Rude Awakening

Writers: AL, Kaysea
Date Posted: 20th September 2008

Characters: Causton, Geni
Description: Causton wakes up sick and Geni attends to him.
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 11, day 27 of Turn 4

Causton eased himself from the bed, his whole body ached and his head
felt muddy. He pushed himself into a sitting position at the side of
the bed, and rested his head in his hands, stifling a groan as he
heard, rather than saw, the door open. He raised his head and glance
dup to see Geni entering the room with little Neva in her arms.
"Don't come too close with her." he held up a warning hand, and choked
out the words from a raw throat. "Shards I feel like death this
morning, Gen."

Geni came to a dead stop in the doorway and cast her gaze upon her
husband. "Your throat?" She shifted the child in her arms, though she
took his warning and didn't draw any closer. "When did it start? Are
you having any other symptoms?"

"I just woke up feeling this way. It's scratchy, really sore." he
croaked out, then started coughing, his chest wracked with pain. "Oh
shards, Geni." he said finally, shaking his head, "I feel like ..." he
burst into another paroxysm of coughing.

"Let me set Neva down and I'll be back in just a minute." Geni
disappeared back through the doorway, letting it shut behind her so
the children would be less likely to disturb him. She appeared a
couple of moments later and immediately went to sit upon the side of
his bed, her hand reaching out to feel his forehead. "Do you have any
congestion?"

"I have a stickiness to the back of my throat and can't seem to clear
the phlegm." he croaked out, appreciating the coolness of her hand on
his forehead.

"You feel a bit warm." Her hand slid down and the other met it at his
throat, gently massaging the sides. "Your glands are swollen a bit.
Do you have trouble breathing?"

"No...not so much breathing, but there's an irritating scratchiness in
the back of my throat, and my _head aches_." he said, finishing on a
groan.

"Are you having any drainage?" Geni gently tilted her husband's head
back, "Let me look at your throat."

"Just a little phlegm that I can't seem to shift at the back of my
throat." he nodded, and reached for the mug of water on his bedside
table. He could feel another coughing spasm building and hoped the
water would stem it.

Geni let him drink some water, then urged him to open his mouth,
turning his head so that the light fell into it. "Hm. What about
your ears? Are they bothering you?"

"What?" he asked, with a straight face, for a moment his sense of
humour came to the fore.

"Very funny." Geni reached out to flick her husband's nose playfully.
"But seriously, are they hurting at all?"

"A little sore, but mainly when I cough, its as if there's a pressure
build up..." he nodded, the smile slowly fading from his face. "I'm
sorry...."

"Sorry for what?" Geni raised her eyebrows in surprise at the apology
as she stood. "There's no reason to be sorry."

"You have enough to worry about with the children, you don't need me
falling sick."

"Oh hush, it's not like you planned this." The woman paused and then
lay a suspicious eye upon her beloved. "Did you?"

"Planned it?" He looked at her in surprise and laughed, his laughter
turning into a choke and then cough which he struggled to bring under
control. "Hardly..." he finished with tears in his eyes.

"I think you've gotten an infection my dear." Geni reached out and
gently patted her husband's cheek. "I'll go make you something to help
your body fight it. In the meantime, you rest and don't you even
_think_ about getting out of bed today."

"Can you send word to Daigoro for me?" he asked, his voice even huskier
after his coughing fit. "We were supposed to be starting the
organisation for the Turns End celebrations." he shook his head, he
had been looking forward to it, and now.... well, the sooner he got
better the sooner he could dip his hand in.

"Of course. Now hush. Don't talk anymore than you have to." Geni
stood and made her way to the door. "I'll make you some soup too. You
need to eat, even if you don't feel like it."

As Geni let the room he slipped back down onto the bed and pulled the
blanket up over himself, he could feel the chills building up and
couldn't ward off the trembles. Better to try and sleep it off.

Last updated on the September 20th 2008

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Rude Awakening