He gave me a look and then stepped past the coffee table, taking a seat on the edge of the sofa, in line with my hips. He laid a hand on my forehead before quickly removing it.
‘You’re boiling.’
I nodded, gently this time, keeping my brain in position.
‘Have you taken anything?’
‘This morning. Ran out.’
Charlie gave a nod. ‘Right, I’m going to nip across and get you some medicine. Is there anything else you need or want?’
I couldn’t have told you what was in my fridge or cupboards right that minute, and I cared even less. I gave the signal for no and smiled. He hesitated a moment and then disappeared into the kitchen, returning a few minutes later.
‘You’re out of bread and nearly out of milk. I’ll get you some. Have you eaten today?’
‘Not hungry.’
‘You have to eat. I’ll get you some soup.’
I pulled a face and hoped that he understood. He did.
‘You have to eat,’ he repeated. ‘Keep your strength up.’
I made a noise of disagreement and buried my face in the pillow, just as the landline began to ring. Groaning, I folded the pillow around my head. Charlie said something but I couldn’t hear. He pulled the pillow back for a moment.
‘I said, do you want me to get that?’
I made a noise, the interpretation of which could have been anything. Charlie took it as a yes.
‘Hello?’
I shuffled around in my cocoon so that I was facing up again. Charlie listened for a moment, then said his name and explained why he was answering my phone. That was to say he told the caller that I’d lost my voice. Not the fact that I couldn’t be arsed to answer it.
‘It’s your brother,’ he said, moving the speaker away from his mouth, when he noticed me watching him.
I gave a feeble wave. He told Matt I’d done so. I wasn’t sure what my brother’s reply was but it made Charlie laugh, agree, and glance in my direction. I frowned. He shook his head in a ‘don’t worry’ kind of way. I listened for a moment more but they’d started talking cars and I lost interest. A few minutes later, Charlie nudged me and made the motion of writing. I pointed towards the desk. He headed off and I heard him asking Matt to repeat something. A soft beep a few minutes later signalled that he’d hung up. He came back around to the sofa.
‘Your brother says hi. He’d been trying your phone too.’
‘They OK?’
‘Yes. They were just worried when they couldn’t get hold of you. He’s given me some tips on what to get to help with your cold.’
‘I’m fine,’ I said, feeling not very fine at all.
‘You’re not really, though, are you?’ Charlie stated. He fixed me with those eyes and I had the awful feeling that lying to him might genuinely cause my nose to grow.
I opted for a shrug instead.
Charlie crouched down next to the sofa.
‘I’m sorry about you and Alex.’
I let my gaze rise to meet his, then gave a resigned smile and eyebrow lift, the international expression for ‘what can you do?’.
‘Have you seen him?’ I croaked. Alex’s reaction last night when he found out Charlie had brought me home had surprised and confused me and I still wasn’t quite sure what to make of it.
‘Briefly,’ Charlie replied eventually as he fussed a little with the duvet, determinedly avoiding eye contact.
