A Beauteous Flower

Chapter 40 - The Chills and Fever

Madison didn't remember too much of the next couple of days. As Daniel had predicted the combination of stress and cold gave Madison a wicked flu and for the next few days she reeled in and out of a stupor of fever. Most of her memories were snapshots.

Daniel carried her to a hot bath to soak and the hot water warmed her enough that she could wiggle her fingers and toes. However, it did nothing to staunch the flow of raw emotion that poured out of the exhausted Madison. While he sat on the edge of the tub and gently washed her body and hair, Madison fitfully burst out in sobs and apologies. Daniel didn't say much, but each time she got upset, he would give her a gentle kiss on the forehead and that would help her calm down for a while.

When she was warm enough to stand, Daniel helped her out of the tub and dried her body with a thick warm towel. As he dried her hair, Madison tried to kiss Daniel, but Daniel would only hug her and kiss her forehead. Madison wheedled and whined, but Daniel finally told her that she wasn't in any kind of shape for that. That caused Madison to blubber again because as raw as her emotions were, that refusal, while very logical, felt like a bitter rejection.

While she alternately bawled and apologized, Daniel wrapped her in a big warm towel and gently "shushed" her back to some semblance of calm. Then he scooped her up and gently settled her in their bed. While he tucked her in and stacked extra blankets on her, Madison plead for him to lie down with her, but he told her he had to go feed Gandalf and make a few phone calls. Then he built a large fire in the fireplace and left the room. Madison tried to stay awake until he came back, but her exhausted body betrayed her, and she fell fast asleep.

Sometime later, she awoke with a sinister flu complete with fever and chills while her head throbbed, and her body ached. The sun streamed from the east over the lake, so she must have slept through to the next day. Achingly, she turned her eyes towards Daniel's side of the bed and hoped to see him there next to her, but Daniel wasn't there.  Madison's flu fogged mind immediately settled on the conclusion that she had dreamed the whole apology to Daniel while she had carelessly overslept and missed her last chance. Now she would never be able to fix her marriage and soon they would be divorced, and she would be stuck with Steve the Oaf or someone equally as undesirable for the rest of her life. In her weakened condition, this thought devastated Madison. She tried to get up, but the flu left her too weak to move. All she could do was cry violently in a hoarse, nasal voice and flap her arms against the restraint of the bed clothes.

Then in the midst of her misery, Madison heard someone run up the stairs and the bedroom door came open. There stood Daniel in a T-Shirt and jeans and Madison had never been so glad to see anyone in her entire life.

"I love you!" she blubbered as Daniel came to the bedside. She held out her arms to him, and Daniel cradled her into a hug.

"Don't leave me!" Madison wheedled.

"I can't. You're a mess."

Daniel kissed her forehead.

"Jesus, you're on fire!"

Daniel retrieved a thermometer from the nightstand and scanned it over Madison's forehead.

"100 right on the nose," he clucked in concern. "If your fever gets any higher, I'll have to take you to the hospital."

"I don't want to go to the hospital!" Madison wailed miserably. "Don't send me away! Please! Let me stay here with you!"

Daniel stroked Madison's cheek and "shushed" her calm. Fever chills gripped her, and Madison clutched the blankets up under her chin.

"I'm freezing," whispered Madison.

"OK, let me stoke up the fire."

Daniel crossed to the hearth and banked the fire until it roared. The room warmed quickly, and decreased Madison's shivers. Daniel also stacked another thick blanket on Madison and rubbed her arms and shoulders to warm her with friction. Finally, Madison's shivers subsided, and Daniel stood up.

"Stay with me!" Madison whined. "Stay with me!"

Madison scooched in the bed to make room for Daniel to lie down next to her, but Daniel shook his head. The room spun as sleep closed in on her vision.

"Is this a dream?" she asked drowsily.

"It's real, Madison. Now you need to sleep this off."

"I'm sorry, Daniel. I love you."

"I know, Madison. We'll talk about it all later, OK? Right now, you need to get better."

"Please! Please stay."

Daniel leaned down, brushed back Madison's hair and gently kissed her forehead.

"It's OK, Madison. I'll be just downstairs; OK?"

"Don't leave!"

"Don't worry. You just feel better."

"Daniel, I don't want a divorce!"

"Relax, Madison. Don't get too worked up."

Madison tried to push herself up, but Daniel gently pinned her to the mattress, so she started to weep again.

"I'm scared!" she sniffled at him. "What if you leave?"

"Won't happen. Call me and I'll come," Daniel reassured her.

A small weight jumped up on the bed near her feet. Gandalf's gray face studied Madison and his lullaby of purrs vibrated in her tired ears.

"Hi, Gandalf," Daniel greeted him. "Look, Madison is awake."

Daniel turned to Madison.

"Gandalf has been worried about you. For the last two days he paws at the door until I let him in so he can check on you. He only leaves to eat and go to the bathroom."

Gandalf approached and gently "nosed" her, and that friendly gesture helped soothe Madison's aches and fever.

"Gandalf will stay with you. You know I'd never leave Gandalf behind. Now you relax and get some rest, OK?"

Madison nodded like Daniel had just told her she was a good little girl. Another gentle kiss on the forehead helped Madison to drift towards sleep.

"I'll be back later with some soup and some crackers. I've left a bottle of water on your nightstand in case you get thirsty." Daniel smirked gently. "If you need anything else, just call me. OK?"

Madison nodded again and Daniel brushed his hand on her cheek.

"I love you," Madison pleaded.

Daniel paused a moment and then relented with a small nod.

"I love you too. Rest please, OK?"

By the time he reached the door, Madison, guarded by Gandalf, slept soundly.

For the next few days, Madison recuperated while Daniel nursed her. Mostly she slept, but from time to time he would wake her and give her soup and crackers and water. One time he read her a strange story about a little man who lived in a hole in the ground and loved his food and comfort. After the story she fell asleep and dreamed that a bunch of short men with long beards came to the lake house for dinner, broke all the plates and took Daniel when they left. She woke up and called miserably for Daniel to come back, and after that Daniel only read her poetry.