Burning Bright

Chapter 23

He was in a hot, sweaty phase when the doctor arrived the following morning, accompanied by Veronique, probably because I hadn’t told the doctor my apartment number. I’d pulled the sheet over him as I’d gone to answer the door, but by the time Anna and Veronique had arrived in his doorway, he’d already kicked off the sheet and was lying resplendently on his back, writhing a little so that it was waving around like a lone palm tree in a strong gale. Anna didn’t even break step, taking out her thermometer as she walked past him, but Veronique just continued to stare as I hurriedly pulled the sheet back over him to restrain his movements which, rather than hiding it, merely made him look like he was a ridge pole in a tent.

‘I need to speak to Kate,’ Anna said firmly, and Veronique came out of her trance and shut the door on the two of us. ‘Perfectly natural reaction with a fever,’ she said. ‘But very impressive, non-the-less. How is the patient?’ I listed his symptoms and she nodded. ‘Any vomiting?’

‘No.’

‘That’s good. Eoin, Eoin,’ and she gently shook his shoulder.

‘Mmm?’ He blinked open his eyes and then closed them again.

‘I’m just going to take your temperature,’ and she inserted the thermometer into his ear and then rested a hand on his forehead. Eoin was obviously still hot as he shoved the sheet down his torso, mercifully leaving it over his hips. I knew that in the great scheme of things, Eoin flashing the doctor wasn’t important, but even so, she deserved to spared from the worst of his excesses.

‘Has he been taking fluids?’ she asked.

‘He’s had just over a litre since last night, but he’s been asleep most of the time.’

‘That’s good.’ She removed the thermometer and nodded at it. ‘Not too bad. He’s doing well, you’re doing a good job.’

‘How long will this last?’

‘The fever should break soon and then he’ll be over the worst of it. Another twelve hours and he’ll be well on the way to recovery, but he’ll be weak, so make sure he rests.’

‘I’ll try.’

‘If he wants to eat, plain rice or porridge.’

‘OK.’

‘Eoin, Eoin . . .’ but there was minimal response. ‘Can you help me turn him onto his side? I need to give him another antibiotic injection.’

I sat on the bed next to him and pulled his shoulder towards me. He turned, resting his head in my lap, his arm around me, barely flinching as Anna administered the injection, and then refusing to release me. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll let myself out,’ she said. ‘He’s sleeping now,’ she said to Veronique, sounding like Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman. ‘Best to leave him for the moment.’

I managed to doze, my hand resting protectively on his shoulder. The length of time between bathroom visits was increasing, although Eoin swore he wasn’t getting any sleep at all. As evidence, I took a photo on his phone on one of the rare times he released me, hugging the pillow instead, his hair still sweeping perfectly into glossy waves despite his condition, the occasional frown lines appearing as he flinched with the intermittent cramps. As he slept, I made myself something to eat and then cleaned his bathroom, putting his towels in a bag marked with a red tape for Mariett. We both knew that code, I’d been caught out more than once myself with Delhi Belly, so the towels would be laundered at a higher than normal temperature. I put out fresh ones, got myself a drink, picked up my Kindle and returned to sit on the bed next to him. Immediately he turned into me, but this time opened his eyes.

‘Hey sweetie,’ he said. ‘What time is it?’

‘7pm.’

‘Jesus. Are you sure?’