Archive of Our Own

"What are you doing?" Carina asked, as Maya slithered off the couch and started fiddling with the fire.

"I'm cold."

"What?" In their entire relationship Maya had never been the one to be cold. Maya would be the one to strip layers off whilst Carina would be the one to put them on.

"I can't get warm," Maya mumbled, fire turned on she got back on the couch and cuddled under the heavy throw that she usually rejected when Carina covered them in it.

"Its literally so warm in here," Carina said, "boiling as American says." She was sat in a vest top and shorts whilst Maya had on a hoodie and jogging bottoms.

"I think I'm not feeling very well."

"You think?"

"I'm not," she confirmed, turning to put her head in Carina's lap.

"Big fever," Carina commented, laying a comforting hand on Maya's head "can I be mean?"

"No," Maya grumbled.

"Take your hoodie and trousers off if you want the heating on and a blanket."

Maya groaned but sat up. She held her arms up and let Carina removed the jumper with a shiver. She curled back up, kicking the sweatpants off as she went. "Is it just a fever?" Carina asked, scratching Maya's back lightly under the blanket, feeling the heat radiating off her with each pass.

"Tummy."

"Okay, are you going to need a bowl?"

"I'll just go if I need to."

"Okay," Carina leaned down to kiss her forehead, "so warm," she mumbled against it. Carina waited until Maya had fallen asleep before moving to turn the fire off, which ended up being an hour later because her wife loved to protest sleep. Carina had sat silently watching Maya wake herself up every time her eyes got heavy. It usually involved her fidgeting or shifting in her lap. But she had eventually seen her give into it and tuck her hand under her cheek and drift off. Carina had waited ten more minutes before making a bid for freedom. The heat Maya was giving off was more than enough to heat the house on an already stifling summer's day.

Carina took a little time to collate sick items onto the coffee table. She lined up a thermometer next to a cooling strip, a heating pad, two packets of pills and a bowl which she placed on the floor next to her wife's head. She reached under the covers to feel Maya's back, which was a good indicator of how her fever was going when most of her forehead was hidden in a pillow. It was burning and induced a frown onto her face, she needed to get Maya's fever to come down on its own first, as her wife had a particular dislike of taking tablets unless absolutely necessary. She opened the hallway cupboard and pulled out a flat sheet which she doubled over and laid on top of Maya and the heavy throw. She left it to warm up, whilst she turned the fire off and then slowly moved the throw down, pouting as Maya shivered with each inch the throw was withdrawn.

"C'rina?" She mumbled sleepily.

"Shh," she combed Maya's hair, the other hand still slowly rolling the throw away, "sleep, you'll feel better."

"Mmmgombembsickmm."

"What?" Carina hadn't understood a word of the mumble that her come out of her wife's mouth. She watched as Maya rolled over and grabbed her stomach. She was looking pale under the sheen of sweat over her face. "Sick?" Carina enquired, taking hold of the bucket. Her inference was correct as soon her wife was trying to scramble up over the back of the sofa. "Mai, Mai," she grabbed her arm, "Maya, here," she thrust the vessel in front of her and took Maya's hair up, using the clip from her own hair to secure it.

"Burns."

"Here," Carina rubbed her chest, "better?"

"Water."

"Sì," Carina had forgotten to grab this so she left her perch on the coffee table to get some ice water from the fact American fridge Maya's apartment had apparently come with. "Here, Bambina. Just sip," Carina took to circling her hand on her wife's back, whilst concentrating on her face. After swilling her mouth and sipping a little, Maya curled back up on the sofa with another shiver. "You still look beautiful," Carina said with a sad smile, as she brushed Maya's fringe off her forehead and leaned down to kiss it.

"You're too in love for your own good," Maya mumbled, "I'm all gross."

"But you're gross in a beautiful way," Carina explained, taking the bucket from Maya's stomach where she had had it resting, "sleep, Bella, hopefully you'll feel better."

"Hmmph."

"Hmmph," Carina repeated with a chuckle.

"Go to sleep." Carina said on her way from the bathroom where she had been cleaning the bucket, to the kitchen to find a bag for it. She could see Maya fidgeting back and forth, changing her position, like she was trying to get comfortable.

"I can't."

"Why?" She had just heard Maya yawn from all the way over in the kitchen.

"My stomach hurts," Maya said, as she started walking back towards her, lined bucket in hand.

Carina looked down and pouted at her before an idea came to mind. "Allora," she said and held her hand out, "we have to fix this," she pulled Maya up gently, and sat in her original position. However, she didn't allow Maya to lie back down with her head in her lap she leaned and tucked her hands under Maya's legs and pulled her so she was sitting perpendicular on her lap. "Head here" Carina encouraged Maya to put her head on collarbone, "my Mamma used to do this," she pulled the sheet over Maya to try and lessen the shivering that was still happening, her wife still only dressed in a loose tank top and underwear. She reclined Maya a little with the hand that was around her back and asked, "comfortable?"

"I guess?" Carina had literally never held her like this. Maya did it pretty regularly, liking her wife to sit in her lap and cuddle like this. But Carina had never done this.

Carina nodded and tucked a stray piece of Maya's hair behind her ear before moving her hand under the sheet to her stomach. She lifted the loose fitting fabric and put a hand gently there, leaving it flat over the warm skin. "When we weren't feeling good. When our pancia hurt or we couldn't sleep. I think the cuddle is part of it," she explained, as she started lightly massaging her finger tips around Maya's stomach. She turned her head, managing to exact a kiss onto Maya's forehead, "and then like this," she started tracing lines onto Maya's stomach now, "writing your name." Maya nodded, she could feel it. The M that was being drawn over her belly button. She closed her eyes as miraculously her stomach ache started to ease from sharp to dull. Carina swapped back to the circles again, moving in a vertical line up and down her wife's abdomen. "E piatto, [and flat]" she whispered, leaving her hand flat against the lower part of Maya's stomach for thirty seconds before laying it flat on the upper part. This bit always felt the best for her when she was younger. She felt Maya shift a little, but only to cough a little and snuggle closer. Happy she was sufficiently supported by the back of the couch Carina grazed the fingertips of her other hand up and down Maya's spine. "You'll feel better," she again whispered, deciding to keep her hand flat but just move it every so often as Maya started drifting off.

Carina struggled through the door with a big bag full of groceries, a smaller paper bag from the Italian store and another from the chemist, after deciding Maya would fair better with the liquid suspension pain killers usually given to children. She dumped them all on the kitchen counter then went to check on Maya jumping out of her skin when she found her girlfriend in a handstand against the wall between the bathroom and their closet. "What are you doing?" Carina had her hands clutched to her chest in fright but kept them there to stop her from pulling her legs.

"I was sick," Maya kicked out of the handstand and straightened up with a wobble that had Carina lurching forward, arms wrapping around her.

"Maya."

"Just a bit dizzy," she sat herself on the bed.

"You're, you-" Carina was trying really hard not to be annoyed. Not to shout.

"I was sick then I got the hiccups and nothing was helping and they were making me feel more sick," she laid down as the dizziness persisted, "and I used to do a handstand when I was younger to get rid of them, so I did and it worked. I thi-" she hiccuped and then clamped her hand over her mouth. Carina rolled her eyes and passed her the bucket.

"You're lucky you're sick," Carina said, moving her hand to Maya's stomach, as her mum's routine had helped the two other times she had been sick whilst Carina was around.

"You're mad."

"I am," she continued the massage as her wife laid back, "you're. No more handstands."

"I have a huge headache from it, if that makes you feel better," Maya told her, hand shielding her eyes from the bedroom light.

"It does," Carina squeezed her knee, and sighed, "I'll go and get some stuff. Stay here."

Carina collected a cooling strip from the coffee table where she had left them, as well as the thermometer as they kept forgetting to check how high the fever she had was. She grabbed the chemist bag and came back to the room to find Maya curled up, "I feel way worse."

"You will," Carina took the cap off the thermometer, "you used all of the energy you had left on a handstand, dummy," she poked Maya's forehead, "open, ahh," she mimicked opening her mouth and sticking her tongue out.

"Where's the one for my ear?"

"At my hospital bag because I was checking ovulation, open." She instructed again.

"These make me feel sick."

"Ah well you already do, open." Maya opened her mouth a little and Carina located the thermometer under her tongue. Maya coughed and frowned, as her wife pressed the button. "You're such a," Carina was still annoyed, "no more handstands."

"No more handstands," Maya said around the thermometer, "I'm sorry about it. I'm an idiot. I'm sorry."

"No talking," Carina mumbled, needing to press the button again, as it flashed an error. As soon as it was done Maya spat it out and coughed again. "39.0. Maya." She pouted at her wife, "you need the medicine, and don't you think about arguing," Carina said as Maya appeared like she was going to start complaining. At this warning she curled up a little more, deciding that listening to her wife was best. Carina stuck the forehead cooling strip down and kissed over it, "this will help the headache."

"Thank you," Maya said quietly, "I'm sorry."

"Its done, stop apologising," she said as she upturned a bottle of paracetamol to withdraw the liquid. She did it, gave it to Maya and then withdrew a second dose, "one gram."

"Is there something for my tummy?"

"Sì, you Americans swear by this," she held up a bottle with pink liquid, "I'm not so sure but I know you find it alright."

"I'll have some."

"Good," Carina drew it up with the same syringe, "are you gonna try and sleep?"

"I can't."

"When the medicine works?"

"I have too much energy," Maya mumbled, with no energy.

"Want to watch me cook?" Carina was going to make pastina, which was something that her Nonna and by default her mother and now her, swore by when someone wasn't feeling well.

"Can you do that stomach thing first?" Carina grinned and started but stopped when Maya grabbed her hand, "with the cuddles?"

"Assolutamente."

Maya fell asleep watching Carina cook. Her eyes had been drooping from Carina's magic stomach massage and had continued as she came to sit I'm the kitchen. She had started with her chin resting on her hand only to fall asleep like that. She had woken up to Carina rubbing her back and swapped to leaning on her folded arms on the counter. She had lasted all of two minutes in this position before she fell asleep again.

Carina had never wished she had Maya's physical strength more than she did now. She really wished she could pick Maya up and carry her to bed. Unfortunately she didn't possess that strength but wondered if she might be able to piggy-back her. "Bambina?"

"Hmmph."

"Sì, but I want you to rest in bed," Carina said, again tucking a few pieces of hair back behind her ears. "Come on Bella," she pulled Maya’s arms around her shoulders and tucked each leg around her waist. "Koala style," she put her hands around Maya's bum, "hold on tight."

"Are you sure?"

"Sì, I know I can carry you this, all of those times I have you against the door."

"Dirty," Maya mumbled, holding on tight as Carina lifted her up.

"This is nice, a big hug from my poorly bambina," she kissed Maya's cheek, as they came through the bedroom door.

"Bathroom."

Carina understood the urgency and hurried a little, Maya unlatching as they got to the bathroom, darting to the toilet. Unlike all of the other times though she wasn't sick. She just sat there holding her stomach, waiting in anticipation. "Its not happening."

"I'm sorry," Carina kissed the top of her head.

Maya sighed and walked back to bed only to turn halfway and run back. They continued this cycle for ages, with absolutely no sickness but huge waves of nausea. "I'm gonna make a bed," Carina said, it was only 8pm but she was certain she'd be able to sleep.

"We have one."

"No, in here," she disappeared and returned with a the blow up mattress Maya had brought for a camping trip they never made it on. She told Maya to plug her ears, as she blew it up, the blonde's headache was still bad. Once inflated she brought in their pillows and comforter and patted next to her when Maya didn't immediately come and lay down. "This way when the nausea comes you just sit up. Energy saving. It's a sleepover, come on."

Maya nodded and tucked herself into Carina's front. She pulled her wife's hand onto her stomach and sighed, the amount Carina clearly loved her made her feel a lot better. "Thank you."

"Its repayment for the cuddles you gave me in the hotel. Although I don't have a needle to poke you with any fluids."

"I should drink something."

"Some water," she had got Maya's gym bottle 20 minutes earlier. Maya nodded and sipped it for a little while. "Don't fight the sleep, bambina."

"Okay."

"I'll be here when you wake up."

"Hi, is er is Dr Lewis there?"

Carina opened her eyes with a groan. She saw Maya was sitting up next to her, still looking pale, phone to her ear. Deciding to stay quiet, she just looped her hand around Maya and rubbed up and down her stomach, letting her know she was awake. She could feel it felt bloated under her hand, as Maya spoke, "hi er Dr Lewis its Maya, Maya Bishop."

"Hi Maya, how can I help you?"

"I can't make today's session."

"Is it a leave issue, I can fix that, therapy is protected time."

"No I'm," she sighed and Carina leaned forward to kiss her back, "I'm unwell so I can't come in."

"Okay, I'll cancel your session."

"Wait, no," Maya said loudly then coughed, "I'm sorry," Carina decided to sit up and pat the top of her back, "can, is it possible to do, to keep the appointment but like phone call or video call? Its bringing up a lot of-"

"Yes. I can do both, which would you prefer?"

"A video? If you don't mind me looking not well."

"You didn't look great when we did our first day at your apartment so it's no skin off my back."

Maya laughed, "okay. Er, what time is it?" She was holding her head.

"Two pm. I'll email you the link, text or call me in the meantime."

"Thank you."

Carina kissed her cheek as soon as tbe phone line disconnected, "I'm so proud of you."

"I have a headache, can you call Andy?"

"Yeah," Carina put her hand on Maya's forehead, "want me to stay here too?"

"Huh?"

"Its a clinic day but I can stay with you, Warren's in."

"I'm just gonna sleep."

"Good, okay," Carina took Maya's phone off her, "did you wake Dr Lewis up?" The phone read 6am.

"Yeah," Maya lay back down, "Andy will be up though, she gets in at 630."

"Okay," Carina decided to multitask whilst she called her wife's captain. She climbed off the blow up bed and stretched out her back as the phone started ringing. When Andy picked up she was on her way back from getting the thermometer for Maya.

"Andy, it's Carina."

"Hey Carina," Andy replied, as Carina put the thermometer under Maya's tongue with no argument this time, "how can I help?"

"Maya's unwell. With a sad stomach."

"Upset," Maya mumbled.

"An upset stomach," Carina corrected, "fever," the thermometer had just beeped '38.8' "high fever, and a cough and a headache. Could you mark her off for today's shift."

"I can."

"I will be in for the clinic still."

"Great, I'll see you in a couple of hours. Tell Maya feel better."

"Andy says feel better, and I," she smoothed down Maya's hair, "say medicine time and cuddle in bed time. I don't think you need to stay in here anymore." Maya hadn't been sick in a few hours and the sensation seemed to have eased too.

"Okay," Maya got herself into a sitting position holding her head. "I feel awful."

"I'm sorry," Carina hugged her then leaned down to get their pillows and blankets. She tucked Maya in and got her dosed up before climbing in for a few more hours comfortable rest. The blow up bed had been comfy enough but Maya tended to fidget in her sleep and that was especially true when she had stomach aches and didn't feel well so Carina had been jostled around for most of the night. When her alarm went off at 8am she quickly silenced it and freed herself from Maya's boiling arms. She got herself ready then wrote Maya a list of instructions. Whilst she wasn't entirely sure leaving Maya alone when she wasn't feeling well was a good idea, especially after the handstand yesterday. She trusted Maya was capable of looking after herself. Still writing a set of instructions would be a good idea.

She left Maya with a full glass of water and a kiss and set off for the day, mentally setting herself times to call and check in on Maya.

"Hi you," Carina leaned down and kissed Maya's forehead, "you look so much better. How are you?" The clinic had finished up early so Carina had left Andy and the team to clear up whilst she came home to continue to look after Maya.

"Bad head. Tummy ache."

"Oh so you're not feeling better?" Carina asked, peeling a forehead strip for her.

She placed it on as Maya shrugged, "I feel. I haven't been sick."

"That's good," Carina put her hand under Maya's top, resting it on her back, "you feel a lot cooler, can I do your temperature? I took the clinic thermometer with Andy's permission," she showed Maya the tympanic thermometer. Maya nodded, "my stomach's really bloated."

"Mmm, all the bacteria in your tummy makes it like that when you're not very well," she lightly pressed on Maya's stomach, "it'll go down in a couple of days."

"I feel sick when I drink."

"Ben prescribed you some zofran, we've had a lot of people with your symptoms."

"What about my headache?"

"I can give you a head massage and get you an eye mask?"

Maya nodded. She hadn't enjoyed having to look after herself and there were several times today where she had considered calling Carina. Maya burst into tears on Carina's return from getting changed and fetching a sleep mask for her wife. "Oh no, Bambina."

"I just feel horrible and it's really hard to rest."

"I know, I know."

"It makes me think of my dad."

"Its not easy," Carina comforted, hugging her tightly.

"I feel weak."

"You're strong. How was your talk with Diane?"

"Good but I got a headache."

"I'm sorry," Carina kissed her temple, "have you slept much?"

"All day. Diane woke me up."

"I'm sorry you feel so unwell," Carina said, moving to sit behind Maya on the sofa, "it's horrible when your body doesn't feel well and neither does your head, mentally. But guess what?"

"What," Maya sniffed.

"I'm so proud of you. The Maya I met and the Maya a few months ago would have never looked after themselves the way you have. Honestly I'm so proud of you. My beautiful wife. We just need to get you better so I can show you how proud I am."