10. Feverish Friends- Part One

One of you lovely people requested a story with Elliot caring for a super sick Olivia. Challenge accepted.

Olivia squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed them with the back of her hand. Out of nowhere her eyes felt like flaming balls of fire shoved into her skull. She pulled her eyes back open to check her watch. 4:30 pm. Ugh. She flipped through the files on the desk, trying to decide how much could wait until tomorrow.

She heard a soft knock on the door before Fin popped his head in, "Hey Cap, woah." His eyes widened.

"What?" She asked tersely.

"Um. You feeling okay?" He almost winced.

"Actually no. I think I'm going to go home." She stood up only to find herself so lightheaded she needed to sit down.

"Liv,you're not driving home." Fin came all the way into the office and shut the door.

She waved him off. "I'm fine. I just need a minute."

"You aren't fine and you aren't driving," Fin tried to hold the hard line, but she knew he couldn't stop her.

"Don't make a big deal. I'm fine." She could drive. If she could stand up first. She rubbed her temples in an attempt to get her headache to abate.

Another knock at the door. "What now?" She muttered without lifting her head. She heard Fin open the door and chuckle.

"Your timing is perfect man. Talk some sense into her," it sounded like Fin left the room but then she heard him say, "Don't let her drive."

"I'm Fine!" She growled, finally looking up to see who came in.

Elliot stood in front of her desk with a bag of bagels. He set the bagels on her desk, "I'm taking you home." He grabbed her coat off the hanger. "Where's your bag?"

"I don't need anyone to drive me!" She stubbornly insisted.

"Sure Liv," he muttered angrily. "I'm not going to let you drive into head on traffic because you can't open your eyes." He found her bag behind her desk and slung it over his shoulder. She glared at him and he returned the glare. "Don't make me carry you out of here."

Her eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't."

"Try me," he dared. Part of her knew he would haul her out of here. Easily.

"Fine." She huffed. The world started spinning the second she stood. She felt his hand shoot around her waist, steadying her teetering form.

She waited a second before opening her eyes. "Maybe you need to drive me home," she sheepishly admitted.

She heard him chuckle softly. He kept his arm around her waist as they walked to the office door. When he reached for the knob she pushed his arm off of her waist.

"What?" His voice huffed with exasperation.

"I'm not walking through the squad room with you wrapped around me."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine. But if you fall over, I'm not responsible."

She felt his hand ghosting her lower back as she made her way across the squad room, and she knew he wouldn't let her topple. She felt all eyes on her, but she was too focused on walking to care.

They made it to the elevator and once the doors shut she grabbed his hand and pulled it back to its previous perch on her waist. "I think I might fall over," she admitted.

He tightened his grip on her and pulled her closer, providing additional support. "I got you," he whispered into her hair.

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Elliot managed to get her to her apartment without having to outright carry here, but it was close. Once he got the door open he scooped her up into his arms. She didn't protest. She felt weak and shaky, and didn't want to walk anymore.

"Couch or bed?" He asked.

She mumbled something incoherent so he settled on her bed. He found her room easily enough, and gently laid her on her bed.

"I'm taking your boots off."

She replied with something incoherent again so he decided to proceed. He unzipped the zipper and pulled off the first boot and then the second, before pulling her comforter back and tucking her underneath.

Her eyes flit open when he felt her forehead with the back of his palm. "Damn Liv, you're boiling."

"That's probably why my brain feels like it's melting." She muttered sarcastically.

"Where's your thermometer and Tylenol or something?"

She waved her hand in the direction of her bathroom. "Bathroom. Medicine cabinet, I think."

He followed her directions and opened the medicine cabinet. The first shelf had some miscellaneous toiletries, but on the second shelf he found a forehead thermometer and a bottle of acetaminophen. He flipped the light off in the bathroom and returned to her bedside.

He turned the thermometer over in his hands.

"Hold the button down and move it across my forehead," she said with her eyes closed.

He laughed lightly. "They didn't have these when my kids were little." He admitted.

Temp came back at 102.5. "Damn Liv, that's a pretty high fever."

"It's fine." She waved him off. "There are bottles of water in the fridge, grab me one please?"

He shuffled to the kitchen and easily found a water bottle. On the counter sat a clean stack of washcloths. He snagged one and ran it under cold water and wrung out the excess liquid.

Back in her room, he cracked open the bottle of water and shook out 2 pills from the Tylenol bottle. He handed her the pills and the water bottle. She took a swig of the water after knocking back the Tylenol.

He pushed her hair away from her face before setting the cold towel on her forehead. He kept his hand on her head. She sighed.

"Should help with the brain melting," he smiled.

"Definitely," she agreed.

"Do I need to pick up Noah anywhere?" He looked at his watch. It was almost 6.

"No." She kept her eyes closed. "Thursdays he has dance and Kenzie's mom brings him home."

"Good. I'll order us some food." She grabbed his hand as he turned to leave.

"Thanks El."

"It's no problem." He smiled. Part of him missed caring for someone. His house sat empty most of the time now.

Her eyes opened revealing their glassy watery appearance. "You don't have to stay. I'm sure you have other things to do."

He almost felt offended. Obviously he wouldn't leave her here by herself to care for Noah. She couldn't walk for heaven's sake, but he knew this was her way of giving him an unnecessary out. He squeezed her hand. "I want to be here."

She nodded and closed her eyes. Her grip on his hand released and walked to her bedroom door, leaving it cracked behind him.