Niamh's Fever
A/N: This is another one of my early Silk tales and it's not all that good. There are a few questionable plot points at certain points, but since it's part of the collection, I figured I'd post it. I'm also aware that there are stories missing in between this one and the last one. Why? Because I haven't written them yet. I still have yet to write Niamh meeting Nick's parents, and am missing a Christmas story. But, just be patient with me. I'll get it done when I can. And, since it will come up here, I should probably tell you about Niamh's father. Though he can seem mean and angry a lot, he's really not. He simply has trouble expressing his emotions, grief and worry being the hardest. Since he doesn't like to show them, they often come out as anger. Does that make sense at all? In other words, it's his major character flaw.
I'd also like to thank you guys for your kind reviews. Nice to find out the lack of them was simply because the story couldn't be found and not because I'm a bad writer. Thank you all for your kind words and support!
Timeline: Early January 2012, a week after New Year's.
Niamh sighed as she flipped through a brief. While it was interesting work, she was finding it hard to concentrate. In fact, she was close to falling asleep and would have were it not for her pounding head.
"What are you working on?" Nick said as he stepped into their room.
"Aggravated burglary," Niamh muttered as she halfheartedly shuffled papers around.
"In court tomorrow?"
Niamh nodded.
"Are you alright?" He set a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm fine. Just a little tired. I haven't been sleeping well."
"Well, I hope you feel better," Nick said, finishing with a light kiss on her head.
"Thanks." She gave him a small smile as he left, having only come to pick up a few items before heading home. Niamh stayed, halfheartedly taking notes until all the pages began to blur. 'I can't do this anymore,' She thought as she slammed the binder shut. The work was beginning to irritate her, and she was uncomfortable sitting at her desk. With a long sigh, she gathered her things, and, after double-checking them, headed out and rammed straight into Clive.
"Sorry. I…I should've been looking," She said.
"Are you alright?" Clive asked as she looked up at him with tired eyes.
"I'm fine. I wish everyone would stop asking," Niamh muttered as she moved on, not caring that she brushed his shoulder as she walked by.
'Well…That was rude,' Clive thought and headed on his way. He figured that she was simply in a bad mood and didn't want to bother.
Once outside, Niamh took in a breath, checked her watch and headed off, hoping to catch the next bus to avoid a long walk in the cold. Unfortunately, she was a minute too late and ended up waiting almost a half hour in the cold for the following one, making her feel worse than she already did. When she finally stepped into her flat, she dropped her belongings at the door and collapsed on the sofa, contemplating the idea of staying. Instead, she got up after a few moments, pulled off her shoes and stockings and replaced them with slippers before moving into the kitchen, where she opened and stared into the fridge. She had thought that eating would make her feel better, but found nothing to be appetizing, in fact, the sight of the food nauseated her.
'What is wrong with me?' She thought, deciding to skip supper and finish reading her brief. Though the signs were there, she refused to admit she was getting sick, and thought that, if she was, it was a passing cold and would go away by itself. She picked up her briefcase and carefully laid each item on her coffee table, sitting on the sofa behind it to look over it.
First, she double-checked her previous notes, then she moved onto the untouched pages and the details on the disk that had come with it.
'Previous includes two other burglaries and a drunk driving charge. No, wait, reckless driving,' She though as she wrote some notes in the margins of a page, sighing as she did so. She felt like doing none of this, and the words were beginning to blur together again. Finally, after an hour, she stopped. 'I'm done. I can just…work on it tomorrow. I need a bath.' She thought, hoping that the bath would make her feel better. After running a bit of water she poured in her usual lavender and vanilla solution and half heartedly swirled the water around with her hand. After she was satisfied with the water level and temperature, Niamh stepped in, and found that it did make her feel better, for a bit. She nearly fell asleep three times after she finished washing, and after the third she decided that it was time to get out. After wrapping herself in a towel, Niamh went into her bedroom, threw one of her pyjama sets on the bed and grabbed her mobile, which had three missed calls-two from Billy and one from Nick. She decided to answer Nick's first, figuring that Billy could wait.
"Niamh?" Nick said when he answered.
"Why did you call me?" Niamh asked.
"Oh…I wanted to know if a date might cheer you up. I thought I could come over and…"
"Not tonight, Nick. I'm tired. It's a nice idea, but…"
"I know. Rain check?"
"Sure."
"I hope you feel better."
"You said that in chambers."
"I mean it. I hate seeing you like this is just…not you."
"Thanks. Bye," At that, she simply hung up. She didn't feel like dealing with anyone and decided to ignore Billy until the next day. She simply got up, threw the towel aside and pulled on her pyjamas. She thought about eating again, but a second look made the food even less appetizing. She just gave up and shut off all her lights, brushed her teeth and climbed into bed, feeling too run down to do anything but sleep. Once in bed, she simply passed out, falling into a much-needed, dreamless, deep sleep that was suddenly broken at six AM.
Niamh woke with a horrible, uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach and curled up, willing it to stop so that she could sleep. 'Please…Just stop!' She thought, sitting up when it wouldn't stop. Her breathing became involuntarily hard and shallow and was accompanied by a rise in her throat that she forced back down. 'Oh, God…no.' She thought. There was no way this was happening, not now, not when she had a trial at nine. However, she knew better and forced herself up when she once again felt the bile rise up. Niamh clamped a hand over her mouth and managed to hold back until she collapsed in front of the toilet. 'No, no, no, NO!' She thought with tears in her eyes. 'Why now? Why me?! Oh, God…' She leaned forward again, and let the tears fall as she retched through being sick, regretting her ignorance of it over the past few days. Once she calmed a bit, she left the bathroom to retrieve her mobile, knowing she'd have to ring chambers. Unfortunately, no one arrived until seven, so, she set it aside and leaned against the bathtub, feeling that what she was going through was far from over.
As soon as seven hit, she dialed and got Billy.
"Shoe Lane Chambers," He said.
"Billy? It's Niamh. Listen, I can't make trial today. I'm sick."
"You can't be that sick, you were alright yesterday."
'If only you knew! Maybe I should come in just so I can throw up all over you!' She thought.
"What are we to do about your trial? Everyone is booked."
"Nick isn't. Give it to him. It's minor and I've done all the notes."
Billy sighed, "Fine. I'll send someone to pick it up, just have it ready."
"Thank you. I'm sorry about this, really. If it was up to me I…I…" She trailed off as she felt a now familiar feeling and cut the call off, practically throwing her mobile from the room as she retched again.
At chambers, Billy stared at the phone in his hand and shrugged, then, he put in a call to their usual delivery service and rang Nick to tell him he was needed in chambers.
Though, he asked questions, Nick did as he was told and got ready to head to chambers, while, after waiting around for fifteen minutes with nothing happening, Niamh deemed herself fit to get up and headed into the longue to prepare her brief for delivery. After gathering and organizing the stray papers, she doubled checked the disks and tied it all together with the ribbon it had come with. As soon as she finished she returned to the bathroom and brushed her teeth three times in an attempt to wash the horrid taste from her mouth.
'This is disgusting!' She thought with a scowl once she finished the third brushing. Afterwards, she immediately threw the brush in the trash, though she knew it wasn't possible to get sick from using it again, she found it disgusting to even think of using it again and simply replaced it. She then thought to lay back down, but was taken from that thought by a knock.
'That's probably the bike…' She thought as she headed back into the longue and answered the door, finding a young man holding a bike helmet that matched his uniform.
"Come in," Niamh said, beckoning him in a bit.
The man stood in the door frame and waited while she picked up the bundle that was the brief.
"This should be everything. You know where it is going, correct?"
"Yes, Miss. I just need you to sign here," He held out a clipboard and she set the brief down to take it.
Niamh tried balancing it on her knee to sign, something she was normally good at, but everything blurred under her tired eyes, and she couldn't keep it steady.
"Here," The man sighed, holding it in place. "Just sign here, and initial here and here." He pointed out the lines, noticing her trouble and watched as she marked each place as instructed. Then he picked up the brief and turned to leave. "Thank you," He said. "And, Miss?"
"Yes?" Niamh sighed as they stood in the doorway.
"Get some rest. You look like you need it."
"Thanks," Niamh replied before shutting the door, thinking, 'As if I didn't know that!' As soon as it was closed, she headed into the kitchen to search her small medicine cupboard, for something-anything to hold off her symptoms and found nothing, not even a bottle of aspirin. 'You've got to be bloody kidding me!' She thought with a groan as she mentally slapped herself for not thinking about medicine at all, not even when it first started.
'I guess I'm screwed then. I'll just have to deal…I probably deserve it for my ignorance anyway…' She thought on her way back to the bedroom. She took her time, setting up her bed by arranging her pillows and dragging out her favourite blanket before lying down. She lay in silence for a few moments, letting her thoughts run as she tried to settle down, only to go into a fit of coughing. Once it passed, she began to cry. She felt disgusting, miserable and pathetic and hated herself for it. She didn't want to be stuck in bed; she wanted to be in chambers, the same place that Nick was stepping into at that moment, his first stop being the clerks' room.
"You wanted to see me?" He said to Billy.
"Ah, yes. You're doing Miss Cranitch's trial for her," Billy said. "The brief should be here soon."
"Wait…What? Why can't Niamh do her own trial?"
"She called out sick."
"Niamh doesn't get sick, or so she claims…"
"Well, her claim is wrong and you're due in court in an hour."
Knowing the conversation was over, Nick left, thinking, 'Niamh can't be sick…She did look unwell, but I thought she was just tired…I wonder if she's alright…She does live alone, and…' He was brought from his thoughts when he slammed into something and ended up on his bum. When he looked up, he found that the something was actually Martha.
"Oh, God. I'm so sorry," He said as he helped her up.
"It's not like you to wander off into space. Is something wrong?" Martha asked as she picked up her belongings. "Wait…Why are you here? I thought you didn't have any work for today."
"Niamh's sick, so, I'm doing her trial for her."
"Niamh doesn't get sick."
"That's what I said, but Billy said she called saying she was, and, you know she doesn't lie."
"Is she alright?"
"I don't know…I'm thinking about seeing her later."
"You do that. She probably needs the company."
At that, Martha headed off to her room, and Nick pulled out his mobile and dialed Niamh, only to get her voicemail.
'Something must be wrong. She always answers her mobile…Unless she's sleeping or in the…shower…' He thought, the idea of her in the shower distracting him for a few moments until Jimmy appeared behind him.
"Your brief, sir."
"Thanks," Nick muttered as he took it and then headed to his and Niamh's room, where, he dropped it on his desk. He glanced through as much as he could, reading most of the notes before he had to leave for court. Once he arrived, he took the time to meet with the client and discuss the points Niamh had gone over and some of his own ideas. From her notes, he knew that the client was pleading guilty. His only remaining task was to argue for a light sentence. Though he didn't agree with it, he knew that it was his job and did his best to prepare a defense based on the client's requests.
"I hope you know what you're doing," The man muttered as Nick sat.
'So do I…' He thought, saying, "Let's just get through this. Now, you know what it's possible to get, but maybe we can reduce it."
"Can I get bail?"
"Probably not," Nick replied, remembering Niamh's notes. "However, like I said, it's possible to reduce it."
"Why can't I get bail?"
"Because of your previous. Forget the bail. Let's work on what we can do," Nick said, sighing in his mind.
They spent some time negotiating sentences and deciding how to present their defense, and, Nick left feeling confident in it, despite having little time to prepare. He did what he could in the courtroom, always keeping a conscious eye on the time, hoping that it would be over soon. The moment they adjourned, he did a quick follow up with the client about the next day, and quickly bailed out. Luckily, he was just in time to catch a bus, which was a much faster way to his destination then walking. Granted, he could have always taken the underground, but didn't feel like fighting the crowd.
A half hour or so later, Niamh, who had spent the better part of her day sleeping, woke to a knock.
'Oh, go away!' She thought as she rolled over, hoping that they would. She finally forced herself up when it was obvious that it wouldn't stop and practically threw open the door.
"Nick?" She said, her curious look quickly turning into an embarrassed one. "Oh, God…I'm sorry. I know I look…"
"Sick?" Nick finished, already knowing the answer. While he knew she was sick, he hadn't expected her to look as horrible as she did. Under normal circumstances, he found her 'just risen from bed' look cute, but now, he felt sorry for her. She was pale, and had a tried look in her eyes, which were glassed over and just a bit red, as if she had been crying and she looked as if she was ready to collapse.
"Yes. If I had known it was you I…" She trailed off as her words delved into a fit of coughing.
Nick stepped in and put an arm around her, soothingly rubbing her back until it passed. "I think you need to go back to bed," He said, leading her back into her bedroom.
Surprisingly, she didn't protest and even allowed him to tuck her in.
"Comfortable?" He asked.
"Rude," She replied.
"What?"
"I didn't invite you in. Therefore, you're rude," Niamh said with a weak smile.
Nick let out a small chuckle and said, "Just go to sleep."
Niamh responded with a rather loud sneeze and a groan as she grabbed a tissue from the box on her nightstand.
He couldn't help but give her a sympathetic smile, a few questions rising to his mind as he did so. "Have you eaten?" He suddenly asked.
"Not since lunch yesterday," Niamh confessed. "I wanted to last night, but even looking at food nauseated me."
"You're not going to get better if you don't eat."
"Oh, be quiet. You're my boyfriend, not my mum. It's no business of yours."
"Niamh…" Nick sighed. "It's my business because I care about you and I want you to get well. Now, you sleep and I'll find you something to eat."
"Nothing heavy," Niamh instructed.
"Alright," Nick nodded and gave her a light kiss on the head before leaving the room. Once he stepped back into the longue he took his shoes off and threw his jacket and tie on the sofa, then, he headed into the kitchen. He stood in the middle of it, wondering what to make…He wasn't used to caring for others and felt a bit lost. After a few moments, he suddenly remembered that when he was sick, his mum always made soup. It was something that wasn't too heavy, and seemed simple enough to make. Unfortunately, he didn't find any decent ingredients in the fridge, and, on a whim, he opened the freezer and found exactly what he was looking for. In it were several different, frozen dishes, including a small bowl labeled 'vegetable soup in chicken broth.'
'Perfect…' He thought, smiling at the fact that he now had to cook nothing. He simply put the bowl in the microwave to let it thaw and then transferred it to a pot on the cooker. While the soup warmed, Nick searched the cupboards for dishes and a tray to put them on, but, unable to find the latter, he decided to simply change his method of serving. When he came back into Niamh's room, he found that she had fallen asleep and gently shook her awake. "Niamh…" He whispered.
Niamh sat up with a groan, part of her wishing that he would just go away and let her be miserable.
"Here," Nick said, handing her a violet mug as he sat on the bed. "I couldn't find a tray and without it a bowl is…"
"This is fine," Niamh said before taking a sip. 'Will it stay down?' She asked herself as she sat back. After a minute, she decided that it would and kept drinking, glancing up when she saw Nick's hand rising.
"May I?" He asked.
She nodded and soon felt his hand on her forehead.
"You have a fever."
"I know that," Niamh snapped.
"Have you taken anything for it or any of your symptoms?"
Niamh shook her head. "I have nothing to take."
"Niamh! How can you not have medicine?"
"Because I don't get sick! The last time I did, it was a small cold and required nothing more than some rest and aspirin."
"In that case, I'll go the pharmacy and get you something," Nick said, setting a gentle hand on her cheek.
Niamh gave him a small smile and he got up, intending to head out until she called him back.
"What?" He asked, watching as she sieved through her handbag on the floor.
"If you're going, use this," She said, handing him a series of bank notes. "You shouldn't have to pay for my medicine."
He simply nodded and headed out again. It was a short distance to the nearest pharmacy, and once he was inside, he stood contemplating the products on the shelf.
'Why didn't I ask her about her symptoms? All of these are different…' He thought as he compared two things. 'Okay…Aside from her fever, I know she's coughing and I'm pretty sure she's congested…' He sighed and, not wanting to waste anymore time, finally decided on a multi-symptom liquid. He returned to an empty flat, which both worried and confused him until he heard something hit the floor in the bathroom.
"Niamh? Are you alright?" He asked as he tapped on the door.
"I'm fine. I just dropped my comb," She replied.
"Are you almost done? I have something for you."
"Give me a moment."
He nodded to the door and took a place on the sofa, flipping through a random magazine to pass time until Niamh appeared. She looked a bit better and had changed into her favourite, violet pyjama set, which was a simple set that consisted of a spaghetti strap top with a few flowers by the right strap and matching trousers.
"Sorry. I took a shower while you were gone. I felt like I needed it."
"You look a little better."
"Thanks," Niamh muttered as she turned away.
"Niamh! I didn't mean…" Nick said, ending with a groan.
Niamh ignored him; she honestly didn't care what he thought. She simply wanted to crawl back into bed.
Nick stepped in just as she was settling down, made her sit up and gave her a glass of water. "Drink this," He ordered. Once she finished, he handed her the medicine and watched as she stared at it. "You're supposed to drink it."
"Did you have to get a liquid?"
"Just drink it."
Niamh sighed and forced the disgusting liquid down her throat.
Nick almost laughed at the face she made, but managed to hold back and simply took the cup when she handed it back. "Are you going back to sleep?"
Niamh nodded. "I know I'm being lazy, but…"
"You're not lazy. It's just your body's way of getting better."
"My mum used to tell me that when I was young."
"Mine did too. That's where I got it from."
Niamh gave a small laugh and coughed again.
"The medicine should take care of that."
She simply nodded and turned away from him.
Nick smiled as he watched her snuggle underneath her duvet and left once she fell asleep. This time, it turned out to be a short nap that only lasted thirty minutes. She stayed awake for a bit, passing time by reading, something she had little time to do anymore, and ringing Felicia, wanting someone to talk to. Granted, she had Nick, but she was sure he wasn't interested in clothes and makeup and all of the small, girly things she talked about with her best friend. Meanwhile, Nick spent his time preparing for the second part of his trial and searching for food, hoping that she wouldn't mind his eating some of her leftovers. Occasionally, he would check in on Niamh and give her water to drink, knowing she had to keep her fluids up. He was then brought from his tasks by a knock at four.
"Martha?" He asked when he answered.
"How's Niamh?" Martha asked, letting herself in.
"What are you doing here?"
"I was worried about her. Didn't expect you to answer, but it's not surprising. Can I see her?"
"Sure, but she's probably sleeping."
"How long have you been here?" Martha asked as she headed into Niamh's bedroom.
"Since my trial ended. I've been looking after her," Nick replied.
Martha simply nodded and sat on the bed after flicking on the light, surprised when Niamh didn't react to it. "Niamh?" She whispered as she gently moved some hair out of Niamh's face, immediately pulling her hand back and placing it on her forehead. "My God…"
"What?"
"Do you have a thermometer?"
"I…I think so."
"Find it. Now."
Fueled by the urgency in her voice, Nick quickly headed into the bathroom and threw open the medicine cupboard which despite its name held no kind of medication. 'Of course it's full of cosmetics…' He thought as he looked it up and down, finding what he was looking for on the top shelf with her extra toothbrushes and floss. When he returned, Martha was gently shaking Niamh awake.
"Martha…?" Niamh muttered when she finally opened her eyes.
"Yes, it's me. Can you sit up for me?" Martha asked, gently helping her up. She then took the thermometer from Nick and ordered, "Open."
"For what? I…" Before she could say anymore, Martha stuck the thermometer in her mouth.
They all sat in silence until it beeped, after which, Martha took it and Niamh fell back onto the bed, having only been half awake.
Martha gasped and read it aloud in a whisper, "Forty degrees…" After a moment of contemplation she made an impulse decision and looked at Nick, "We have to take her to the hospital."
"What?"
"We don't have a choice. With a fever like this she needs to see a doctor and all of the family physicians are closed. Besides, I don't know her normal doctor," As she spoke, Martha stood and walked over to Niamh's wardrobe. After a moment of searching, she pulled out a small tote bag, and in it, she threw a set of clothing, including a matching pair of shoes, Niamh's mobile, purse, and slippers. Then she picked up her handbag and turned back to Nick. "Get her ready and, and make sure she's warm."
"How are we going to get there? We all can't fit in your car."
"We'll take a cab. Just get her," At that, she left the room.
After a bit of hesitation, Nick did as he was told and gently picked Niamh up after making sure that she was put into half-decent, warm coverings. He tried not to wake her and succeeded until they stepped into the cab.
She was moving, Niamh knew that much when she began to come to. She smelled a mix of man's cologne and perfume and forced herself to open her eyes. "Nick?" She asked. "W…What's happening?"
"Don't worry about it. You're going to be alright," Martha said.
"What?" Niamh said, her voice a soft whisper as she started to drift back to sleep. She wanted to stay awake, to find out what was happening, but everything seemed too far away. The darkness was…comfortable and it wasn't long before she drifted off, falling into unconsciousness.
Eventually, she awoke to a world of light. After blinking a few times, it became apparent that the brightness was actually a series of lights in an all-white room. She turned her head to the side and, after a moment of struggle, was able to make out the sight of a familiar figure in a chair.
"M…Martha?" She asked, her voice a hoarse whisper.
Immediately, Martha stood and rushed over. "You're awake."
"What happened? Where am I?"
Martha gave her a small smile and brushed a strand of hair from her face, "You're in the hospital. You were running a high fever and we had to do something."
Niamh thought to speak again, but then suddenly realized the uncomfortable feeling in her arm. It felt as if someone had pricked her, or something of the like. "What's wrong with my arm?" She finally asked.
"Since you were unconscious, the doctor had to give your fever suppressant via shot," Martha explained.
"Where's Nick?" Niamh asked, remembering that he had been with her before.
"He's waiting in the hall. Do you want to see him?"
Niamh nodded.
"Alright. I'll go get him," Martha said. When she came into the hall, Nick was staring out a window, the worry clear on his face.
He turned at the sound of her footsteps.
"She wants to see you."
"She's awake?"
Martha nodded, and moved on into the waiting area as Nick came into Niamh's room.
"Niamh?"
"Nick." Niamh sat up a bit and found herself being pulled into his arms.
"How are you feeling?" Nick asked, his hand resting on her cheek.
"Sick."
"I guess that's to be expected. You scared us, Niamh."
Not knowing how to react, Niamh simply nodded.
"Niamh!" A voice from the door called.
"Mum? Papa?" Niamh asked as Valerie rushed into the room and pulled her into her own arms.
"Thank God you're alright. When we heard you were in the hospital we came right away. What happened?" Valerie said, pulling back at the last question and cupping Niamh's face with one hand.
"I got sick and…"
"This is what happens when you don't take care of yourself!" Stephen snapped. "I thought you knew better Niamh! We didn't raise you to be ignorant!"
"Stephen," Valerie sighed as he left with an angered sigh of his own.
"This is normal," Niamh said to Nick after noticing his disgusted look. "I know he seems angry, but he's not. He's just…never been good at expressing his feelings."
Valerie nodded in agreement and Nick settled a bit. He had been ready to give her father a piece of his mind, to ask how he could react that way when his daughter was sick, but shrugged it off after Niamh explained it.
"I'll talk to him," Valerie offered.
Niamh nodded and watched as she left, leaving her and Nick alone.
"I brought you something," He said as she finally took notice of the bag over his shoulder. From it, he pulled out a lavender blanket and draped it over her. The blanket had been a Christmas gift and was kept at his flat for when she stayed over. "I thought it would make you a bit more comfortable."
"Thanks," Niamh said with a smile as she pulled the blanket around herself. Before she could ask any more questions, a doctor stepped into the room.
"So, you're finally awake," He said.
"Who are you?" Niamh asked.
"Dr. Calloway. I was the one who admitted you. And, now that you're awake I can finally examine you."
Niamh raised an eyebrow as he flipped through her information.
"Miss Cranitch, is it?"
Niamh nodded.
"Very well then, Miss Cranitch. I need you to sit up properly."
Niamh did as she was told and sat up fully, knowing that it was best to obey rather than argue.
Dr. Calloway stepped over and glanced at Nick. "Do you need to be here?"
"He's my boyfriend. Let him stay, please?"
Dr. Calloway simply nodded and pressed his stethoscope to Niamh's back. "Take a deep breath," He ordered.
She did so and he moved it over to her other side.
"Again," He ordered and she repeated the motion. He then wrote something down and moved to her chest.
Though Nick knew he was doing nothing more than checking her heartbeat, he couldn't help the surge of jealously that went through him at the sight of the doctor's hands so close to her breasts.
Dr. Calloway took a few more notes, and after he finished the quick, physical exam he began to ask questions. "I know you were brought in for your fever, but, what about your other symptoms?"
"I have this horrid cough and a headache. I sneeze occasionally, but it's not really a bother. And, I'm pretty sure I'm congested," Niamh said.
"Anything else?"
She sat back and thought for a minute, then she said, "I had some nausea last night and spent some time vomiting this morning."
"I have a general idea of what it may be, but to be sure you'll have a blood test done tomorrow morning."
"You want me to come back in?"
"Did no one tell you? You're staying overnight for observation. We have to make sure your fever stays down, your symptoms don't get worse, things of that nature."
Niamh nodded, staring at her hands as she did so. She had absolutely no interest in staying, but knew she was stuck. She then raised her head to speak, but ended up coughing instead.
"You're definitely congested," Dr. Calloway said as he wrote down a few more things.
"How can you tell?" Nick asked, earning an annoyed look from the doctor.
"You can tell by her cough," He replied in an aggravated tone. "For now, get some rest. I'll be back in the morning." At that, he left.
As soon as he was gone, Niamh turned to Nick and asked, "So, what happened, exactly?"
Nick didn't answer right away. He moved to the other side of the bed, and moved one of the chairs to her side so they could talk. "Martha came to see you," He started as he sat. "She wanted to wake you, but stopped when she touched you. She ordered me to get a thermometer and that's when she got you up."
"I remember that."
"She said we had to take you to the hospital, because all of the family physicians were closed. She made me carry you, so we had to take a cab. After we got here, Martha had one hell of an argument with the receptionist."
"Why?"
"The woman was stupid and quite rude. She almost refused to look up your information because she thought Martha's rushed tone was rude and unnecessary, even though it was clear she was simply worried and not trying to be rude. She tried to sound intelligent and Martha threatened the law on her."
Niamh laughed. "That sounds like Martha."
"It was a nice little show, actually. Then Calloway came out and settled everything. I don't know what happened after they took you in to be examined. They made Martha and I wait in the lobby and didn't let us see you until they put you in this room. While we were waiting for you to wake up I went back to my flat and picked up the blanket for you."
"What are my parents doing here?" She asked as she pulled the blanket closer to her.
"Martha called them. After you were admitted, we were told that your family would have to be informed and she found it easier to tell them herself."
Niamh simply nodded and laid back down and yawned, suddenly overcome with exhaustion.
"Sleep," Nick ordered.
"That's all I've been doing."
"Just rest then, I'll be back." He gently rubbed her shoulder and left the room to find Martha looking over part of a brief on a bench, trying to ignore the argument next to her.
"Now, I really don't think that's…" Valerie was saying to Stephen.
"Well, I do. We can't leave her alone, not in a place like this! If even one thing goes wrong she could get worse, or die!" Stephen argued.
"Stop being dramatic!"
"I'm not. I have seen the results of malpractice myself!"
"Oh, don't bring that up, again."
"What's going on?" Nick whispered to Martha.
"Judge Cranitch doesn't want to leave Niamh alone overnight. He doesn't trust hospitals," Martha explained as she flipped a page.
"Why not?"
Martha shrugged and wrote something in the margin on the page.
"Where did you get that?"
"It was in my handbag. It's only a listing of previous. I needed a distraction." She set it down. "How's Niamh?"
"She went back to sleep."
"If I have to hear about one more case I swear…" Valerie practically shouted, interrupting their conversation.
"I better do something about this," Martha sighed and stood. "What is wrong with you two?"
"I don't believe anything is wrong with wanting to protect my daughter!" Stephen retorted.
"He seems to think that the hospital is going to kill her," Valerie said.
"There is always a chance."
"It's not like she's undergoing major surgery! She has a fever!"
"Stop!" Martha snapped. "Let me make sure I have this correct." She turned to Stephen. "You don't trust the hospital and are worried for Niamh's safety and you…" She looked at Valerie. "Think he is being ridiculous."
"Exactly," Stephen said.
Martha sighed. "What is it that you wish to do? Get her discharged prematurely?"
"I simply suggested that someone stay with her."
"Why? She's not a child," Valerie said.
"To keep an eye on things. How the doctors treat her, the nurses' behaviour, that sort of thing."
"You know very well that it is not possible. I have a breakfast to cater tomorrow morning and you have a trial. Besides, it's against hospital rules!"
"I can easily hand the trial over to someone else. And, there can be exceptions to the rules. All I have to do is speak with the ward supervisor."
"I know very well that you think it wrong to leave a trial, especially in the middle!"
"Bail out of breakfast then!"
"I can't do that! I have not been planning with this client for two months to stop it now!"
"If you think that…"
"I'll do it," Martha interrupted.
"What?" Stephen asked, turning to her.
"I'll stay with Niamh overnight. My trial isn't until one, and I'm sure she'll be discharged before then. You'll just have to allow me some time to pick up a few items from my flat."
"I appreciate it, Ms. Costello, but you don't have to do this," Valerie said.
"It's fine. I want to, if it'll make things easier, that is."
"Are you sure about this?"
Martha nodded.
"Very well then, thank you Ms. Costello," Stephen said. "How long do you think you'll need?"
"An hour at most. I just need a few things."
"Go then, we'll stay until you get back. I must speak with the ward supervisor anyway."
Martha nodded and walked off with Nick following.
"You know, I could've stayed instead," Nick said.
"You didn't say anything. Besides, I don't think Judge Cranitch would appreciate his daughter's boyfriend staying with her in a hospital overnight."
"And what does that mean? That I can't be trusted?"
"Not at all. It's just…" Martha stopped walking and turned. "You see how he is. He already doesn't trust hospitals, and having you stay might make the situation worse. It's not that you're not trustworthy, you are. But, you know how fathers are about their daughter's boyfriends and privacy and all that."
Nick nodded, finally understanding what she was getting at. "I know, my father is a bit protective of my sister with that sort of thing. For the longest time he wouldn't let her even visit her boyfriends at night."
"And it's because of that attitude that you're not staying."
At that, they came to the lift and Nick turned back, leaving Martha to head off alone. She wasted no time once the wait for the bus was over. Her first stop was Niamh's block of flats, as her car was in its car park. She then took the car back to her own flat, threw together a bag with a few of her things and headed back to the hospital. The whole journey took no more than forty-five minutes and, when she returned, she found Stephen talking with whom she assumed to be the ward supervisor, as he pointed her out at one point, and Valerie at Niamh's bedside.
"What are you doing?" Martha asked as she entered the room.
"Watching her."
"She's sleeping."
"I like to watch her sleep, always have. I would check on her every night until she moved out, just to make sure she was alright. She's always looked peaceful and cute in sleep."
Martha didn't know how to respond and simply set her brief on the small table in the room, as soon as she did, Stephen motioned Valerie into the hall and Nick came in. He stood, watching Niamh a moment, and then gently shook her awake.
"Niamh…" He whispered.
After a moment, Niamh opened her eyes and looked up at him. She didn't say anything, but she didn't need to, her eyes asked the question for her.
"I'm leaving now," He said, setting a hand on her cheek.
Niamh gripped his hand with her own. She didn't want him to leave. She wanted him to stay with her, watch her, hold her.
"But, I promise I'll stop by tomorrow. Ring me as soon as you're discharged."
"Do you have to leave?" She asked.
Nick nodded. "Martha will be here, though."
Niamh simply nodded in response.
Nick gave her a small smile and a gentle kiss on the forehead before leaving. He was followed by Valerie, who, after having a word with her husband, also wanted to say goodbye to Niamh. Stephen followed and stood in front of Martha.
"I spoke with the ward supervisor, and he's given permission for you to stay based on my proposition," He said.
Martha nodded to him and watched as he too, bid Niamh farewell and then left with his wife. The moment she left, a nurse came in to check on Niamh and looked at Martha suspiciously.
"Visiting hours are over," She said sternly.
"I am authorized to be here," Martha stated.
"If you are not part of her family than you don't need to be here!"
Before Martha could speak, Stephen, who had overheard the exchange stepped into the room, "Listen to me," He told the nurse. "I am the patient's father and I give my permission for Ms. Costello to act in my place as guardian."
"No. First off, she's not part of the family, second, there are rules."
"And, there are also exceptions to these rules. I have spoken with your supervisor and he approves."
"Oh, really? I'll go get him then."
"You do that," Stephen said as the woman left.
She soon came back with the nurse in charge of the ward, who informed her of the exception and warned her both about her tone and her questioning of his approvals.
Defeated, the nurse sighed, "Fine…She can stay as long as she's out of the way." She muttered.
"Thank you," Stephen nodded to the supervisor. "I apologize for bothering you again."
"It is no problem, and certainly nothing out of the ordinary."
"Thanks again," Stephen said, then he turned and he and the supervisor went their separate ways.
'Well, that was stupid,' Martha thought as she began to read over her brief, but she stopped after only a few moments and glanced at the clock, suddenly remembering something.
"Niamh," She said, gently shaking her awake. "Niamh…"
"Martha? What…are you doing here?" Niamh asked sleepily.
"Your father wanted someone to stay with you overnight. He doesn't trust the hospital."
"Of course," Niamh said with an eye roll.
"When was the last time you ate?"
"Around noon, why?"
Martha sighed. "You need to eat. Would you mind if I got you something?"
Niamh shook her head and laid back down. Part of her wanted to get out of bed, to do something useful, but the other part didn't. It told her to stay because she needed to rest.
Martha gave her a quick glance and left the room, only to be stopped by the ward supervisor halfway down the hall.
"Wait!" He said.
"What now?" Martha sighed.
"You need this." He handed her a card. "It states that under certain circumstances that you're allowed to be here. Keep it with your visitor pass. It'll prevent questions."
"Thank you," Martha nodded to him and continued on her way, while, in her room, Niamh finally forced herself up. She wasn't all that tired and quiet bored. She wished she had a book or even a brief to keep her busy, but all she had was the television. With a sigh she picked up the remote off the table by the bedside and flipped through the five channels, soon giving up and just settling on something. However, after a few minutes she grew bored with it and dozed off, only to be awoken by Martha again.
"Sit up," She ordered as she set a platter on the bed tray. "You need to eat."
"You said that already," Niamh said as she sat up and quickly situated herself.
"It's true. You're sick and need to keep your strength up to get better," Martha said as she sat back down.
Niamh sighed and looked over the food, not that there was much to look at. Given that it was hospital food, she didn't expect much of it to begin with. It was far too plain for her taste and she simply picked at it, as, it was starting to make her feel sick. Finally, she said. "I am not eating this."
"Niamh…" Martha sighed.
"No," Niamh said sternly, as she pushed the tray away.
"You're acting like a child."
"A child would more than likely throw a fit. I am simply stating my refusal."
"You have to eat."
"No, I don't. I'm not hungry and the food nauseates me. I'm going to bed for the night." At that, Niamh simply laid down, pulled the lavender blanket around herself and turned away from Martha, closing her eyes in hopes of actually sleeping.
'Be that way,' Martha thought as she stood and took the tray. 'I'll eat it then.' She pushed her brief aside and set the tray where it had been. Though it wasn't the best thing she'd ever eaten, it was edible, and she was too hungry to care, as, she hadn't eaten since breakfast. After she was done with it, Martha turned off the telly and shut off one section of the lights before continuing with her brief, stopping when a nurse came in to look at Niamh. She watched her closely, as if examining her for evidence, and once she left, they weren't bothered again until the following morning.
At eight AM sharp, Dr. Calloway walked into a rather amusing sight. While Niamh lay in bed, clutching her blanket to her chest, Martha sat, asleep with her head resting on her arms, which were resting on her brief. After staring for a moment, he walked over and tapped her on the shoulder.
"Miss?"
Almost immediately, Martha's head shot up. She quickly whipped her head around and stared at the doctor almost guiltily, as if she'd been caught doing something wrong.
"I apologize if I startled you."
"No. It…It's fine," Martha said with a wave of her hand.
"I hate to move you so soon after you've woken up, but I need to examine the patient and…"
"It's alright. You're just doing your job." Martha stood and stretched. "I'll be out in the waiting area." She started to leave, but turned around in the doorway. "By the way, the 'patient' has a name."
As soon as she was gone, Calloway rolled his eyes and began to look through Niamh's medical chart.
Though she intended to head to the waiting area, once outside, Martha found herself face-to-face with Nick, who was leaning against the wall.
"You're not allowed to wait in the hall," She pointed out.
"The doctor said it was fine. He said it would only take a few minutes."
Martha nodded and joined him.
"You look tired," He said.
"I am. A brief really isn't a comfortable pillow."
Nick gave a small laugh while, in the room, Dr. Calloway tried to coax Niamh awake by shaking her. It took awhile, but eventually she turned and looked at him.
"Good morning, Miss Cranitch."
Niamh ignored him and laid her head back down.
Calloway sighed and shook her again. "I need to examine you."
Niamh sat up with a sigh that quickly delved into a coughing fit while Calloway unlocked one of the drawers on the counter in the room.
"Hold your arm out," He ordered, turning around with a needle in hand.
Niamh did as she was told, ignoring the needle, as, she was too tired to think of it.
He stepped forward, and after searching for and finding a vein, tied a band around her arm. "Ready?" He asked, receiving a tired nod in response.
Niamh let out a small gasp of pain with the needle pierced her arm. With the pain came a few tears, and she decided that this was definitely the worst wakeup call she'd ever had.
Out in the hall, Nick tried to enter the room, having seen what happened through the crack in the door, but Martha stopped him.
"Don't," She said, grabbing his arm.
"He's torturing her!"
"It's just a blood test!"
"I'll send this downstairs to the lab and you should get your results in an hour or so. Once we diagnose you, you'll be discharged," Calloway explained to Niamh as he bandaged her arm.
"I thought blood tests took longer than that."
"Some do, but since we can process on site, it won't take long."
Niamh simply nodded as he left. Once in the hall, he explained the process to Martha, who then walked off to call and inform Stephen of the test while Nick went into her room and wrapped his arms around her.
"Are you alright?"
"I' m alright…For the most part."
"You're crying," Nick said, wiping away a tear.
"Oh…That's nothing. Just a little expression of pain."
"Are you sure?"
"Stop worrying. You sound like my mum."
"Actually, I thought your father was the worrier. He did demand someone watch you overnight."
She simply shrugged as Martha stepped back into the room and handed over her mobile. "Your father wants to speak to you."
"Papa?" Niamh asked, listening afterwards. She didn't speak much, but nodded a lot and simply said "okay," "yes," and, "I know." She sighed once she hung up and nearly threw the phone across the room until she remembered that it was Martha's and handed it back. "You're right," She said to Nick. "He is the worrier."
Nick smile and leaned over to kiss her head.
"Don't you have to go to chambers?" Niamh asked.
"No, Billy didn't give me anything for today and the second day of the trial was postponed until tomorrow because of witness issues. Instead, I'm due for a babysitting job at ten."
"You can't be serious!" Martha said from behind. "Babysitting?"
"I need the money, and Jonny's a good kid…Most of the time. I'm just glad I get to give him back to the neighbours when I'm done."
Niamh gave a small laugh and coughed again.
Nick gave her a sympathetic smile and moved a strand of hair out of her eyes.
"Stop it," Niamh said, slapping his hand away.
"Okay. I can take a hint. I'll ring you later," Nick said as he stood.
Niamh simply nodded to him and pulled her knees to her chest, then, she laid her head on them.
"You okay?" Martha asked.
"My headache is back."
Martha moved to sit on the bed and gently rubbed Niamh's back. "Would you like me to get you something? I'm going to go get some tea."
Niamh shook her head.
"Alright then, I'll be back soon."
Niamh ignored her, and sat back once she left, praying that the headache would go away soon. She thought about turning on the television but figured that it would annoy her and simply sat, bored out of her mind.
Martha returned a few minutes later and handed her, of all things, an orange ice pop. "I know you said not to get you anything, but I thought it would help with your throat."
"How…?"
"Coughing that much has to take a toll on you," Martha shrugged as she sat with her teacup in hand.
"Can I help with anything?" Niamh asked, looking at the brief.
"No. I can handle it. You should rest."
"That's all I've been doing and I'm sick of it! Please, let me do something."
"Alright, sit," Martha motioned to the chair.
Niamh started to get up, but, as if she suddenly realized something, Martha stopped her.
"Hold on," She said, digging through the bag she'd brought. She set Niamh's slippers in front of her and nodded. "Now you can get up, this floor is far too cold for you to be stepping on barefoot."
Niamh nodded and got up, moving to the second chair in the room. "What is it?"
"Kidnapping. You can look at the unused," Martha handed her a binder, and, after ten minutes of working, suddenly asked, "Do you want something for breakfast? You haven't eaten since yesterday."
"No. Not from here. I'll eat when I go home."
Martha simply nodded and they spent a good hour looking through the brief and discussing the case until Calloway returned with a paper in hand.
"Miss Cranitch?" He said.
Niamh looked up from her notes.
"Your test confirmed what I had suspected. You have influenza."
"You're kidding, right?" Niamh asked. There was no way it was that, it couldn't be. It would mean she'd be out of chambers for days.
"You act as if it's something deadly. Granted, it can be in certain circumstances, but this is not one," Calloway said as he wrote something down. "You've been discharged and I'm going to prescribe you something for your symptoms. I recommend you avoid going out and overworking yourself," He said, eyeing Martha's brief. "I'm sure you know the rest. Get some sleep, eat well, and take the medication as instructed and you should be fine in about a week."
Niamh groaned as he handed her the prescription slip.
"Good day, Miss."
"Let's get you dressed so we can leave," Martha suggested. "I brought you an outfit."
Niamh nodded and took the bag Martha handed her. She closed the door to the room and quickly changed. The outfit was simple and consisted of a pair of dark jeans, a ruffled, violet blouse and black boots, covered by her usual, black jacket. She then collected the rest of her belongings and left with Martha, who dropped her off at the pharmacy near her block of flats rather than the block itself.
"Thank you, for everything," Niamh said. "Taking me there, looking after me…all of it."
"You're welcome. Is there anything else you need?"
Niamh shook her head. "No. I just want to get this medication and go home, though, I'd prefer to be in chambers."
"You know very well that you can't go. I'll inform Billy for you, so he won't send you anything."
"Thanks," Niamh muttered as she got out of the car and went inside. She wandered the shop as she waited for the prescription to be filled and ended up leaving with it and a few over-the-counter remedies to keep at home for future use.
Once she entered her flat, she took a shower and changed into a dark-purple nightshirt printed with "Angel" in silver lettering. Afterwards, she made up her mind to eat, and per his instructions, rang Nick as she cooked to tell him she was discharged. She did the same with her father and with a sigh, tried to figure out how to amuse herself for the day. She ended up alternating between watching television and reading for three hours before taking a nap, only to be woken up and hour later by a knock. She expected to see Nick or Martha when she answered, but was met with another face instead.
"Mum? What are you doing here?" She asked.
"What are you doing up? You should be in bed," Valerie said, letting herself in.
'Why does everyone feel the need to let themselves in? What if I don't want you here?' Niamh thought as she closed the door. "I can't answer the door if I don't get up," She pointed out, ending with a sneeze.
"Come on, you need to lie down," Valerie said, quickly ushering her into the bedroom.
"Mum, I can take care of myself," Niamh insisted as she climbed into bed.
"If you could take care of yourself, you wouldn't have gone to the hospital."
"Mum!"
"No arguing. You sleep and I'll make you something to eat."
"I ate when I came home!"
"That was hours ago. You need to keep eating if you want to get better," Valerie insisted, then, without another word, she headed into the kitchen.
Niamh groaned and sank back into her pillows and threw one of the heart shaped ones across the room in frustration. 'I'm twenty-one! I think I can take care of myself!' She thought bitterly, but, knowing she couldn't argue with her mum, she simply laid back down.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Valerie used the ingredients she had bought to throw together a quick, vegetable soup. As it boiled, she decided to make a sandwich to go with it and then began to rummage through the cupboards for dishes. The only thing she couldn't find was a tray to put the food on and went to see Niamh.
"Niamh?" She whispered as she shook her awake, as she had dozed off.
"What?"
"I can't find your tray, there's no way for me to serve the soup without it."
"I don't have one. Just put it in a mug. That's what Nick did."
"Nick made you soup?"
"Kind of…He heated up some that I saved in the freezer," Niamh replied as she laid her head back down.
Valerie smiled and left again, soon coming back with Niamh's favourite, violet mug and the sandwich plate in hand. After getting her up, she practically thrust the cup into Niamh's hands and set the plate on the nightstand.
"Eat what you can," She instructed, walking about and picking up stray objects on Niamh's floor. Most of them were clothes she had changed out of before and not yet put away, being too tired to do so.
"You don't have to clean my bedroom. I can do it myself," Niamh said as she sipped at the soup, thinking, 'She may be aggravating, but I have to admit, I missed her cooking.'
"Look at this place. I thought you knew how to clean."
"I do, I just haven't gotten to it yet. I'm sick, remember?"
"Speaking of which, those pills on the counter…?"
"Prescribed by the doctor before I left. I'm supposed to take them twice a day with food and they've worked well so far. I'm not coughing as much and my throat has cleared a little."
"Don't talk, just eat," Valerie instructed, throwing the laundry into Niamh's basket.
Niamh sighed and obeyed as her mother left to clean her mess in the kitchen. Shortly afterwards, she followed and set her dishes in the sink, she then grabbed her laptop and had just sat down when Valerie snatched it from her.
"No! You're not doing anything with this while you're sick."
"Not even…"
"No. I know you. Using it leads to work and you're not allowed to be working."
Niamh groaned. She had half a mind to throw her mother out. While she loved her mum, she knew how to take care of herself didn't want to be fussed over, unless she was being pampered. 'Why can't she be like Nick and leave me to my own business?' She thought with a sigh as she picked up the remote, deciding on the spot to watch another film. After searching through her collection, she decided on one of her few romantic comedies. She had wanted to watch a horror film at first but instead made up her mind to watch something easy and less frightening. A few minutes in, Valerie reappeared with Niamh's favourite blanket and pillows and set up the sofa so that she was comfortable. She then moved onto modifying menus for future events, finally leaving Niamh alone.
Niamh smiled at the quiet, grateful that her mum was finally backing off. She settled into her spot and coughed, knowing that the medicine was wearing off. Halfway through the film she felt a tap at her shoulder and was presented with another ice pop.
"Here, Angel."
"Oh, Mum," Niamh sighed.
"Sorry. It's habit."
"What's this?"
"What does it look like?"
Niamh sighed and sat back again, needing to eat it before it melted. 'At least it's strawberry,' She thought, smiling once she tasted her favourite flavour.
Awhile later, Nick came by with a brief in hand.
"Is that mine?" Niamh asked hopefully.
"You're out until you get better, remember?" Nick reminded her as he set it down and nodded to Valerie, who had let him in. "Why is she here?" He whispered.
"She showed up around one and seems to think she has to take care of me."
"I actually brought this because I thought you could help me."
"Later," She said, nodding towards Valerie.
"What about her?"
"She doesn't want me working. She even took away my computer."
"In that case, why don't I do something for you?"
"What kind of something?"
"Move over," Nick said, motioning for her to move.
Niamh did so and he got behind her and took his hands to her shoulders.
She let out a low moan as he massaged her. "Where'd you get this idea?"
"My dad used to do this for my mum when she wasn't feeling well and then started using it on my sister when she was little."
Niamh let her fall back as she settled against his chest. "Aren't you afraid of getting sick?"
Nick shook his head. "I got my flu shot last month. My mum's been making me get one for years and she doesn't stop nagging until I do."
Niamh nodded and then suddenly said, "I'm bored. I can't do anything and I hate it."
"I know."
They sat in silence for awhile, and, once she assured that everything was okay, Valerie left, saying that she left extra ingredients for supper. The moment she left, they began work on the brief, with Niamh in charge of the unused and the DVD that came with it until she got too tired to work and sent Nick off, as, he was easier to get rid of than her mum. And, after throwing together a quick supper, she took her medication as instructed and went to bed.
She developed a routine over the next few days that helped keep her from getting bored. Valerie stopped by once more, but left her alone after that and, after a few days, she was met with an unexpected surprise.
"Billy?" She said when she answered the door. "What are you doing here?"
"They were too big to fit on the bike."
"They?!" Niamh said, her eyes widening when he brought in two briefs.
"The bottom half is reckless driving and the top half is kidnapping."
"Two briefs, Billy?"
"I heard you were getting better and figured that you should catch up."
Niamh narrowed her eyes, not believing a word of it. "I'm still sick," She said, not believing that she was resorting to using her sickness as a defense.
"Nonsense. It's just a cold now, right?"
"Yes, but…"
"First trial is in two days at nine, the second is the same say at eleven. One of the clients is coming in tomorrow at eight." At that, Billy left.
'He has got to be kidding! I'm not going to sleep at this rate and I really need to sleep!' Niamh groaned and decided to ring Martha, hoping she could help. Unfortunately, she was double booked as well, leaving Niamh alone to handle her work.
Awhile later, Nick stood in the hall, gently rapping on the door. "Niamh?" He said, repeating her name when she didn't answer. He sighed and let himself in with the key she'd given him recently. He hated using it and told her he'd only do so if he had to. Once inside, he sighed at the sight of Niamh leaned over the coffee table, asleep on her paperwork.
"Niamh? Niamh…" He said, gently shaking her.
After a moment, Niamh's head shot up and she looked at the clock. Startled by the time, she quickly shuffled papers around and began writing notes again.
"Niamh…What is all this?!"
"Nick? How did you get in?"
He held up his key and she simply nodded. He then went over and flipped closed the top on one binder and then another, seeing the two labels. "Two briefs? Niamh! What the hell are you thinking?!"
"It's Billy's idea of helping me play catch up after being out for five days," Niamh said with a small sniffle.
"You don't need this, you need to keep resting. You'll get sick again if you don't."
"On the other hand, I'll soon be out of money if I don't work," Niamh pointed out.
"Stop," Nick ordered, grabbing her writing hand. "You're obviously tired and need to rest. You can work on this tomorrow."
"What did you come here for?"
"To see how you were, and if you were up for a date. I brought food."
"Alright," Niamh nodded, finally noticing the plastic bag in his hand. "What kind of food?"
"Indian. I hope you don't mind."
She shook her head and they moved to her small dining table, rarely used since she often ate in the lounge when working.
They spent two hours together, mostly talking about Nick's work and the usual happenings at chambers, as Niamh was curious about them. After dinner, he helped a bit with her briefs before leaving to do his own.
"I…Guess I'll see you in chambers tomorrow," Nick said as he stood.
Niamh nodded. "I have to meet with one of my clients."
"Get some rest then." He leaned in to kiss her.
She stopped him by holding one of her hands up. "We can't. I'm still sick, remember?"
"Oh, right," Nick said, opting for a kiss on her head instead.
"I know. I want to kiss you too, but…Just wait a few days."
"Okay." At that, he left and Niamh went back to her work until she felt she had done enough and went to bed.
The following morning, she was glad to be able to go to chambers. While the two briefs were a bit ridiculous, she had grown tired of being home and was ready to go back to working. She left in a good mood, despite being a bit tired, and arrived an hour earlier than her con, giving her time to prepare their case a bit more.
"Niamh!"
She turned at her name and found Clive approaching her.
"How are you feeling?"
"Fine. I have a bit of a cold, but it's nearly gone."
"I heard you were in the hospital."
"It was nothing, just a high fever."
"In court today?"
"Tomorrow. I'm double booked."
"Oh, well…Glad you're better."
Niamh raised an eyebrow as he walked away and headed into her and Nick's room. He had yet to arrive, which was good for her because of the meeting. She sat down to work and was interrupted by Martha a half hour later.
"How are you feeling?" She asked.
"I'd be better if everyone would stop asking me that."
"We're just concerned. Have you seen Clive?"
Niamh nodded. "I saw him when I came in, and he acted a bit strange when I said I was double booked."
"He's trying to give someone his return because his other case has gotten bigger than planned and I can't take it because I'm doubled booked as well."
"You did that to yourself. You could have always said 'no.' You are a QC."
"But I didn't want to. I'll let you get return to work. It's nice to have you back," Martha said, giving Niamh a quick hug before she left.
Niamh smiled and did as she was told, grateful to finally be allowed to work again.