9-1-1 Lone Star

sick- tarlos

TK flicked through the multiple keys on the bunch, trying to find the right one one-handed. In his other hand was a take-out tray with two servings of Carlos's favorite tomato and chicken noodle soup, from the restaurant down the road. The text had come in about 45 minutes ago, just as he was leaving the firehouse.

'Babe are you done with shift yet? Will you bring me soup?' -Carlos

'I just got finished, why? are you sick? What's wrong?' - T.K

'Not sick just cold. Please?' - Carlos

'Give me 30 minutes.' - T.K

Carlos didn't get sick, as he was quick to tell anyone who'd listen. T.K always rolled his eyes but in reality it was pretty true. Carlos wasn't the kind to pick up random colds and flus, despite the varied and usually disgusting people he met on a daily basis.

Finally getting the right key, he shrugged his bag further up his shoulder and unlocked the door. Carlos's apartment door opened straight into the living room, a small kitchenette further back and the two bedroom doors off to the left, flanking the flat screen. There was a light on the kitchen, but the main area was dark. Carlos was nowhere at first glance.

Babe?' T.K called, making his way around the back of the couch towards the kitchen. Dropping the soup containers on the counter he almost missed the rather pathetic cough coming from the supposedly empty living area. Rounding the couch revealed a sorry sight. Only Carlos eyes were visible, a beanie pulled down low on his forehead and what T.K suspected to be every blanket in the apartment piled on top of him, covering him right up to the nose. He was shivering slightly and didn't even try to hide it when T.K knelt down next to him. 'Hey...So you're not sick, huh?' T.K spoke gently and reached straight for the back of Carlos's neck, looking for a fever. Rather than hot though, Carlos skin was cool to the touch, and the shivering got worse against his hand. Despite it Carlos still glared at him.

'I'm not sick.' His teeth were chattering. 'I'm cold. I tackled a perp into the river.'

'You what?!' It was November and Texas was known for its heat but the rivers was icy cold around this time of year. 'Why the hell did you do that?!'

Another glare and more teeth chattering. 'Yeah, you're so right T.K, I should have let that serial rapist escape. Then I wouldn't have gotten a little wet.'

'A little wet,' T.K muttered, but he pulled the blankets back up around Carlos ear and kissed his forehead. 'Good job, all the same.'

Carlos just nodded, burrowing further down. 'Did you bring the soup?' He coughed again, his whole body rocking a little with the force.

'Yeah, I did, from Panera bread(this is the only store I could think of).' Normally that would have elicited a response but Carlos just closed his eyes and nodded again. 'But before I give it to you I want to check you over, you might have hypothermia.'

'The EMTs checked, I don't.'

'Yeah,' T.K agreed sarcastically, as he opened his work bag and dug around for a thermometer, 'Because I'm totally taking some roadside diagnosis for gospel.'

'I'm telling Michelle you said that.' Carlos squirmed away as the thermometer tip went into his ear but T.K just ignored him.
96.7' he read off after the little machine beeped. 'Could be worse, you're above the threshold for hypothermia, but not by much. How long were you in the river for?'

The blankets moved in a way that suggested Carlos had shrugged. He'd closed his eyes again. 'Don't know, a few minutes at least. The guy kept trying to drown me so he could get away. I had to knock him half out just to drag us to the edge.'