Fate's Cruel Hand

Kelly washes her flushed face and leans over the sink, her stomach wretching for the third time. With an exhausted and frustrated sigh she looks at her clammy reflection in the mirror, she's pale and looks like death.

A light knock on the bathroom door disturbs her.

"You okay, baby?" Jeremy pokes his head round the door, handing her a towel.

"I'm fine. I just feel a little sick."

Jeremy presses the back of his hand to her forehead.

"You don't feel too good."

"It's most likely some bug I've picked up from somewhere" she replies as he leans against the wall.

Carting round a leg cast is difficult at the best of times, but recently he had been pushing himself to go up and down the stairs.

"Go back to bed for a while" he says, kissing her forehead."You might feel better"

Kelly agrees that going to bed would probably make her feel a thousand times better, but first she takes two aspirins.

"You don't mind?"

"Course I don't" he laughs"Just try and get some sleep."

"I think Marilyn said she's going to come over for coffee."

"I'll come get you when she gets here." He hobbles into the bedroom after her, sitting on the edge of the bed as she gets comfy.

"Thank you" she gives a sigh of satisfaction and grabs his hand as he gets up. He looks down at her with questioning eyes.

"I owe you dinner"

"Forget dinner. I would rather have some desert" he winks at her, flashing that cheeky smile and leaves.

It's no wonder Kelly's temperature has risen.

*****

She studies her friend across the table over a cup of coffee and listens to the details of the inquest. Kelly is stressed, her mind working over-time and assuming the worst and it's Marilyn's job to reassure her since Jeremy had failed. She had briefly spoken to Jeremy in the hallway when he had let her in and had asked how Kelly was holding up, Jeremy revealed to her that Kelly was feeling really low.

"How long do these inquests last for?"

"Around a week. Sometimes more depending on what the panel considers evidence" Kelly replies quietly. She doesn't want to talk about the inquest and at the same time she does.

"How do you feel about it?"

"I feel like I should have done more. Maybe he could have been saved in time" Kelly confesses.

"You we're doing what you could for him and that's what matters. The guy had issues and when he left your office he made the decision. Not you"

Marilyn refills their cups and settles back down.

"Other than worrying about nothing. How are you feeling?"

"I feel horrible. I think I've caught a bug from somewhere" Kelly takes a long deep breath that seems to help with the waves of nausea.

"You should try some of those multi-vitamins. My to be mother-in-law swears by them"

"I'll pick some up at the store." Kelly decides."Whatever this bug is I hope it decides to infest someone else."

"How are you and Jeremy getting along?" Marilyn asks quietly, remembering that Jeremy is in the next room replying to emails from fans.

"We're doing okay. We're better than okay. Actually he asked me to move in with him" she says with a smile.

"That's wonderful. Are you going to?"

"I said yes" Kelly takes a sip of her coffee and feels it hitting the back of her throat. Quickly she goes to the sink and turns to Marilyn, feeling horrible.

"You need to go to bed." Marilyn says and calls on Jeremy, giving him clear instructions; back to bed, fluids only and if she gets worse call the doctor. He agrees, knowing that the last one would create a war, but sees her to the door anyway.

"Bed. Now"