“Someone must have brought the trays of food. Yesterday and this morning.”
“Outside. They left them outside. Can’t see anyone. Contagious.” Forming sentences was becoming increasingly difficult. Her brain felt like sludge. The colors were swirling around Dariux. They were so pretty.
Too much color. Too much light. A loud beep. Too much sound. She was so tired. Her eyes closed.
Next thing she knew, she was being shaken awake.
“Wake up. Wake up. Don’t you pass out on me. Heavens, you are burning with fever. The test results are in. You have the flu.”
“Vaccinated...”
“Not against this strain, apparently. I’m going to give you the broad-spectrum antiviral. And some medicine for the fever. We need to bring your temperature down.”
“Your eyes are changing color.” It was mesmerizing.
“No, they are not. Fuck, you are delirious.”
He left her side to go rummage in the medicine case. Was she delirious? She must be. But the colors were so real. They kept swirling around the room. Becoming shapes, then transforming into something else. Like the projections of an old cinema...
A sharp prick on her arm yanked her mind back to the brink of reality. “Ouch.”
“That was the antipyretic. For your fever. Your body temperature is over forty degrees. We need to bring it down fast.”
“Hmmm.” She wanted to go to sleep...
“Kalli, stay with me. I’m going to bring you the antiviral pill now. I need you to take it.”
She chuckled. “You are so sexy when you get all domineering.”
“Definitely delirious. Here, let me help you sit, so you can take the pill.”
He put an arm behind her shoulders and boosted her up, but her head felt so heavy. She let it fall against his shoulder.
“Kalli, take the pill.”
The press of his fingers holding the pill to her lips brought her back. She took the pill, and he immediately brought a glass of water to her mouth. She drank, washing down the pill. His arms felt so good, so strong and warm. She couldn’t remember ever feeling this weak. She snuggled against him, hoping he would keep holding her.
Thank goodness he did. Leaning back against the pillows, he brought her back down, gathering her close to his chest. Heavenly. As she was drifting off to sleep, she thought she heard him mutter.
“You can sleep now, little sprite. I’ve got you.”
But maybe she was still hallucinating.
