gonna_live | (no subject)

(no subject)

Kaylee knows what's to come: if she's not careful, if they're not lucky, everything will settle in his lungs and he'll die.

Kaylee isn't going to let that happen.

Kaylee sends a wave.

hey jordie this is kind of an emergency and I need you to trust me and not ask too many questions so check out the attached vid.

he is real sick with the damp-lung which he said you call CPB here. I will tell you how he got it once we can talk face to face but if you know what it is like in adults at all we do not have the time to waste with me getting all the germs off me and coming out to you and that's even assuming I could leave him alone which I can't and you know why. you are not safe from this unless you got the second shot simon says. he did not which is why he is like this now. I have seen folks through this illness before and I can do it now but there are things I need.

if you can get these to our door we will owe you so many favors. and I will give you answers I promise.

- something to make you cough up the yellow stuff
- nickel chrome wire 80-20
- a real big stock pot, big as you can find
- enough plastic sheeting to cover a bed tent-like, and I can splice them together so don't worry about a whole one
- paracetamol because we are running low
- soup
- juice
- something cool for his throat and sweet too
- crackers for the soup
- tissues
- mag salts (they might have a different name? i don't know? they're the ones you soak in and it relaxes you for a bit and takes the ache out)
- coffee and a lot of romance stories or if you can't bring yourself then something good to read because he is sleeping a lot

please please please let me know. I will find another way if you cannot. and I can set up a temp account and give you access to it if you want. let me know. and if you are bored you could even get the shot ha ha.

thank you jordie

The return wave comes, and it's short:

I'll be there this afternoon. Let's talk through the door. No answers now.

I have an appointment for the vaccine tonight. You call me if you need anything regardless.

See you soon.

She runs her hand over her face again, looks down at the plans, nods, and minimizes the window.

***

Kaylee touches Simon's forehead. It's a lot cooler.

"Hey. Handsome. I got something for you."

Jordie came by, and came through: there's a steaming cup of coffee on the bedside table. (It's not the only thing that's steaming. Kaylee's in shorts and a tank top, and her hair's frizzed. A lot.) She feels like a new woman.

"Come on. You got to wake up. Simon."

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Eyes still closed, he coughs shallowly and rubs his face with one hand.

"Okay. Okay ..."

He opens his eyes.

And blinks up at the sheet of plastic where the ceiling ought to be.

"...?"

"With food," she says. "Made you some toast, but softened it up some. And then there's a little soup. Come on." Kaylee's holding out a mug and a piece of bread. "I'm recommendin' puttin' the bread in the soup. Sit up and I'll fluff your pillow."

Sitting up is still a major effort, but not the draining labor it was yesterday. Simon manages it.

He's still blinking rather at the plastic tent that appears to be surrounding their bed.

"Kaylee, what ...?"

She holds out the mug with a small smile. "Eat somethin' and I'll tell you what's gone on."

He takes the mug, more because he's too busy trying to work out what he's seeing to argue, and raises it to take a sip. It's chicken broth with thin noodles, rich and fragrant, and its heat soothes his throat.

A second later something clicks into place: it's much more humid in here than it ought to be.

Kaylee holds out the toast. "Now. You okay assumin' that all parties involved know what they're doing and nobody's hurt or gonna get that way?"

"That --" His voice is clogged-sounding, but stronger than it's been. "That may depend on who's involved, but ... go ahead."

He takes the toast, and nibbles at one edge.

Kaylee opens the drawer of the nightstand and pulls out a vial. She holds it up so he can see the label.

His name is on it. So is the name of a generic drug used to help clear up the more disgusting parts of respiratory infections.

The prescribing doctor's name is listed as Dr. Llewellyn Jordan.

He peers at the label, and slowly starts to smile.

And then, in abrupt unease: "Was he here? Did I ...?"

Kaylee shakes her head. "I waved him a list, and he brought some stuff by -- and left it outside the door, and we talked for a second, and he never came in. He won't get sick."

"Good," he murmurs, and glances around again.

"...Kaylee?"

"Keep workin' on the soup," she tells him. "What?"

"Did you build me a hydrotherapy unit?"

There's a note of disbelieving wonder in his voice, and a much stronger one of delight.

"I do hear steam helps," she says mildly. "Soup. And the toast. Or else you're gonna throw up this pill."

He settles back against the propped-up pillows and takes another long drink of the broth.

Happily: "My wife is a genius."

"...no I'm not. I mean, honestly -- all it took was some 80-20 wire and a big stock pot."

Kaylee shrugs. "Strip some wire, coil a little, get it to the wall -- all that's left is makin' sure there's enough water in there to make steam, and we're golden. Took about ten minutes. Hardest part was settin' up the plastic right."

Simon cranes his neck, can't quite see the stockpot, but the steam looks thicker over --

"The pot's over there?" he asks, tipping his chin in that direction as he carefully dips a corner of the toast into the mug.

"Yep," Kaylee says peacefully. "Filled it up again about fifteen minutes ago." She settles back in her chair. "Should be good to go for another half hour or so."

Eating sodden bread without dripping soup on yourself or on your sheets is a complicated matter. Simon is devoting rather a lot of concentration to it.

"...what day is it?" he asks, after swallowing.

"We're about midway through day three -- means your fever's probably dropped off for almost good, probably'll stay out of the bad spot but it'll stay low -- "

Without even thinking about it Kaylee touches her fingers to the nightstand.

" -- and the fun part's about to kick into gear, which is why Jordie got you those pills and you got your very own hothouse, seein' as neither of us much wants to see you drown in your own green stuff."

She sounds remarkably cheerful about it. (And maybe a little forced.)

The word drown there is not an overstatement at all. He wonders briefly how aware of that she is, but only briefly; of course she knows. Of course she does.

"Day three," he repeats, with mild wonder. "...It feels like longer."

"...you don't have to tell me that, handsome." Kaylee raises her eyebrows with a smile. "I know."

She picks up her cup of coffee. "You know how amazing this stuff is at this point? You're lucky Jordie didn't get himself a second inoc before he showed up, or else I would've run away with him if he'd only kept the coffee comin'."

He chuckles at that, and it turns without warning into a hacking cough.

Even caught by surprise, he's got just enough presence of mind to hold the mug out to Kaylee so he doesn't spill it.

"Uh-huh," Kaylee says, with something approaching an air of triumph. "Okay."

She pops the vial open with her thumb. "Okay. Take a pill. And then you finish this off."

The cough has loosened something clogging his throat, but not quite enough to bring it up. He swallows, instead, and rubs a hand across his mouth before holding it out for the pill.