(Untitled)

[gonna_live]

Kaylee knows what's to come: if she's not careful, if they're not lucky, everything will settle in his lungs and he'll die.

Kaylee isn't going to let that happen.

Kaylee sends a wave.

hey jordie this is kind of an emergency and I need you to trust me and not ask too many questions so check out the attached vid

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[simon_doctor]

Eyes still closed, he coughs shallowly and rubs his face with one hand.

"Okay. Okay ..."

He opens his eyes.

And blinks up at the sheet of plastic where the ceiling ought to be.

"...?"

[simon_doctor]

Simon cranes his neck, can't quite see the stockpot, but the steam looks thicker over --

"The pot's over there?" he asks, tipping his chin in that direction as he carefully dips a corner of the toast into the mug.

[gonna_live]

"Yep," Kaylee says peacefully. "Filled it up again about fifteen minutes ago." She settles back in her chair. "Should be good to go for another half hour or so."

[simon_doctor]

Eating sodden bread without dripping soup on yourself or on your sheets is a complicated matter. Simon is devoting rather a lot of concentration to it.

"...what day is it?" he asks, after swallowing.

[gonna_live]

"We're about midway through day three -- means your fever's probably dropped off for almost good, probably'll stay out of the bad spot but it'll stay low -- "

Without even thinking about it Kaylee touches her fingers to the nightstand.

" -- and the fun part's about to kick into gear, which is why Jordie got you those pills and you got your very own hothouse, seein' as neither of us much wants to see you drown in your own green stuff."

She sounds remarkably cheerful about it. (And maybe a little forced.)

[simon_doctor]

The word drown there is not an overstatement at all. He wonders briefly how aware of that she is, but only briefly; of course she knows. Of course she does.

"Day three," he repeats, with mild wonder. "...It feels like longer."

[gonna_live]

"...you don't have to tell me that, handsome." Kaylee raises her eyebrows with a smile. "I know."

She picks up her cup of coffee. "You know how amazing this stuff is at this point? You're lucky Jordie didn't get himself a second inoc before he showed up, or else I would've run away with him if he'd only kept the coffee comin'."

[simon_doctor]

He chuckles at that, and it turns without warning into a hacking cough.

Even caught by surprise, he's got just enough presence of mind to hold the mug out to Kaylee so he doesn't spill it.

[gonna_live]

"Uh-huh," Kaylee says, with something approaching an air of triumph. "Okay."

She pops the vial open with her thumb. "Okay. Take a pill. And then you finish this off."

[simon_doctor]

The cough has loosened something clogging his throat, but not quite enough to bring it up. He swallows, instead, and rubs a hand across his mouth before holding it out for the pill.

[gonna_live]

She drops it in his palm, and holds out the mug of soup. There are deep, dark circles under her eyes, and her brow is still a little creased. Her hair isn't just frizzed from the humidity -- it's a genuine mess, piled haphazardly on the top of her head.

She's calm.

[simon_doctor]

Simon downs the pill, and then reaches for the mug and drinks; the soup has cooled down enough that he can take deep swallows, not just small sips.

He lowers the nearly empty mug and leans back, looking at Kaylee with his head tilted a little to one side.

[gonna_live]

"If you're feelin' up to movin' around later, we can try puttin' you in the tub, and do this in there." She picks up her own cup of coffee again.

[simon_doctor]

"I might," he murmurs. "I feel a lot better."

A quiet pause.

"How about you?"

[gonna_live]

Kaylee looks up, and gives him a small, crooked smile. "Gettin' by."

[simon_doctor]

"You look tired," he says softly.