Music And Silence- A Reylo AU

Chapter 6- Tate Date

Sunday morning came and went, and it was Sunday afternoon when Rae rolled out of bed. The flat was weirdly quiet. She put the kettle on and checked the rooms. Rose's door was shut, nothing unusual there, but so was Phoebe's.

She wrapped on the door, "Phoebe?"

No answer. She pushed down on the handle; it was dark in the room and stuffy.

"Phoebe?"

Her eyes adjusted to the dark, and she could make Phoebe's figure out under the covers. She went over, sat on the edge, and reached out a hand to check her friend wasn't dead.

"Phoebe?"

Phoebe's head was boiling and clammy, and she turned and murmured at the feel of Rae's cool hand.

"Rae?"

Her voice sounded weak and hoarse.

"You OK?"

"I feel cold and thirsty."

"Think you might be sick, honey. I'll get you some pills and some squash."

Phoebe didn't respond. Rae went to the bathroom for paracetamol and then a big glass of squash.

"Phoebe, hun, come on, take these and then you can go back to sleep."

It took Rae a few minutes, but she got Phoebe to sit up enough to take the tablets before she rolled over and went back to sleep.

Rae edged back out of the room. It was 12:30; she'd check on her again in four hours if she didn't make an appearance before then get her to eat something and take some more tablets.

Rae sat in the living room eating biscuits with tea; she'd been watching Star Trek for about an hour when Rose trudged in, wrapped in a blanket and curled up next to her.
"Star Trek?"

"Yeah."

"First one?"

"Yep."

Rose checked her watch, "Might have time to watch all three. Where's Phoebe?"

"In bed." Rose sat up now, her face screwed up in disbelief, "She's sick. I gave her some tablets. If she doesn't surface by the end of the movie, I'll go in force some toast in her."

"Sad face. Was looking forward to the gossip."

"Gossip will have to wait."

-X-

"Oh, this is a disaster!" Hux exclaimed, pacing back and forth again. He was holding his phone in his hand expectantly or checking it over like it was broken.

"How so?" Ben queried.

"She hasn't replied."

"You're gonna wear a hole in the floor," Ben replied around mouthfuls of cornflakes.

Hux stopped and looked at him, and Ben raised his eyebrows. They both knew it wasn't a disaster. Nothing of the sort, both of them had, had far worse than getting riled up about a date. Hux was fretting.

"Why might she not be messaging back, mate? Think logically."

"She might be asleep, busy, her phone is turned off or silent or broken, or lost, or she might have changed her mind about me?"

"Which of those are logical?" Ben asked.

Hux gave him an annoyed face, "Don't play the psychology card with me, Ben?"

Ben shrugged innocently, "I only mean, mate, that given previous behaviour, it's doubtful that she's not replying cos her feelings for you have changed, regardless of how ginger you are in the daylight. There are many potential reasons, so try not to freak out."