fire but the shock and then forgetting I needed the tablets…"
She nodded, "That would do it. I'll give you something to ease the nausea and the headache, and then a prescription for your migraine medication. Thomas can get that filled this morning."
Eric tried to sit up. "But your meeting…?"
Instantly Thomas was at his side, easing him back against the pillows. "It's not an issue. I postponed it for a few days."
"I'm so sorry…" Eric began.
Thomas' hand stroked his head. "Nothing to be sorry for. I wasn't going to leave you like this. Besides, it wasn't important."
Eric lay back against the pillows. Even that brief movement had set his head pounding and the churning of his stomach in free-fall again.
The doctor looked at him shrewdly. "I think we might need that bowl, Thomas."
Not a moment too soon the bowl was put under his nose and he retched weakly. There was very little left to bring up and the action just left him sore and wrung out. He ended up tucked against Thomas' chest as the nausea subsided, wishing someone would put him out of his misery once and for all.
His eyes were closed and he was listening to the thump of Thomas' heart when he felt a sharp prick of pain in his arm.
"I've just given you a shot for the sickness and the pain," Dr. Anthony said as she dabbed the injection site. "This will help you sleep it off.
"Thank you," he whispered, just wanting to fall into oblivion. Eric knew he should move out of Thomas' arms but he was so damn tired… he'd just rest for a minute.
A minute turned into several hours judging by the muted light in the room. Eric came back to consciousness slowly and unwillingly, afraid of a repeat performance with the nausea and headache.
He opened his eyes with some difficulty as they were crusty, and he was conscious of just how rank he must be despite the earlier shower. A movement out of the corner of his eyes attracted his attention. Toby was slinking up to the bed as if he was worried about being reprimanded.
"Hey, boy," he greeted his dog, stroking his ears and paying him attention for the first time in an age.
"You're awake. How're you doing?"
Eric looked up to see Thomas standing over him, a worried look on his face. "Better." He licked his lips, aware of how dry his mouth was. Thomas leaned across and, taking a drink from the nightstand, helped him moisten his mouth. It even had a straw so he wouldn't have to raise his head too much. He managed to take a little water but then he had to lie back; even that small effort made his head pulse in time to his heartbeat.
Thomas was watching him closely. "Do you want to be sick again?"
"No, just so tired."
"The doctor left some meds for when you woke up. Do you feel up to taking them now?"
"In a little bit, maybe" Eric couldn't face raising his head again. He felt a cool hand brush over his forehead.
"Go back to sleep, 'Ric."
Gratefully, Eric obeyed, tumbling back into sleep with a whisper of a kiss on his forehead to ease his way.
When he awoke again, it was light in the room. Eric was completely disorientated, not knowing what the time was or even what day it was, but the most important thing was how much better he felt. The headache had retreated to a dull pinprick behind one eye and the nausea was gone. He looked up to see a note on the nightstand. It only had two words; Take these . Eric swallowed the tablets with a mouthful of water and lay back for a few minutes.
He could hear music playing downstairs and decided he was well enough to rejoin the human race. He wanted to say hello first and give his dogs some serious loving, then come back upstairs for a shower.
The desire to be clean, though, became paramount when he went into the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror and was shocked by what he saw. His face was pale and sunken in under the natural tan. Dark circles around his eyes and lank greasy hair completed the picture of disaster.
"You've lost your chance now," Eric told his reflection,
She nodded, "That would do it. I'll give you something to ease the nausea and the headache, and then a prescription for your migraine medication. Thomas can get that filled this morning."
Eric tried to sit up. "But your meeting…?"
Instantly Thomas was at his side, easing him back against the pillows. "It's not an issue. I postponed it for a few days."
"I'm so sorry…" Eric began.
Thomas' hand stroked his head. "Nothing to be sorry for. I wasn't going to leave you like this. Besides, it wasn't important."
Eric lay back against the pillows. Even that brief movement had set his head pounding and the churning of his stomach in free-fall again.
The doctor looked at him shrewdly. "I think we might need that bowl, Thomas."
Not a moment too soon the bowl was put under his nose and he retched weakly. There was very little left to bring up and the action just left him sore and wrung out. He ended up tucked against Thomas' chest as the nausea subsided, wishing someone would put him out of his misery once and for all.
His eyes were closed and he was listening to the thump of Thomas' heart when he felt a sharp prick of pain in his arm.
"I've just given you a shot for the sickness and the pain," Dr. Anthony said as she dabbed the injection site. "This will help you sleep it off.
"Thank you," he whispered, just wanting to fall into oblivion. Eric knew he should move out of Thomas' arms but he was so damn tired… he'd just rest for a minute.
A minute turned into several hours judging by the muted light in the room. Eric came back to consciousness slowly and unwillingly, afraid of a repeat performance with the nausea and headache.
He opened his eyes with some difficulty as they were crusty, and he was conscious of just how rank he must be despite the earlier shower. A movement out of the corner of his eyes attracted his attention. Toby was slinking up to the bed as if he was worried about being reprimanded.
"Hey, boy," he greeted his dog, stroking his ears and paying him attention for the first time in an age.
"You're awake. How're you doing?"
Eric looked up to see Thomas standing over him, a worried look on his face. "Better." He licked his lips, aware of how dry his mouth was. Thomas leaned across and, taking a drink from the nightstand, helped him moisten his mouth. It even had a straw so he wouldn't have to raise his head too much. He managed to take a little water but then he had to lie back; even that small effort made his head pulse in time to his heartbeat.
Thomas was watching him closely. "Do you want to be sick again?"
"No, just so tired."
"The doctor left some meds for when you woke up. Do you feel up to taking them now?"
"In a little bit, maybe" Eric couldn't face raising his head again. He felt a cool hand brush over his forehead.
"Go back to sleep, 'Ric."
Gratefully, Eric obeyed, tumbling back into sleep with a whisper of a kiss on his forehead to ease his way.
When he awoke again, it was light in the room. Eric was completely disorientated, not knowing what the time was or even what day it was, but the most important thing was how much better he felt. The headache had retreated to a dull pinprick behind one eye and the nausea was gone. He looked up to see a note on the nightstand. It only had two words; Take these . Eric swallowed the tablets with a mouthful of water and lay back for a few minutes.
He could hear music playing downstairs and decided he was well enough to rejoin the human race. He wanted to say hello first and give his dogs some serious loving, then come back upstairs for a shower.
The desire to be clean, though, became paramount when he went into the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror and was shocked by what he saw. His face was pale and sunken in under the natural tan. Dark circles around his eyes and lank greasy hair completed the picture of disaster.
"You've lost your chance now," Eric told his reflection,
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