Fic: Fever (1/2)
Title: Fever (1/2)
Author: Avaritia_90
Spoilers: None
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,918
Disclaimer: I do not own Community.
Summary:Ficcy Sunday prompt, from teruel_a_witch. Jeff has a nasty flue and Annie is taking care of him. While having a fever Jeff tells Annie the truth about his feelings for her and then doesn't remember he did it. So he doesn't understand why Annie is acting weird around him when he comes to his senses.
____________________________________________________________________________________
He's dying.
He has to be, he can't breath (properly anyways).
He can't eat, can't sleep or move. His head pounds with aggression, his stomach turns without pause and his flesh goes from arctic to burning and back again all within seconds.
He sits, unable to do anything but close his eyes and wish for death to hurry up and take him.
If he becomes a ghost, he is haunting Britta. He can't prove it yet, but he's pretty sure this is all her fault in one way or another. He probably caught something from her. Kitty-diabetes or something.
Usually, this is around the time that his brain kicks in and reminds him that catching anything from a cat is impossible because he is in fact, not of the feline family tree.
-but currently his brain is melting in his skull and refuses to work.
So he continues to sprawl over his bed, swimming in his own gross sweat and struggling to curse Britta and her stupid cats.
+++++++Eventually, because they have no sense of boundaries and won't allow him to die in peace, the study group (in reality, it's just the girls but in Jeff's haze of memory he can't recall) barges their way through his locks and doors. Via Britta's extra key.
-and by extra key he means she fucking broke into his home.
"Really, dude, you have got to live somewhere with better security."
"I'm going to haunt you so bad not even the Ghostbusters will know what to do."
"Jeff honey," It's Shirley, she comes around the bed to feel his forehead, "-oh lord; he's got a really high fever. Jeff honey, it's okay. You probably just caught the flu. It's going around on campus right now."
Jeff doubts this, as he's had the flu before, and never like this.
"m'dyin." He mumbles out, and hates how pathetic he sounds, even to his own ears.
She gently pats his head and speaks to Annie and Britta as if he's not there.
"Someone is gonna have to take care of him, or at least make sure he takes medication..." Shirley points out, "I've got some extra stuff in the car, but I can't stay. I have the boys and the baby and I can't risk getting them sick." She admits, almost reluctantly, because her mother-sense are tingling to help Jeff, but even she has to acknowledge her actual small children need her, and that Jeff is a thirty-something year old man.
Britta throws up her arms, "Nuh uh. I refuse to take care of a man just because-"
Annie rolled her eyes, "It's not a big deal."
"-that's just what they want you to think. I'll have you know that for century’s women have been forced into taking care of men-"
"You just don't want to because you have a date with Troy tonight." Annie pointed out, amused. Shirley smiled.
"Oh, that's nice."
Britta's rant halted and she blushed as red as she struggled to shrug off the accusation, "-well, um...no...I mean...fine! Yes, I have a date, and no I don't want to spend the afternoon taking care of Jeff. I mean, come on, he's probably just faking it. He's fine-"
Jeff rolled over and vomited.
"-see. I'm sure he feels better already..."
Jeff gave out a strangled noise of defeat, and then rolled over.
Shirley and Annie both glared at Britta, who gave them sad eyes in return.
"Please, please, please don't make me take care of him. I suck at taking care of people, I'm only good with cats, and this might be my only chance to...you know...start something with Troy without Abed being there. Please? Annie? You're so good with taking care of people."
Annie smiled gently and ducked her head, "Well, I did use to volunteer at my local hospital...you know...before the rehab.”
Britta took that as a yes, and launched herself into the arms of the other girl.
"Thank you thank you thaaaaank you!" -and with that, she raced out the door before anyone could say something to stop her.
Shirley shook her head. "I'll clean this up, while you get the medicine outta my car, are you sure you can handle this, Annie?" She pointed to the lump on the bed, formally known as Sick!Jeff.
Annie shrugged, "Of course, I mean how hard could it be?"
+++++
"Jeff. Take the medicine."
"No."
"Jeff."
"No."
Annie held the spoon of purple liquid out, "It will make you feel better."
"It will make me gag and throw up again. No."
Jeff crossed his arms, and sealed his lips. A gesture of defiance.
Annie made choo choo sounds, and circled the spoon in his face.
"Here comes the train!" She coos, and he hates how it actually makes him smile, even with the fever and headache.
-then outta fucking no where she jabs him in the side with her other hand, and as he opens his mouth to swear she shoves the spoon of nasty ass gross shit down his throat.
"See? That wasn't so bad-"
Jeff does gag, and does throw up, but this time into the bucket next to his bed.
+++++++++++The hours pass and with each one, Jeff proceeds to get worse.
He falls asleep, wakes for moments to acknowledge Annie fluttering around him like a worried butterfly, only to fall back asleep.
He dry heaves, soaks his Egyptian threaded sheets and manages to tell Annie to avenge him.
"It's the cats. I know it is." He tells her; half delusional, half convinced he's right.
Annie agrees to avenge, but tells him he'll be fine.
"No. This is it. Tell my mother I love her. Tell Pierce I don't hate him. Tell Abed that I regret telling him that I didn't like Inspector British show. I lied because it's totally nerdy and loved every second of it."
Annie smiles and runs a hand through his hair, its damp with sweat.
"-tell Leonard I'm the one who always eats his cheesy noodles."
"I think he knows Jeff."
"Its messed up that he does, but tell him anyways."
"Tell Troy to follow his dreams."
Annie bites her lip, trying not to laugh; Jeff is surprisingly sweet when sick.
"-except that one where he buys a tiger, turns it into a half robot and fights crime with it. Tell him to not do that."
"Will do. Should I be writing this down?" She jokes.
"Tell Rich I hope he gets type 2 diabetes."
"Jeffrey!"
"The man eats fucking muffins, cupcakes and candy and doesn't gain a damn pound. I demand there to be karma and restore the balance."
"Jeff-"
"Annie-"
"I think you are just being dramatic, you are going to be fine. You just need to rest-"
"Annie, I love you."
"-and take mo..re.." The rest of Annie's words never leave her lips. She stares up at Jeff, with eyes so wide it's beginning to hurt, but she refuses to blink. Scared that if she does, she will break whatever moment they are having.
"I'm sorry I didn't say it sooner. I regret that I was an idiot for all the times I should have said it, all the times I just pretended like you didn't matter..."
Annie isn't sure she is even breathing, her lungs and eyes burn.
"-because you should know by now...that you do Annie. You matter more than I want to admit, but I will because I love you."
Then, because Annie's life never, ever goes smoothly, Jeff passes out.
The next few moments are a rush of action. Annie through a cloud of tears, struggles to wake him, and then tries not to panic.
It would be just her luck, she gets confessed to by Jeff Winger, but then he dies.
At that thought she starts to panic.
She calls Shirley and before the night is over, they have Jeff hauled off to the hospital.
++++++Jeff wakes to the soft beeping of machines and the bright lights of a hospital.
“Crap.”
At his sudden revival, the study group stands up and crowds his bed side. All of them it seems have been waiting through the night to see his recovery and all at once are eager to tell him. Shirley cradles his head in her hands and praises the lord, Pierce takes care of his hospital bills, Abed and Troy are disappointed that he remember the year and president correctly and although Britta looks sad, she smiles and happily tells him the nurse who gave him a sponge bath looked suspiciously like the Dean.
It does not escape his notice that Annie hangs back, and is the first to leave.
+++++++
The night goes by, and the sun comes up and the doctors let him out sooner than expected, but Jeff doesn’t really care. He’s more concerned by the fact that Annie hasn’t said one word to him.
He’s still sick as a dog, not really ready to eat, but his fever has broken and it allows him to think. He tries to remember if he did something to offend or piss her off, but nothing comes to him. His memories are blended together, heavy and spotty at best. He remembered getting sick, throwing up and her spoon antics, complaining like a child and missing his mother as the fever raged his body; but that’s it.
He leaves her a message and two texts, but when her replies are short one answers (unusual for her) he accepts that when he sees her next, he’ll apologize and everything will go back to normal.
Jeff cleans his apartment, washes his sheets and takes a shower.
He eats some toast, drinks water and takes his medicine like a good boy.
He keeps his phone on him, as per usual, but answers it more frequently. Most of the calls are from Shirley, who checks in on him every other hour. Some are the Dean’s cries of happiness of his recovery; there is even a call from his mother, but none from Annie.
“Mom, I’m fine.” He snaps, but not with any actual malice. It’s less of a protest and more like a whine. He might be an adult, but his mother always makes him feel like he’s ten again.
“Jeffrey, you called me last night saying you were dying, to say sorry for that time you broke my favorite mug when you were ten and lied about it and that you regretted not telling me the truth. I’m just calling to make sure you are alright. Are you, honey? I can come out for a few days if you need-”
Jeffrey shuts his eyes, “Mom I’m fine. I was just…sorta losing my mind. I was running a fever.”
His mom chuckles, “Oh, okay that makes sense then.”
“What?”
“Well, honey, you know how you get when you get really sick. It was always so cute how you used to babble. Your grandmother used to joke that you only ever threw up the truth.” His mom laughs again, “-you’d go on and on, like it was confession. We used to record you, you know. Then play it, and oh lord you would get so embarrassed. But it was so funny!”
“Thanks mom.” Jeff rolls his eyes.
“Oh, don’t get upset honey. It really was cute.”
He manages to say goodbye, eat a bowl of soup, and sleep before the day is over.
His thoughts linger, on Annie’s uneasiness and distance.
-but he’s sure that for once, the matters will resolve themselves.
____________________to be continued________________
Author: Avaritia_90
Spoilers: None
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,918
Disclaimer: I do not own Community.
Summary:Ficcy Sunday prompt, from teruel_a_witch. Jeff has a nasty flue and Annie is taking care of him. While having a fever Jeff tells Annie the truth about his feelings for her and then doesn't remember he did it. So he doesn't understand why Annie is acting weird around him when he comes to his senses.
____________________________________________________________________________________
He's dying.
He has to be, he can't breath (properly anyways).
He can't eat, can't sleep or move. His head pounds with aggression, his stomach turns without pause and his flesh goes from arctic to burning and back again all within seconds.
He sits, unable to do anything but close his eyes and wish for death to hurry up and take him.
If he becomes a ghost, he is haunting Britta. He can't prove it yet, but he's pretty sure this is all her fault in one way or another. He probably caught something from her. Kitty-diabetes or something.
Usually, this is around the time that his brain kicks in and reminds him that catching anything from a cat is impossible because he is in fact, not of the feline family tree.
-but currently his brain is melting in his skull and refuses to work.
So he continues to sprawl over his bed, swimming in his own gross sweat and struggling to curse Britta and her stupid cats.
+++++++Eventually, because they have no sense of boundaries and won't allow him to die in peace, the study group (in reality, it's just the girls but in Jeff's haze of memory he can't recall) barges their way through his locks and doors. Via Britta's extra key.
-and by extra key he means she fucking broke into his home.
"Really, dude, you have got to live somewhere with better security."
"I'm going to haunt you so bad not even the Ghostbusters will know what to do."
"Jeff honey," It's Shirley, she comes around the bed to feel his forehead, "-oh lord; he's got a really high fever. Jeff honey, it's okay. You probably just caught the flu. It's going around on campus right now."
Jeff doubts this, as he's had the flu before, and never like this.
"m'dyin." He mumbles out, and hates how pathetic he sounds, even to his own ears.
She gently pats his head and speaks to Annie and Britta as if he's not there.
"Someone is gonna have to take care of him, or at least make sure he takes medication..." Shirley points out, "I've got some extra stuff in the car, but I can't stay. I have the boys and the baby and I can't risk getting them sick." She admits, almost reluctantly, because her mother-sense are tingling to help Jeff, but even she has to acknowledge her actual small children need her, and that Jeff is a thirty-something year old man.
Britta throws up her arms, "Nuh uh. I refuse to take care of a man just because-"
Annie rolled her eyes, "It's not a big deal."
"-that's just what they want you to think. I'll have you know that for century’s women have been forced into taking care of men-"
"You just don't want to because you have a date with Troy tonight." Annie pointed out, amused. Shirley smiled.
"Oh, that's nice."
Britta's rant halted and she blushed as red as she struggled to shrug off the accusation, "-well, um...no...I mean...fine! Yes, I have a date, and no I don't want to spend the afternoon taking care of Jeff. I mean, come on, he's probably just faking it. He's fine-"
Jeff rolled over and vomited.
"-see. I'm sure he feels better already..."
Jeff gave out a strangled noise of defeat, and then rolled over.
Shirley and Annie both glared at Britta, who gave them sad eyes in return.
"Please, please, please don't make me take care of him. I suck at taking care of people, I'm only good with cats, and this might be my only chance to...you know...start something with Troy without Abed being there. Please? Annie? You're so good with taking care of people."
Annie smiled gently and ducked her head, "Well, I did use to volunteer at my local hospital...you know...before the rehab.”
Britta took that as a yes, and launched herself into the arms of the other girl.
"Thank you thank you thaaaaank you!" -and with that, she raced out the door before anyone could say something to stop her.
Shirley shook her head. "I'll clean this up, while you get the medicine outta my car, are you sure you can handle this, Annie?" She pointed to the lump on the bed, formally known as Sick!Jeff.
Annie shrugged, "Of course, I mean how hard could it be?"
+++++
"Jeff. Take the medicine."
"No."
"Jeff."
"No."
Annie held the spoon of purple liquid out, "It will make you feel better."
"It will make me gag and throw up again. No."
Jeff crossed his arms, and sealed his lips. A gesture of defiance.
Annie made choo choo sounds, and circled the spoon in his face.
"Here comes the train!" She coos, and he hates how it actually makes him smile, even with the fever and headache.
-then outta fucking no where she jabs him in the side with her other hand, and as he opens his mouth to swear she shoves the spoon of nasty ass gross shit down his throat.
"See? That wasn't so bad-"
Jeff does gag, and does throw up, but this time into the bucket next to his bed.
+++++++++++The hours pass and with each one, Jeff proceeds to get worse.
He falls asleep, wakes for moments to acknowledge Annie fluttering around him like a worried butterfly, only to fall back asleep.
He dry heaves, soaks his Egyptian threaded sheets and manages to tell Annie to avenge him.
"It's the cats. I know it is." He tells her; half delusional, half convinced he's right.
Annie agrees to avenge, but tells him he'll be fine.
"No. This is it. Tell my mother I love her. Tell Pierce I don't hate him. Tell Abed that I regret telling him that I didn't like Inspector British show. I lied because it's totally nerdy and loved every second of it."
Annie smiles and runs a hand through his hair, its damp with sweat.
"-tell Leonard I'm the one who always eats his cheesy noodles."
"I think he knows Jeff."
"Its messed up that he does, but tell him anyways."
"Tell Troy to follow his dreams."
Annie bites her lip, trying not to laugh; Jeff is surprisingly sweet when sick.
"-except that one where he buys a tiger, turns it into a half robot and fights crime with it. Tell him to not do that."
"Will do. Should I be writing this down?" She jokes.
"Tell Rich I hope he gets type 2 diabetes."
"Jeffrey!"
"The man eats fucking muffins, cupcakes and candy and doesn't gain a damn pound. I demand there to be karma and restore the balance."
"Jeff-"
"Annie-"
"I think you are just being dramatic, you are going to be fine. You just need to rest-"
"Annie, I love you."
"-and take mo..re.." The rest of Annie's words never leave her lips. She stares up at Jeff, with eyes so wide it's beginning to hurt, but she refuses to blink. Scared that if she does, she will break whatever moment they are having.
"I'm sorry I didn't say it sooner. I regret that I was an idiot for all the times I should have said it, all the times I just pretended like you didn't matter..."
Annie isn't sure she is even breathing, her lungs and eyes burn.
"-because you should know by now...that you do Annie. You matter more than I want to admit, but I will because I love you."
Then, because Annie's life never, ever goes smoothly, Jeff passes out.
The next few moments are a rush of action. Annie through a cloud of tears, struggles to wake him, and then tries not to panic.
It would be just her luck, she gets confessed to by Jeff Winger, but then he dies.
At that thought she starts to panic.
She calls Shirley and before the night is over, they have Jeff hauled off to the hospital.
++++++Jeff wakes to the soft beeping of machines and the bright lights of a hospital.
“Crap.”
At his sudden revival, the study group stands up and crowds his bed side. All of them it seems have been waiting through the night to see his recovery and all at once are eager to tell him. Shirley cradles his head in her hands and praises the lord, Pierce takes care of his hospital bills, Abed and Troy are disappointed that he remember the year and president correctly and although Britta looks sad, she smiles and happily tells him the nurse who gave him a sponge bath looked suspiciously like the Dean.
It does not escape his notice that Annie hangs back, and is the first to leave.
+++++++
The night goes by, and the sun comes up and the doctors let him out sooner than expected, but Jeff doesn’t really care. He’s more concerned by the fact that Annie hasn’t said one word to him.
He’s still sick as a dog, not really ready to eat, but his fever has broken and it allows him to think. He tries to remember if he did something to offend or piss her off, but nothing comes to him. His memories are blended together, heavy and spotty at best. He remembered getting sick, throwing up and her spoon antics, complaining like a child and missing his mother as the fever raged his body; but that’s it.
He leaves her a message and two texts, but when her replies are short one answers (unusual for her) he accepts that when he sees her next, he’ll apologize and everything will go back to normal.
Jeff cleans his apartment, washes his sheets and takes a shower.
He eats some toast, drinks water and takes his medicine like a good boy.
He keeps his phone on him, as per usual, but answers it more frequently. Most of the calls are from Shirley, who checks in on him every other hour. Some are the Dean’s cries of happiness of his recovery; there is even a call from his mother, but none from Annie.
“Mom, I’m fine.” He snaps, but not with any actual malice. It’s less of a protest and more like a whine. He might be an adult, but his mother always makes him feel like he’s ten again.
“Jeffrey, you called me last night saying you were dying, to say sorry for that time you broke my favorite mug when you were ten and lied about it and that you regretted not telling me the truth. I’m just calling to make sure you are alright. Are you, honey? I can come out for a few days if you need-”
Jeffrey shuts his eyes, “Mom I’m fine. I was just…sorta losing my mind. I was running a fever.”
His mom chuckles, “Oh, okay that makes sense then.”
“What?”
“Well, honey, you know how you get when you get really sick. It was always so cute how you used to babble. Your grandmother used to joke that you only ever threw up the truth.” His mom laughs again, “-you’d go on and on, like it was confession. We used to record you, you know. Then play it, and oh lord you would get so embarrassed. But it was so funny!”
“Thanks mom.” Jeff rolls his eyes.
“Oh, don’t get upset honey. It really was cute.”
He manages to say goodbye, eat a bowl of soup, and sleep before the day is over.
His thoughts linger, on Annie’s uneasiness and distance.
-but he’s sure that for once, the matters will resolve themselves.
____________________to be continued________________