Miserable at Best

Lisa had known something was coming. All since Alex had fallen asleep with his head in her lap before 9pm, Alex had always been a night owl and him being asleep before that generally only meant one thing. True he could have just had a busy day if she didn’t know for a fact he’d spent most of it chasing the dogs around and catching up on shows he’d missed why on tour. Not exactly the most exhausting day, add that with the fact he’d been oddly quiet only really added up to one thing; Alex was getting sick.

Despite this Lisa hadn’t expected to be woken at 3am by Alex’s hacking cough.
“Baby?”
She rolled over to Alex sat up coughing his heart out.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
He shook his head and she just rubbed his back until the fit eventually subsided. It was obvious Alex wasn’t feeling so well but Lisa still placed her wrist against his forehead, his skin feeling as warm and clammy as she’d expected.
“Do you want some medicine?” she asked.
Alex nodded and coughed weakly into his fist. As Lisa walked over to the bathroom she could hear Alex’s laboured breathing as he fell back onto the pillows. She searched the cupboards for some cold meds or at least something to help Alex sleep. She found an all but empty bottle of Nyquil and decided that would do until a more reasonable time of the morning.
“Sorry baby, this is all we’ve got,” Lisa said, pouring out the remaining dose to her half awake boyfriend.
Alex just groaned and took it before curling up back under the duvet. Lisa smiled slightly before going back around to her side of the bed and climbing in next to him. Alex shuffled over to her and laid his head on her chest, she wrapped her arm around his waist and let his feverish body rest against her. Lisa smiled softly ran her fingers through his sweaty hair in a hope to sooth him enough to get back to sleep. Soon he was snoring, his breathing tained by a harsh wheeze. Alex may like to act like he was responsible and could take care of himself but in truth he liked having someone there. Lisa was quite happy to be that person, the one that got to see his vulnerable side.

The next time Lisa wakes up it’s to the harsh beeping of her alarm. She groaned and rolled over to turn it off, it was then she realised Alex wasn’t in bed beside her. With how ill he’d seemed the night before she was surprised he’d actually gotten up.
“Alex?” she called, expecting to hear his voice from the bathroom.
There was no reply and she sighed. He better not be thinking about going to the studio, he was too sick and would end up infecting the entire band.
“Alex?”
She found him in the kitchen, he appeared to be half way through making some coffee when he was interrupted by a sneezing fit.
“Hey Lis,” he replied once he’d finished, his voice sounded rough and painful.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Makin’ a drink,” he mumbled.
Alex looked so adorably miserable that Lisa couldn’t help but smile. His hair was sticking up all over the place, he was pale with the exception of his red raw nose and he was wearing one of his oversized sweatshirts, where the sleeves fell over his hands.
“No coffee for sick people, tea’ll be better for your throat.”
“But I’m tired, I want caffeine,” he whined.
“Then go back to bed,” she said, standing on tip toes to reach the honey out of the cupboard. With a singer in the house they always had some lying about, Alex had been known to talk too much and give himself a sore throat.
“I don’t want to,” he said, slipping his arms around her waist and resting his head on Lisa’s shoulder.
“As long as you’re not thinking of going to the studio,” she said, finishing making his tea.
“Well…”
Alex broke away coughing and Lisa just turned to look at him, her arms across her chest.
“Alex, you are not going anywhere near that studio.”
“But…” he tried to talk but his voice cracked.
“Ring the boys, tell them and go back to bed,” she said, putting the hot tea in his pale hands.
Alex sighed and nodded, of course she was right. He still felt bad about not being able to go but if he was honest he felt awful.
“Good boy, drink your tea and I’ll be back soon,” Lisa said, grabbing her keys and jacket, not bothering to change out of her Harry Potter pyjamas.
“Where are you going?” Alex sniffed.
“To get you more medicine,” she said, reaching up to kiss his red nose.
“Thanks Lis,” he smiled and placed a piece of her hair behind her ear, before moving away to sneeze into his sleeve.
“Go to sleep sicky,” she teased.
Alex nodded before shuffling back up the stairs, to his now cold bed. He heard the sound of the front door close as Lisa left and he curled up under the duvet with his tea while waited for her return.

It took Lisa longer over an hour to come back. She’d spend too long sitting in traffic and trying not to run over posh business people in her impatiens. She hoped Alex would have fallen back to sleep and stayed there; but as she entered the living room she found him sat in front of the tv, wrapped in a blanket and with the dogs at his feet.
“Hey, how’re you feeling?” Lisa asked, sitting down on the end of the couch.
“Pretty shitty,” he sniffed.
“Sleeping didn’t last then?”
He shook his head and coughed.
“Too cold,” he said.
Lisa frowned and reached over to put her hand to his forehead, he had a fever alright as his skin almost burnt against hers.
“Okay, medicine time,” she said, lining up the medicines she’d brought along the coffee table.
“Do I have to?” he groaned his voice cracking in a low rasp.
“And that’s exactly why, you sound like you’ve been gargling gravel,” she teased.
Alex pouted, Lisa just chuckled and poured out the correct doses. Alex’s nose scrunched at the sour taste, he hated grape flavour things (wine aside) but he’d already had enough of being sick.
“Come here.”
Alex put his arms around Lisa’s waist and pulled her onto his lap, burying his face in her shoulder.
“Better?” she asked, running a hand through his tangled hair.
He hummed in reply and looked up at her with fever glassed eyes, she kissed his red nose and smiled. They were snapped out of their romantic moment by the sound of someone shouting on the tv, causing the dogs to bark.
“House, really?” she asked, looking at the program Alex had been watching.
“Hey, I can relate,” Alex said.
“You’ve got a cold, you’re not dying,” she teased.
“Are you sure?” he sniffed.
“Very,” she replied, kissing his cheek.
Alex headed up falling asleep, his snores loud enough to cover the noise from the tv. Lisa just smiled and tucked the blanket around him. As much as she’d be happy to stay by his side she had some work to finish. She kissed his warm forehead and went up to her office, figuring she could get some things done why he slept.

“Lisa…”
She’d been working for a couple of hours when a horse voice reached her ears.
“Lis…”
Alex called again before he broke into a coughing fit.
She sighed and pushed her work away, she needed a break anyway, all the words were standing to blur and she was pretty sure she was typing nonuse. Lisa walked down the stairs and found Alex stood at the bottom, wrapped tightly in his blanket and yet still shivering.
“What’s up Alex?”
“I’m fr...freezing and I didn’t… Didn’t know where you were,” he said, his shivers interrupting his words.
She smiled, Alex could be such a child when he was ill. When he was on tour he had to be grown up about it and take care of himself but the second he was home he like a child, needing someone to do the caretaking.
“I think your fever’s gone up,” she said, placing her hands on his cheeks and forehead.
“I’m so cold,” he moaned, pulling his blanket closer as he shuddered.
She smiled sadly at him, he was obviously miserable and needed some company.
“Come on then,”
Lisa took his hand and started leading him up the stairs.
“Where are you taking me?” he sniffed.
“To bed, stupid.”
“Really, like this?”
“No, not for that, get your mind out of the gutter for once Gaskarth.”
He laughed for a moment before it turned to a cough. She patted his back until he was able to breathe again before dragging him over to the bed.
“Pick a movie why I get the medicine,” she said, pulling the duvet over his shivering form.
“Do I have to have more?” he whined.
“You do until you can stop boiling your brains,” she laughed, running a hand through his messy hair.
He pouted and she kissed the newly uncovered skin on his forehead, not bothering that is was sweaty and overly warm. When Lisa returned Alex was snuggled deep within the covers and the title screen of the third Harry Potter on the tv screen across from the bed. Her favourite film, he knew her too well.
“Okay baby, medicine time.”
Alex made a groaning noise and pulled the duvet over his head. Lisa laughed and started tickling him, attacking his sides under the blankets. He started laughing and trying to fight her off but she ended up on top of him as he squirmed under her touch.
“Okay, okay, I’ll take, please stop attacking me,” he said, gasping between coughs.
“Good boy,” she said, climbing off of his chest and pouring out the medicine.
“You’re mean,” he said, turning away to cough into his fist.
“I’m just looking out for you,” she smiled.
“Thank you beautiful,” he smiled in return and lead in his head on her shoulder.
She handed him the cup orange gloop and watched him swallow the stuff, his nose scrunching in disgust.
“I know it doesn’t taste good, but it’ll help you feel better.”
“It’s still gross,” he said, sticking his tongue out.
Lisa just laughed and pulled him tighter to her side, wrapping her arm around his shoulders.
“I’m sorry you’re feeling miserable baby,” Lisa said, running his hand over his back.
“I’m never miserable with you,” he said, kissing her cheek.
She smiled as they both cuddled together to watch Harry Potter for the 1000th time. it didn’t matter to her that Alex was sick, though she did wish he didn’t feel so unwell. She did love him, even if he was an idiot but he was her idiot.
“I love you, ya know? Thank you for putting up with me,” Alex said.
“I love you too, you goof. I’ll always put up with you, even if you are a child.”
Alex smiled and rested his head on her chest, closing his eyes as the movie began. Lisa just ran her fingers through his tangled hair, as long as they were together she truly didn’t mind what they did. The feeling of him in her arms was enough to keep all the misery at bay.