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Ah.

Nyquil. Perfect. I take the little bottle out, shove the rest back in there, and lock the cabinet, leaving the key right next to the sink.

On my way down the stairs, I realize there is barely any medicine left in the bottle. Maybe enough for one dose. I see a drugstore run in my near future.

"Here you go." I hand Kieran the bottle, then make my way to the kitchen to get him something to drink so he’ll stay hydrated.

"I'm not sure if that's smart," he says, his eyes closed again, and a dramatic tremble in his voice.

"Taking medicine for a fever is very smart," I point out, opening a cupboard in my attempt to find a glass.

He pops the bottle open and after swirling it around, doesn’t even bother with the measuring cap. "I mean..." He lets out a bone-deep sigh. "I'm not even sure if I will keep this down."

"Oh." That’s what he meant. I divert my mission from a glass to trying to find cleaning supplies. Luckily, they’re in the most obvious place: under his sink, and he has a bucket. So I grab that too and put it on the couch next to him.

"Okay, try to keep it inside. Can you do that for me?”

“Hmmkay.” Poor guy. Not even fit enough for one of his usual retorts.

“Do you have a thermometer?"

"Only for him." He points at Dick. "I don't get sick."

"Well, you are sick." I put my hand on his forehead again. He leans into the touch the way Mr. Muffin does when I pet him. He’s burning up and there’s no way I’m leaving him alone in this state. Nobody should be alone when they’re sick, and knowing Kieran, he won’t let anyone know.

"Kieran, I'm going to make a run to the drugstore. Can you please not die within the next forty minutes?" Judging by the snow, I should hurry and make it back by then.

"I'll try." A lazy grin tugs at his lips, and he even lifts his arm for a strained thumbs-up.

"Rose, don't let him die," I whisper, turn around and rush back outside to my car, snagging his keys from the hook in his hallway on the way out.

Chapter 21

Brooke

By the time I make it back, Kieran is in the exact same position I left him in, on the couch. Face towards the ceiling, legs extended, arms on pillows.

His eyes are still closed, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he slept through the whole thing. Dick is curled up on the couch beside him, his head in Kieran's lap, while Rose sits by the window, making sure the snow is not attacking his home.

As soon as she sees me, she trots over, her tail wagging as if to say, ‘See? He didn't die.’

Such a good girl.

I lean down and pet her, then continue on to the kitchen with her by my side and set down all the bags I brought with me.

One is filled to the brim with medicine. Betty hooked me up with the strongest stuff she could give me without a prescription. The angel she is; she also included a note about which of these would not work well together and a bunch of cooling packs.

I also made a quick stop at the supermarket to buy a mix of canned chicken broth, soups, vegetables, meat, fruits, and everything else a body needs to get healthy again.

Kieran's soft cough makes my head whip around, and I meet his tired gaze. Some color has returned to his cheeks, but it's bright red, not even close to a healthy complexion.

“You’re back.”

"Hey," I whisper, grab a cooling pack and walk over to him. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I got run over by a truck."

I put my palm against his forehead. He closes his eyes and exhales a soft sigh. As I retract my hand, his fingers close around my wrist and he keeps it right there.