Lina sick

Ryan knocked on the door, bags in hand. Lina had forgotten all about their date and was asleep on the couch.

When she didn't answer the door, Ryan frowned and let himself in. He looked around until he found Lina on the couch. "Lina?" he asked.

She coughed, shivering as she pulled the covers closer.

Ryan bent next to her. "Hey, you alright?"

When she woke up, his hand was on her forehead, his face next to hers. "What? What happened?"

"You have a fever. You feeling okay?"

"I'm..." She stopped and told the truth. "Not really. Don't tell Dad. I'll never hear the end of it." He'd told her not to help earlier that week, but they'd been short divers and Eric had needed a break.

"Oh honey." He sat with her, hugging her close. "It's okay. I'll look after you."

She shivered, covering her mouth as she coughed again. She couldn't even remember how she'd gotten home.

"Lay down, cover yourself. I'm going to make you some soup."

"No offense, you know I love you, but you? Really?" She could count on one hand the times he'd actually tried to cook and all were disasters.

"Okay, fine, I'll get takeout soup then."

He earned a smile, even as she shivered.

"Rest. Do you want anything?"

"Maybe some Tylenol? My head hurts."

"Sure. Do you have any?"

"Um..." She looked like she was looking off into the distance and didn't answer.

"I'll find it."

He went into the kitchen to search the cupboards. She lay back down, closing her eyes. A few minutes later, Ryan returned with the Tylenol and water for her. He woke her to give it to her. She took the medicine, sipping the water, looking like she might fall back to sleep while she did it.

"Now, please rest. I'll wake you when dinner gets here."

"Dinner?"

"The soup?"

She didn't seem to remember that.

"It's alright. Go to sleep."

She lay down again, shivering. Ryan pulled another blanket from the closet and covered her, giving her a kiss as he watched her fall asleep. She stayed asleep until the soup arrived. Ryan payed the delivery guy and took the soup into the kitchen, serving it up before going to wake Lina. She was shivering so hard that she spilled more back into her bowl than she ate. Ryan took the bowl when she was finished and then wrapped her in the blankets so he could sit with her. She lay her head against him, closing her eyes. Ryan held her, rubbing her back as he whispered comforting words to her. She fell asleep soon after.
********************
Her cough got worse during the night, more frequent and deeper. Her fever rose so that she was hot and sticky although she was still shivering. Ryan woke up and immediately knew she was worse. He picked up his phone and called Alexx. Alexx was there within fifteen minutes.

"Thank you for coming so quickly," said Ryan when he let her in. "She's in bed still, but she's very unwell."

"What happened? Was she exposed to anything at work?" Alexx asked, taking out her bag, going back to Lina's room.

"She was diving in cold water. We know that's what's wrong with her, we just don't want her to get any worse."

Lina woke up enough that Alexx could take her temperature and listen to her breathing, check her throat. She answered about her headache and told Alexx something she hadn't told Ryan before then: that her whole body hurt and she felt weak, so weak that Ryan had carried her to bed the night before. Her pulse was faster than Alexx wanted and she took Ryan aside at the end.

"Is she okay Alexx?"

"She's got the flu. It's been going around, but that dip didn't help anything."

"What should I get her?"

"Tamiflu should work. I want her to stay in bed though. I think it's just from her illness, but her pulse is a little higher than I'd like it to be."

"Got it. I'll watch her and call if she gets worse."

"I know she's cold, but until her temperature drops a few degrees, I don't want anything over her more than a sheet. Has Kaya been near her these past few days?"

"I don't think so. I think it's just been me and H."

"Have you had your flu shot?"

"Yes. Lina practically forced me to get it a couple of days ago."

"Good girl. Natalia did the same for Horatio, so I guess you two are covered. I've got to go to the hospital, but call me if she needs me and I'll come by and check on her again on my way home."

"Thanks Alexx."

Lina coughed and Alexx winced, feeling sorry for her. "Try to keep her sitting up a little. And you might get a bowl, because the way she's coughing, she could make herself sick."

"I'm prescribing cough syrup; that'll help."

"Okay. I'll have Eric collect the medications."

"Ask Horatio to. I'm not sure Mari's had her shot and I don't want Eric taking something home."

"Mari had her shot. Eric had to get his first to show her it wasn't scary."

She nodded. "Okay."

"Thanks again."

"No problem." She let herself out.

Ryan dialed Eric's number.