I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm

Nine

Danny groans. His fever is up again, but he feels so cold.

There is a knock on the door, and he stands up shakily, puts his robe on, puts a mask on, and goes downstairs.

It is the gas guy with the part to fix the heater.

He shows the man downstairs, keeping a 6-foot distance, nearly taking a tumble halfway down the stairs.

"You don't look so good, man," the technician observes.

"I have a cold. It's not COVID--I got tested."

He watches the guy work until finally he says, "You're good to go. House should start warming up soon. We'll mail you a bill."

He leaves, and Danny goes upstairs to their room. "Heat's back on, it should start warming up. Though I think I liked it better when it was cold." Danny is feeling hot now. He sways, suddenly dizzy.

Linda's quick to be by his side, guides him to sit down. "We don't need two flus, a busted rib, and a broken foot. If you're feeling dizzy, I can get you something for it."

"Would you?"

"Mhmm," she leaves for a minute, thankful the nurse and practical part of her brain made her put all the medications in their bathroom as well as downstairs in the kitchen. She doesn't think she can take the stairs again. She comes back in with the pills in her palm, "Danny, you said you'd prefer the cold. But you hate the cold; has your fever spiked again?"

"Dunno." Danny's burning up.

He grabs the trashcan and throws up.

Linda grimaces; Danny rarely gets sick, but when he does, he gets really sick.

Danny groans. "Forget the pill. I'll just throw it up."

It's Dramamine--for nausea and dizziness--and Linda coaxes him to take it.

He swallows it with the tiniest amount of water needed to get the pill down his throat. "Any other 'fun' symptoms I should look for?" he grumbles.

**
After a couple hours of throwing up his guts, Danny's finally able to lie down. He shivers. "Now I'm cold again. What's my temp?"

The heat's working--he hears it working--but he's freezing.

He puts a pillow over his head.

"You've been taking care of me all day...how are you feeling?" he asks, his voice muffled by the pillow.

She sits on the bed, takes the pillow away and lays against it. She feels like absolute trash, but tells him, "okay, I guess. I still feel dizzy and nauseous. I'm still really congested." She sneezes as if to prove her point. "And we have heat now, so that's a big plus."

He supposes that's true, even if he's not exactly grateful for the heat at this moment. Stupid fever.

**********

When Linda looks at the clock again, it's two in the afternoon. She should get up to make something easy on the stomach, or to even get crackers just to have something inside. But she doesn't feel like moving, and Danny's finally asleep, trapping her next to him beneath his arm. She stays out for a while, glad that the heat is back. Maybe now Danny will start to feel mentally a little better.

Danny's laughter interrupt her thoughts and the silence, making her jump slightly. "Linda," he says between giggles.

"What?"

His giggles turn into laughs as he rolls to his back and looks to the ceiling.

Linda's eyes follow his, throughly confused.