Authors note: Hi again guys! Sorry this one took a bit of time and its so sort! But i hope you like it anyway!

Neph 13 – Keep his eyes open

I felt like I'd barely slept when I woken by violent thrashing. The clocked blared 4:00am in obscenely bright letters. In a sleepy daze I put my head back on the pillow before realised what had caused me to wake in the first place. I looked over at Jasper lying beside me and I could feel my insides clench. His face was contorted in a grimace and I could just make out a sheen of sweat on his skin.

As quickly has humanly possible I switched on the bedside lamp and leaned over him, placing the back of my hand against his forehead. It was flaming hot. Immediately my doctor mode kicked in and I pushed my feelings down as hard as I could, he was a patient; I was a doctor. He was sick; I could help.

"Jasper wake up for me now," I said sternly as I shook his shoulders. "Come on now you have to wake up for me." He stirred beneath my grip but still he didn't open his eyes. "Jasper! Wake up!" I commanded. His eyes fluttered slightly. "That's it Jasper come back to me now. That's it you're doing good now keep your eyes open for me."

He was harder to rouse than I had hoped. Stay calm Alice, just stay calm.

"Al..ice?" he crocked out. His faced seemed confused at first, but he seemed to quickly realise what was going on. "No hospital." He groaned.

"I'll be the judge of that," I stated. "Now stay awake for me, do you have a thermometer?"

"Cabinet," He whispered and gestured to a drawer beside his bed. Keeps a thermometer beside his bed…wonder how many times this has happened and he's just waited it out without getting medical attention? Jesus Jasper.

I took out the small thermometer and placed it under his arm pit. "101.4 degrees." I read. It could be worse, but it wasn't good.

"It's fine," He said softy, he was struggling to keep his eyes open but he seemed aware of what was happening. "Had worse, don't need hospital …for being too hot." He smiled.

"Well the patient maintaining a sense of humour is always a good sign," I joked. "But I really would be happier taking you in Jas."

He shook his head slowly, "Stay here, be fine."

"If your temp goes up, I'm taking you in, no argument!" He gave a small nod in reply. I moved away from his and made my way to the bathroom to soak a cold cloth to try and cool him down with. I found some ice in the freezer and put some in a cup and wrapped the rest up in a towel.

"Still with me soldier?" I asked as I re-entered the bedroom. I put the cold cloth on his forehead and placed a small chip of ice in his mouth that he sucked on gratefully. "Tell me how you feel." It was a doctor's order, not a question.

"Fine," He said as first. I didn't scold him for it, but instead waited for him to actually answer my question, he wasn't stupid and he knew if he didn't listen to me he would end up in hospital. "Bit dizzy, side's sore." I leaned down beside him placing one hand on his abdomen and another under his back, I pressed both hands into his skin to feel for his kidneys. I repeated it on the opposite side. It was strange how touching him yesterday sent chills down my spine and today it was just like all the other patients we'd practiced on time and time again.

"Jasper I can feel your kidneys and we both know I shouldn't be able to do that," I spoke slowly and clearly so that he could fully understand me. "That means your kidneys are swollen. That means it's an infection in the kidneys and not your dialysis entry points."

This did not make me feel very good about this. An infection from an entry point would was much simpler than a kidney infection. He must have been feeling pain yesterday and didn't say anything. Too busy have sex with you to notice probably. Oh shut up brain, doctor mode now.

"You have to tell me if you feel any different from now on Jasper okay?"

"Pinkie promise," his voice barely audible now.

"Okay get some rest, I'll be here annoying you every hour to make sure your not dead," I said. He smiled faintly, his consciousness slipping away from him.

This was a bad idea; this is a bad idea. My doctor brain was screaming at me, telling me that if this were any other patient I would want them in hospital right away. But this wasn't just any other patient and I was being stupid. I was letting someone with no medical training and a fever addled brain call the shots. Stupid stupid stupid.

I reached up and stroked the side of his face, he was too warm but the sweating was good, very good. Hopefully it wouldn't come to much, kidney infections do normally warrant antibiotics in a normal patient but in a patient who had suffered frequent infections you usually just had to wait it out. I'd rather he waited it out in hospital but he wanted to be home. I could understand that, he spent a lot of time in hospitals.

I kept my hand on his face for hours, I checked his temperature every half hour. It was stable for a while but started to drop slightly at about 7am. Thank god. If I let my only patient fall seriously ill while I sat my his bedside without doing anything I would be a very bad doctor. By the time he actually woke up his temperature was normal and he looked like someone who had just slept in rather than had a raging fever. Some patients did suffer from frequent small infections, I was glad this was just one of those instead of something more serious. Maybe his kidneys hadn't been enlarged due to infection, maybe they were just getting worse. I pushed the thought down, I would deal with it later.

His face creased in pain as my thumb ran across his cheek, "Are you okay? Do you need something?" I said automatically. "I could give you something if you let me take you into hospital."

He gave a small laugh. At least he was awake. "I really feel fine." He opened his eyes and looked at me. He didn't have the same glassy look in his eyes he had earlier, which was good. He smiled and those eyes just light up. He's going to be okay Alice, just breath.

"You're not a very good liar you know!" I scolded him. "But how are you feeling, for real this time."

"Better, my sides a bit sore but I don't feel all fuzzy and feverish like I did before. I'm all good doctor." He wined at me.

"Good. Your fever is way down. Does this happen a lot, these little fever things? Some patients get them but I didn't see anything in your chart. Judging by the thermometer in your bedside table I would guess this isn't the first time." I withdrew my hand from his face and gave him the sternest I'm-your-doctor-so-be-very-afraid look I could muster.

He looked away sheepishly. "Well its not exactly the first time…" I knew it. God he was so infuriating. I wasn't going to lecture him right now after the night he's had but by god next time I saw him at dialysis he was getting what's for. What an idiot. It's amazing how quickly you can switch from worry and love to annoyance and I-want-to-kick-your-ass. Maybe this is how it feels to really care about someone? Maybe this is what parents feel like. Parents?! God Alice you are way to young to be thinking about kids, one thought at a time.

"I have a feeling your doctor is going to give you a very stern talking to tonight at dialysis." It was the last thing I said before switching doctor mode back off. I had a night shift tonight and I would see him then. I was sick of doctor mode, I wanted to go back to…to what? What was I to him? What was he to me? A boyfriend? Lover? Friend with benefits? No, you don't say 'I love you' to a friend with benefits. Should I ask him about it? No, guys don't like talking about stuff like that. Shit.

"I think I'm going to take a shower doctor," he said as we sat up on the edge of the bed and took my hand in his. "Would you like to joint me?"

I smiled and leaned in to kiss him. His face was still a little flushed and became more so when I pushed my boys against his. "Only if you're feeling up for it." I said pulling away.

"Pft, last night was nothing, occupational hazard when you're basically a professional patient."

I smiled and hopped off his lap, took his hand and lead him toward the shower. I hadn't noticed before, but I'd seen this bathroom before. I'd dreamed of this bathroom. I just couldn't quite pin down the details. Jasper slowly started slipping my clothes off my aching body and I stepped into the hot shower with him, forgetting all about half forgotten dreams.

SO what did we think? A little bit more of Alice struggling with the side of her that loves jasper and side that loves her profession.