Jake and Diana
by Lady_Gallatea_Ravenclaw
He'd never had to sneeze so badly in his life.
Jake Patterson twitched his nose and held a finger under it to ward off the impending explosion.
"Okay. 10 seconds left. 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1.... Done!" whispered his coworker Diana Stevenson.
Jake was a scientist at a big, expensive firm in Britain. Diana was an American scientist who was working with him for the government. The American government and the British Parliament thought it would be a good idea to put their heads together to develop a cure for the common cold.
Unfortunately for Jake, this experiment had to go down flawlessly, without interruption. The problem was that his nose wanted to cause the interruption.
"Huh-huh-huh- HURRRASSSHOOO! Hah-KERCHOO! Hah-SSSHHH! Hah-SSHHEEWWW!" sneezed Jake into his hand. He then pulled out a well used handkerchief and wiped his sore nose.
Jake moaned and sat down in his chair, rubbing his head and eyes, sniffling through his runny nose.
"Jake? Are you okay?" asked Diana.
Jake shook his head and sunk deeper into his chair. He had been coming down with something since yesterday, and he was just ready to go home and lie down.
"I believe that I've caught a summer cold," said Jake quietly as he sniffed miserably, "At this point I feel awful."
"Oh Jake! I'm sorry.... I shouldn't have kept you here so late. Do you want me to drop you off at your flat?" said Diana regretfully towards her ill colleague.
"That would be wonderful, if it isn't too much trouble of course," said Jake gratefully.
"No problem. You just rest here for a bit. I'll close up and get your coat. It's raining outside, you know," said Diana, her tone a little lighter.
"Err... Diana, ca-a-an you ha-a-a-nd me a-a-a ti-iss- ISSEWW! Hah-CHOO! Heh-heh-HESSSHEWWW! Huh-huh-HURRRASSSHEEWWW!" Jake sneezed.
Luckily, or unluckily, Diana had noticed his distress in time to put a tissue in front of his nose and mouth. The bad part was that her hand was still there when his sneezes obliterated the tissue and consequently the spray went onto her hand.
When Jake recovered from his sneezing fit, he saw Diana's mucus covered hand, and gazed at her in horror.
"Oh my god Diana, I am so sorry. I can't believe I just did that, I am so sorry ...."
"Don't worry about it Jake. You're sick, you can't help that you have to sneeze. It's my fault; I didn't get the tissues fast enough. Look, just relax okay? The tissue box is right here, I'll be done before you know it," consoled Diana.
Jake nodded, closed his eyes, and leaned against the chair back, sniffling miserably. He ached all over, his head hurt, and his damn nose was running all the time. Let alone those sneezes. Every single one hurt his head and seemed to spray out way too much mucus. It took nearly three tissues or a very strong handkerchief to last one of his sneezing fits.
As Jake sat in the chair, Diana bustled around, putting away the experiment groups and control groups. Their work was centralized on the contagiousness of colds. If they could stop people from spreading colds, then the main problem was solved. Or, at least it was the first step to curing colds.
Diana heard Jake sneeze again, and blow his nose loudly. She shook her head with a soft sigh, Poor guy. Jake was a really sweet man, well mannered, and even-tempered. He always had a kind word for everyone, yet with those he knew well, he had a characteristic sharp wit that used his intelligent mind to stump even her. Modest didn't even begin to describe him, and handsome was an understatement.
The perfect guy, and Diana couldn't help but go weak at the knees every time she heard his soft voice.
The major problem was that he had an on and off girlfriend who was the most obnoxious b****h that she had ever met. She was kind to Jake's face, but constantly put him down behind his back, and was rude to everyone who was "not of her station." The skank was a model for Vogue, stupid, and gorgeous.
Poor Jake, he kept getting played by her, and every time he would stop dating her, she would come up with this lame excuse and he would welcome her back into his life again. The only reason she wanted to stay with him was for his money and influence.
Another was one of her moral rules, which kept work and pleasure separate.
But, that was beside the point.
Diana shook herself out of her thoughts and put away the last bit of equipment.
"Okay Jake, I'm done. Here's your coat, let's go. Keep the tissue box, we have plenty in the back, and I think you'll need this one," suggested Diana.
Jake nodded and put on his coat before grabbing the tissues. He then followed Diana out of the building and to her car. Diana helped him get there, holding his arm the entire way, letting him lean on her a little bit.
"Easy Jake, watch your head. Okay, buckle your seat belt. Good. Now Jake, focus on me, do you need anything, food, tissues or stuff?" asked Diana. You never know with guys, they live in rat holes and have no food in their apartments, and no medication at all.
"No. I went grocery shopping yesterday," whispered Jake before he sneezed into a handful of tissues, "Heh-CHOO! Hah-TESSHEW! Hih-hih- HITICCHEEWW! Hah-SHEEWW! Huh-huh-HUHCHOOO!"
Jake blew his nose and sighed in slight relief. His nose was a bright red, his face was pale, and his cheeks were a little flushed. Diana put her hand to his forehead with a worried frown.
"Oh Jake, this isn't good. You have a fever. Okay, can you tell me where your apartment is?"
"Across from the Green's Bed and Breakfast Inn. Apartment #305," he said weakly with a sniffle and cough.
"Okay buddy, don't worry, you'll be home soon," said Diana reassuringly.
Diana shut the passenger side's door and got in the driver's seat.
She started the car, turned up the heat, and drove to Jake's apartment. With a bit of struggle, she had him into his richly furnished apartment.
She got out a pair of warm looking pajamas from his dresser and tried to get Jake to put them on. Unfortunately, Jake wasn't that coherent or awake. She felt his forehead and realized that his fever was much higher. She sighed and decided to undress and redress him herself.
She took off his coat, shoes and socks, tie, and work shirt. She couldn't help but notice his well muscled bare chest. She shook herself and put on the pajama shirt. Ah, the pants. She unbuckled the belt and laid it to the side. She unzipped the pants and looked away as she pulled them down and stared at his feet. She then switched them for the pajama pants and put his feet through the holes. She pulled up the pants, looking away again, sighing thankfully that the pants were elasticized and not buttoned or zipped.
Diana ushered Jake into bed and covered him with the heavy duvet. She opened two boxes of tissues and put them on the bedside table. She went to the bathroom and wet a towel, which she put on his forehead to try and reduce his fever. She then pulled out some medicine and got Jake to swallow some cold pills and open his mouth for the thermometer. He had a fever of 40 degrees Celsius (around 101 or 102 in Fahrenheit).
Jake slowly eased into sleep and Diana sighed in relief. He sounded very congested and his mouth was open so he could breathe. Diana filled a glass of water and put it on the beside table. She cleared up his discarded clothes and put them in the laundry basket.
This wasn't the first time she had been to his apartment, but it was the first time she had been to this apartment. Usually after a new breakup with his girlfriend, he would work himself to exhaustion or illness.
Occasionally, after a particularly difficult argument, she would get his hammered (drunk) butt back to his apartment and take care of him.
He'll never see me that way. What's the use in trying. (said her conscience)
The use is that you do because you love him. (said her other conscience)
Diana sighed and settled down on his couch to sleep until Jake woke up. The poor guy was always quite needy when sick, and lord knows she loved having him need her; it was better her than the pimp he calls a girlfriend.
Soon, one could hear soft snores coming from Jake and slow breathing from Diana.
Response to Weekly Hatching 72 (General)- Start the story off with the line, "He'd never had to sneeze so badly in his life." Also, I would like it to be about a summer cold, but it doesn't have to be.
I just wanted to note that I am American, so I probably will mess up on any British lingo. This does take place in Britain, and in a little place called my mind. Um.... this first part is really bad, 'cause I just wrote it when the bunny bit me, and I'm not sure if I'll continue with it. Maybe I will if I get enough feedback (hint, hint). Hope you enjoy.