Redemption

Chapter Ten

Morning had come all too soon. Bobby was more than comfortable with Danni lying in his arms. He was very willing to just turn off the alarm and roll over to make love to her yet again, but as he tried, he found that she was no longer on her side of the bed. He'd hoped she was up and making breakfast, but as he breathed deep, he found that there was no smell coming from the kitchen. Then he heard it, a loud cough coming from the bathroom.

He hoped she hadn't had another nightmare and quickly climbed out of bed to check. A chill made him shiver and he pulled on a t-shirt to make it go away.

He lightly knocked on the bathroom door to get her attention. "Danni, you okay, Luv?" He heard the toilet flush and her let out a loud, sickened groan. Curious, he opened the door a crack to peer inside. He saw his girl kneeling over the toilet bowl as she coughed something up. She was clad in a navy blue, long sleeved shirt whose sleeves were much longer than her arms and a pair of sweatpants. She looked comfortable, yet she looked terrible. "You don't look so good." He caught a glimpse of her face to see how pale she looked. He entered the room more and rubbed her back in small, soothing circles as he took a seat next to her on the floor.

"I feel like hell," she murmured with a groan. She rested her arms upon the bowl and laid her head upon her arms.

"You were fine, last night… what happened?"

She shrugged as much as she could, but it was only a jerk of the shoulders. She felt weak and nauseous. Her head was swimming and not in the good way, also. And she had a sharp, stabbing pain in her abdomen that she just couldn't get rid of. "I dunno. I felt fine just a few hours ago when I woke you up." She would have blushed at that statement, but she felt too terrible to even consider it embarrassing. "After that I just started to feel queasy." In truth, she had felt slightly uneasy all night, but that feeling was pushed from her mind during last night's interlude. Everything was usually pushed to the back of her mind when it came to that.

"Maybe it was something you ate, last night." He unconsciously placed a hand upon his own stomach as he imagined himself being in this same predicament, especially since they'd eaten the same thing for dinner.

She slapped him as hard as she could, which was very weak by her standard. "There was nothing wrong with what I cooked, last night." Her mind wandered to last night's meal and she felt her stomach churn like crazy. She dipped her head into the bowl and retched again.

Bobby cringed as he heard the sound she made and held back his own nausea. Usually, when he heard that sound, it would begin a chain reaction for him. But, he kept his mind on other things, until she was finished. He continued to rub her back in small circles and even placed a cool, damp rag on the back of her neck. He felt her forehead and determined that she didn't have a fever, so it couldn't have been the flu. Then he remembered something from yesterday. "You didn't eat that burger, yesterday, did you?"

"What if I did?" she burped as she spit into the toilet. She flushed the bowl again and leaned her back against his broad chest to take a breath. Whatever this was, it certainly was taking a toll on her.

"I think I know what's going on and I'm not letting you leave this apartment. I think you have food poisoning. I felt so sick after eating that yesterday. But, why it affected me sooner, I will never know."

"It figures," she muttered as she felt the constant churning beginning to slow. "But, I can't stay home today. I've got so much that I need to take care of at work." She didn't even care to think that he might be wrong about his diagnosis. She'd had food poisoning before, but it didn't feel this severe. He most likely was right and she didn't feel like arguing.

"Whatever it is, it can wait." She gave a murmur of protest, but he just silenced it. "No, I don't care. Your health is more important. I'll call Stern and tell him."

She had no choice but to comply. She'd never hear the end of it if she went to work while she was sick. She gave a small smile as she looked up at him. "You'd talk to the man you completely despise for my benefit?"

He smiled as he nodded. "If it meant keeping you safe; yes. I'd kill for you."

She gave an amused chuckle. "I'll keep that in mind." She winced in pain and rubbed at the knot in her abdomen. Every time she laughed, she felt like she was being stabbed with a red-hot poker and it only made her stomach feel so much worse.

He rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean. Now, are you going to be okay while I take a shower?" She nodded with her back still against him. He placed a light kiss atop her head and got up from the floor. "If you need me, just call."

She gave a meek smile and nodded as she placed her head back upon the toilet bowl. She had to admit that she was enjoying the sight as she watched him undress to climb into the shower. If only she wasn't feeling so terrible, she would have joined him in a heartbeat.

Last night was so magical. They'd never had a night like it before and she just wished they had. Each time they'd made love, it was like the first time and that was something she loved so much about Bobby. He always made her feel like a real woman when it came to that and he never hesitated to let her make the first move.

Of course, it was because of that she was more worried about how she was feeling. She fought to remember the last time they'd made love before last night. It had been weeks, at least. She'd been feeling strange for a while and she couldn't help but feel the panic rising inside of her.

But, it subsided as she shook the dread away. She even chuckled at herself for thinking about something so stupid. She was just going crazy; maybe it was just her sickness messing with her. Yet, she couldn't help but think there might have been a slight chance.

She'd been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't realized that Bobby had gotten out of the shower and was now completely dressed. He kissed the top of her head to get her attention. When he got it, he handed her cell phone to her and told her that he'd already called Robert to tell him that she wasn't coming in today. "Can I get you anything on my way home?"

"Mouthwash would be great," she used a teasing tone but she was serious.

He chuckled. "I think I can handle that. Anything else?" She shook her head. "Okay, well, call me if you need me." She nodded. "I love you." He kissed her pallid and damp forehead as he said goodbye.

"I love you too." She gave him a weak smile as she watched him exit the apartment. She made sure that she heard the door close before she made any sudden movements. She picked up her cell phone and dialed a number. She waited impatiently and only hoped that she wasn't already on the way to work.

"Sue Thomas," a voice answered.

Danni let out a relieved sigh. "Sue, it's Danni. I need you to do me a favor."