Work Text:
When Sophie woke, she knew something wasn’t quite right, her head felt heavy, she felt a bit like she’d been punched in the face and her chest was tight and she felt that familiar itch in her nose that was the tell tale sign that something was wrong but as she had done for months and years didn’t think too much of it.
She had a screaming hot shower to loosen up the muscles in her body and unblock her sinuses and as she stepped out of the shower she felt more like she would normally feel, yes she was usually a little tired but it was nothing a coffee couldn’t cure.
The last few weeks, since the end of the trial, the lead up to her first charity event, she was finally having time to relax and her weekends had been spent with her new family, being wined and dined by Benedict and she felt loved, she felt finally like she was living a life that she had always dreamed of, she felt like she was finally able to unload some of the weight on her shoulders.
She made her way down to the kitchen to find Benedict, his hair rumbled and his glasses on, standing in just his boxers making up her coffee. “What are you doing?” she asked, her voice a little coarser than it usually would be.
Benedict frowned a little at the coarseness of Sophie’s voice “I woke up when you were in the shower, so I thought i’d make your breakfast up for you to take to work with you” he said smiling as Sophie wrapped her arms around him and stood on her tip toes and kissed him softly.
“I am lucky to have you,” she said with a smile.
Benedict frowned as he let his hand rest on her cheek, the affectionate gesture he would usually give her as she got herself ready to leave for work whilst he was on set and their days were slightly different, his starting a little later. “Are you feeling alright?” he asked with a frown on his face.
“Yes of course why?” Sophie said, which was true, she felt fine, yes she was a little achy, she was a bit sniffly and warm but she was fine. Compared to what she had been like a few short months ago, this was perfectly fine.
“Just you're a bit warmer than usual, and your voice sounds a bit croaky” he said to her, watching her carefully.
“I’m fine sweetheart, it’s nothing some paracetamol won’t sort, it’s just from being out in the cold on my run last night” she said “I’ll be right as rain in an hour” she said as she leaned up and kissed his cheek “don’t worry about me” she said as she grabbed her lunch of the fridge.
Don’t worry about me .
Benedict hated when she said that, she had said it when she was recovering from the assault. She had said that so much over the last 6 months, she was so used to people not worrying about her, not caring about her that she was still struggling to let people worry about her and to care for him but he also knew that she was as stubborn as an ox, so he knew there was no point in pushing it.
He would worry about her but in private instead. He nodded and leaned down and kissed her softly “Okay, but you know if you’re not feeling great, you do have sick days, you can just stop here and put the fire on and just…”
Sophie shook her head and smiled, interrupting him “I’m fine Ben, really. I’ve had worse that this and worked”
“Yes but that was for that bitch, you don’t have to do this. If you are sick, you have sick days, use them… Please Sophie”
“Benedict” she said, her voice a little shorter than usual “stop worrying. I am fine. I promise you” she said, her tone brooking no arguments.
Benedict sighed, knowing he was fighting a losing battle “fine but if you feel worse at all…”
“Yeah… yeah… I’ll come home.” She said as put her things into her bag “Now I have to go, i have a meeting and if I don’t leave i’ll be late” she said with a smile on her face, the same smile he had seen plastered on her face, she wasn’t going to say anything more on the matter.
Benedict could tell from the look on her face she wouldn’t, he knew his stubborn girlfriend far too well but he just hoped that she would actually listen to him. “Okay, well good luck, I’ll see you tonight” he said leaning in and kissing her again.
“Love you” she said with a smile throwing her coat on
“Love you too” he said as she left for work and he headed to get himself ready for work.
By the time Sophie got to the office, she wasn’t so sure it was just the run from last night in the cold and the rain that had caused this. She had coughed so hard she had to pull over to throw up, her stomach hurt, her head was absolutely splitting and by the time she got out of the car, her nose had somehow turned into something that would rival Rudolph’s and she had no idea what had happened.
She had the overwhelming urge to just turn around and go home but there was a tiny voice in her head screaming at her burden, burden, burden… weak. Useless… can’t even handle a minor cold. Useless… leaving everyone else to do your work… pathetic.
The voice making her feel sicker than anything else, she rifled through her bag looking for whatever cold medication she had in there and with a gulp of water popped all 4 tablets in one go and made her way into work.
“Sophie!” Kate called as Sophie made her way through the entrance to Bridgerton Enterprises and Sophie turned far too quickly and felt her entire world and vision shift as she wobbled.
“Soph? Are you alright?” Kate asked as she reached Sophie’s side. “You look awfully pale”
“I’m fine” she said as she blinked a few times to refocus her vision “Just a little cold, I went for a run last night and got a bit wet. I’ll be fine for the meeting, don't worry about me” she said.
There it was again. Don’t worry about me . Kate frowned at her “if you say so, we can move the meeting if needs be. I am sure..”
Sophie shook her head, anxiety swirling in her chest “I’m fine, i’ll be fine… it’s nothing Kate. just Stop…” Sophie said a little harsher than she meant to sound.
“Why are you stopping?” Anthony asked as he joined his fiancée and Sophie at the lift. Sophie let out a groan as Kate said
“Sophie’s got a cold”
“I’m f..” her fine was cut off by a loud coughing and sneezing fit.
“You are not fine Soph…” Anthony said with a soft smile “go home, i’ll get the meeting moved to next week”
Sophie finished coughing and wiped her eyes and shook her head, “No, It’ll be a huge inconvenience as I am sure the clients are already on their way… I will be fine. I am doing this” She said stubbornly turning on her feet and though she knew she would regret it, walked away from Kate and Anthony and stormed off up the stairs.
Kate and Anthony frowned at each other as Sophie stormed off.
Sophie regretted her little outburst after it took her 10 minutes to walk up the stairs and she had locked herself into her bathroom to throw up because of her coughing fit, she felt like hell but as she had said to Benedict that morning, she had felt worse, though she had to admit to herself and she picked herself off the floor in her office bathroom, she hadn’t felt much worse than she did at that moment in time.
She looked in the mirror, she could see the paleness of her skin, the gaunt look in her face and the dark circles under her eyes as she groaned as she stretched, her entire body ached and her stomach just felt cold. She felt poorlier than she had in years.
She sighed and cricked her neck and winced. She felt her eye twitching as her nose started to run and she honestly was starting to feel worse than being tossed down the stairs at Araminta’s office.
“Pull yourself together Soph” She said to herself as she gave herself a little shake, washed her face with cold water and went back to her desk and grabbed her emergency make up pack and started to reapply her face as she raided the cold and flu stash threw some more tablets down her neck with a glass of water and prayed to god that she could get through this meeting.
Sophie was struggling within an hour, she had thrown up twice more but she wasn’t going to be beaten, this was a majorly important meeting and she didn’t want to let anyone down. Anthony knocked on her door coming to get her for the meeting as she hadn’t made her own way up the stairs yet “Soph?”
“Yup…?” Sophie replied, lifting her head from the desk where she was resting her head on her arms.
“Soph, you should go home,” Anthony said softly.
“I’m fine” she said, trying to get her eyes to focus on Anthony “I was just going through my presentation in my head” she said, her voice croaking and cracking as she spoke, trying to not let her face show the pain she was in as it was like she was gargling nails as she spoke.
“Soph, come on. I’ve seen colds and flu before but whatever this is… you are not fine. Go home, Kate can do the presentation if we can’t put it off until next week, I am sure the clients will be fine” Anthony said, trying to keep his voice even and gentle.
“It is a cold, Anthony I am fine. I’ve never let a little cold stop me before, I didn’t have that luxury” she said pulling herself upright, swilling the bottle of water and throwing a honey and lemon Locket into her mouth “Now… if you’ll excuse me. I have a presentation to give” she said, wobbling slightly as she straightened her skirt and she stalked out of her office and up the stairs.
Anthony sighed “Sophie! Don’t do this!” he called after her as she stalked away from him, Sophie didn’t even bother to stop as she stuck her fingers up behind her.
Anthony chased after her and followed her into the meeting room and Anthony watched, as Sophie stood there, clearly exhausted and clinging onto the little podium where she stood and delivered her presentation almost flawlessly.
Her voice hardly broke and Anthony watched as she started to shake as she was getting closer to the end of her presentation, it had been delivered beautifully and it was filled with her passion and her heart for her charity and Simon was beaming.
“Now gentleman, ladies… I’m going to leave you in the capable hands of my partner in this venture, Mr Simon Basset… if you will excuse me” she said as she went to take a step and stumbled slightly, but Anthony shot a hand out and grabbed her to stop her falling on her face.
Sophie righted herself and smiled at the investors and business owners and gave Anthony a glare that would have scorched earth, if she hadn't ruined it by sneezing and she dashed from the room as Simon looked concerned and Anthony just sighed. “Excuse me” he said as he followed her out of the room.
“Soph, you’ve done your presentation, go home!” Anthony said as he ran out of the room. “Go home or I’ll send you home” he said
“You can’t send me home, I don’t work directly for you” Sophie said “so i’m going back to my office, I have phone calls to make and orders to make so excuse me” she said stepping around him, stumbling as she coughed and sneezed.
“Sophie” he said again with a sigh.
“I am fine! Don’t worry about me!” she said again smiling as best as she could without wincing and took her shoes off and she started to make a move down the hall but doubled over coughing and Anthony watched her wretch before she turned on her heels and dashed into the nearest bathroom.
Anthony shook his head, he knew exactly what she was doing, Kate had said as much as they walked up the stairs, from what she had found out from Edwina and Posy, Sophie was never allowed to be poorly, the girl had worked through bruised ribs, she had tried to work after she had been assaulted and he was sure she wouldn’t let something like this stop her but he was worried about her.
This was more than just a cold and her refusal to go home meant he had but one option, he hated to do this as he knew Benedict would only panic but if it meant getting Sophie cared for, then he would do it.
He took his phone out of his pocket and dialled his brother’s number.
“ Hey ant, what’s up?” Benedict asked as he picked up after three rings.
Anthony sighed “it’s sophie…”
“What’s wrong with her? Has she gotten worse?” Benedict asked, Anthony could hear the panic in his brother’s voice
“I’m guessing you got the to same don’t worry about me line that she’s been feeding me and Kate all morning” Anthony asked as he walked up and down the corridor
“ Yes, though she didn’t seem too bad this morning” Benedict said, Anthony could well imagine the look on his brother’s face, the concern laced in his voice.
“Yeah well, she managed to get through the presentation, not sure how much but she’s been sick, she’s coughing up her lungs and she looks like she can barely stay up right, i’ve told her I don’t know how many times to go home but she’s not having it…” Anthony said with a sigh “and I'm a bit worried about her, she’s paler than i’ve ever seen her, she’s shaking and she’s just… when I tried to tell her she didn’t have to do this…”
“ The whole, I won’t let a cold stop me routine” Benedict asked as he groaned.
“You know, that bitch can spend the rest of her life behind bars and it still won’t be justice for what she put Sophie through” Anthony said.
Benedict hummed his agreement “ i know”
“Listen, can you come get her, I don’t think this is just a cold, she’s pale, she’s not well Ben, she needs to see a doctor.” Anthony said.
Benedict snorted “i’ve got more chance of getting her home without dragging her than getting her to see a doctor”
“Ring Uncle Nick? I am sure this was his usual free day so he might be able to just pop by and see her?” Anthony said.
“Good idea! I’ll be there in an hour” Benedict said, hanging up the phone.
Benedict could have killed Araminta for doing this to his girlfriend, she was so stubborn and she was so resolute and whilst it was part of the reason he loved her, he hated that she was suffering and she was clearly poorly and just refusing to stop working.
He turned to his director “I’m sorry mate, but you’ll have to get Hugh to cover for me today, Sophie’s really not well and refusing to stop working so I need to go get her before she ends up in hospital” Benedict said to his boss as he chucked his stuff away and ran to his car.
Sophie might have her car now but he would just leave it there or ask Colin to go get it for him but his main concern was Sophie. She needed to be in bed and she was sick and he had known it this morning but he knew there was no point in pushing her but if Anthony had said she was being sick, struggling to stand, she absolutely needed to be dragged home and if he had to do that, he would.
He called his uncle on the way home, who agreed to call around in a few hours as soon as Benedict got home with Sophie but he did say it just sounded like she had a case of the flu and a case of exhaustion after everything she had been through.
~*~
Sophie was sure she was delirious through the meeting as she had tried to focus on the faces but when she was sure one of the men with a bushy beard turned into a walrus, that maybe her fever was getting a bit much.
She barely remembered arguing with Anthony nor that she hadn’t actually found the nearest bathroom, just finding an empty office and throwing up in the bin in the room. She felt horrendous and cold and hot at the same time.
She was shivering and sweating as she got back into her office, her lungs were on fire, her nose was blocked and every breath felt like she was inhaling nails and she was sure her voice box had been replaced with a box of nails. Every swallow be it air or the sips of water she was trying to sip, hurt like she was trying to eat glass.
She logged back into her PC and squinted at her emails, as she tried to make sense of the memos in front of her and the things she needed to order.
Her brain felt fuzzy and she had drifted off into a world of her own as she stared at the computer, she was sure she was working and that she was sending emails but in reality, she had sent three emails that made no sense in any language, her brain was just imagining that she was fine and she was coping, it was only when there was a brisk knock on her closed door and she tried to reply to say enter and it just came out as gibberish and the door burst open to reveal a rather frantic looking Benedict at her door.
“Anthony?” Sophie said blinking, unsure if she was seeing things, Benedict was at work and she was sure it wasn’t late so he should be on set so there was no way that he would be here.
“Wrong one” Benedict said, a little grumpily at his girlfriend getting him wrong but as he watched her as she narrowed her eyes and her entire face crinkled.
“What are you doing here?” she asked as her worlds all slurred together and she sounded almost drunk.
Benedict knew the moment he had seen her, the paleness of her skin, the way she was concentrating and the way she was clearly struggling that she was not well.
“Anthony called me, you’re not well Sophie, you need to be at home in bed and I’ve come to take you home” Benedict said as he walked into the room.
“I’m fine” she said through it came out like umph…
“Sure and i’m going to work with Steven Spielberg…” Benedict said as he walked closer to his girlfriend. “You have two options, come willingly or be dragged.”
Sophie coughed clearing her throat and rather indelicately blew her nose “I’m fine” she said, sounding a little more normal this time but still sounding congested. “ Don’t worry about me”
Benedict ran his hands through his hair and settled on his knees at the side of her and turned her chair so she looked at him “Soph, Babe… I am supposed to worry about you. You’re my girlfriend, you’re the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. I will always worry about you, you are my number one priority. Your health is important to me and if this was the other way around you would have not let me out of bed this morning” he said to her
“That’s different” she said slurring, her eyes totally blurring and Benedict was about to ask how, as Sophie wretched and without a warning, she threw up on him.
“That’s it…” Benedict said as he managed to move out of the way of most of it but it landed on his shoes and jeans “You’re coming home and my Uncle Nick is coming to see you” he said as he stood up and started packing her things up.
“Noooooo” she whined trying to stop him “i’m fine! It’s a cold! It’s just a cold”
Benedict finished putting everything in her bag and rather unceremoniously unplugged her computer “it’s not Soph, you don’t throw up, you are never sick, yet you’ve been sick at least twice since you’ve been at work, you are poorly and I am taking you home, you are going to bed and if I will handcuff you to the bed if I have to. You are allowed to be unwell, you are allowed to be selfish when you are poorly and be in bed and let other people do some of the work for you” he said as he threw her discarded shoes into a bag.
“That bitch needs to rot in hell for making you feel like you have to work when you are like this… you need to rest babe, you need to be at home and let me take care of you” Benedict said passionately.
“But i’m not…” Sophie said as she started hacking again, her entire body doubled over as she coughed and struggled.
Benedict sighed and just waited for her to finish coughing, leaned over and picked her up tossing her over his shoulder “Come on pixie. Hometime” he said as he carried her out of the office. She tried kicking him, she tried wriggling but Benedict kept firm on her and she just exhausted herself with her wriggling, her attempts at screeching in protests and coughing, and Benedict knew she would likely be pissed but he didn’t care, she wasn’t taking care of herself and he was going to make sure she did.
They passed Kate and Anthony who laughed to themselves as they watched Sophie kicking and screaming.
“SOmeone needs to go clean Sophie’s office, she threw up in there and on me” Benedict called out to his brother.
“I’ll bring some soup around for her tomorrow” Kate called back as she waved, ignoring Sophie’s attempts to get Kate to help her. “It’s for your own good Soph!” she said brightly and laughed at the rude swear words Sophie tried to call back as she coughed.
Benedict fastened her in the car and went to step back “are you going to sit still or am I going to have to tie you to the seat”
Sophie huffed and turned her face away from him, very annoyed that she had been dragged so unceremoniously through Bridgerton Enterprises, she was exhausted and she started coughing and stuck her finger up at her boyfriend.
Benedict chuckled and kissed the side of her head “You’re adorable when you’re mad” he grinned as he then ran around the car and got in and set off.
The journey home, Sophie attempted to call him a lot of very rude words but most of it was unintelligible because she was coughing and her voice was hoarse and he just chuckled.
He did stop chuckling when she threw up again in the car but she had finally exhausted herself and fell asleep in the car.
He knew he was going to have to get his car detailed and it was going to stink but he knew when she was feeling better Sophie would be mortified that she’d been sick in his car and on him but she was unwell and he loved her.
It was in sickness and in health after all and he wanted to marry her so it was just a good place to start, he knew it was the first time since they had gotten together that she was unwell, and he was happy to look after her.
He carefully carried her out of the car and into the house and he could feel that she was burning up and he was a bit worried so he stripped her out of her clothes the moment she was at home and put her into his t-shirt and a pair of shorts and put her into their bed and wrapped her in blankets and waited for his uncle to turn up.
He dragged his computer chair into the bedroom and waited and Sophie stirred about 20 minutes before Nicholas arrived. She whined as she moved, everything was hurting and she blinked as she saw Benedict’s face in his computer as she was working, his eyes glancing up as he looked at her.
“Soph?” he said as he saw her eyes open “are you okay?” he asked.
Sophie shook her head, finally ready concede she didn’t feel well “I think i’m sick” she said quietly, her voice sore and her entire body aching and she felt worse than she had ever felt in her life
Benedict chuckled as he put his computer down. “Finally worked that out?”
Sophie nodded sadly, “i don’t like being sick, I… I was never allowed to be sick” she said quietly.
“I gathered but Babe, I am here to look after you okay? Just let me look after you” he said as he tucked the blankets in around her again.
Sophie nodded “i'm sorry for being sick on you” she said sadly as her memory came back to her.
“And in the car”
“Oh god” she groaned and buried her face into the pillow as the door went.
“That’ll be Nick” he said, kissing her head. “Don’t move a muscle” he said as he dashed out and let his uncle in.
It took Nicholas all of 10 minutes to know that Sophie had basically hit the wall and was exhausted, her body couldn’t cope and as for the first time in months, hell even years, she wasn’t being worked to the bone and it had gone into shock and her immune system was just overloaded and she was to be confined to bed for a least three days. He prescribed antibiotics as she was starting to get a chest infection and she had just nodded and listened to Nicholas as he fluttered around her with Benedict.
When he left Benedict climbed onto the bed next to her, “you can sleep Soph… I’ll take the next few days off and I'll look after you…” he said, pressing a kiss to her head as she snuggled close to him, the weight of her chest infection, her body aching but the comfort of Benedict’s warmth making her feel much better already.
Benedict’s Aunt Georgiana had left them some chicken soup, and Benedict had messaged his mum who promised to bring food around, as had Kate and Anthony.
“Fanks” she slurred, as she let her eyes flutter shut as Benedict pulled her into him and held her close and as she drifted off, feeling safe, and very well looked after, she realised that maybe, just maybe, it was okay.
She felt Benedict’s lips on her head “I'll always worry about you Soph, I’ll always look after you” he said as he felt her fall asleep, giving up the fight and letting her body succumb to its need for sleep.
It was okay to be sick and It was really nice to have someone to worry about her, this man would always be there for her, in sickness and in health, until death do they part.