The Train Trip

      I arrived a few minutes late to find Nick already standing outside
the terminal. Two suitcases stood beside him; a backpack hung over one
shoulder. He was clad in familiar but less than formal attire, wearing blue
jeans and a think, over-sized gray sweatshirt with his hands in the
pockets and the hood drawn over him so that not much of him was visible
at all. But from what I could see, I was less than pleased with. Nick looked
very sickly, with an unusually pale and sallow face, bloodshot and tired
eyes, and a red-tipped nose. It was raining lightly, with a foggy mist
surrounding all, but I was sure that I was correct in my assumption: he
was ill.
      I paid the taxi driver and, taking my suitcases, approached him.
"Hey, Nick," I said, expecting my usual kiss.
      Instead, he looked up at me and gave me a half-smile, the side of
his mouth curling up as if it pleased him to see me. "Hi, Sweetheart." He
sounded horrible, voice raspy, weak.
      I asked straightforwardly, "You alright?"
      Negatively, he shook his head. "Coming down with something, I
think. I've felt rotten all day." He demonstrated this is a long inhalation
through his nose, a wet and thorough sniff. "Probably just a small cold.
I'll be fine."
      "I hope so," I said, taking my bags and one of his for him. "We'd
best be getting to the platform. It's nearly departure time."
      "Yeah, you're right. I'm right behind you."
      With a short stop at one of the many timetables to check platform
number, we were off to board our train. We took our places in the long
line to board, glad we held first class tickets and would be able to get on
ahead of others, though I'm sure Nick was much more glad of this than I,
considering that every moment we waited there, he grew increasingly
worse. Sneezing once or twice every five minutes, bursting out with rich
coughs just as often, and sniffling when he wasn't sneezing or coughing.
      The other passengers were growing increasingly concerned, as was
I, so I figured I'd offer him a chance to get out of it. "Hey, Nick, if you're
sick, you really shouldn't go. Catch a cab home; I can deal with the
project on my own."
      He cleared his throat to laugh. "Sure you can. You know half of the
info, Kathy. There's no way you can do this without me. Just as I *sniff*
wouldn't be able to do it without you."
      I loved him for it, being so strong when it was obvious all he
wanted to do was go home, curl up and fall asleep. "Are you positive,
Nick?"
      He nodded, took my hand, squeezed it. "One hundred percent.
Besides, someone needs to be there to protect you from all those Los
Angeles punks."
      I giggled. "I'm a big girl, Nick. I can take care of myself."
      He coughed and smiled. "You think so, huh?"
      "I know so."
      "Well," he said, clearing his throat again. "I'll need you to protect
me from all those LA bimbos, that's for sure."
      I stood on tip-toes to kiss his cheek, finding it to be very warm.
But I giggled, knowing full well that once upon a time he'd dated a woman
from LA and almost fallen deeply in love. "Undoubtedly." However bad he
felt, at least he was still able to joke and carry on one of his trademark
conversations.
      He grinned and rubbed the side of his nose with his finger. "So,
tell me about the money part of the deal, besides the fact that if we sell
out for less than ten we're out a ton of money."
      I smiled to myself, commending him on his ability to juggle a
personal and business relationship with such beautiful ease. "Yes, the
finance rates are-" I could see it in his face; he was preoccupied. Not
with another thought, but with an oncoming sneeze.
      It took him a moment to realize it was coming, and as much as he
tried to contain it, he was sure that it was too much for him to hold back.
He reached for his handkerchief with his free hand, taking out the
neatly folded cloth and shaking it twice to unfold it as the sneeze grew
so much he could hardly keep it in. He lifted it to cover his nose and
mouth at exactly the same time as he gave a strong sneeze, not too wet
and not too loud, but just enough to force him forward and gasp for
breath afterwards. He straightened up and blew his nose loudly into the
handkerchief.
      "Bless you," I said, marvelling at the way the sneeze had so
controlled him, the way he acted as the cold worsened.
      "Excuse me," he said out of politeness, wiping his nose twice before
tucking the large handkerchief into his back pocket. "Now, what is it we
were *sniff* talking about?"
      "The finance rates for--"
      Out came the handkerchief again with a deeply sneezed,
"ha-CHOO!" It caused him to jerk forward and a made a few people
nearby distance themselves a bit.
      "Bless you," I said again as he thoroughly blew his nose. "Are you
sure you're up to this? You don't sound very well at all."
      "I"m fine, Sweetheart. It's just a little cold at most. I can man..
man... ha-SHEoo!" It was strong but backed off softly at the climax as he
smothered the spray with his handkerchief. "Manage," he finished with a
whisper, lowering the hanky and looking over at me, embarrassed.
      "It's alright," I chuckled, squeezing his arm assuredly.
      At last the line began to move and we were led out to the platform
to board the train. We were walking briskly, as the platform was
somewhat outside and we were being drenched by the rain that was still
as cold and as heavy.
      Nick sneezed again, stopping in his tracks at the force and cupping
his one free hand over his mouth and nose. "Do you have a tis.. a tis-ha-
ha-SHHoo!" he sneezed again, handsome eyes squeezing shut to let out a
very wet one. "A tiss..." he tried again, his voice raising as the feeling
intensified, leading up to the inevitable, "HA-SHHH!" long and wet
against his hand.
      I quickly put down the suitcases and shuffled through my purse to
find one. Pulling one out at last, I was faced with the awkward position of
having to hand it to him. He couldn't take it because he needed to keep
his hand over his nose- so I pushed it into his face, over his hand, over
his nose, so that he could then hold it and blow his nose, which he did
copiously, wiping it with the wet tissue when finished. "Excuse me," he
said again as we resumed the trek and got ready to board.
      "I told you it was alright, honey. You don't need to keep
apologizing."
      Grinning, "Sorry," he joked and we laughed a little.
      The attendant took our extra baggage and pointed us in the
direction of our cabin so we made haste. The cabin was small, with a tiny
fold-down table, a large window, and room enough for just two large
seats. The sleeping accommodations, from the look of things, were to be
an ever tighter fit. The two seats apparently folded down to meat and
form the bottom bunk while the top was above us, able to be folded down
when need be. Once in, we stowed our carry-ons under our seats, there
being no room to put it anywhere else, and sat down across from each
other in the small two-person compartment.
      "It's the middle *sniff* of November. You'd think they'd have a bit
of heat on in this train," he complained, his arms crossed and his hands
rubbing his upper arms to keep warm.
      "They do," I corrected him. "It's actually very warm in here."
Taking my coat off, I found a hanger for it on the wall beside my seat. I
sat back down, pulling my long, blond hair to one side to keep its
wetness from soaking both the seat and the back of my shirt. "You can't
possibly be cold in here."
      He shivered and glared at me. "Well I am, okay?"
      I nodded, concerned. "Maybe you're running a fever."
      He shook his head. "No I'm not!"
      I raised one eyebrow skeptically. "You sure?" We hadn't even left
DC and already we were quarreling. Not a particularly good sign.
      "I'm sure," he said, rubbing the side of his nose with a finger. "I'm
cold, not hot."
      I tried not to sound like his mother. "Either way, you shouldn't be
sitting there in a cold, wet sweatshirt. Here," I held out my hand. "Take
it off and I'll hang it up on the other hanger for you."
      "I'm fine. It'll dry," he protested. "I'll be warmer with a sweatshirt
on than without one, anyway."
      I figured I knew the problem. "Do you have another sweatshirt
packed you could put on?"
      He shook his head, looking out the window at the other trains and
uniformed mechanics walking the platforms to avoid my eyes.
      "Well then, you can wear one of mine to keep warm and take off that
wet one before you get pneumonia!" Luckily I'd brought one of my over-
sized ones. And though I'd intended sleeping in it, the cabin was much
warmer than I'd suspected so I knew I wouldn't be needing it, certainly
not as much as Nick would. I pulled my bag out from under my seat and
got the sweatshirt out, handing it to him as he handed me the wet one. He
slipped it on, shivering but feeling warmer, and told me so as he thanked
me.
      I nodded and began looking at the literature on the trip that
Amtrack had provided us with.
      A moment later, there was a knock on the door and I opened it up to
find the pair of attendants who had greeted us earlier. They were
assigned to our train car and pointed out the beverage station at the end
of the hall, the bathrooms, the relative set-up of the train, and then ran
through a tentative schedule for the trip to Chicago. Then they inquired
as to when we cared to take dinner and Nick answered with a soft groan.
He must have been sicker than I's thought not to want food. But I replied
with six, hoping that if he didn't want to go, I could at least buy Nick a
coffee and bring it back to the room for him.
      As soon as they left, the train began to lurch forward and I closed
and locked the door. "Is six alright with you, Nick?" I asked, not wanting
to ignore the subject.
      He shrugged and cleared his throat. "I don't feel like being stuck
in a tiny dining car, eating tasteless food and trying to socialize politely
with complete strangers as my nose runs and I try to keep from
coughing and sneezing too loudly."
      I sighed, "Nick--"
      He shivered slightly. "I don't care what sort of guilt trip you lie on
me, I'm not going and that's final!"
      He'd never interrupted me before. Softly, "That's not what I was
going to say."
      He rolled his eyes, sniffling. "Well what were *cough*cough* you
going to say?"
      "I was going to say that I feel terrible that you're so sick and was
going to ask if you wanted me to bring something back for you."
      Silence for a brief moment. "Oh." He sniffed and rubbed at his nose
boyishly with his palm, as if it itched or tickled a lot. "Sorry."
      "Oh, don't be, Honey," I said, sitting forward in my seat, rubbing
his thigh. "It's not your fault you're sick."
      "Yeah, but I'm the one complain.. com... ha-CHAA!" he sneezed hard,
covering his nose with his hand.
      "Kleenexes to your left," I told him, smiling, knowing what he was
about to ask.
       He nodded, "Thanks," and grabbed a few, blowing his nose on
them. "Thanks, Sweetheart." He balled them up and threw them in the
small trash bin to his left.
      "You're welcome, Babe. Hey, I'm going to make a run for the drinks.
You want me to get you a drink or anything?"
      He shook his head no. "I'm okay. A little chilly still, but okay."
      I stood, the train rocking a bit from side to side, so it took a second
or two to gain my balance. I pulled the top bunk down from its upright
position; there were two sets of linens. Taking down one of the blankets,
I told him to lean forward, and I wrapped it around him.
      Smiling, "This is why I love you, Kathy."
      I kissed his cheek. "I know, Nick. I'll be right back." I left, closing
the door behind me and hearing him lock it; if the doors weren't latched
shut, the movement of the train opened them right up again. Our room
was the last in the car, so directly to my left was the door that, if you
looked out of, showed you the tracks and the background slipping away
fast behind. To my right was the front of the car and, as the attendants
had told me, ten cars up from ours was the front. But I only went as far
as the beverage station, a small cart stocked with sodas, coffee, juice and
ice. I got myself a Pepsi and a cup of ice to go with it, then thought
better of Nick's request that I get him nothing. I grabbed him an orange
juice and a ginger ale, as well as a cup packed full of ice chips, then
stumbled back to the room with my hands full, knocked, and was
admitted. I sat down, giving him what I'd brought. "If anything, suck on
the ice cubes. They'll make your throat feel better and maybe help bring
down your fever."
      He nodded, taking the cup of ice and pouring a little orange juice
into it. "Alright," he had to be sick to be that cooperative. "But I don't
have a fever."
      "Right, right," I said quickly, wanting to keep him on good terms.
"I forgot. Sorry."
      He sniffed and wiped his nose again. "Well, maybe just a little one.
But it's nothing big, okay?"
      I agreed quickly. "Of course." I checked my watch; it was a quarter
to six. There was still a while before dinner. "Hey, you wanna do
anything for fifteen minutes?"
      He shrugged. "Like what?"
      I shrugged back. "I dunno." I remembered the view out of the back
and stood immediately, holding out my hand to help him up. "Oh! You've
got to see this. Come here a second."
      "Kathy..." he said, unsure he wanted to leave the comfort of the
private compartment.
      "It's just right outside. No one's out there now, either. Please, I
know you'll thank me for making you go. Pleeeeease?"
      He reluctantly nodded, getting up but keeping the blanket
wrapped around him for warmth. I led him out into the hallway and three
feet over to the end of the train, putting my arms around him as I stood
behind him and we both gazed out the back. The sun was beginning to
set by this time and, as the rain lightened, we could see a faint rainbow
off in the distance. I squeezed him tighter, glad to have him to share
such a perfect moment with. Putting my head on his shoulder, I closed
my eyes, listening to the clicks and clanks of the train and the quiet,
restrained sniffles of the man I loved.
      "It's beautiful, Kathy," he whispered to me, watching the past slip
away from us.
      "I knew you'd like it, Nick," I told him, content to stay there the
rest of my life.
      We remained there until we heard the call for six o'clock dinner
reservations, and I helped him back to his cabin, washed my hands at
one of the time restrooms, then unsteadily made my way to the dining
car, four ahead of ours. As it was four to a table, I was seated with a
relatively old woman and a couple who were having trouble keeping any
space between themselves. I managed to get through dinner without
seeming too obnoxious in my worrying about Nick, but once I told them
he wasn't feeling well at all, they seemed to somewhat understand my
lack of attention to their talk, though I don't think the couple could have
cared less; it seemed all they wanted to do was to get back to their room.
The elderly woman was nice, telling me about her hundreds of children,
grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and the lot. Of course she asked me if
Nick and I had any children... and I wasn't too sure as to how to answer
her. I managed to say something that didn't sound too stupid, when the
truth was that we weren't even married, let alone thinking about
children with the amount of times our jobs and relationship alone
consumed. When the waiter asked about desert, the couple decided to
leave, and the elderly woman said she had to watch her blood pressure,
so I was left alone. I asked, of course, about bringing something back for
Nick, and the waiter said it would be fine if I ordered for him(the price
for meals was apparently included on our first class ticket) as long as
one of the attendants from our car brought it back instead; train policy
or something, not wanting me to spill hot coffee and burn myself or
anything, I suppose. I ordered him a bowl of soup, a bottle of distilled
water, and a cup of hot tea, hoping that he would accept them when they
were delivered to him.
      I ordered myself an ice cream, wanting to give Nick a little more
time by himself so he hopefully wouldn't be too angry with me for
ordering him food when I got back. The ice cream was wonderful, rich
and creamy with just the right amount of chocolate sauce on it. I left a
large tip for the waiter's trouble and headed back.
      Upon my return I found Nick nearly done with both the soup and
the tea, so I kissed him on the cheek happily. "Good boy. Eat up. You feel
any better?"
      He shook his head. "A little warmer, thanks to the tea and the soup,
but I've got a monster of a headache now."
      I rummaged through my purse to find the tylenol, wondering why I
hadn't thought of giving him some before for his 'non-existent' fever.
"Here you go," I said, shaking two out onto my palm and handing them
over to him.
      He took them thankfully and popped both in his mouth, swallowing
them with a gulp of water. "Thanks." He sniffed and drank the last of the
tea. "I think I'm done with this."
      I took the bowl and our empty cups and threw the disposables in
the trash, giving the rest to the attendants who asked me if we were
ready to have them make the beds yet. I told them that we'd need a few
extra blankets and an extra pillow and they were more than pleased to
help us out in that. While Nick and I when down to the tiny bathrooms to
brush teeth and get ready for bed, they made up the sleeping
accommodations so that when we returned, we found everything set.
      Even though I had a slight fear of sleeping on the top bunk, I let
him have the bottom; it was bigger and this way he wouldn't have to
climb down and possibly hurt himself as the train rocked and shook. We
changed for bed on our respective bunks, me wearing a large t-shirt and
sweat pants and him wearing only a slight variation of what he wore
before, sweatpants, a long-sleeved turtleneck, and my sweatshirt. I
climbed down to help him get comfortable, propping him up with the
second pillow to help him breathe better, tucking him in under three
heavy blankets to keep him warm but not too warm, and moving the
kleenex box to a spot on the bed between him and the wall so they were
easily accessible.
      "You gonna be okay?" I asked him, sitting down on the bunk beside
his lying form, holding my hand above his forehead and stroking the
warmth of his forehead with my thumb.
      He nodded, coughing a little. "I'll be okay," he assured me for what
must have been the hundredth time since that afternoon. And, as with all
the times before, I still didn't believe him.
      "If you need anything, I'll be right above you. Just call and I'll be
right down. Don't feel bad about waking me up, either; I don't mind."
      He smiled. "Yes, Mommy." He sounded stuffy when he said his 'm's,
coming out more like 'yes bobby.' I handed him a tissue and told him to
blow his nose, which he did, sounding a bit better afterwards.
      I figured I'd spent enough time with him to catch it from him that a
little kiss on the lips wouldn't hurt by now, so I leaned forward and gave
him one, wet one the lips, savoring the warmth and taste. "I'm not your
mother," I remarked with a kind smile. "I'm your lover, which is ten times
better for you because if your mother were here she'd send you back
home in a blink and you know it, Mr.I'm-fine-let-me-suffer-alone."
      "Kathy..." he searched for the words, not finding them.
      But I knew him well enough to reply without hearing his comments
first. "I love you, Nick. And I hate to see you feeling like this. If there's
anything at all I can do for you, I'll do it with all my heart because I love
you. Alright?"
      He nodded, sniffing. "I love you, too, Kathy. And thank you."
      I moved my hand from his forehead to his cheek. "It's my pleasure.
Sleep well."
      He reached out from under the covers to touch my hand. His was
cold and a little clammy, but I didn't mind. "You, too."
      We kissed again on the lips and then I climbed up the two stairs
and slid into bed, there being little room to move about once I was up
there. I was exhausted but the awkward jarring motions of the train kept
me awake long enough for me to make sure Nick was asleep. Hearing his
deep, raspy, heavy breaths, I was relaxed enough to sleep, and drifted
off at once.

                         *          *          *

      I woke to the sound of Nick's sneezing and rolled over to peer down
over the edge of the bed. "Bless you," I said, smiling good morning. With
a glance at my watch, I found it was nearly 8:30. Breakfast ran from 7:30
to 9:30 that morning, though I wasn't very hungry.
      "Morning," he replied, wiping his nose. "Sorry I woke you."
      I shook my head. "Don't be, I should have been up an hour ago. Do
you feel up to a bit of breakfast?"
      He coughed and shook his head. "No." It was a simple answer. He
must have given up on alluding to the fact that he was ill.
      "Well, I'll go and see if there isn't anything I can get sent back for
you." I changed into jeans and a blouse, then climbed down. He looked a
bit worse, which I hadn't believed was possible. His face was much more
pale than I'd ever seen it, and his cheeks were flushed bright red with
fever. His nose was red, too, at the tip and nostrils, and his eyes tired,
red, but overly-bright at the same time. "Why don't you make a bathroom
run while they put the beds back in order?"
      He sat up with another cough. "Alright. Enjoy... ha-choo!" even his
sneezing sounded weaker, more sluggish. "*sniff* Enjoy breakfast."
      "I will." I left to use the bathroom, myself, and then eat a light
breakfast; I've never been one for big breakfasts. I was seated with a
father and his two children, ages four and five, who were giving him a
rather hard time about eating. It was exciting(perhaps a better word
would be distracting) none-the-less and I got five dollars out of it
seeing as how the five year old spilled syrup down the from of my silk
blouse and I was nearly doused in chocolate milk. I began to be thankful
that Nick and I hadn't had any children. I had a plate of fruit sent back
to Nick, along with another cup of tea and a bottle of water, this time
going back with the attendant so that it wouldn't be awkward for him to
deliver the breakfast to Nick, seeing as how Nick looked and sounded.
Nick took the meal but wasn't too interested in eating it. He drank most
of the tea, though sat breathing in the warm fumes for a while as I
instructed him to do, which made him breathe a little bit better.
      The end of the line was Chicago, and from there we would catch the
Southern Chief across the country to Los Angeles, California. Of course,
that meant a six hour layover in Chicago, and Nick and I had planned on
going to see the Sears Tower and then Chicago Institute of Art. I wasn't
too sure he was up for doing either.   
      "Are we still on for the art museum?" he asked me with a hint of
hopefulness buried under the congestion.
      I nodded. "But only if you're up for it."
      He smiled. "For you, I'm up for anything."
      I blushed; it had been a long time since he'd last made me blush.
"We'll get to the station around eleven, and that's when the museum
opens, so we'll have a long time to spend there."
      "That's good."
      We talked a little about the job before arriving, and I left a rather
large tip for the attendants on the small table as we took our valuables
and dressed warmly for our excursion on the streets of Chicago. Luckily,
our actual train turned into the Southwest Chief in name, so we didn't
need to move our luggage at all.
      Nick shivered slightly in his sweatshirt as we faced the actual cold
wind of The Windy City. We took a cab to the art museum, paid for
admission, then began our look somewhere in pre-impressionistic France.
We looked at those for about for about an hour or so, Nick firing off a few
sneezes here and there, and ducking into the bathroom whenever we
came across one.
      When he emerged from the bathroom near the modern art exhibit,
one look at him told me that he wouldn't be able to keep this up much
longer, despite his assurance that he was 'fine.' But this time, he was
sensible. "Kathy, I'b really, really sorry. But I thik I deed to leave. I feel
terrible," he said, holding his soiled handkerchief under his nose as it
ran freely. "I'll beet you back at the station later."
      My mouth dropped open. "Nick. I'm not going to let you get back on
your own. You're in no condition..."
      He rubbed hard at his nose, then closed his eyes, expecting
another sneeze at any moment. I waited with him, knowing that he would
answer when he could. He breathed in twice, deep breaths, readying
himself, then sighed, opening his eyes. "I hate it when it does that."
      I giggled at his frustrated look.
      He suddenly covered his nose again and sneezed loudly, almost
echoing in the spacious and quiet rooms as it built up and then came out,
forcing its way loudly, expressively, "histaa... agahhh... heahhhh-
HACHOO!" He sniffed, rubbing at his nose with the cloth. "Excuse be," he
said, embarrassed to be making such a scene.
      "Come on, let's get you back," I said, tugging at his arm as he held
the handkerchief up to his face, sniffing and sneezing and trying hard
to keep himself as quiet as possible.
      When we finally got out into the cold of the outdoors, she let go
with a long series of sneezes which shook his entirely as they were all
soft but still amazingly forceful. "haCHOO! haaCHOOoo! HaCHOO! ha-
CHoo!" he sneezed, and I held him with one arm around his waist to
steady him as he was forced to bend forward, back, forward, back, until
he'd sneezed over thirty times in a solid row, and he was wheezing for
breath. I wiped his nose for him with one of my tissues and he cringed at
it, his red nose feeling sore.
      Knowing he was not up for walking back, I hailed us a cab back to
the train station. There, we went to the VIP lounge, checked in using our
first class passes the train attendants had issued us, and found an
empty spot somewhere on the side that was out of the way and yet close
to the bathrooms. Nick was shivering helplessly and continuously by the
time, and I felt his forehead to find him twice as hot as before. "You're
burning up! You have a fever!" I exclaimed quietly.
      His teeth chattered and he was sweating quite a lot. "W-w-ell m-
maybe a lit.. a little f-fever," he managed to joke as I instantly took off
my coat and draped it over him.
      I got him some more ice at the machine nearby and, putting it in one
of my gloves, held it against his head. "You stay here. I'm going to buy
some things alright?"
      He was in no condition to argue, so he only sniffed and managed to
nod. And so I left him there alone, suffering greatly and almost silently,
in a strange, unfamiliar place, surrounded by luggage and strange,
unfamiliar people.


      I returned fifteen minutes later to find him on the love seat in the
corner of the room, curled up and snoring lightly. I covered him again
with my jacket(it had fallen to the floor). I moved a chair so that I could
sit beside him, which I did most loyally, rubbing his arm and side, as well
holding the ice pack to his hot forehead, until he woke a few hours later,
disoriented and feverish.
      "Hey, Sweetie," I said as he stared up at me.
      "Hey," he echoed back, unsure of himself and sounding awful.
      "I got you some cold medication. Do you feel up to swallowing a few
pills?"
      He nodded, coughing.
      I helped him sit up and handed him the pills one by one, one for his
cold and two more tylenols for his aches and fevers. I was sure now he
had something comparable to the flu, and I was hesitant at letting him
continue on to Los Angeles. What he needed now was a doctor and a
warm, stable bed to sleep in.
      "Don't think about it," he told me, snapping my out of my
speculations.
      "Think about what?"
      He closed his eyes and shivered again. "Staying here. We can't miss
our train and you know it."
      "But, Nick--"
      This time he truly meant to interrupt me. "When I tell you I will be
alright, I'd like you to just once believe me. Hundred of thousands of
people get sick every year, and they recover. There's nothing *sniff* I
can do about it except rest and hope that I feel better by the time we get
to Los Angeles and have the meetings."
      I truly loved this man and his noble heart. "Alright. I'll trust you.
We can go if you really want to."
      "I do."
      I nodded. There was nothing I could say to make him see reason,
that much I knew. At least he'd been able to get some sleep while I was
gone.
      "I'm sorry I made you miss out on the rest of the art gallery."
      I was so surprised by its sudden placement in our conversation
that I had to laugh. "Why in the world would you think I cared more
about seeing paintings than your health?"
      His yes were closed, so he shrugged. "I don't... ha-SHOO! I don't
know. Can you hand--" I already had the tissue over his nose for him to
blow on, which he did, my hand warm against his nose. "Thanks," he
said, yawning.
      I threw it away in the trash can right beside us and went back to
comforting him with my touch. I stroked his arm, his head, and when the
announcement came on that our train would be delayed an hour due to
service malfunctions, I assured him that everything would be alright and
he did the same for me.
      It was past 10:00pm when they finally called for us to board, first
class passengers first of course. Nick could barely stand on his own, so I
let him lean against me when we walked. I carried both our small bags
we'd brought for safe-keeping and had my hand around his waist to help
support him at the same time. We were back in the same cabin, and I
immediately put down the beds and helped him into his.
      The attendants, a different set, came by to ask about dinner and let
me order in so that they wouldn't have to deal with us anymore that
night, though they wished Nick good health.
      Nick, in no condition to spend a night on a train, complained of a
sore throat and a headache more than anything else, so I let him suck on
cough drops I'd bought for him and held a wet washcloth against his
forehead as I ate with my other hand in the room I'd dimmed the lights in
to help strain on his eyes and help him get to sleep easier.
      I took his temperature twice that night, with a thermometer I'd
bought with the rest of the items in the station drug store. This first
time, it was 103.5 and the second time it had backed down to only 103.2,
but it was still way too high for my liking, or for Nick's, for that matter.
      He sneezed more than two dozen times in a few short minutes, not
even feeling well enough to remember to cover his nose and mouth,
spraying a little out in front of him, hitting me a bit a few times, too,
though I didn't mind at all, the poor thing. I had to admit how cute he
looked, all sick and helpless and needing me.
      I fixed him a hot water bottle, filled with water from the bathroom,
and sat up with him most the night as he tossed and turned and sniffled.
When he finally fell asleep, I changed and crawled in beside him to keep
him warm. It was a very tight fit, for the beds were made just large
enough for one person, but I didn't mind. He felt me there and curled up
against me, his head in my chest, his body facing mine. And though he
snored rather loudly, I knew it was a good sign that he was fast asleep,
and let my guard down for the time to get a few hours of the same for
myself.

                         *          *          *

      "Kathy?" he moaned, waking early the next morning.
      "I'm here, Honey, what's wrong?" I'd been up a half an hour,
reading and waiting for him to tell me if he felt any better.
      "I don't feel well," he whined, rubbing at his nose and wincing at
the pain that gave him.
      "I know. I know. Just try to relax. Can I get you anything?"
      He shook his head. "I want to go home," he whined again, and I was
seriously considering getting off at a stop and taking a train home when
I realized that it would be a shorter trip just to get to LA.
      "It's only a short way left to go. You'll be okay. I'm here for you."
      He closed his eyes. "I love you, Kathy."
      I smiled. "I love you, too."

      I spent a long day with him, tending to him as needed, trying my
best to bring down his fever with my limited resources. He was a
complete wreak and acted like a baby the entire time, though I took the
whining as a good sign that the fever had him only delusional, not
unconscious. His nose ran and he passed difficultly through coughing
and sneezing fits that must have had our neighbors wondering if Nick
wasn't dying. I got breakfast, lunch, and dinner in my room, and it was a
tight fit to sit and eat it with the beds down still, though there was no
way I would have made Nick get up so that I could put the table down.
The woman attendant seemed especially concerned with Nick's condition,
checking in on us more frequently and offering to sneak me some goodies
from the lounge car.
      His fever finally broke around 9 that night, dropping from a 102.9
to a normal 98.9. He woke from the sleep with he word 'water' upon his
dry lips. I helped him sit up to sip a little and then I pushed his damp
hair from his face, finding the touch of his forehead to be cool once more.
      "Tell me how you're feeling, honey," I said, my heart soaring with
relief over the temperature drop.
      "Hot," he said, pushing the covers down to his waist. "Ad sick."
      I nodded, wanting to hug him, wanting to make him feel so much
better. "What can I get you?"
      He shrugged.
      "More water? Some juice maybe?"
      He shook his head. "What tibe is it?"
      I looked at my watch. "A quarter past 9."
      He narrowed his eyes. "At dight?"
      I nodded.
      "What day?"
      "Tuesday."
      His eyes were wide with surprise. "How log was I asleeb?"
      I stroked his cheek with the back of my hand. "You were fevered
for a full day. But you're nice and cool now."
      He grinned, playing with me. "I did't have a fever."
      I smiled. "Of course not. And I'm the President of the United
States."
      He rubbed his nose. "Could you had be a tissue, Bs.Presidet?"
      I could and did, and he blew his nose on it, sounding a bit better,
but still very congested.
      We talked for a few more minutes on the subject of my newly
acquired presidency, then I suggested we both get a good night sleep.
      He agreed, yawning, but rubbing at his nose terribly.
      "Itches?" I asked, wanting to scratch it for him.
      "No. It tickles."
      "Oh," I wasn't sure what I could do for him in that case.
      His expression changed from one of annoyance to helpless urgency.
"I need a kleeeHa-SHHoo!" he sneezed freely, his red nostrils flaring to
let in the breath then following the urge and the rest of the body to
sneeze, rising up off the bunk, then falling back, relaxing against his
pillow.
      I got a tissue for him but too late to help a quick second sneeze
which followed close behind. A soft but forceful urging, "ha-CHOoo!"
dying off at the end as usual. He sniffled as his nose ran and I covered
his nose with the tissue, preparing to tell him to blow when out came
another sneeze, this one built-up to give warning as he struggled with
it, trying to hold it back for my sake and for the sake of his sore nose.
Heggahh... Haiahh.. HA-CHOOO!" very strong, making me glad it was into
a tissue.
      "My nose is tick.. " he closed his eyes instinctively for a clean and
round double, "ha-CHoo! Ha-CHOoo!" His nose was running profusely so I
wiped it as he tried to finish what he'd tried to say, "Tickling... I can't
seem to hold ehthaahh... AHCHOO!" came another, pushing him forward,
up off the bed with force. "I cad't hold theb back... they jest keeb..
huhh..." he squeezed his eyes shut, jaw dropping helplessly, a frown
passing over a face that told me he was about to sneeze again, "HA-
NNNCHhhh!" he sneezed nasally, the held in sneezed overflowing his
nose, making it sound much different from his usual sneezes. I wiped his
nose for him again. "They just keeb cobing and I cad't sto.. stob...
heahh..." it built up again, and was about to sneeze when he relaxed,
sniffed, sighed. He wiggled his nose but kept his eyes closed as his
breathing returned to normal.
      "You alright now?" I asked him with concern, at which he shook his
head.
      "I feel like I've got to sdeeze but I cad't. It's huhh... IT'S" his voice
raised as he took in a few deep breaths, the sneeze returning in full.
This time, too, he relaxed against the pillow with a sigh as the feeling
backed away. "*sniff* It's frustrating."
      "I know," I told him, trying to comfort him as the sneeze took hold
of him and I could do nothing else to help. "Would you like me to help you
blow your nose? That may help."
      He nodded and I took another tissue out of the box but then he
quickly shook his head. "It's.. it's back... stronger... I cad't.. hiaahh-
heeahhh-HA-" it backed away just as he was about to sneeze, as
suddenly as it had come.
      Nick sighed, discouraged and disturbed. "Hodey, dext tibe I start
to sdeeze, could you tickle by dose a little to get... agahh.. hahh... " it
passed again. "To get it out?"
      I wasn't sure what he wanted me to do so I asked, "What?"
      He interpreted my confusion as reluctance and he cheeks glowed
red. "I'b sorry. I shouldn't hahhh... *sniff* have asked such a stubid
thig. Forget it." His eyes were closed; he couldn't even look at me.
      "No, Nick," I said quietly. "I just want to know how you want me to
do this. I don't understand."
      "Oh." He tried to think of a way, himself. "Rub it a little with a
tissue very lightly... tickle it..."
      I nodded, wanting to help as much as I possibly could. I got
another tissue and waited with him until the feeling returned and that
look crossed his face indicating that he was ready. "I'b godda sdeeze... "
he told me. I tickled gently, the edge of the tissue lightly brushing up
against his nostrils, making them flair wildly. "Hehh... hiacahh..." he
began again, building, growing... I poked the corner of the tissue into
one of his nostrils and that sent him his over in a split second. "HHA-
CHOOO!" so loudly it startled me, sending him far forward, eyes watering.
He came back down with a great sniff. Then, looking up, he smiled at me.
"God, I love you, Kathy."
      I giggled. "Glad I could help. You feeling better now? Tickling died
down in that handsome red nose of yours?"
      He rolled to his side, facing me, looking tired. He nodded, acting
like a little boy.
      "That's good." I wiped his nose for him and kissed his cheek. "Get
some sleep if you can, okay? You'll feel a lot better in the morning. Looks
like the worst is past."
      He nodded again and smiled, closing his eyes and yawning. "Okay."
Then he opened his eyes again. "Are you going to stay with me until I fall
asleep?"
      How I loved how he needed me! "Yes, of course. I'll be right here
with you." I rubbed the side of his arm soothingly until he finally drifted
off. Then I climbed up to my bed, wishing I could sleep with him again,
but knowing we'd both be more comfortable if I didn't. Rejoicing that he
was going to be better soon, I fell asleep.

                         *          *          *
      There was a knock on the door and I knew it had to be one of the
attendants. I pulled my tangled hair over to one side, slapped myself
twice to wake up, and climbed down to answer it. Just as I'd expected,
the woman attendant standing there with newspaper, a large platter of
continental breakfast foods, and two cups of tea. "These are for you.
Breakfast service is nearly over so I figured you'd want these before the
kitchen closed down. If you want anything else, just ask and I'll see
what I can do."
      I took everything thankfully.
      "How is he?" she inquired as to Nick.
      I smiled, glad I had good news for a change. "His fever broke last
night. He's feeling better."
      Her face lit up. "I'm so glad to hear it!" She was called down to tend
to another cabin and apologized for her hasty visit as she bid us both
good day.
      I closed the door and locked it, turning to Nick, whose eyes were
open now. "Morning sleepy-head," I said, sitting down at my place at the
side of the bed.
      "Morning," he answered. "I'm starving. What's there to eat?"
      I giggled. That was the Nick I knew and loved. "Only light things
for you- do you want too start with toast or a banana?"
      He rolled his eyes. "I don't have the stomach flu. I can eat anything
perfectly fine."
      I laughed. "I never said you couldn't! Now... toast or banana?"
      He laughed back with a smile that told me he was fast down the road
to recovery. "ha-Ha-CHOO! *sniff* Toast."
      We ate and talked, and I caught Nick up on the journey, what states
he'd missed along the way and what was still to come. We had a half an
hour stop in San Antonio for us to stretch our legs, and Nick was glad at
the prospect of finally being able to get out and stretch his legs. We put
the beds up and sat in our chairs again, Nick wrapped in two blankets
for the sake of comfort. We talked about the business and about the art
gallery, and when it was time for lunch I convinced Nick to come with me
to the dining car.
      We were seated with one other person, as late lunch that day wasn't
very popular. The man we were seated with turned out to be a business
consultant for a firm ours had dealt with, so we had a bit on
uninteresting conversation. Every few minutes, the man's cellular phone
would ring, and he repeatedly excused himself to talk on it, so Nick and I
had more time to ourselves. Nick ate lightly, as I had pleaded with him to
do, and I wasn't feeling very hungry either, so we left after not to long,
bidding farewell to our companion as he took little notice of us.
      We returned to our cabin, both of us a bit drowsy. Nick's nose was
tickling a little though this time he was able to deal with it on his own
and I looked on remembering the past several days. He cleared his throat
to ask, "What time is dinner?"   
      "I've been asking for it around six or so, but whenever you want it,
I suppose. Will you be going with me?"
      He nodded. "I'm feeling much better. If I could just get my nose to
stop running and my throat to stop scratching..."
      "Would you like me to get you some ice and a ginger ale?"
      He shook his head. "Don't go to all the trouble, please. You've done
enough for me."
      I giggled. "It's the least I can do, Nick, truly. I'll be back in a
second." I got up, my back aching; I figured it was from sitting hunched
over for a day tending to him. The bunks were low and it was impossible
to sit up completely straight with them down, so it wasn't surprising that
I was suffering from repercussions. I got him the ice and the bottle of
ginger ale and, finding my throat to be a little dry, I got a bottle of water
for myself. We toasted to each other, drinking happily on our last leg of
the journey. Then, both of us tired, we settled down in our seats to take
naps before dinner. And, though I wanted to make sure Nick fell asleep
alright, I drifted off before him.

                         *          *          *
      "Kathy? Kathy?" I heard my name whispered, and I woke groggily
to see Nick's glowing face. He had more color to him, and his eyes were
back to normal. "Time to wake up. We're stopping in San Antonio now if
you want to you walk around with me on the platform"
      "Mmmm, I'm up, I'm up," I assured him, closing my eyes again. "Just
give me a minute to convince myself of it."
      I heard him laugh and say something to me, but by them I was
already asleep again.
                        *          *           *

      "Kathy?" his deep voice called again and I opened my eyes, my
whole body feeling a little achy.
      How long had I been asleep? "Yeah, sorry. San Antonio. Be right
with you..."
      He chuckled. "No, Honey. I want you to wake up so I can take your
temperature."
      I sat up at this. "What do you mean?"
      He was kneeling by my seat, so I had to look downward at his face.
"Your temperature. With a thermometer, you know."
      I nodded, a bit frustrated with him. "I know what that is, but why
take mine? You're the one who's sick."
      "Well," he began, his hand on my thigh. "You look as pale as a
ghost, your cheeks are as red as apples, and you were snoring."
      "I don't snore!" I protested, open-mouthed.
      He nodded. "I know! That's why I'm concerned." He was concerned.
I could see it in his face, in his eyes. That was so cute.
      "Sure, take my temperature, but I'm perfectly fine."
      He nodded. "I know. Just open your mouth and put this under your
tongue."
      I did as he asked, my head throbbing; the only thing I wanted to do
was curl up under a nice warm blanket and go to sleep...
      "Kathy! Stay awake," he said loudly, making me sit up straight with
a start.
      I glared at him, wanting to insist that I wasn't tired at all, but I
didn't want to give him an excuse to have to take my temperature again.
Once was quite enough, thank you very much!
      Finally he took out the thermometer and studied it carefully.
      "Well?" I insisted, shivering a little at slight chill.
      "It says you have a fever of 102."
      My mouth dropped open. "You're reading it wrong."
      Shaking his head, "I know how to read a thermometer, Sweetheart."
      "Well obviously you don't if you say I have that high of a
temperature! It must be broken," I snapped.
      He shook his head, feeling my forehead. "You feel very warm. Are
you coming down with my flu?"
      I crossed my arms, shivering again. "I'm not sick, Nick. I'm not.
There's no way. None, do you hear me?"
      He kissed me on the lips to silence me and then a few times on my
cheek. "Are you cold?"
      I nodded.
      "Feel a little achy?"
      I nodded.
      "Throat hurt?"
      I nodded.
      "Nose tickle a bit?"
      I reluctantly nodded. "But, Nick...." I didn't have an excuse or an
answer or an explanation. He was right. I was sick.
      He sat down and told me to come to him. I did and he wrapped me in
a blanket, then had me sit down on his lap. He wrapped his arms around
me as I leaned up against him, feeling protected. "Now it's my turn."
      I closed my eyes. "I bet you're loving this. Seeing me suffer after I
made such a big deal of you being sick."
      He shook his head. "Kathy, you really think I would be happy
seeing you like this, knowing what you're going through? Like Hell!"
      I opened my eyes to see him looking down at me. "Will you take care
of me, Nick?"
      He nodded, resting his head against mine. "Of course, Kathy. It
would be a pleasure."
      I wasn't too sure he meant it, but his strong, warm arms around me
were enough to prove his point.
      I felt a faint tickle in my nose and I raised my hand to sneeze. "Ah-
TCHAAA! Ah-CHOO! Ah-CHUUPTH!" three time, not too strong but not as
whimpy as some women's.
      It was the beginning of what proved to be a miserable few days,
but Nick's sweet "Bless you," and kiss on my neck made me realize that it
wouldn't be quite as bad as I thought.

                         *          *          *
      "Can you hand me another kleenex, Nicki?" I asked him, as I felt
another sneeze coming upon me from somewhere in the back of my nose.
The sneezing hadn't stopped for two minutes and all I wanted to do was
hit myself on the head and wake up in five days when I'd fully
recovered.
      He sniffed and handed me one, and I took it, holding it closely over
my nose as the sneeze grew. I closed my eyes, inhaled, and let it out with
a strong, "ahCHAA!"
      "Bless you," he said, passing me another so I could blow my nose.
He looked at his watch. "It's time for some more tylenol of you'd like
some."
      I nodded, rubbing at my nose as the sneezy feeling stayed. I
sniffed, trying to hold it at bay, but not succeeding as it made me give
another, "ahCHAAH!" strong and wet. I sniffed again and put my hand on
the back of my neck where it ached. "Yeah, tylenol. Good."
      He handed them to me with a bottle of water, and I quickly
swallowed them, wincing as my throat pained to swallow.
      He rubbed his hand up and down my leg and I was comforted by his
gentle touch. "There now, you'll feel better soon."
      I sniffed, my nose running. "What time is it?"
      He looked as if he might not tell me, but I sneezed again, and
groaned a little at the misery, and he decided there would be no point in
not telling. "A little past 4am."
      I looked at him a moment. "You're serious?"
      He nodded.
      "And you're still up?"
      He smiled. "You stayed up with me when I was sick, didn't you?"
      "Yes, but... "
      He bent forward and kissed my cheek the way I'd done him all those
times. "But what, Sweetheart?"
      I shook my head. "But nothing, I guess."
      He smiled. "Seems like your coughing and sneezing've died down a
little bit. The cold medicine you took half an hour ago must be kicking in.
Think you can try to get some sleep now?"
      I nodded, rubbing at my nose a little. I turned over onto my side,
where I could breathe a little bit better and let the train's rocking and
Nick's rubbing my leg send me to sleep. "Yeah *sniff* I'll try."
      "Good girl," his voice sounded lovely, like a song. "I'll be right
here until you fall asleep."
      Turning my mouth up into a smile, I fell asleep beside the man I
loved.

                         *          *          *
      I woke the next morning to find Nick huddled up and snoring as he
sat on the ground by the foot of my bunk, his head resting on the
mattress and his arm up and on the blankets. "Nick?" I sneezed again,
rubbing my nose on a tissue, and smiled down at him. "Nick?" He was fast
asleep and with the late night that he'd had with me I would be surprised
if he were to wake up before lunch. Shivering as I left the warmth of my
bed, I draped a blanket over him, then retreated back under the covers.
I felt terrible, my nose hurting a little when I touched it, though it ran
too much for me not to wipe it or hold a tissue to it. I felt another tickle
and tried to hold the sneeze back. The feeling escalated... it was very
strong. I felt myself go before it happened, submitting, letting myself
"Ah... AC!" I grabbed for the kleenexes only to find an empty box.  "AC!"
against my hand as I tried to... "AC-CHOOO!" my nose tickling so much
that I couldn't do anything about it but let it go. "AhCHOO! AHCHO!"
filling my nose, making it run; I needed a tissue very badly. My head
bobbed forward with each, my long hair getting in my face. After each
sneeze I pulled it back, taking a quick breath of air, and sitting back up
to sniff and then sneeze again. I kept this up for what seemed like hours,
though it was probably closer to twenty minutes. By this time, each
tickle that made me sneeze would come out strongly, tickling my nose at
the same time, so that the moment I was through, another would be right
behind, about to come out. And as much as I tried to hold them back, I
couldn't manage to.
      Finally, Nick woke, though by this time it did me little good, as my
hand was soaked and my head was spinning. He got out a new box of
tissues and, as my sneezing died down a little, he sat beside me and
helped my to quiet my nose. "Morning," he said softly, when I was once
again curled under the covers, the rocking of the train making my head
hurt.
      I closed my eyes. I didn't reply; I didn't feel like it. I sneezed again
and felt his warm touch as he wiped my nose for me with a soft
handkerchief. Feeling guilty, I opened my eyes. "Thank you."
      He kissed me, coming slowly, making a flourish of the beautiful
joining. His lips touched mine and ours both opened, our tongues
touching. He sighed to feel me so close, but that breath he expelled was
cool, directed through his handsome nostrils, hitting my own smaller,
feminine ones, making my nose tickle so strongly that I couldn't begin to
stop the sneeze. I took in a quick breath through my nose, giving a
powerful, "ah-CHHHHSSSHHH!" I sneezed through my nose, right in his
face as he began to pull back. I covered my nose at once, feeling another
sneeze coming on. He went for the tissues, as I burst into another fit.
"Ahhh... Ahhh... Ah-CHOO!" came one, followed in the same breath by a
"HACHOO!" as if I weren't finished yet because the first had been so well
built-up. "Ah-CHOO!" came another, and I didn't even bother opening my
eyes after, knowing that another was so close to follow. "AhhCHOO!
AHCHOO! AHCHEOO! ARCHOO!" each a little different, but I hardly noticed
as my eyes watered at the force and my nose ran tremendously. I felt a
large one in my nose, and took in the biggest breath yet, only to find the
sensation go immediately as Nick's finger pressed against my nostrils.
      I opened my eyes with a small smile, thanking him without saying a
word. He guided a tissue to my nose and told me to blow hard, which I
did, feeling weak and babyish. I so needed him there to help me.
      He shook out two more pills, handing them to me with the rest of the
water, and I swallowed, pain shooting through my throat as I did. I
grimaced and sniffed, rubbing my nose with a finger. "AC!" with little
warning as I cupped both hands over my nose and mouth, bending at the
force. "ACHOOO!" sniffling, glad to find another tissue under my nose,
attached to his hand. He would be there for me no matter what; and I
loved him so dearly for it.
      A dozen sneezes and a sleeping pill later, I found my eyes closing
and his hand still at my nose, rubbing it tenderly when it twitched
before a sneeze, wiping it with a tissue when it freely ran, tickling it a
little when a gave a few false starts and seemed a bit frustrated. And so I
fell asleep in warmth, a man I loved staying with me, helping me more
than I could help myself. With his loving presence and his comforting
touch, I was content that if I had to catch so horrible a cold, I was glad to
have so wonderful a man taking care of me through it.

                         *          *          *
      "Hey, morning, Sweetheart," I heard when I woke, feeling hot and
sweaty all over.
      I kicked off my blankets and sniffed, looking around as if for the
first time. Then I looked up at Nick in confusion.
      "You've been delirious with fever. Scared me to death."
      Having been through it from his point of view, I completely
understood.  "Sorry. What's my temperature now?"
      He kissed my forehead. "Cool as the snow. The worst is over." All of
a sudden he pulled out his handkerchief to sneeze and then cough a few
times, stuffing it back into his back pocket.
      I perked up a little, still feeling a little groggy. "You alright? Not
getting sick again, I hope?" 
      He smiled. "Not on your life. I'm just recovering still. A few sneezes
here and there, a couple coughs. Generally I feel a hundred percent
better. You?"
      I shrugged, grimacing at how sore my shoulders were as I moved
them. "Twenty-five at most."
      He laughed, pulling two blankets back up and over me. "Well, stay
warm and get some more sleep. You want anything to eat or drink?"
      I shook my head, feeling restless. "Nah *sniff* I could go for a little
tv, though."
      He laughed again, or chuckled, rather, and it was one of the most
clear and beautiful sounds I'd ever heard. "Well, there's not much longer
you'll have to wait for that. There's only two hours before we're to get to
LA. And I'm sure the hotel room the company got us has a nice television
in it."
      I smiled. "I love you, Nick."
      He smiled back. "I love you, too, Kathy. And I'm glad you're feeling
a little better."
      "A little... Ah-CHAA!" It would never fail; my nose was too tickley to
keep from ruining a good mood. "'Scuse me," I whispered, snuffling.
      He kissed my nose, careful not to do so too lightly and cause me to
sneeze again. "Get some rest, Honey."
      I had no choice but to follow his advice. I was too tired to keep my
eyes open any longer.

                         *          *          *
      Wearing two heavy sweatshirts, I left the train behind Nick to face
the warmth of Los Angeles. The station was small, and the platform near
an entrance, so I had only a short ways to walk before we hailed a taxi
and piled in together with our luggage. I was more than ready for a
change of scenery and a warm, non-moving bed at the hotel. The motion
of the car was soothing, and I dozed off, snoring lightly(as Nick told me
later that I did) as I rested my head on his shoulder and he put a loving
arm around me.
      The taxi took us there directly, and Nick paid the driver
generously for the service. Then he helped me out of the car, letting me
put most of my weight on him as one of the bell boys carted in our
luggage and another held the door open for us to enter the classy hotel. 
There were already two people at the desk and I was beginning to feel a
little dizzy on my feet, so Nick helped me over to one of the chairs in the
front lobby. After seeing I was alright, he stood to wait his turn and
acquire the keys to the suite the company had reserved for us.
      I slumped in the chair, sure that I didn't look the most attractive
and trying not to draw any more attention to myself than I needed to. A
few people were already giving me wary, sympathetic looks as I coughed
and sneezed, but all I was truly interested in was falling asleep. I
sneezed messily but politely into a tissue that I had half-balled up in my
hand, then sniffled, slumping lower and moving my eyes to Nick, who was
still talking to the woman at the desk... and, from what it looked like,
arguing with her.
      Finally he came back, holding his hand out to help me up. I took it
and stood for a few seconds before my legs gave way and I collapsed
back down in my seat.
      Nick slung his bag over his shoulder and very gently came to me,
helping me to my feet and then picking me up, couching me in his strong
arms. With one arm around his back to help keep myself in place, I closed
my eyes and rested my head against him. He carried me up to our room,
depositing me delicately on the bed and kissing my cheek as I shivered
under the warm blankets. Nick lay a few more blankets on top of me and
filled up the hot water bottle for me to curl with under the covers. He put
a box of tissues on the bedside table and another on the bed beside the
pillow for easy access as my nose ran and tickled. He then squatted
beside the bed, and felt my forehead with a frown. "I saw a drug store a
few blocks back as we passed it in the taxi. I'm going to go get some
things. Will you be alright if I leave you here?"
      I was in no condition to go with him, but I didn't want to be left
alone either. "Ah-TCHOO! AHCHOOoo!" I sneezed, answering him in my
own way. I took out my arm, holding my hand out to him. "Nicki... stay...
please..."
      He smiled, taking my hand, kissing it. "I'll be right back,
Sweetheart."
      I sneezed, the spray hitting him a little, and I drew back,
embarrassed.  "Sorry Nicki..."
      "I'm fine. It's alright." He kissed me again and guided a tissue to
my nose.  "Only for a few minutes, I promise."
      I had no choice but to nod and sniffle, thankful that he would take
good care of me. "Okay."

      Nick returned in a few minutes though it seemed an eternity, even
as I drifted off to sleep and back again. He took care of me as no one had
ever done before. And though I remember little, as my fever was getting
worse, I can remember the warmth of his body beside mine, his caressing
touches, and his soothing voice easing me into peaceful sleep.

                         *          *          *
      I felt the sensation, deep in the back of my nose, and even though I
was alone in the room, I grabbed a tissue instinctively so as not to sneeze
on the laptop computer. The rough paper covered my nose, smothering
and drowning the sound of the sneeze nicely. "Ah-CHUMMM!" I sniffed,
rubbing at my nose and tossing the tissue towards the trashcan, making
a perfect basket. I sniffed again, turning back toward the small screen
that hurt my head as I strained my eyes to read.
      Nick walked in a moment later, a grin spreading over his face as he
saw that I was sitting up and at least trying o get a little work done.
"Hey, Sweetheart. You're feeling better, I see?"
      I nodded. "Much *sniff*sniff* How did the first meeting go?" He'd
insisted on going alone, as he protested that I needed rest, but had
called me several times on his cellular to get me to look up a few things
and ask me about a few others.
      "Pretty well. We have another tomorrow afternoon for a late lunch.
Turns out, the head of the CEO had the flu a few days ago, so he won't
even be in until Friday. It's smooth sailing until then, so you've got a lot
of time to recover before we've got to start busting our butts to get this
deal through."
      Smiling, I answered. "That's good." I closed the files and set the
lap top aside, patting a spot on the bed beside me. "Because I can think
of a few things that I'd like to do from now until then."
      He grinned, feeling the same way. "Oh?" He loosened his tie and sat
down beside me. "And what might those things be?"
      Reaching for the top button of his shirt, I answered in an overly-
sweet voice, "You'll see."

~tarotgal