Chills
"Mummy… Daddy?"
She had got out the shower just in time, as it appears Joshua had awoken from his nap and was in search of her and Fitz.
"Hey sweetie." She swoops him up and gives him a cuddle and a kiss, "Did you sleep alright?" She whispers to him, not wanting to wake Fitz just yet.
"Yes, but I'm really hot." He tells her, although his flushed cheeks had already given that statement away.
"I know sweetheart, it's very hot today, would you like an ice-lolly before dinner to help cool you down?"
Still a bit sleepily, he nods… "Yes please."
She puts him down and heads to the freezer for the pack of ice-lollies… "Strawberry, orange or lemon?"
"Lemon please". He was definitely her son. "Great choice!" she retorts with a grin, drawing one from him too.
"Here you go…"
"Ice-lollies before dinner? Olivia you're getting soft?!"
Startled, she turns around and finds Fitz standing on his feet. "You should be in bed!" She immediately chastises.
He begins to cough, sounding extremely chesty. Eventually, once he gets himself under control again, he replies wittily… "Hey, don't worry, that's exactly where I plan to go, I just needed the bathroom… Then I thought I'd come out and see what mayhem you two were up too."
"Well we're fine, aren't we Joshua?"
Josh smiles widely, lemon juice glistening around his mouth… "Uh huh!"
"See?" She appeases, as she walks over to him; face stern and meaning business, as she turns him back on his heals… "Now, off you go."
She follows him back in and carefully helps him back into bed, covering him with a cotton sheet… "Where's my quilt?" He asks out of curiosity, having noticed it missing earlier.
"It was soaked through in sweat…" she tells him, looking rather sheepish, as she anticipates his next question… "So I take it my clothes had a similar fate…?"
She nods her head, barely making eye contact… "Yes, I'm afraid so, I had no other choice but to…"
He puts his hand over hers; quelling any awkwardness she might feel about the situation, not that she should feel weird about it, after all, he would have done the same thing had the shoe been on the other foot. "Hey, it's no worry… trust me, I appreciate everything you have done so far." She looks up at him then, as he adds sincerely… "Thank you Olivia".
She can't help but smile in response, "You're welcome."
With the elephant successfully removed from the room and feeling more at ease, she immediately falls back into Nurse mode… "So, shall I warm this up for you, or do I have to force feed you this broth…?"
"Go on, warm it up then, I'm sure it can't make me feel any worse…"
"Haha, very funny…" she laughs with him, before adopting a more serious stance as she asks… "How are you feeling?"
"Not too bad…"
"Fitz!" she frowns… "And without the bravado…?" She presses knowingly.
"Honestly?"
"Yeah, honestly!"
"Like my head and body is about to implode and my chest is about to collapse from excessive coughing…" he confesses to her hoarsely.
"That bad, huh?"
He closes his eyes, grimacing… "Yep, that bad…"
"I guess you'll be needing some more drugs then?"
"Oh yes!"
She squeezes his hand comfortingly… "Coming up!"
*****
With Fitz all set up in his room, with food and painkillers, she goes back to serve up dinner for her and Joshua. Considering lunch was quite some time ago, Joshua's appetite is not quite up to scratch and he's barely touched his food. She suspects it's the heat, so instead she encourages him to eat at least two more spoonful's and offers him another glass of water. Which he readily accepts, as she finishes off her plate and what is left of his.
They stay up for another hour, where they sit and play games on Fitz's Ipad. It amazes her how confidently he can navigate his way around it, whilst also teaching her how to play his favourite games. It doesn't take her long to get a hang of it, and in the end she has to refrain from taking it over completely, once she gets a taste for it herself.
"MY TURN!"
He chuckles… "No it's my turn mummy!"
"Are you sure?" she jokes with him, pulling a funny face…
"Yes," he giggles… "You're silly…"
"I'm silly, am I?" Unmercifully she starts to tickle him, and he squeals in delight…"Yeeees", he shrieks as he tries to squirm away from her, but without little success... His laughter is so infectious, she finds she laughing right alongside him, until she eventually tires them both out...
"Whoa… Okay, I'm beat Mister. And if I'm not mistaken it's almost someone's bedtime!"
He looks up her, his cheeky grin quickly turning to a frown…
"Aaaaaaaw, do I have to?"
She playfully taps him on his nose… "Unfortunately, my handsome boy, you do…"
"Ooooooh".
"But first this cheeky little monkey needs a bath".
*****
A quick bath and two story books later Josh finally drifts off to the land of nod. Talking of which, Olivia was almost on her way there too. She was shattered. With a yawn and a stretch, she heads back out into the hallway, thinking it was probably time to make her way back home. But's that's when she hears him call for her…
"O...Ol..Olivia?"
She walks in to find him curled up in a ball, teeth chattering... Alarmed, "Fitz, are you alright?"
"Olivia I'm so cold…" he manages, shivering; the chills taking full reign over his body… "I… I… nee nee need my quilt…"
"It's still damp…" She retorts, rushing to his linen drawer and pulling out as much sheets as she can possibly find… "One second…"
One by one she starts to pile them up on top of him, cocooning them around his frame, in hopes to trap in the heat; however it does nothing to curb his trembling. She leans over him, touching his brow; it's hot and clammy. Afraid and not too sure what to do next, she asks… "Do you want me to get you something hot to drink, some tea, or…?"
He shakes his head in response, finding it increasingly difficult to talk now. And therefore, unable to verbalise what he really needs in words, he shows her instead, by pulling her arm around him.
"Oh..." She doesn't need any further prompting and immediately takes his lead, by wrapping herself around him and clinging on to him like a limpet. Grateful, he holds on to her just as tightly, welcoming her warmth and heat.
"Sssh, it's okay now, it's okay…" She whispers soothingly… "I've got you."
*****
The exact moment in which he stops shaking however is lost to them both; completely exhausted by the day's events, they are both pulled into a deep slumber, during which their bodies readjust, spooning and fitting together like two missing pieces of a jigsaw puzzle; coming together as one.