melody_sickness-and-health

IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH by Melody

Nicky clutched his stomach, lowered his head over the toilet bowl again, and began vomiting, though what he had left to bring up was something of a mystery. He had been woken during the night with crippling stomach cramps, then the waves of nausea hit him, and he was vomiting violently. Incapable of being ill, he had begun ringing around; Sean and James both had their answering machines on, and Martin had told him that he was in Scotland so couldn't help. His parents were away for a week long break in France, and his girlfriend had told him to get lost and deal with it. The last person he tried was Charlotte, an old friend of his from his school days. She immediately agreed to help him, so he wouldn't have to suffer alone.

He opened the door to Charlotte and promptly ran into the downstairs toilet to be sick once more. Charlotte threw her coat and bag down on the floor, and went and joined Nicky, standing beside him, mopping his forehead with the damp corner of a towel.
“Splash your face with water,” she advised softly. “Then go upstairs, brush your teeth and get into bed. I'll bring a bowl up with me, and some bottled water for you to drink 'cos you'll be thirsty. Wait for me in the bathroom.”
She assisted Nicky in getting up the stairs, leaving him in the bathroom whilst she went to get all the things that she needed, and to ensure that the house was safely locked up.

She put a bottle of water on the bedside cabinet, and a bowl with a small amount of disinfectant alongside the base of his bed. Charlotte then moved the chair that he had in the bedroom, closer to the bed, so that she would be able to observe Nicky more easily.
“Come on Nick, I'll help you into bed.”
Nicky grunted in response, and, with Charlotte's support, slowly and unsteadily made his way to the bedroom. His short chestnut hair was damp with sweat; his eyes swollen and bloodshot, his complexion pallid and drawn. He flopped onto the bed, exhausted from the short walk.
“I'm sorry Charlie,” he muttered.
“Don't worry, I'm your mate. I'm always here for you, you know that. Take your t-shirt and trousers off and get get into bed.”
“I feel sick again.”
“There's an old washing up bowl on the floor for you.”
“Practical...” he sighed, “as ever.”

“Come on, get into bed honey.”
“I don't think that I have the energy to get undressed.”
“Well, unfortunately for you, they have to come off; they need washing.”
Nicky glanced down at his clothes: “Oh yeah.”
“I'll let you leave your undies on,” she said, flashing him a tender smile. “I'll go and get you a flannel so that you can freshen up a bit.”
“I tried to get Lorna to come over, and everyone else was busy.”
“Hey, its ok.” She smiled and helped him take off his clothes. “Like I said, I'm always there for you Nicky; whatever time.”
“Lorna told me to fuck off,” he said dejectedly. “Told me she wasn't coming here to clean my puke up.”
“Some girlfriend she is,” Charlotte sighed. “I'll go and get that cloth.”
“I have baby wipes in that drawer,” he said, pointing her in the right direction. Nicky wiped his body over with some of the wipes, and then settled under the duvet. “I told Lorna that we'd finished.”
“Oh honey, you may feel differently when you feel better.”
“I won't,” he sighed heavily. “This has been on the cards for a while; she's too selfish.”

Charlotte threw the used wipes in the bin in the bathroom, and then sat on the edge of his bed. “I always thought that she was quite nice.”
“Oh shit!” Nicky leant over and vomited into the bowl. When he flopped back onto his pillows, Charlotte wiped his face with a baby wipe, and gave him a capful of mouthwash to gargle.
“I'll go and empty this bowl and rinse it out. Then I'll put your clothes in the wash.”
Nicky closed his eyes and nodded; he was desperately in need of rest.

During the rest of the night, he was sick a further three times, and each time Charlotte was there to soothe and clean him.

Throughout the night, and also the following morning, Charlotte remained by his side, reading the book that she had taken with her. It had been about five-thirty A.M. When Nicky had eventually managed to get some sleep, and Charlotte decided to leave him to sleep until noon, to give his body a chance to recharge and recover.

“Nick,” came the soft voice, “wake up honey. I've brought you a cup of tea. Once you've had that you can go back to sleep.” Charlotte's heart went out to him; he still looked dreadfully ill and weak. His normally ebullient blue eyes were grey and lacklustre, with huge, dark bags beneath them. His face was still pale and drawn, and he had aged a decade overnight.
“My stomach and throat hurt like hell,” he croaked, slowly sitting up against his pillows.
“Drink your tea, then go back to sleep; you need to rest.”
“Thanks again for coming.”
“No worries,” she smiled. “Is there anything else that you want?”
Nicky shook his head: “No thanks.”

“Do you still feel sick?”
“Not anymore.”
“Do you know what caused it?”
Once again he shook his head: “I started to feel unwell in the afternoon; kept having to run to the loo,” he explained. “That went away, I went to bed, feeling a bit iffy but reasonable. Anyway I got woken up by these really bad stomach cramps, and, before I knew, I started vomiting; I hadn't eaten all day.”
“It sounds like you have picked up a nasty bug,” offered Charlotte. “Do you want me to ring Lorna and ask her to come over?”
“I told you; it's over.”
“Just wanted to check if you had changed your mind. I'm going to leave you alone to finish your tea and get some more sleep. I'll be downstairs if you need me.”

Nicky later asked her if she would stay another night with him, to keep him company because he was still feeling miserable. After Nicky had agreed that she could have a bath and wear his towelling robe, so that she could put her clothes through a quick wash because she needed to freshen up, she had said yes.

Charlotte was watching a documentary on the telly whilst Nicky napped on the sofa; when the doorbell rang, it disturbed him, making him stir.
“Hi Charlie, how is he?” asked James, breezing straight in to the lounge, without waiting for an answer. It had seemed perfectly natural to James that Charlotte would be there, and, he didn't bat an eyelid at her wearing Nicky's robe.
“I thought that I heard your voice,” said Nicky with a yawn.
“Do you fancy a cuppa, James?” asked Charlotte.
“I'd love one; cheers honey.”
“I'll be back in a bit,” she smiled, disappearing into the kitchen.

“Sorry that I didn't get your call last night; Sean was able to get tickets for the boxing in London. He's still there; pulled a bird. Talking of birds, where is Lorna?”
“We finished.”
“Can't say that I'm surprised,” replied James. “It was never you that she fancied; it was the trappings of fame.”
“Hmm, she told me to fuck off when I asked her to come round.”
“Doesn't surprise me in the least. Now Charlotte, well, she's always there; through thick and thin, sickness and in health...”
Nicky let out a weak, croaky laugh. “You make it sound like we're married.”
James gave a dirty giggle. “And, I have to say, she really does look hot in that robe. I suppose that its too much to hope that she's naked underneath? I can have fantasies over that for months.”
“James!” Nicky cried, shaking his head. “Stop it, and sit your arse down.”

Carrying a tray with a large teapot, three mugs, a jug of milk and a sugar bowl, Charlotte smiled, and placed them on the coffee table, unaware that James was gazing at the little amount of her cleavage that was on view.
“So, James, how was the boxing?” asked Nicky, deliberately trying to stop James from ogling Charlotte.
“Not bad.”
“I don't like boxing,” commented Charlotte. “How can two men beating each other up, be a sport?”
“Hey, there's a lot of skill involved.”
“You would say that,” she retorted to James. “Oh, that sounds like the timer to let me know that the dryer has finished doing its stuff on my clothes. I'll just go and get changed.”

Nicky glared at his friend, letting him know that he wasn't to make a comment.
“Hey, I'm only human; she's a great girl.”I'm very well aware of that, thank you very much.”
“Hmm, yes; you fancy her, don't you Nick?”
“Don't be silly.”
“You won't mind if I ask her out then?” James queried with a smile. “Every time I've asked her out,
she's been dating someone, and so, has turned me down.”
“What makes you think that she doesn't have a boyfriend now?”
“I saw her a couple of days ago, asked her, and was informed that her relationship had not worked out.”
“You and her is not a good idea James.”

“James and who, is not a good idea?” asked Charlotte cheerfully, rejoining them in the lounge, and pouring the tea.
“No one that you know,” Nicky said hurriedly, not giving James a chance to open his mouth and ask her out.
“Oh right, well, anyway, that film that we both wanted to see starts its run at the cinema on Tuesday, James. Do you wanna go with me, to see it?”
“Are you asking me out on a date Charlie?” he grinned.
Nicky glared at James, and at Charlotte, hoping and praying that she would tell James that he was being silly. He did fancy Charlotte; had don for a long time, but he wasn't sure how to approach her to ask her out.
“Why don't we see how it goes?” she winked. “So, are you going to come or not?”
“I'd love to; as long as it doesn't upset Nicky.”

“You can join us, if you want to, Nick,” said Charlotte, totally misunderstanding James.
“It's erm, not my sort of film.”
“But...” said James, making circular motions with his hands, in an attempt to get Nicky to be honest, and ask Charlotte out.
“Erm...I erm, well, I would like to go out with you Charlie, on a date, sometime.”
“At last!” cried James, jubilantly. “There, that wasn't so hard was it?”
Nicky remained silent, dreading what Charlotte may say in response.
“I think...that that is a great idea Nicky,” she smiled, handing him his mug of tea, and kissing his forehead. “Let me know when and where.”
“The things I have to do to help your love life Wire,” smirked James.
“What do...”
“I have never asked Charlie out on a date. I wanted to get you spurred into action, and, if being devious was the only way to do it...so be it!”

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