★ but I'm going to be okay as long as you're beside me along the way

[complexguy]

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[complexguy]

When he does wake up again, he actually feels even worse now, but that just means he's more compliant, and he goes to the steamy bathroom easily with her. He barely speaks, just grunts at times until they're back in bed. Once he's managed to eat and drink a little, he just wants to sleep again.

"I feel like shit, Juliet."

[dharmalady]

"I know, baby," she whispers softly, stroking his hair.

"I know, and all I can do is treat your fever. I'm sorry. I know it sucks," she tells him gently, knowing that if his fever hasn't gone down in about another day, she needs to get him to the infirmary.

"I wish I could give you something to make it better."

[complexguy]

"You're makin' it better," he mumbles, his head resting in her lap. His fingers move, stroking across her kneecap tenderly.

[dharmalady]

"Doing everything I can," she promises.

She rotates advil and tylenol, tries to help him breathe and keep him comfortable. It hurts to see him hurting and not being able to do more.

[complexguy]

The next two days, his cough just gets worse and worse, his fever still lingering but not getting worse at least. Finally, on the fifth day of being sick, his fever breaks. When he wakes up in the morning, he's drenched in sweat but he's cool to the touch, and his coughing has started to ease.

[dharmalady]

Juliet's been about eight hours away from calling Horace and telling him the sub needs to be ready for an emergency trip. That's how long she waits after one more does of Tylenol, knowing if it doesn't help, then they need to go before his fever does decide to climb when his body can't fight the virus anymore.

But finally just after sunrise, she's awake and reading when she hears him sigh in his sleep. Reaching over, she can feel the damp coolness on his forehead and she finally relaxes. Still, she only dozes and is awake when he is, ready with warm tea with a little honey to help soothe.

"Fever broke," she says with a soft smile, sitting on the edge of the bed. She'll get him into a bath to wash him soon, but for now, she wants to assess how he is.

[complexguy]

His eyes open fully to look at her, his hand wrapping around her wrist for a moment. For the first time since he got sick, his eyes are actually clear, not glassy and foggy. "Saved my life," he grunts out. Is he being over-dramatic? Probably, but he sure felt like death.

[dharmalady]

"Well, if your fever hadn't broken, we'd be on the sub right now," she tells him seriously.

"I was worried," Juliet admits, bending down to kiss his forehead tenderly.

[complexguy]

He grips her wrist, wanting to hold her right there. "Can I get another kiss?"

[dharmalady]

"You can have anything you want," she breathes out, kissing him again.

"Whenever you want, I can help you into a bath," Juliet offers.

[complexguy]

"Kinda want one now," he mumbles, starting to push himself up. He just feels sticky and gross. "You get in first." Yes, he definitely wants to be held and he's not ashamed to admit that.

[dharmalady]

"Let me help you in, then I'll get in behind you," she promises, wanting to be able to help him if he feels like he might pass out.

Juliet gets up and steps up to help him gently to the bathroom, kissing his shoulder softly before turning on the hot water in the bath.

"Ready?"

[complexguy]

He nods a little, then slips into the tub, letting her get comfortable behind him. Once they're both in the tub together, he sinks back against her. He's still so damn exhausted, so he doesn't say anything, just closes his eyes as she holds him.

[dharmalady]

Juliet lets the quiet settle because it's comfortable and she knows he must be lethargic as hell. So, she just washes him quietly, murmuring to him softly when she needs him to move.

"Do any of your joints hurt?" she asks him quietly.

[complexguy]

"Yeah, a bit," he mumbles, so comfortable as he rests against her. "Worse before, though." When his fever was at its worst, he had terrible body aches, but they've tapered off now.

[dharmalady]

"As long as they're getting better," she soothes, hands moving up and down his arms before pressing a kiss to the back of his head.

"Your fever was high for a few days, you have no idea how relieved I am," Juliet breathes out.

[complexguy]

"Didn't mean to scare you," he breathes out, but he sighs a little in contentment because it feels so good just to be in the water, to be held by her and kissed.

[dharmalady]

"Try not to again, for my sake, okay?" she asks with a soft smile, kissing the back of his head again and then rubbing his neck and shoulders.

[complexguy]

He mumbles an affirmative, but then eventually, feeling so much better (along with being warm and relaxed), he starts to lightly doze right there in the water with her.

[dharmalady]

Juliet lets him doze for a while, until the cold of the water is too much and she murmurs at him.

"James, come on. Let's get back into bed."

[complexguy]

He wakes up slowly, yawning a little as he sits up. With her help, he gets comfortable in bed again. "Sorry I'm so damn out of it, baby. Gonna take me a minute to get back to myself." He smiles sleepily, leaning in to kiss her cheek. "You take good care of me."

[dharmalady]

"You don't have anything to apologize for," she promises, running her fingers through his hair. "I'll always take care of you. Best that I can."

She pulls the sheet up to cover them both, kissing is shoulder softly.

[complexguy]

He sleepily mumbles a reply, drifting back to sleep quickly. Over the next few days, he finally catches up on sleep, regaining his strength and feeling so much better now. It's all thanks to Juliet, of course.

[dharmalady]

He's not feeling so much better that she's comfortable with him working, but he isn't contagious anymore, so Miles and Jin come over for dinner. It's a good time, all of them laughing and joking when Miles makes the innocent comment that it's insane, how they'd never just be having a casual dinner together like this if not for some crazy circumstances bringing them together.

And then he elaborates by saying hell, Jim and Juliet probably never would have been a thing.

It's innocent, but now Juliet's thinking about it, for the entire rest of the evening.

[complexguy]

For his part, James doesn't think much of the comment at all, but he does notice that Juliet seems to get progressively more quiet and subdued as the evening goes on. He doesn't call attention to it while they're all together, but after Miles and Jin go back, James casually remarks, "Got kinda quiet, Blondie. Everything alright?"