NCIS. Kate/Ari. Prompt 3.Sick
Title: Got to love the flu.
Author: archangelsmack
Fandom: NCIS
Rating: PG-13
Charater(s)/Pairing: Kate/Ari
Summary: No summary
Warnings: None
Notes: English is not my language.
That. Was. Too. Good. Too good to be true. Ari Haswari on her doorstep, looking like death warmed over. Even his glare wasn't scary anymore.
-"Please stop smiling and let me in."
-"Why?"
-"Why what?"
-"Why should I let you in?"
-"Because you're too kind to let an agonizing man releases his last breath on your doorstep."
He was right of course. But that didn't mean she couldn't have a little fun.
-"Come on in and don't touch anything."
She was weak. When he looked at her like that, she just couldn't resist. She watched him exploring her space. Even in his condition, he looked like a lion in his lair anywhere he was.
-"Where do you think you're going like that?"
-"In bed."
No no no, no way in hell, he was going in her bedroom. He was going to see her blue hearts pj's.
-"You're going to take the couch."
-"The couch for the dying man. You're a mean woman Caitlin."
Grrrrr, infuriating man. He knew what to do, what to say to make her flinch.
***********
There's a first time for everything. Like sleeping on her own couch, trying not to think about the Israeli man sleeping only in shorts in the next room. Not to think about his tanned skin, the warmth of his hands, the feverish look in his eyes...too late.
Good thing she wasn't sleeping, or she wouldn't have heard the noises from the bedroom.
-"Ari, everything's okay?"
No response. Kate continued to call him a few times, before entering her room. The sight that welcomed her wasn't nice to say the least. He was sprawled on her bed, shivering, covered only to the waist up. His skin was glowing from the sweat. She didn't like that.
First step, her pharmacy in the bathroom, thermometer and a basin of tepid water. She put the thermometer in his mouth and kept it there until it beeped, 102°F. Tylenol here we come.
-"Ari, Ari wake up."
He opened his eyes, then started to open his mouth, but she was prepared and put the meds in and forced him to swallow before he could say a word. Good idea, since he fell back into unconsciousness almost immediately.
***********
He woke up two hours later, and threw up. Good thing: she didn't those sheets. Bad thing: throwing up meant he wasn't getting better. Good thing: he was awake. Bad thing: she had to clean him now.
After changing the soiled sheet and given a sort of sponge bath to her unwelcomed guest, she took his temperature, 101.5°F.
-"Caitlin, Caitlin, sweet wonderful Caitlin. Stay with me sweetheart."
Perfect, just when she needed his doctor brains, he was hallucinating. But she stayed with him and wiped his face and upper body with a wet cloth. The fever was still here, she could feel it.
***********
When the fever finally came to 100.5°F, she woke him up so he could eat some chicken soup and she helped him to the bathroom. His state of weakness was obvious, he would never have let her do that normally.
She was bored, he wasn’t much of a company. She was supposed to go on an excursion, her material and camera was waiting for her...particularly her camera.
***********
This routine continued for two days before he was well enough to leave. She had called in sick to stay with him, a bad cold. When he left, she smiled sweetly at him.
-"What did I do to deserve that, dear Caitlin?"
-"Nothing."
-"Really?"
-"It’s just....now I have a proof."
She took advantage of his slightly unfocused state to push him out and close the door. She only started to laugh after that.
If men and doctors are the worst patients, so being both seemed to cancel it, the pictures she had taken of the submissive Mossad agent were proof of that.