Chapter 2

After tossing and turning for a few hours, Cameron was finally becoming aware of just how seriously ill she was.

Great, I have the flu bug. Getting out of bed, she walked, shuffled rather, to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, Cameron saw how pale she was. All of a sudden, that queasy feeling that she had had all night long was finally turning into reality.

Several minutes passed before Cameron's nausea subsided. Flushing the toilet, she watched as the remains of her lunch and dinner from the day before were washed away. Knowing that she could get sick again, Cameron pulled the bathroom rug that lay in front of the sink closer to her and lay down on her side, as she had no strength to walk back to bed. After several minutes of shivering, she finally fell into a dreamless sleep, on the bathroom floor.

"Riiiiiiing!" went the alarm. Knowing that Allison was still sound asleep, Chase rolled over and shut off the alarm. But as he reached over to her side of the bed, where the clock was, Chase realized that she wasn't even there; the sheets were as cold as ice.

Getting up and putting his robe and slippers on, Chase walked into the kitchen to start the coffee. Looking into the living room, he noticed that she wasn't there either. Where is she? Chase was now getting worried. All of a sudden, he heard moaning coming from the hallway. Looking down the hall, Chase's heart was starting to break: Allison, the love of his life, was leaning on the doorframe, white as a ghost, and her eyes were closed.

"Allison?" Looking at Chase, Cameron took a step but, still weak from earlier that morning, stumbled. Luckily, Chase ran up and caught her before she fell.

"I'm so-o co-old-d." Even though she was now in her husband's warm embrace, it wasn't enough to stop her from shivering.

"My God, you are!" Chase took his robe off and wrapped it around her. Not wanting to risk her stumbling again and get injured, and also noticing how weak she already was, Chase wrapped an arm around her waist, bent down, and picked her up just like he did when they came home from their honeymoon. "Let's get you back to bed."

Placing her down on her side of the bed, but more toward the center, and still wearing his robe, Chase covered her back up with the blankets. He then left to get a glass of water, and a thermometer. Walking back into the bedroom, Chase carefully brushed the hair off of her face and gently stuck the thermometer in her mouth. Taking her pulse, he realized how quick it was. After a minute, Chase checked her temperature. 101. Not high enough to be taken to the doctor, but high enough to stay at home.

"You're staying home today." Chase gently lifted her head so that she could take a few sips of water. After Cameron nodded that she had had enough, Chase placed her head back on the pillow, and sadly watched as she fell asleep. Gently kissing her forehead, he got up, quickly got dressed, and walked out into the living room to call Dr. Cuddy. He was not only going to tell Cuddy why neither of them would be going to work, but how he and Allison both felt about the case.

"You sure it's the flu?" Dr. Cuddy asked Chase. She had just stepped into her office when Chase called. He explained to her how Allison came out of the bathroom, shivering, feeling weak, and also running a slight fever.

"Not only that. I found out the reason why."

"Which was?"

"Apparently, she woke up during the night very nauseous, walked into the bathroom and, well I think you can probably figure out the rest. She was probably so weak afterwards she slept on the floor. It's obviously the flu. So that's why I'm going to stay home with her."

"I couldn't agree more. What about the case? Foreman's not going to like hearing this."

"I could care less about what Foreman says, or about the case for that matter. If he starts complaining, which he might, tell him that I chose to stay at home with my wife who is very sick right now, then be a doctor for a genocidal dictator."

"So, I take it then that both you and Cameron both want off the case?"

"Yes. I can't be in two places at once."

"Alright, I'll tell him that. Tell Allison I hope she feels better." Hanging up, Cuddy leaves her office for Diagnostics to tell Foreman the news. He isn't going to like this one bit.