J9 One Shot

Fever

Nine

"Water...". the croaking voice came out, finally from the sick person on the bed, causing my sleep deprived self that almost went to sleep to be on alert again. "Water....", the request was repeated. Immediately, I took a glass of water and pulled the person up a bit to drink. He looked so pale, and his cheeks a little sunken after 3 days of fever and vomitting. I put the back of my hand on his forehead, assessing how much heat left, it went down quite a lot compared to before. He gave me back the glass and laid down again, covering himself with the blanket, though the air conditioner was already switched off a while ago when he shivered. 

"Go to sleep, P'. You looked liked you could collapse", the sore voice told me with half opened eyes. I nodded and moved to lie down on the bed, when the sick person grabbed my wrist. "No, I'm not well. You need to be somewhere else, or you'll get infected too", he said, worrying. I shook my head and said, "It's alright, Joong. Here will do". I laid down, looking at him who looked back at me.

"Your eyes looked liked a panda. Why didn't you listen to me and be stubborn?", he said while caressing my cheeks, fingers tracing the dark shadows that had been showing. 

"You need to be sponged regularly, the temperature is too high. I'm afraid you'll become delirious and feel more pain", I said while catching his trailing fingers on my face and pulled it down to be held under the blanket. 

"But, you have your final exam in two days. Please, P', just ignore me. It's alright".

"Shhh... Stop asking the same thing every night. I won't go anywhere. You couldn't see, but when you're asleep, I did some reading and revision, so don't worry. Just rest", I smiled and rubbed his chest to lessen his worry. The fatigue overtaken him again, and though he wanted to argue with me, he had no energy to do so. Slowly his eyes closed back, and so did mine. 

I tried to open my eyes, but it felt so heavy. I tried to talk, yet my throat was dry. "P', you're awake? Thank God, I am so worried...", the voice that greeted me was familiar. I tried again to open my eyes, and finally saw the smiling handsome guy that sat beside my bed. "Water...", I asked him, and he pulled me up to help me drink from the glass. "Where is this?", I asked, a little befuddled.

"Hospital...you fainted, due to fever. You had flu for a few days, and it turned to worse, into fever", he answered calmly, but his face showed concern.

"What? You...are you alright, Joong? You're not sick?", I asked in confusion too, looking at him and looked back at the drip that was attached to my arm.

"Yes, P'. I'm okay... Why do you think I am sick?. Well, I was, but it was just a flu...", he said while busying himself, arranging the pillows to support my back, not really looking at me.

"Oh, good that it was actually a dream...", I said and wiped my face in relief.

"Why you looked so relieved? Did you dream that I was badly sick?", he asked again. I nodded. He was well, I was so glad. I didn't have to see the pale, fatigue face that made me felt so worried.

"You should stop worrying about me so much, P'. Even in sickness, your dream was about me being the one who is sick. Ah, I must be so loved", he  teased, and smiled a little. I snorted.

"Fever from a flu? Did I contract it from you?", I asked back, trying to think back, how I got the flu in the first place, before the fever or the faint happened. When Joong had a flu, I slept in another room.

"Err... You don't remember?".

"Remember what?"

"Nothing. Don't think too much. Lie back, you are still weak, I'll go and buy you some bread for you to eat first, dinner is still not for another two hours", he said, darting his eyes from looking at me and stood up to walk out.

"Joong...what are you not telling me?", I asked, for I could read clearly his avoidance.

His eyes blinking rapidly, but not answering, "Nothing... I'll go down... Rest", he said and put the blanket around me properly.

Not long after Joong was out, I took my phone that was placed on the low cabinet beside the bed. Some messages were in. I read one from my mom and sister first, telling me that they went home caused Joong insisted to take care of me in rotation with my family, and then there's a message from  P'Ben.

[Hey sleeping beauty! Hope you already wake up and read this. Next time, don't drink more than you could tolerate and kissed that innocent kid at your home. He's already down with flu at that time, and then accidently was kissed by a drunkard. Lucky he's still willing to care for you. ps: that balloon and flowers to get well was from all of us, moons, you slept too well, so we didn't wake you up.

p.s: but, we did say to Joong, that in a certain fairy tale; a kiss from a loved one, might work!].

My face felt hot. Damn! Must be the fever. Yes, definitely a sickness, and not because I was too embarassed, or thinking of the way to run from the hospital before Joong came back up.

The End