She lay down next to him and buried her head in his chest.
"What happened to you?" she sobbed, "how did you get so bad?"
"I don't know what the problem is," he said, "I feel really thirsty, could you get us some water doll?"
She stood up and wiped her eyes. This was no time to go to pieces, he needed her help. She got him a glass of water and then returned to the kitchen to make him some porridge.
"Where did you go?" he asked her as she set it down in front of him.
"I made you something to eat," she said running her fingers through the hair behind his ear. "Not too fast," she said as he began to basically drink it, but she was too late it was already gone.
"Let me get you some more water," she said as she hurried to refill his glass. Whilst she was going to the kitchen she stopped by the bathroom to get a washcloth and after she had filled his glass, rinsed it under the tap. She rung it out until it was damp and then returned to her room.
Ace was hanging off the side of her bed, having just been sick on her floor.
"Oh no," she said as she settled him back into her bed. She put the wash cloth on his forehead and ran to go get some cleaning supplies for her floor.
When she had finished, she bought back a bucket with her, should he need one again and settled back into bed with him. He was fast asleep.
She tried to gauge just how ill he was. Should she really keep him here, what if he needed some serious help? But every instinct that she had was telling her to keep him here. He shouldn't be moved around, it would only make him feel worse. Plus he wants to stay here, Laura thought, or he wouldn't have come looking for me.
She rolled onto her side and started rubbing his chest to comfort him. She hoped he wasn't in too much pain and if he was that it would go away soon.
By the afternoon she had fallen asleep too, her arm draped over him protectively and her head resting on his shoulder. He woke up and pulled her closer, waking her up. She kissed him softly in greeting and realised he was covered in sweat. Figuring this must be uncomfortable she got up and told him that he was going to have a bath.
She helped him up, which would have been difficult if he were his full size but it was a lot easier in his current state. She leaned him up against the bathroom wall and started undressing him. At any other time he would have enjoyed this immensely but right now he just stood still until she had finished. As she undressed him she realised just how gritty he was and decided he should have a shower before the bath so he wasn't laying in his own filth.
She undressed herself and helped him into the shower, pulling him under the stream of water when she had gotten the temperature just right. She picked up the soap and rubbed some on to a wash cloth before putting it to his chest and beginning to clean him. She got everywhere, from his back, arms, legs to behind his ears. She even washed his hair.
After she had finished she wrapped him in a towel and started filling the bathtub. As the water started getting higher and higher Ace pulled her arm towards him and gave her a big hug.
"I feel so much better," he said kissing the side of her neck that wasn't obscured by her wet hair.
She sat him in the tub after she had made sure the temperature was okay and sat down next to him, holding his hand.
"Come in," he said tugging her hand gently.
"There's not enough room," she said, "you'd be uncomfortable."
"You don't know until you try," he said pulling her closer until she stepped into the tub. He reached up to grab her hips and pulled her down so she was straddling him. Soon she was very aware of why he had wanted her to join him.
"We shouldn't," she said as he started kissing her, "you're not well. It will make you feel worse."
"I don't think it'll make me feel worse babe," he said but he couldn't deny he was still feeling pretty bad.
Laura thought for a bit before saying, "Okay but wait until you're back in bed and I'll take care of you I promise."
She kissed him and stepped out of the tub to let him finish his bath. She stripped her bed to change the sheets and added them to his clothes as the pile of things to wash. She remade the bed and then mixed two plain, sugarless biscuits with hot water until it had turned to mush. She figured the reason he hadn't been able to keep the porridge down was because it had been to rich but he should have no problem with this.
She put the bowl down next to her bed and went back to the bathroom. Ace had already gotten out of the bath and was smoking a cigarette with his towel around him.
"Are you finished already?" she asked surprised.
"I'm pretty keen to get back to bed actually," he smirked winking at her.
"Do you feel much better?" she asked closing her arms around his middle.
"I still feel pretty shit," he said, "but a lot better than before. All thanks to you."
He tipped her chin and kissed her. She held his hand and they walked back to her room. He laid back down on her bed and waited for her to join him.
"Eat this first," she said, "I want to make sure you can keep it down." She sat down next to him.
Ace picked up the bowl and started eating the mush, more slowly than he had the porridge.
"What is it?" he asked, "it doesn't taste like anything."
"My mom makes it for me when I'm sick," Laura explained.
"Finished," he said a minute later, after all it hadn't been very much to eat.
"Not yet," Laura said he started opening her robe, "I don't want you to throw up again."
Ace didn't especially want to throw up again himself but he had been without her for six weeks now, and now that he could have her again he wasn't feeling very patient.
"You have to promise to stay still," she said kissing him softly.
"I'll try," he said laying back as she slipped out of her robe. She undid he towel and found him in much of the same state he had been in the bathtub.
"And you have to let me know if you want me to stop," she said, still very worried about harming him.
"I'll keep that in mind," he said doubting it would ever happen.
Satisfied that he wasn't looking nauseous at all she moved her legs and lowered herself down, gently guiding him into her. She started moving back and forth very slowly.
"A little bit faster babe," he said, finding it hard to stay still at all.
She quickened up a little, still very unsure about the whole thing. She felt herself wanting to go faster for her own sake but kept her speed steady.
Ace clamped his teeth together, tightly. This was taking it's toll but he would never in a million years tell her to stop.
"Just a bit faster Laura," he said squeezing her hand.
She very cautiously speed up for a third time as Ace came. She lay down next to him and noticed he was looking terrible again.
"Oh no," she said, "did I make you worse." She knew this was a bad idea.
"Not at all," he said holding her tightly. He may have looked worse but he was feeling much better.
"I have to go to Mrs Anderson's real quick," she said noticing the time, "but I'll be back soon. You should try and get some more sleep," she said kissing him on the cheek before she started to get dressed again.