Positive (a Solangelo AU)

Sick Day

Date: February 2, 1982

       Nico woke up feeling like a vampire who had eaten an entire loaf of garlic bread. His nose was streaming and his throat was dry and scratchy. When he tried to speak, he was concerned to hear a scratchy croak instead of his normal voice. Nico shivered underneath his covers and snuggled deeper underneath them.
    
    He wanted to spend all day in bed and not worry about housework or flipping hamburgers. Flipping hamburgers ... he had work today! Nico's eyes fluttered open with a start, but he felt groggy as he sat up in bed. He wanted nothing more than to curl up all day, but he knew someone needed to cover his shift.

    Nico used the restroom and then stumbled to the kitchen. He sat down on a wooden chair and dialed up Jason's phone number. His mind felt as thick and cluttered as a patch of brambles as they phone began to ring.

     "Hullo," came Jason's tired voice on the other line.

     "Hey, Jason," Nico said. "I feel mighty awful today. Would you mind covering my shift?"

   "Sure, but you owe me on this one," Jason said.

   Nico sighed. He didn't even bother trying to stifle it.

    "What do I owe you?" he asked in a resigned tone.

      "I haven't seen you outside of work that much lately," Jason said. "When you get better, you'll have to come over for dinner at my place."

       "What a punishment," Nico said. "This will be almost as bad as going to your wedding."

      "Hope you feel better soon, Neeks," Jason said, ignoring his friend's sarcasm. "Bye! Get some rest!"

      Nico took Jason's advice and ended up falling asleep in his bed. He read some of Lucy's The Rise of Rome and fell asleep after reading the story of Lucretia's rape and subsequent suicide. It must have impacted his dreams because he woke up several hours later with a feeling of panic in his throat. The images of his dreams were already slipping away, but he remembered the pained face of Frank as he gazed at Hazel's unmoving body. An uncomfortable feeling began to take shape in Nico's chest.

       He heard the sound of a door opening and footsteps. Nico's heart quickened as he heard the sound of the lights in his living room being flicked on. Who could be at his house in the middle of the day? Were they robbers or burglars or something worse? Nico doubted he could fight off anyone in his state; he felt as weak as a freeze-dried mummy.

      "Nico?" a familiar voice asked.

      Nico felt his panic subside as the door to his bedroom opened up and Hazel walked in. Her curly hair was tied back in a ponytail and she was carrying a tubberware container and a spoon in her hands. She looked tired and Nico suspected that Sammy was keeping up her parents at night.

     "Nico, Jason told me you were sick," Hazel said as she made her way over to him.

    Now that Hazel was here, Nico felt foolish for  panicking earlier. Hadn't he given Hazel a key to his apartment in case something happened to him?

     "How are you feeling?" Hazel said, putting a cool hand on his feverish forehead.

      "Like death," Nico said.

       The lines between Hazel's eyes tightened. She squeezed his hand gently.

       "Well, I made gumbo for you," Hazel said.

      She brought in a chair from he living room and sat beside Nico. She ladled soup into his mouth. Nico felt safe and warm like a baby who was securely attached to its mother. He had not felt so pampered in so long.

       "Hopefully, your fever will go down soon," Hazel said.

     "Yeah," Nico said. "I'm glad Jason covered my shift. He's a good friend."

    Hazel shifted slightly in her chair. Nico knew that his half-sister didn't fully trust Jason. She had once confided that Jason seemed too perfect. He rarely complained at work, seemed to genuinely love his wife, and was a hard-worker. He even looked like society's definition of male perfection except for the small scar near his lip. Perfection made Hazel suspicious and though Nico had at first shared her fears about Jason, he now counted him as his best friend.

      "I'm lucky to have people like you and him to take care of me," Nico continued.

     Hazel smiled and ruffled his hair.

      "Take care and get better soon," she said, riding from her chair. "I'll come back later this evening to check on you."

    She left and Nico allowed himself to fall back asleep. Sometimes, sleep was the only thing that could help.