"Itīs okay honey," she said as she saw that Nick was drenched with sweat and that he had a hard time in his sleep. She stroke the bangs away from his forehead. It was wet like he had just taken a shower.
The heat radiated from him and she feared that his fever had rose. He was all delerious and kept muttering over and over again that Brian had to help him or he was going to freeze to death. This was no good. Nick's fever had to be lowered or he could be in a dangerous situation. She knew that he was prone to high fevers, but this was much too high for her liking. The sweat that poured out of him made him dehydrate and she hadnīt got any fluid into him. If this continued they had to go to a hospital.
She put another wet cloth on his forehead, but he restlessly tried to take it away. "It hurts," Nick tossed his head at the side. Leighanne started to be seriously scared for his health and she debated whether or not she was going to call her husband to get some help. But Brian had looked so very tired and he needed all the sleep he could get.
Picking up the thermometer she decided that she had to see if the temperature was lower or if it was just as high. Nick was so hot that he burned when she touched him. This had to be a bad strep throat, she concluded as she waited for the termometer to beep.
Five minutes later she looked at the thermometer. Getting even more concerned. It had gone up two points and his fever was 105 degrees. That was high and she had to get some tylenol into him so that it would lessen.
" Nick," she said softly, patting his arm to wake him up. The young men moaned, not wanting to wake up. The fever had him in itīs claws. "Come on, baby, you have to wake up."
Nick moaned even more until he opened his eyes. They were all glazed and unfocused and she wasnīt sure that he knew that she was beside him.
" Here is some water," she held up his head as she poured the water down his throat. He drank greedily as if he was totally parched.
"Take it easy, you'll just make yourself sick."
As she said that Nick coughed and then started to gag and before she could even grab the trash can he heaved all over himself and bed.
"Iīm sorry," Nick mumbled as he looked at the mess that he had made. He was too out of it to care what had happend, still he knew that he had done something wrong.
"Thatīs ok honey, just rest." Leighanne laid his head back on the pillow, as she wiped his face with a wet napkin.
" Leigh?" Nick recognized the woman's voice.
" Yes honey, itīs me. Nick you are very sick"
" I want Brian." Nickīs voice was weak and he had trouble getting the words out.
" I know honey, but he is resting. Instead you are stuck with me," she smiled, but there was no smile back.
He looked all dazed and it was like he didnīt see or hear her. "Brian is having an affair," he finally managed to croak out.
The pulse in Leighanne's heart beat so fast that she thought that she would explode. Hot and then cold feelings washed over her. What did Nick say? That Brian, her Brian was having an affair? Part of her wanted to scream as the other part told her that she was dealing with a delerious boy with a 105 degree fever.
" Yes with Bruce," Nick mumbled.
The releif that Leighanne could feel when he said that made her wanna laugh out loud.
" Oh Baby," was all that she could say as she wet his forehead once again. Nick looked at her,very serious. Then he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Leighanne pulled off as best as she could the soiled bedding and then she called the maid to come up with some clean ones. She started to wonder where the maid was when there was a knock on the door.
"It's about time," she said as she opened the door, only to be met by AJ.
"Hi Leigh," he said as he went in to the room. When he caught a eye on the sorry soul that laid in the bed a " Holy shit" came out from his mouth. Nick looked bad. "Sorry," he said, putting his hand to his mouth regretting the bad used word. "How is he doing?"
"Not good, a fever of 105!"
" What? But isnīt that close to dying?" AJ could really chose his words to the right ocasion. Leighanne had to smile.
"Could be very serious if we donīt get his fever down."
AJ nodded, then he sat beside Nick on the bed, not caring that his friend had just hurled all over himself and the bed spread. Puke never bothered him.
" Hey man, you better get well so that I can kick your ass," he whispered to the blonde. "Kev and Bri came looking for you in the middle of the night and they messed up the best sex I had in a long time, so you better pull through."
Leighanne smiled. That was AJ.
Apparently the words had some effect as Nick moved in bed. "Bone," he called out a bit disoriented. He was starting to wake up.
" Yup dude, that is me." AJ patted his cheek, in a friendly gesture.
Nick moved again, this time with a look of distress upon his face.
" What man? What do you want?" AJ asked.
Nick looked around nervously in the room. As his eyes fell on Leighanne, then back to AJ again, he whispered "Help me!"
AJ was a man that didnīt flare up for nothing and even if he had a hot temper he could act calm in situations like this. " Ok man, just tell me what you need!"
Nick tried to open his lips to say out the word, but they were so dry and he couldnīt steady his voice long enough to tell him what he wanted.
"Okay letīs play 20 questions then," AJ sighed. " Letīs see..hrm.. do you want water?" Nick shook his head, still looking occasionally at Leiganne where she sat.
AJ frowned. " Not water okay, a tylenol then?" Another negative response. Then AJ got an idea and he followed Nick trace on Leighanne.
" Ok a woman?" he said with a hint of amusement in his voice, "Nope Nick that woman is taken!" AJ was great in getting people to smile in the most stressful situations and could add one more sucess to the list.
Leighanne laughed and Nick even smiled a small, but yet notifiable smile.
" Ok I get it, You have to piss?" The relief that was shone on Nicks face was indescribeable. He nooded so much that AJ was afraid that his head would fall off.
"Okay big boy, you get to go, but first let us help you." AJ gestured Leiganne for backup and the two helped Nick to sit in an upright position.
Nick closed his eyes since the world started to spin again.
"Whoaa, hold on, we donīt want to add more damage to your face than there already is," AJ grinned.
Leighanne was stunned. AJ showed a side that she had never seen before. Brian had told her about it and she had seen hints of it, but this time he really amazed her. The way he handled Nick, the situation, everything. She had never seen anyone getting such a total grip on everything. And with humor included.
"Okay..better now?" AJ asked as Nick seemed to cope after awhile.
A short nod.
" Put down your feet on the floor and uh..here we go." AJ and Leighanne got a steady grip on Nick and tried to get him up straight. But he was too heavy and they had to get him back to bed. Nick moaned both from vertigo both also from the ache in his full bladder.
" Shit!" AJ cusssed. Things didnīt work out as he wanted it to. Then he got an idea. " Hold on," and with that he was out of the room, leaving a stunned Leighanne.
Nick groaned. He hoped that AJ would be soon back since he really needed to let go.
AJ was back, with a coke can and he said to Leighanne "I think that you should go back to Brian me and Nick can handle this, okay?"
Leighanne, seeing that AJ had a hold of the situation, nodded then gave Nick a small pat on the cheek, " Nick, you better be well soon, you hear?" With that she was gone.
" Okay dude, now itīs you and me. Male bonding," AJ grinned.
Nick was holding himself in the groin, both from the full bladder, but also from the pain he was still feeling in his testicles.
" And hey donīt get any hopes up since Sarah was the best lay in a looooong time," AJ grinned, making the situation less tense.
Nick was too weak to get his pants off and AJ helped only to gasp in suprise when he saw Nick's swollen goods.
" Hey Nicky Boy I knew that you were BIG, but that your balls were the size of melons I didnīt know!" he blurted out.
Nick felt his face go all red. AJ most have sensed that he said something inappropriate as he smoothed it over with " This, the girls will like. You are a real stud."
With that he gave Nick the can and after a few seconds there was a hiss and the sick man closed his eyes, in relief.
As soon as Nick was done AJ took the can and put it away in the trash, not saying anything that would embarress Nick even further. He helped Nick getting on the boxers again. Still no words about the secret that he had got a hold on. AJ knew that Nick wanted his privacy and if Nick didnīt wanna talk about something he was more silent than a mouse.
The door opened and the maid came in with new bedding. Without making a matter out of it AJ changed the bed spreads like he hadnīt done anything else in his life.
"Bone you make a great housewife or a nurse," Nick murmured from the chair that he was seated in, the first sign of conscienceness in a long time.
" If you say this to anyone I'll slap your ass so good that you canīt sit for a week!" AJ threatned, but with a hint of humor in his voice.
The chore wasnīt done with that and as soon as the
bed sheets were changed he helped Nick to bed. He
threatened the young man that if he puked up the water
and the tylenol that he had just given him he would
beat the shit out of him, litterally. So much for AJ being a nurse!