he does.