A/N: In case I don't update before the end of the year (I'm definitely going to try), I want to wish all of you a wonderful holiday season! I love and appreciate you all and I hope that my little story makes your day even just a little bit better! Hope you enjoy!
Jed was more than a little disoriented when he woke during the night, his sleep-addled brain trying to remember where he was, and as the events of the last few hours slowly began to return to his memory, he smiled, blindly reaching out to pull Abbey into his arms. He frowned when his hand touched the cool sheets instead of her warm skin, and when he opened his eyes, he blinked rapidly. When his eyes finally adjusted to the darkness, he finally saw her, sitting in the chair by the window wearing only the hotel bathrobe, looking up at the sky, a strange expression on her face.
"Abbey? Honey, are you okay?"
She turned her head at the sound of his voice, giving him a small smile.
"Fine. What are you doing up?"
He raised himself to a sitting position, nodding at her as she curled her feet under her body.
"I could ask you the same question."
She laughed quietly, shaking her head as he watched her. In fact, if he looked closely, her entire body seemed to be shaking, and he frowned as he realized she might be as "fine" as she would have liked him to believe.
"I don't know," she said finally, answering his question slowly, "I just woke up, and couldn't manage to fall asleep again. I didn't want to bother you, so I decided to come and sit by the window. The stars are beautiful tonight, Jed. Come look."
He swung his feet over the edge of the bed, noticing the chill in the room for the first time, and when he reached her, Abbey nodded out the window. He had to admit that she was right, several constellations visible due to the clear night, and he leaned closer, kissing her cheek lightly. Her skin was cold beneath his lips, and he frowned as he realized how long she must have been sitting there, now understanding that she had been shivering from the chill in spite of the robe she was wearing.
"You're freezing," he told her softly, "Why don't you come back to bed? The stars aren't going anywhere, and the last thing you need is to sit here and catch your death."
Abbey nodded, looking out the window thoughtfully.
"I will. It just occurred to me that I don't really have many chances to look at the stars. Between class, studying, psychiatric sessions, and you…I'm just too busy to truly appreciate them."
"Well, if you'd rather look at the stars than be with me," he muttered sarcastically, "I can always go back to bed by myself and…"
She laughed, shaking her head, and grabbing his hand with her icy fingers, almost cold enough to make him flinch.
"No! I don't think so, Bartlet. I told you; you're stuck with me now."
Allowing him to pull her from the chair, Abbey smiled as he kissed her, a laugh falling from her lips as he lifted her into his arms, walking towards the bed.
"Jed, I am capable of walking, you know."
"Okay, if you're going to be that way about it…"
He trailed off playfully, tossing her onto the mattress, taking great care not to hurt her, and when he had climbed into the bed next to her, he was pleased to see she was laughing. He kissed her slowly, running his hands over every part of her skin that he could reach, doing everything in his power to bring back the warmth that the night air had stolen. Abbey's hand wound into his hair, thankfully warmer than it had been the last time she'd touched him, and when she broke away several moments later, she smiled, slipping out of the bathrobe before pulling the sheets around her body.
"We should probably go to sleep."
He nodded, running his fingers through her hair.
"Probably. But, there is one thing I want to tell you first. Astra tam superba essent ut atomos suos cognoscerent similem tui creatam."
Abbey frowned, looking at him as he moved to his side of the bed, offering no resistance as he held her against his chest.
"Translation, please, Jethro," she said with a smirk.
"Don't call me that," he said half-serious, "It means the stars would be so proud to know their atoms created someone like you. I love you, Abbey. I feel like a part of my soul has loved you since the beginning of creation. I know things have been hard for you over the past few weeks, and I just wanted you to know how much you mean to me."
Abbey smiled, kissing him slowly, running her fingertips lightly over his cheek.
"That's the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me. And not to ruin the moment, but things are getting better. Not that I'm saying I want you to ever stop saying such sweet things."
Jed looked at her seriously, tilting his head curiously.
"I didn't say they hadn't gotten better, but I hate to break it to you: you're not hiding it as well as you think. At least not from me. I know you, Abigail. I still see you jump when someone comes up behind you too quickly, you still don't sleep as much as you should, and you still avoid leaving your room when at all possible."
Abbey sighed, her eyes sad as she glanced at him.
"You're too observant."
He laughed quietly, kissing her hair as he tightened his hold on her, running his fingers absentmindedly up and down her arm.
"Only about important things. My point still stands. I love you, and even if you walked away right now, even if you shattered my heart without looking back, I would still love you. I'd be pissed and upset, but I could never stop loving you."
Abbey closed her eyes, settling into his embrace, and just before he could feel himself about to give in to the call of sleep, he heard her voice, quiet and warm in the darkness.
"Je t'aime plus que toutes les étoiles de l'univers."
He didn't speak French, but he knew enough about the timbre of Abbey's voice to guess what she'd said, and when she whispered it again in English, it was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard.
"I love you more than all the stars in the universe."
Abbey winced slightly in pain as she was hauled into the dorm room by Millie, rolling her eyes as soon as the door had slammed shut behind them, and jerked her arm free, massaging the area gently.
"Damn, Millie! What are you trying to do, yank my arm out of the socket?"
"You've been away for an entire weekend with one Josiah Bartlet, and I expect you to tell me about every last detail with the understanding that if you leave anything out, I reserve the right to beat you to death with a pillow."
Abbey laughed, shaking her head as she made her way over to her bed, sitting down on the mattress gracefully.
"Do you really want to face Jed's wrath when he finds out you've murdered me? You know how scary he can be when he's angry, and I'm pretty sure the death of his girlfriend would be enough to make him completely snap. No one would be safe."
Considering this, Millie finally nodded, coming to sit next to her friend on her bed, nudging her lightly with her elbow.
"You're right about that. I would hate to be the person who has to deal with a pissed off Jed. I've been there, it's not fun. But seriously, what happened? Did you spend the entire weekend in bed? Did you even eat? You're probably starving. I think I might have a sleeve of crackers around here somewhere if you—"
"Millie!" Abbey exclaimed, laughing, "I'll give you the short version if you just shut up for a damn minute."
When she was sure Millie wouldn't interrupt her again, Abbey pulled her legs up, tucking them under her body to be more comfortable.
"We spent the weekend at the same hotel I went to a few weeks ago and yes, while we did spend a vast majority of our time in bed, we did actually take time to eat and shower. No, there was no sex in the shower, which I know is what you're dying to ask next, and it was a lovely weekend. Did I forget anything?"
Millie stared at her as though she'd gone insane, grabbing her arm, and lightly shaking her.
"A lovely weekend?" she repeated, "Don't give me the sweet version! At least tell me how many times you slept together! I'm living through you, I need my vicarious orgasms, Abigail!"
Abbey didn't think she could have stopped the burst of laughter that erupted at Millie's words even if she had tried, and she fell over on her bed, laughing so hard that she didn't know if she would ever stop. When she had finally managed to control her breathing again, there were tears streaming down her face, and she straightened, ignoring the bewildered look on her friend's face.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Millie," she said a hint of laughter still in her voice, "but I can't tell you how many times. I don't remember. I lost count after five."
"Five? Like, five times in a row, or…what? Damn, who would have thought that Jed Bartlet of all people—"
"No," Abbey interrupted, laughing again, "Not five times in a row. Let's just say that it was a weekend well spent."
"Fine," Millie said, pouting slightly, "But at least tell me what your favourite part of the whole weekend was."
Abbey was quiet for a minute as she considered Millie's question, and as she thought back to the first night, she realized she knew exactly which moment to choose.
"He said the most beautiful thing to me the first night we were there. It made me feel like the most special person in the world. But it was in Latin, so it was even more sexy than usual."
"Latin is sexy?" Millie asked, looking doubtful.
"Only when Jed speaks it," Abbey replied with a smile.
Millie's eyes flew open at the scream that ripped through the quiet of the night, and when her tired mind finally realized that it had been Abbey, she flew from her bed, on the opposite side of the room in a matter of seconds. She couldn't remember if she was meant to wake up a person during a nightmare, but when she noticed the tear tracks staining Abbey's face, she knew she didn't have the heart to make her continue suffering. She reached out to shake her, Abbey jerking awake with a scream, and as she dodged the swing she was sure would have hurt like hell, Millie tried to calm her, though it seemed easier said than done. She grabbed Abbey's wrists in an attempt to protect both of them, and she tried to keep the worry out of her voice as she spoke.
"Abbey, it's okay! It was just a nightmare. Nothing is going to hurt you. You're safe now, it's okay! Abbey!"
She finally saw recognition flicker in Abbey's eyes, and she stopped struggling, her entire body trembling even as she tried to take a breath.
"Millie? Oh, god…it seemed so real…I could feel the knife cutting into my skin…I could hear it scraping against the bone…I couldn't get away, no matter how hard I tried, and I—I'm so sorry, Millie."
Her voice broke as she began to cry, collapsing against Millie's body, and as she sobbed, Millie ran her hand over her hair, trying her best to keep calm. It wasn't often that she saw her friend so upset, and she was feeling more than a little out of her depth. Her only plan was to offer what support she could and hope like hell she wasn't making the situation worse. She frowned when she noticed that Abbey's breathing had changed, no longer the deep, wrenching sobs from before, and she looked down at her worriedly.
"Abbey?"
Her breath tore from her chest in short, painful gasps, and she didn't appear to have heard Millie, her eyes staring blankly ahead, glassy and unfocused. Millie leaned closer, trying to catch her attention, and shook her lightly without even realizing it.
"Abbey, can you hear me?"
It took several attempts for Abbey to speak, her lips trembling as she tried to control her breathing, and her voice was barely above a whisper.
"M-Millie, I c-can't…I…"
She stopped, unable to finish speaking, and Millie suddenly felt more afraid than she had in over a month. Abbey had never stuttered in all the time she'd known her, and it was this more than anything that scared her senseless. She stood quickly, still holding the other girl's wrists in her hands, hoping she would understand.
"I'll be right back, Abbey. I promise. Stay here."
She didn't stop to consider asking anyone in their building for help, she didn't stop to think about what would happen should she be caught running across the campus in the middle of the night, she simply ran, bolting for the one person she thought might have the best luck in helping. Her footsteps were loud as she made a mad dash for Jed's dorm, her lungs screaming at her for air as she pushed them to their limit. She had no idea how serious Abbey's condition might be, but she sure as hell wasn't going to waste time trying to figure it out.
Skidding to a halt outside Jed's door, she knocked urgently, hoping she hadn't woken anyone else up in the process, and when there was no answer, she swore, her panic rising. She knocked again, praying that they just hadn't heard her, and when the door swung open a minute later, she nearly cried in relief at the sight of Jeremy standing on the other side.
"Can I help you?"
"Is Jed here? I need to see him. It's important."
"Better be, for four in the morning," Jeremy mumbled, shaking his head, "Yeah, he's sleeping, though."
"Please wake him up. It's an emergency."
Jeremy merely nodded, pausing just as he turned to go back in the room.
"Hey…you're Millie, right? Abbey's roommate?"
Millie nodded.
"Yes, now would you please get Jed?"
Jeremy walked over to his bed, picking up a pillow and launching it at Jed, smirking at the mumbled curses that reached his ears moments later, and shook his head.
"Jed, get up."
Jed muttered something that sounded strangely like "Fuck off" and Jeremy shook his head again, walking closer and shoving him roughly.
"Wasn't asking. Get up, Millie's here. Says it's an emergency."
The mention of Millie was enough to cut through Jed's annoyance at being woken up, and he immediately sat up, reaching for a shirt. When his eyes landed on the blonde still standing in the doorway, he wasted no time in making his way across the room, closing the door behind him as he stepped into the hallway. He pulled on his shoes, looking at Millie as he tied the laces, his voice low.
"What's going on? What's the big emergency?"
"It's Abbey. She—"
Jed ran, giving her no time to say anything more, and as she quickly took off after him, Millie prayed that she hadn't made a terrible mistake.
Abbey was still in the same place she had been when Millie ran from their room, and as Jed crashed through the door, whatever words he had been planning to say died on his lips. He had never seen Abbey so pale, never seen her body shake this badly, and when he made his way closer to her, her fingers immediately locked around his shirt, her grip so tight that her skin was pure white. He sat down on the bed, his eyes wide as she struggled to pull in oxygen, and he reached out to touch her cheek lightly, hoping she would look at him.
"Abbey? What happened, honey? Can you look at me for just a minute?"
Abbey's eyes still held that same far-off look that had so worried Millie, and Jed tilted her head up, trying to see if she would focus. He carefully pried her fingers loose from his shirt, holding her hand in his, and he rubbed them together, trying to warm her skin. She didn't seem to be aware of anything around her, and Jed glanced at Millie briefly before moving closer, running one of his hands through her hair.
"Can you try to take a deep breath for me?"
"I c-can't, J-Jed," she gasped, shaking her head quickly, "I—"
"Shhh…" he whispered, "Just breathe, baby. You can tell me later, okay? Deep breath in, breathe out slowly. You can do it, Abbey."
Abbey closed her eyes, trying desperately to match her breathing with Jed's, and as he watched her, Millie made her way back to her own bed, her eyes watching them worriedly. It took several minutes for Abbey's breathing to slow, her head falling weakly onto Jed's shoulder, and when he thought the worst had passed, he carefully pulled her into his arms, kissing her hair softly. She was still shaking violently but considering the state she had been in when he had first arrived, Jed thought it was a massive improvement.
He ran his fingers slowly through her hair, never once relinquishing his hold on her, and when she finally raised her head from its place on his shoulder, his eyes met hers seriously.
"Been a long time since you've had a night like this," he said softly, "Was it the same nightmare as usual?"
Abbey shook her head, closing her eyes slowly.
"No," she whispered, "this was so much worse. I was in this room, I couldn't see much, but I think it might have been a basement, and there were ropes around my wrists and ankles. I couldn't see his face, but I don't think it was Howson. Whoever it was, he grabbed me and pulled me across the floor…I could feel it scraping my skin, and…"
She paused, taking a shaking breath, keeping her eyes closed.
"He told me…he told me that he wanted to know what my skin tasted like and there was this big knife. Like, a hunting knife, and he started cutting into my skin, cutting into my ankle…I could smell the blood and I heard the knife against the bone…I just…Jed, it felt so real."
She began to cry again, tears spilling onto the sheets, and Jed cradled her against his chest, his voice low in the darkness.
"You're safe now," he said gently, "I promise. Now, do you want to try laying down again?"
Abbey immediately began to tremble, moving as close as to Jed as possible without being in his lap, and shook her head against his chest.
"No! I can't risk having another dream like that," her words were rushed, bordering on panic, "You don't understand, Jed, I thought this was over, I thought I'd gotten past the nightmares, and now—"
"Abbey, shh…slow down," he kept his voice quiet, "It's okay. You don't have to sleep now. But you need to take things slow, okay? We don't need you to start hyperventilating again. Just lie here with me, and we can just wait for the sun to come up. Okay? Does that sound better than sleeping?"
She nodded, pulling back from his body just enough to look at Millie, offering her a weak smile.
"I'm so sorry, Millie."
Millie nodded.
"You said that earlier, but what for? Waking me up? It's no big deal. I have a late class today, so I can always take a nap if I need to."
Abbey shook her head, needing her to understand.
"You shouldn't have to. I'm a terrible roommate and if you want to switch and be with someone else, I wouldn't hold it against you at all."
Millie laughed, standing and walking over to them, leaning down to give Abbey a tight hug.
"Listen, Abs, I knew you were crazy from the day we met, but that's the craziest thing you've ever said. You're not a terrible roommate, and if you weren't having trouble sleeping after everything that's happened, I would probably be even more worried. That would be psychopath behaviour, and then I would be awake all night, scared you'd murder me in my sleep. At least this way I'm not in fear for my life."
She kissed her cheek before going back to her own bed, and Jed looked at Abbey, brushing her hair back so he could see her eyes.
"How are you feeling now, babe?"
Abbey sighed, blinking hard.
"I'm actually a little dizzy," she admitted quietly.
Jed nodded, moving so that he was laying in the bed, holding out his arms. She fell into them, smiling when she felt his lips press into her hair, and she took a deep breath, inhaling the comforting scent of his soap.
"I'm not surprised you're dizzy. Lack of oxygen will do that. It's a wonder you didn't pass out."
She was silent for so long that at first, he thought she might have fallen back asleep, and as he closed his eyes, Jed tried to pretend that he didn't feel the tug of sleep calling out to him as well.
"Jed?"
Her voice was so soft he almost missed it, but he opened his eyes just enough to glance down at her.
"Hm?"
"I'm sorry I'm such a mess. You don't deserve to constantly have your nights interrupted by me."
Jed laughed softly.
"Nice try, babe, but you're not going to pull that sacrificial act on me. I'm not going anywhere, Abigail, and if you think you can get rid of me that easily, you're wrong. If I minded, do you really think I would still be here? I'm young, not stupid."
Abbey laughed, raising up to kiss him lightly.
"No one would ever accuse you of being stupid, Jed."
"Tell that to Jeremy," Jed replied dryly, "I think his favourite pastime is telling me how stupid I am."
Abbey frowned, looking slightly concerned.
"What? Why?"
Jed shrugged.
"Because it took me so long to admit how much I cared about you and that I would have never been happy just being your friend. He practically shoved me out the door after I told him I wasn't going to be a priest and told me to find you to tell you how I felt. I'm really glad he did, though, because you're the most important thing in my life and I wouldn't change what we have for anything in the universe."
Abbey smiled, reaching for his hand, and as she entwined their fingers together, she swore that no matter how long it took, she would do everything in her power to remind Jed just how much she loved him. Even if it took an eternity.
From the moment Jed opened his eyes, he knew something was wrong, and as he blinked in the bright morning sun, he quickly realized what it was. He was shivering. Not that this would have been out of place on this slightly chilly April morning, but Jed was used to the bitter New Hampshire winters and a slightly windy day would not have normally been enough to cause such a reaction. He could hear Jeremy snoring lightly in the bed across the room, and when his alarm clock screeched loudly in the silence, Jed winced, the sound grating on his ears. He stayed where he was as Jeremy tumbled out of his bed, muttering a few choice words as he smacked the small alarm, and as he searched for his toothbrush, he gave his roommate a strange look.
"You okay, Jed? You look like hell."
Jed shook his head, trying to force his body to an upright position, regretting the action instantly as his head began to spin, making him more than a little nauseous. He swallowed thickly, willing himself not to vomit, and closed his eyes, praying the feeling would stop sooner rather than later.
"I'm fine," he mumbled, though he felt anything but fine.
Jeremy nodded, looking at him skeptically as he walked towards the door.
"If you say so. Maybe you should stay in bed today. You really don't look good."
It was several minutes after Jeremy had left the room that Jed was finally able to force himself to stand, his footsteps slightly shaky, and as he slowly began dressing for the day, he took several deep breaths. He could do this. It was only two classes and a study session with Abbey. He would be back in bed before too long, and then he could sleep for as long as he wanted.
With the way he felt, he was sure he would be sleeping for three days straight.
By some miracle, Jed made it through his morning classes without incident, and as he walked the short distance to the library, he blinked, his vision still a little hazy. He very nearly crashed into a bookshelf more than once on his way to the Reference section, and when he finally fell into the chair Abbey typically occupied, he dimly wondered where she was. His question was answered less than a minute later when she returned to their table carrying several notebooks, and it took him longer than he would have ever admitted to realize that she had said his name.
"Jed, are you okay? You look really pale."
He nodded, his vision spinning as he did so, and Abbey walked closer, placing the notebooks she'd been carrying on the table. Her hand pressed to his forehead, frowning at the heat rolling off his skin, and when she noticed the slight sheen of sweat on his face, she shook her head seriously.
"You're burning up. Come on, this can wait. You need to go back to your room and lie down."
"I'm fine, Abbey," he protested, hoping his voice sounded stronger than he felt.
"You are most certainly not fine, and if you even dare try to convince me otherwise, I'll walk out of this library, and you'll never see me again. I'm putting these back in my bag, and as soon as I'm finished, I'm walking you back to your dorm and making sure you get some rest. Is that clear?"
As badly as he wanted to protest, he didn't want to risk her making good on her threat, and Jed merely nodded, watching her through glassy eyes as she swung her bag over her shoulder.
"Let's go, boyfriend."
It took longer for them to walk back to his dorm room than he could ever remember in his memory, Abbey carefully making sure he didn't stumble too often, and when she opened the door to his room, he gave her a weak smile.
"I think I can take it from here."
Abbey watched him for a moment then nodded, releasing her hold on his waist.
"Okay," she said lightly, "Go ahead."
He took a step closer to his bed, his vision lurching suddenly to the right, and as he felt his body begin to sway, Abbey wrapped her arm around his waist again, a slightly amused look in her eyes.
"You were saying?"
Jed sighed, begrudgingly allowing her to help him to the bed, and as he collapsed on the mattress, she moved his legs, pulling the blankets around his still-shivering body. She took his wrist in her hand, using the clock on the wall to monitor his pulse, and he gave her a weak smile as she sat on the edge of the bed.
"Do you even know what you're doing?" he asked tiredly.
"Hush," she snapped lightly, "I can't count if you're talking."
He smirked in spite of the pounding in his head, and when she placed his arm back down, she smiled, reaching out to run her fingers through his slightly damp hair.
"Your pulse is normal, but you definitely have a fever. I don't suppose you have a thermometer anywhere around here, do you?"
Jed gestured vaguely to his bedside table, coughing harshly as he took a breath.
"Should be one in there," he said hoarsely, "But Abbey—"
He coughed again, the sound thick and wet, making her frown, and as she located the small thermometer, she shook her head.
"Open your mouth and hold this under your tongue until I say so."
Knowing it would be pointless to argue, Jed did as she asked, flinching slightly at the cool metal, and as she turned her eyes to the clock on the wall, Abbey reached for his hand, holding it gently in her own. Once the full minute had passed, she pulled the thermometer from his mouth, holding it close to her eyes, narrowing them in concentration.
"Well, it's not dangerously high, but it's high enough. 103.4. You're staying in bed until it goes down, and I don't want to hear a word about it. Understood?"
"Abbey, you shouldn't be here. You'll get sick, and that won't be good for either of us."
Abbey ran her hand through his hair, leaning over to kiss his forehead, and she smiled as she looked at him.
"You let me worry about that," she said quietly, "You just need to get some rest."
"You're just going to sit here and watch me sleep?" he asked in confusion.
She laughed, shaking her head.
"I'm sure I can find some way to entertain myself. But yes, I am going to stay here at least until Jeremy gets back. You're in no condition to be up walking around. You could pass out and cause even more damage."
Jed sighed, trying again.
"But Abbey—"
"Shh," she whispered, leaning down to kiss his forehead again, "Just go to sleep, baby."
As much as he hated to admit it, sleep sounded wonderful, and before he had even realized what had happened, he had closed his eyes, the last thing his mind registering was the feeling of her cool fingers in his hair.
Jeremy was more than a little confused when he walked into his dorm room to find Abigail Barrington sitting on the ground, her back propped up against Jed's bed as she read a book, his roommate seemingly sound asleep. He frowned as he closed the door, careful not to make too much noise, and when she raised her eyes from the book, she gave him a warm smile.
"Hey," she offered as a greeting.
"Abbey," he replied, nodding at her, "Any special reason you're sitting on the floor and not laying on top of Jed? I would think that would be where you'd prefer to be."
For a moment, he was worried he had crossed a line, but Abbey merely laughed, shaking her head as she closed the book she had been reading.
"Normally, yes. But Jed's sick, so I walked him back here and made him get some sleep. I was just waiting for you to come back so you could help him if he needs anything."
Jeremy frowned, shaking his head.
"I would Abbey, but I have class in a few minutes and if I don't go to this one, they might actually kick me out of it. I only came back to grab my book. I'm really sorry."
Abbey smiled, waving his apology away as he tucked his book under his arm.
"No worries. I'll keep an eye on him. His fever should break within an hour or so. It doesn't appear to be life-threatening or anything."
"If he gives you too much trouble, just hold a pillow over his head. At least until the twitching stops," Jeremy said with a wink as he opened the door.
"Don't tempt me," Abbey muttered jokingly.
The shivering of Jed's body that had only been a slight annoyance earlier in the day had now taken over in a much more violent way and as Abbey watched him sleep from her place on the floor, she frowned as she realized that the fever might not break on its own. She stood slowly, quietly searching the bedside table for anything that could potentially help, and when she found a small bottle of aspirin, she smiled triumphantly. She sat down gingerly on the edge of the bed, lightly shaking Jed awake, and when he opened his eyes, she couldn't help but notice how bright and unfocused they were.
"Abbey? You're still here?"
She nodded, giving him a smile.
"Of course. I'm not going to leave you alone like this when you're sick. I found some aspirin and I think you should take it. It will help break your fever and you won't feel quite as bad."
He nodded slowly, wincing in pain, and when she noticed this, Abbey frowned, looking at him worriedly.
"What is it, honey?"
"Head hurts like hell," he answered, closing his eyes tiredly.
"Well, aspirin will help with that, too. Do you want me to grab a glass of water? It would be easier than swallowing them dry."
"It's fine," he said, "Better just get it over with."
She shook out two pills into her hand, holding them out carefully, and Jed grimaced as he swallowed them, the bitter taste almost enough to make him gag. When he was certain he wasn't at risk of vomiting them back up, he sighed, letting his head fall back onto his pillow in exhaustion. He was still sweating in spite of the chill he felt, and as Abbey gently ran her fingers through his hair, he coughed, feeling as though his lungs were being ripped from his chest.
"Are you sure you don't want a glass of water?" Abbey asked again, her voice carefully low.
Realizing it might help the scratchy feeling in the back of his throat, Jed accepted her offer to bring him a glass and as she disappeared down the hall to retrieve it, he sank back against the pillows, feeling more exhausted than he could ever remember. He didn't move when he heard Abbey return to the room, opening his eyes only when she sat down on the bed, and as she helped him to a sitting position, he fought to hold his head upright, looking at her apologetically.
"Sorry about all this."
Abbey laughed lightly, her hold on his body the only thing keeping him from toppling over.
"I don't mind. It's good practice, you know. I don't think I'll get to be a doctor without encountering at least a few sick people."
Though he knew she made a very valid point, it did little to ease his guilt, and as she held the glass of water up for him to drink, he felt suddenly embarrassed at having her see him like this.
"You don't have to stay, Abbey."
She rolled her eyes.
"I know I don't," she said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, "I want to. You and I both know that you would do the same thing for me, and I would never forgive myself if I let you suffer alone when it wasn't strictly necessary. So get used to it, Jed. That's what we do. We take care of each other, and we'll get through this. Together, or not at all, just like we've done everything for the past four months."
Jed was too tired to argue with her logic, not that he had the slightest idea of what his argument would have even been, and as he laid back down on the bed, Abbey kissed his cheek.
"Get some sleep and I'll wake you in a little bit to see if you feel like eating."
Food was the farthest thing from his mind, but he nodded, closing his eyes as she moved back to her former place on the floor.
"Abbey?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
"No need to thank me, but you're welcome. I love you, baby. Now, get some rest."
"Love you, too," he murmured sleepily.
Several hours after Jeremy had returned from his class found both he and Abbey keeping watch over Jed as he slept, and as he pulled out a deck of cards, he looked at his roommate's girlfriend curiously.
"You up for a game?"
Abbey frowned.
"Depends on your poison."
Jeremy began shuffling the deck, nodding at her once.
"Gin. Loser has to pay twenty bucks."
Considering this, Abbey finally nodded, smiling as she walked over to Jeremy's side of the room, careful to keep Jed in her line of sight in case he needed anything.
"You're on."
"Ladies first," he said handing her the deck, "You deal."
Abbey smirked. He really had no idea what he'd just gotten himself into…
Keeping her face carefully neutral, Abbey reached for a card in the pile, almost certain she was going to win this round. The ten of diamonds stared up at her, and as she did some quick math in her head, she knew her calculations had been correct, and when she smiled, she fought against the urge to laugh.
"Gin," she said quietly, laughing at the incredulous look on Jeremy's face.
"Damn it," he muttered, glancing over at Jed, "What do you say, best three out of five?"
She shook her head, a mischievous smile playing across her lips as she stood to check on her boyfriend.
"Nope. Sorry, Jeremy, but I really do have to get back to my room. Besides, you already owe me forty dollars."
She touched Jed's forehead lightly, satisfied that his fever seemed to be breaking, and as she leaned down to kiss him softly, Jeremy smiled, looking at her seriously.
"Hey, Abbey?"
She straightened, running her hand through her hair.
"Yeah?"
"I know we don't really get much chance to talk, but I just wanted you to know I'm so happy for you and Jed. He's really lucky to have someone like you and you bring out the best version of him. I don't think I've ever seen him this happy in all the time I've known him."
Abbey smiled, glancing back at Jed as she walked to the door, hugging Jeremy before she pulled it open.
"Thank you," she said sincerely, "If he gets worse or if you just get tired of dealing with him, come find me. I'll be happy to take over."
She swept from the room, leaving only a hint of vanilla perfume in her wake, and as Jeremy closed the door, he laughed quietly to himself, sitting back down on his bed. Damn, he hoped he would find a woman like Abbey one day.
A/N: I realized something while watching Two Cathedrals awhile back: Jed speaking in Latin is incredibly sexy to me. Abbey is also gorgeous beyond belief, but that's not really episode-centric. Fun fact: a perk (or curse, depending on how you choose to look at it) of being a bisexual woman (speaking for myself only) is being attracted to both Martin Sheen and Stockard Channing.