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“What’s wrong with you?”
Carter shivered violently. “I’m cold.”
A cool hand touched his head. It felt so good, Carter wanted it to stay there. “No, you’re burning up.”
Carter kept his eyes closed. “My head is killing me. I think it was the lights.” Then he remembered. “Tell Beez I’m sorry I didn’t have any of the soda.”
The world tumbled away into a dark void.
Chapter Fifteen
Alcy didn’t leave Carter’s bedside all night. He fretted over the spike in his temperature, and anxiously watched Carter’s staggering trips to the bathroom—to pee or vomit, it was always a crapshoot which it would be—and they all ended with him flopping into bed and falling back to sleep immediately.
At two in the morning, Carter opened his eyes and gazed up at Alcy. “Ugh, I feel like warmed over crap,” he whined, then dissolved into a coughing fit, wrapping an arm around his stomach.
Alcy stroked a hand over his head, frowning at the heat he found there. “You’re really warm.” Then he noticed Carter’s shivers, so Alcy pulled the blankets up a bit higher, tucking them under his chin. Carter sighed and sank into the warmth. “Maybe you should see a doctor.”
Carter shook his head. “Just need sleep.”
“I really think you need to see someone.” He wiped the sweat from Carter’s brow, unsure what to do. Hosts had many abilities, but they couldn’t heal the sick, and right then he’d give up everything else to make Carter feel better.
“No, I’m—” He coughed again, harsh and wet. Alcy had never felt so helpless. He wanted to cry. Carter waved a hand. “I’m all right. Let me sleep.”
Alcy wasn’t beaten yet. “Okay, how about this? You get some rest, and I’ll check on you in a couple hours to see how you’re feeling. If it’s not any better,thenyou’ll call your doctor.”
“I hate the doctor,” Carter groused. “He even stopped giving me lollipops when I hit puberty. You don’t realize how badly I needed something in my mouth back then.”
Alcy wanted to laugh, but deep down he was worried. He’d never had to deal with a sick person. And as for Beez, as soon as Carter had thrown up, he’d been out the door and hadn’t been back since.
Probably out getting laid, the bastard.
Carter rubbed his stomach in a slow circle. “I don’t feel good.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. I’ll get some more cool compresses for your head. That’ll help with the fever.”
“So will this.”
Alcy turned. Beez stood in the doorway, carrying a tray, on which sat an aspirin bottle and a glass of water, along with a steaming bowl of… something.
“Hey Beez,” Carter said weakly. He sniffed. “What smells so good?”
“Where have you been?” Alcy snapped, then pinched the bridge of his nose. “Sorry. I’m just worried.”
Beez gave him an apologetic glance. “No,I’msorry. I shouldn’t have left without telling you where I was going. I hit the pharmacy a few blocks over. The lady at the counter told me there’s flu going around. She said to give Carter some pain reliever, and that chicken soup would help. So,thenI went to that restaurant down the street and offered the guy money to make me some vegan chicken soup.” Beez’s brows knitted. “He scowled and asked what the fuck a vegan chicken was. I ended up going to a hotel and paying them to make me something. I’m sorry it took me so long to get back.” He came over to Carter’s bed. “You’re gonna eat this now, all right? It’ll make you feel better.” Beez placed the tray on the nightstand, then helped Carter into a sitting position, stuffing pillows behind him. Beez perched on the edge of the mattress, and put the tray in Carter’s lap before carefully bringing a spoonful of soup to his lips.
Carter swallowed, and his smile made Alcy’s heart flutter. “That’s delicious.”
“Then eat more of it,” Beez instructed. “Think you can handle the spoon by yourself?”
Carter managed an eye-roll. “Yeah, I think so.” He took the spoon from Beez, and began to eat slowly, Beez watching him intently.
He shook his head when a little of the soup slopped onto the tray. “It’s supposed to go in your mouth. Want me to feed you?”
“No.” Carter frowned. “I can do this.” His hand shook, however, as he attempted another spoonful.
“Just eat as much as you can, okay?”
Seeing Beez’s obvious concern made Alcy regret his mean-spirited thoughts. “Beez, I—”
