I See You

Chapter 18

When Amanda woke up her head felt heavy and throbbing painfully. She knew straight away that she was dehydrated and exhausted. The room was darkish with only the streetlamps outside offering a faint light. She became aware of a presence next to her and saw Olivia, brown hair fanned out on the pillow, mouth slightly open and her hand resting on Amanda's shoulder. She just looked at the sleeping woman, admiring the beauty, the softness and the strength her aura presented. She wished she could be more like Liv. Gracious and stoic.

Her stomach suddenly churned but she managed to breath it out and the nausea slowly subsided. She felt dirty, sticky and just plain awful and a shower sounded like heaven right about now. She slowly began to sit up by swinging her legs over the edge and sat upright. Bad idea. Her stomach once again turned and she had no choice but to run to the bathroom. Luckily Olivia had an aun suite so he didn't have to run far.

The sound of a liquid gush hitting water and a violent cough brought the brunette into a waking state. It took her a few seconds to remember that Amanda was staying at her place and that she was ill. Immediately she rushed towards the bathroom and saw the blonde violently heaving over the toilet. Quickly she grabbed a face cloth and wet it. "Oh, sweetie. Why didn't you wake me?" she pressed the the damp cool cloth against Amanda's face and neck hearing her moan in appreciation. "That's it. Feels good, uh?"

Amanda swallowed and almost threw up again from the rancid taste in her mouth. Nothing was coming up cause she had nothing left in her stomach. Dry heaves came and went, causing Amanda's body to shake and tense up from the physical strain. When the last heave left her body she could barely keep her head up so Olivia had to hold her face with her hands as the blonde gasped for air. "You're okay. You're okay. Just breath for me baby. Slow deep breaths, in and out. It's alright, I'm here to help you through this."

As Amanda calmed and remained control of her breathing she studied Olivia's face thatvwas hovering over her etched with concern. "I'm... I'm sorry." the blonde slightly panted.

Liv frowned but continued to gently wipe her face. "You have nothing to be sorry for. Your body is reacting to the stress of everythin you've gone through these past few days. If you don't look after yourself then I will." she smiled gently, finding an elastic and pulled blonde hair away from her face and neck. "I know that you're tired sweetie but do you think you're up to taking a bath? I don't think a standing shower would be wise. It's better if you can sit down, and after that we'll see if you can eat something and take more Tylenol?"

Amanda just nodded, too tired to speak. As Liv prepared the bath she handed the blonde a towel and she had somehow managed to get undressed without Liv seeing. Amanda had always been slightly self conscious about her body even though she had a beautiful figure, toned muscles and the softest skin. She was even more conscious now with her protruding belly and an angry red scar. She didn't want Liv to see any of it.

When the bath was half filled Liv added some bubbles, turned off the tap and reached for Amanda's hand. "Come on, I'll help you in." Amanda pulled the towel tighter around her and shrugged back looking at Liv's outstretched hand like it was an alien. "Amanda, baby. I'm here to help you in any way I can so please let me. You have nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed of. You are beautiful."

A few seconds passed before Amanda took a tentative step forward, then another and another. She was now standing next to the big bath, her knees touching the edge and she felt Liv's gentle hands unwrap the big fluffy towel. The brunette didn't look. She wanted Amanda to have some dignity left by being somewhat in control. When she was seated she felt Olivia's hand on her back, soothing her with a wash cloth to rinse off the sweat, dirt and grime that the fever caused.

She washed her arms, back and neck with the cloth trying not to look at the toned body just inches away. She didn't want to take advantage by checking her out like a pervert but the smooth pale skin appeared so soft and inviting. Quickly she snapped out of her haze. "Would you like me to wash your hair, sweetie?"

Amanda turned her head with great effort and looked at Liv with half open eyes and nodded. "Please." she whispered. Liv gently pulled the elastic out and blonde locks fell down on defined shoulders in a flowing manner. Rabbing the showerhead she adjusted it to the right temperature before placing it over Amanda's head and instantly soaked her hair. As she was working the shampoo into the tresses she heard a moan slip from Amanda's slightly parted lips. "You doing okay?" Liv asked and was greeted with a nod as she softly worked her fingers across her scalp, temples and neck, putting extra care into her actions before rinsing out the foam.

Amanda had her eyes closed, too tired to keep them open, too tired to care, too tired to feel embarrassed or ashamed for being naked in front of her boss and too tired to protest when she felt strong arms wrap around her naked frame to help her stand. Olivia took in the beauty before her. The well shaped muscles, the voluptuous breasts, the dark blond patch of curls between her thighs and her swollen stomach. She was simply breathtaking. But now was not the time to think about her own desires. Amanda was sick and needed her help not her lustful stares.

She got Amanda dried and dressed. Her hair was towel dried to get the most of the water out, leaving it down so it could dry naturally. "You think you can eat something? Something plain?" Liv suggested softly and brushed damp hair behind Amanda's ear. The blonde just nodded weakly and Liv helped her into the kitchen to sit down. "How about some dry toast and peppermint tea? It'll help settle your stomach. I also want you to take two more of these," she gave Amanda two Tylenol and a big glass of water. "Try to drink as much as you can, sweetie."

Amanda swallowed the pills and drank most of the water. Her stomach cramped up but she ignored it and took another big swallow of the cool liquid, feeling it soothing her throat from the stomach acid. She dreaded the toast but ate two slices surprisingly well and finished the tea even though she was not a big fan of peppermint. She was amazed how better she felt. Her stomach seemed to settle some and her head cleared up a bit.

"I need to go to the hospital. I need to be there." she got up from the chair and began stumbling towards the door.

Two arms firmly grabbed her from behind. "Hey, you're in no condition to go anywhere. You're staying right here so I can keep an eye on you."

"I don't need a babysitter." the blonde snapped and tried to break free from the firm hold Olivia had her in. "I need to see my baby. Please, just let me go." she yanked her arm free and a cry of pain filled the room as she felt her shoulder twinge causing her eyes to tear up.

Olivia slowly led her to the couch and sat her down. "Listen." she firmly stated, slightly angry at Amanda for not understanding the severity of her condition and how serious it could turn out to be. "I know you want to see your baby girl, sweetie, I know. I also know that if you go and see her you're gonna get worse and what if you have a stomach bug with all the vomiting you've done? A bug like that could kill your baby! She's not strong enough to fight off viruses or anything that is contagious. If you feel better by tomorrow, then I'll take you, but until then you're not leaving. I can phone the hospital and ask how she's doing if that would make you feel better? You've been through enough the past few days, sweetheart, and I just want to see you happy and healthy. Please, listen to me and let me take care of you."

Amanda sniffled but held her tears back. She knew Liv was right. What if she had a bug? She didn't want to give it to her child. Why didn't she think of that herself? Why was she so selfish and careless? "Okay." she rasped and brushed her tears away with the back of her hand, feeling the pain in her shoulder starting to ebb away.

Olivia fished out her phone from her pocket and made the call. The baby girl was doing well considering the circumstances and Amanda felt relieved afte hearing the good news. She still wanted to be there, close to her daughter, looking at her, touching her but that was not an option right now and she had to accept that. Her mood picked up slightly after Olivia made the call.

It was getting dark outside and the temperature had dropped a bit making the inside of Liv's apartment seem cooler. Amanda sat on the sofa not knowing what to do or say. She couldn't believe she had agreed to stay with Liv, in her place, in her bed but here she was, doing just that. It felt... strange.

"Would you like to watch a movie or go back to bed?" Liv interrupted her thoughts.

"Um, a movie sounds good." the blonde replied and tucked her legs underneath her, making herself as comfortable as possible. Liv decided on a comedy that she had recorded a few days prior but hadn't had time to watch yet. The movie started and the brunette scooted in close to Amanda and grabbed a blanket.

"Come here, honey." she said gently and opened her arms for Amanda. "Would it be okay if I hold you?" not trusting her voice the blonde edged closer and felt Liv's arms go around her completely and how her head was softly placed on a strong shoulder. "If you get tired you can just fall asleep, okay? I won't mind." she softly kissed the blonde damp hair and rubbed Amanda's upper arm comfortingly through the blanket.

Twenty minutes into the movie Liv felt the body in her arms go heavy and a soft snore escaped the blonde's lips. Smiling Olivia pulled the blanket tighter around the sleeping form and positioned herself so Amanda's head was peacefully resting on her lap while she lovingly ran her fingers through her slightly tangled hair.

As the credits were rolling on the tv screen at the end of the movie, Amanda jerked, fully awake and sitting up. "Sorry, I... I didn't mean to fall asleep on you."

"It's okay," Liv comforted, "I told you I wouldn't mind. I'm glad you got some rest though. Think you can handle some real food? When Noah is sick and throwing up I usually just give him some plain boiled potatoes mashed up with a bit of butter. Think you can manage some?"

Amanda frowned at the idea of eating just potatoes but it was better than nothing. "I'm not two years old but I'll try." she said amused, causing Liv to smirk.

"Good. Just sit tight and relax, it'll be done in ten minutes."

As Liv began to root around the kitchen, the blonde looked around the apartment, admiring the decor. It was simple and elegant. No clutter on shelves or bookcases, everything was neatly placed and everything seemed to be in it's place. The only things scattered around were Noah's toys. Amanda looked over in the corner next to the tv and saw a big plastic storage box full of toys, kids dvds and cds. Noah was one lucky little boy and she instantly felt bad for Olivia that he wasn't here and it was all her fault. It also suddenly hit her that she had nothing for her baby. She had been so busy with work, her sister's trial and her mother being a total bitch that she hadn't had time to go shopping. She thought she would have about two months at least to get rhe stuff she needed but since the baby clearly wanted to come early there was nothing in Amanda's apartment that was suitable for a child. Not even a cot or a teddy bear.

It made her feel like a bad mother for not being proactive about it. A mother? She was a mother! The word sounded scary in her mind and she shook it to clear it from bad thoughts about herself. She would do better from now on. Her daughter would have everything she possibly could want and more. She was determined to make things better for her daughter.