Chapter Text
"Bye babe," Maya said, leaning down to kiss Carina's temple, "see you tomorrow, have a good shift."
"You too," Carina mumbled, turning her face up to kiss Maya, "be safe."
"Always, I love you."
"Love you too."
The drive to work was nice and easy. The roads were quiet and the sun was beginning to peak over the clouds, making Maya wonder why she hadn’t decided to run in. Then she remembered that she was trying to keep the amount she was running to a healthy level and let her body heal from all of the damage she'd inadvertently done to it. Maybe she'd bring a few gym items outside once she'd done her chore if they didn’t get called out to anything. Honestly she missed the fresh air more than the running.
"Morning," Maya said, opening her locker, she pulled out her duvet and threw it into her bunk. Then her rucksack got put down and she changed into her uniform, noticing how the button felt a little tighter. "Hughes?"
"Yeah?"
"You wanna do a workout outside later, looks like a nice day and my pants are tight after mine and Carina's date."
"Sure. As long as it is not an Olympian Maya work out."
Maya chuckled, she felt those were firmly lodged in her past, "I won't go overboard."
"What did you do on your date?" Vic asked, leaning on the door frame as Maya rolled out her comforter on the bed. She liked to do this at the start of the shift, so it was ready for bedtime and she had space in her locker.
"Just got take-out, watched one of Carina's films so I could practice my Italian. Snuggled?" Maya shrugged it hadn't really been a date but they rarely got take-out so it felt like one. Plus it had ended with a bath and sex. So definitely not a usual night either. Well the bath thing anyway.
"Nice. Come find me when you're ready, I'm doing a bit of school stuff in the end office."
"Yup."
Bed made Maya went to the notice board and ran her hand along A shift until she saw her assigned chore, Andy had adopted her former technique of rotating chores. She nodded, Maya Bishop- floors, that wasn't too bad, she'd be done in maybe an hour and it was always a good upper body workout.
She clicked the button on the roller door and watched it up before climbing in the truck and moving it forwards, out into the courtyard in front of the station. She loved driving the fire truck. I mean she loved all aspects of her job but this was up there. She pulled the ladder forward and thought she might clean the trucks after she did the floor because it was always satisfying when they were both clean.
It was when she started filling up the bucket that she first noticed something. Her stomach was a little uncomfortable, actually kind of sore. Wondering if it was because she hadn't eaten breakfast, too full from their large late dinner last night, she jogged upstairs and grabbed one of the flapjacks Carina made her taking it back down with her, eating as she went, wondering how her wife made them taste so nice.
Except she got around a third of the way through and felt incredibly full and even a little sick. Maya found this odd but then sometimes her tummy got like this, particularly after indulging. Usually it drove her to work out, to get rid of the feeling but new Maya was listening to her body. So she sat down for a couple of minutes in the kit room letting it pass, as she sipped on the water bottle that she had the foresight to bring down with her.
Thankfully, whatever it was, it passed after a couple of burps and a few minutes later, so she got back to work, shrugging it off as no big deal. Random tummy aches happened, that was just life. Unfortunately, her stomach had other ideas and she quickly found herself leaning against the mop catching her breath after a wave of pain had ripped across her whole stomach. She frowned, running a hand over it. It felt odd. Like it wasn’t her stomach. She looked down, still frowning and realised the reason her work pants weren’t fitting had not been that she'd put on weight but rather her stomach was bloated. Badly it seemed. Sticking out uncomfortably against a waistband supporting a button under a lot of strain. She pulled out her shirt and t-shirt, hoping to give it just a bit more room. This also gave her the chance to rub her bare stomach. Maya wasn’t sure if it was rubbing her stomach that did it but the pain began to ease not long after and the nausea too. She almost pulled her phone out to ask Carina if her period was coming, the symptoms felt kind of period related, but realised her wife would be at work by now.
Maya had never been good at tracking her period, it had been all over the show growing up and coming off birth control when she met Carina meant she now had almost no clue when it was due. Something that Carina found entirely out of character. As it happened she had synced with her wife a few months after the wedding and she could usually tell her period was coming by how Carina was, or by the fact that Carina bought a supersized box of tampons and pads back from the store. Maya paused her mopping again and tried to work it out, thinking back to the last time she had been on but gave up, resuming her mopping with a little less energy than before.
She got another two minutes done before the pain came again. This time she retched and found herself crouching down over the bucket. Something wasn't right. She abandoned the cleaning stuff where it was and walked back to the kit room which was the closest place where she could sit in peace. She got in there and sat down in her empty space, taking some deep breaths, really bothered by how her stomach was feeling.
It was seriously cramping. One moment it was in her left, then her right, her lower stomach or the bit under her ribs but there was an undercurrent of un-comfortability all over. A really sore stomach. A bloated, sore, cramping stomach and wave after wave of nausea that had Maya reaching for a spare bucket and holding it in her lap. Ten more minutes of this and Maya realised this wasn't going to go. This wasn't related to her period.
She put her hand on her forehead, just to focus herself, and wondered how long she'd had a fever for and when she started sweating. She could tell just from feeling that it would be higher than her work allowed.
She had a decision; did she try and mask how she was feeling and keep working or should she just call it quits and go home and wait out whatever her body had picked up.
Maya's watch beeping that her heart was at 100 instead of its usual 50 or 60 made the decision for her, though she had been leaning towards leaving anyway, she didn’t feel good at all. She stood, slowly, now feeling pretty weak too and walked to put the bucket away. Once that was done she left the other bucket and mop out because someone else would end up doing it later and made her way to Andy's office. She went to knock but could hear her friend on the phone.
"Hey Ruiz?" Maya said, already making her way very slowly upstairs.
"Yeah?
"Can you get Cap to come see me? I am probably gonna go home, ill,” she admitted, not waiting for his reply, “thanks."
Maya sat down on her bed as soon as she could, pulling the bin towards her as the room spun a little and her nausea kicked up yet another notch. She definitely needed to go home. She plucked at her shirt, trying to encourage a breeze, the nausea making her feel even hotter. Eventually her nausea settled to a more appropriate level and she stood, using all her effort to sort her bunk. She was putting her 'relaxing' clothes back into her rucksack when Andy appeared. "Ruiz said you're going home sick?"
Maya looked up at her, sweaty and pale.
"God yeah, you don't look good," Andy commented, as Maya very slowly turned to continue packing up her bunk.
"You sure you don't want someone to drive you, I can spare Cuttler or Ruiz."
"It’s fine," Maya stuffed her duvet into its bag and carried it to her locker, "I just need to lie down and wait whatever this is out."
"Okay, well text me when you get back."
"I'll probably forget," Maya held a thumbs up as she walked towards the lift, stairs would be a no-go now, not after how she was going up them earlier.
She had forgotten to change out of her uniform, but that didn't really matter; it would need washing with the amount of sweating she was doing. On her way past, she climbed into the aid car and grabbed one of the many vomit bowls, just in case.
The moment she settled into her car, she unbuckled her belt, letting her painful stomach breathe. "God," she groaned, rubbing across it. She genuinely looked like she could be a few months pregnant. Turning the AC on high, she rolled down the windows because she knew driving would make her feel worse and eventually started the thankfully easy drive home. At each red light, she closed her eyes and took deep breaths, rubbing her stomach as if that would make the cramping, now almost constant, stop.
Just five minutes from home, the nausea hit hard once more, and Maya knew she was done for. Grabbing the sick bowl, she glanced around for a place to stop. Spotting a lay-by, she pulled over and scrambled out, retching with one hand on the car for support. "Oh god," she muttered, unsure if her body was tricking her again. Trying to straighten up, she clung to the car, dizzy, but this time, it wasn't a false alarm. When the next wave hit, she gagged and finally let it out into the drain at her feet.
"Fuck," she groaned, somehow feeling worse than before. She lowered herself onto the curb and put her head between her legs feeling a little dizzy. She was thankful this was a quiet area because she sat for a good five minutes groaning, and coughing and gagging but not being sick. Still in uniform. Eventually everything calmed enough that she could climb back in the car, sip her water, put the sick bowl back in her lap and drive the rest of the way home.
Carina's morning didn't go much better.
She made herself a slice of toast but found after half she didn't fancy it anymore. This was weird but it was still fairly early for breakfast, especially after dinner last night. They had one hundred percent over-indulged and apparently she was still paying for it this morning.
It looked nice outside so she fiddled about in the car to open the sunroof. Then she drove to work and everything was fine. Parking was fine. Walking in was fine. The elevator... not fine. She had just stepped in when her stomach immediately cramped making her draw breath. "Ow," she mumbled, relieved it was quiet in the lift.
She then realised she'd forgotten her bag, the one with her pass to get through all of the doors on the unit, back in her car. Turning, the now frustrated doctor, walked towards the stairwell. Maya always raved about how stairs were good for the heart, and she figured she should give it a go. By the time she made it down to the car, her stomach had settled, thankfully. She fished out her bag from the back seat, checked for her pass, found it, clipped it to her trousers, and walked back to the building.
Hearing Maya's voice once more, she opted for the stairs again but found herself stopping halfway up, the stomach pain making an unexpected and definitely more painful comeback. Putting her bag on a windowsill, she dug through it, finding her little medicine pouch. Figuring it might just be gas, she popped a couple of tablets, swallowing them with a bit of water, trying to ignore the slight nausea it induced. As she continued, resenting the Maya voice in her head for suggesting the stairs, she wondered if it was the double espresso she had this morning. Sometimes, a double shot messed with her stomach, especially if she was feeling a little off.
By the time she got to her office Carina's stomach ache was pretty painful. She closed the door behind her and mumbled, "cosa sta succedendo alla mia pancia? Uff."
She sat down and unbuttoned her smart trousers; she was on rotation today anyway so would be changing into her scrubs. The doctor frowned because the way her stomach was suggested more than just a bit of trapped wind or the effect of too much coffee. It was very, very bloated all the way up to her ribs. She gave it a press and immediately regretted it as it brought on a cramp stronger than earlier. "Uff." She mumbled again.
When the pain stayed away, she waited a few minutes before getting up, grabbing a pair of scrubs from her wardrobe. Changing quickly, she had to pause again for another bout of pain, now accompanied by a bit more nausea. Swallowing thickly, she glanced at the clock – ten minutes before rounds. Carina let her stomach free from her scrubs, settling down to check her emails and review any patients she needed to be aware of today.
However, just as she logged onto the computer, her entire body seemed to lurch, and the nausea hit with full force. She genuinely thought she was on the verge of being sick. Clamping her hand over her mouth, she pushed the chair back and reached for the bin. "Cazzo." Whatever was happening, it wasn't just coffee or a bit of trapped wind.
As the sensation lessened she put a rather shaky hand on her forehead and nodded, as she expected, she had a fever. She opened her desk drawer and pulled out a thermometer she had been using to track ovulation and stuck it under her tongue as she figured out what she was going to do with her work load for the day. When it beeped 40.0 she bit her lip. She definitely needed to go home. She was definitely, definitely sick.
Just as she was steeling herself to get up and speak to her colleagues at morning handover she saw Jo at the door. She adjusted her scrub trousers and waved her in.
"Hi, I had a ques- woah, you okay?"
"Mnh-mnh," Carina shook her head, bin back in her lap with another wave, "I have apparently got the stomach sickness, can you and Kadima step up for me? I am going to have to go home."
"Yeah of course. Are you gonna be okay?"
"I just need to get home and lie down. Sorry about this Jo, you can call me if you need anything. If it gets busy call rostering and see if they can get Landon or Grieg in."
"I will, we'll be fine, feel better."
"Mmhmm," right now that felt impossible. Jo looked at her for another few seconds before scurrying off, Carina didn't blame her, sickness spread like wildfire around this unit. "Okay," she said to herself, stuffing her clothes in her bag, she could re-iron them when she felt better, or Maya could. Her wife loved ironing. She put the thermometer back and grabbed a mask. She was probably contagious and she didn't need any of her staff going off ill. She grabbed some wipes from on the wall and walked out, trying to touch as little as possible.
Naturally she took the elevator, because who did stairs when they were ill. Her wife, probably, but Carina wasn't about to do that. She closed her eyes, taking some steadying breaths, ten minutes she'd be in her building and a lot closer to bed. She considered texting Maya to let her know she'd gone home from work but thought she'd just text when she was in bed. She just had to drive home first.
Everything was going fine until she thought taking the freeway home to get her back a couple of minutes faster was a good idea. Turns out, not so much. The freeway might be faster, but if you suddenly feel like you're gonna be sick… there's no good place to pull over. And, of course, that's exactly what happened to Carina. She didn't even register what was happening until her hand was desperately searching for something—anything—to be sick in. Thankfully, she found an old coffee cup just in time. Coughing into it, she tried not to cry. "Oh god. Just get me home." Feeling even worse, she pulled over as soon as she left the freeway.
After a moment to collect herself and toss the coffee cup in a bin, she finished the last few minutes of the drive. Somehow, she pulled off the miracle of not puking all over her very expensive car.
"Bambina?"
Maya looked up. Her wife was leaning against the wall, also waiting for the elevator, also looking very ill. She was a greenish hue, was holding her stomach and Maya was sure she had never seen her wife look so sweaty.
"You too?" They said at the same time. "The take-out?" Again in unison.
"I feel awful." Carina said, straightening up as the lift arrived.
"God babe me too. It hit me as soon as I got to work."
"Me too. Stomach pains-"
"-and then feeling sick but not being sick."
Carina nodded, "then I was actually sick on the drive home."
"Me too," Maya said, "okay we can look after each other. Come on kid, bed," she slung her arm around Carina as they walked along the hall to their flat.
"You have a belly," Carina said, as Maya closed the door behind them.
"I know, it's odd," she looked down, as Carina’s hand settled on it, her wife pouting.
She stepped out of her uncomfortable work trousers and rubbed it, wincing with another pain. Carina pulled her scrubs down under her stomach and pressed their stomachs together, hugging Maya tightly. She dropped her forehead onto Maya’s shoulder, glad she at least had Maya whilst she was ill, "you have a fever, my love," Maya mumbled. Carina's forehead was hot on her shoulder.
"So do you," she could feel the heat radiating off Maya just when she was feeling her stomach.
"We should lie down; I'm feeling weak so I presume you are?"
"Mmhmm." Carina picked her head up.
"Okay, bed then." Maya stripped her top off, then her bra, getting into bed almost naked to try and combat the fever and because it was just more comfortable. Carina, who was a pyjama lover, pulled on some sleep shorts and a vest, though let her stomach out, even the sensation of the waistband making it feel more painful.
"Did you feel okay when you woke up?" Maya asked as Carina shuffled down a little so she could push her face into Maya's chest and Maya could hold her. Maya kissed her forehead as she waited for the reply. Hands lightly scratching Carina's back.
"Fine. It was just as I sat down in my office. I thought my coffee did it. The stomach ache. Or gas.”
"Mmm. I just started to clean the floors and I had to sit down because it hurt. Didn't get sick though."
"No I didn't. Bloated though."
"Oh immediately."
"Who picked the restaurant?" Carina asked.
"Jack recommended it."
"Fuck Jack."
"Mmhmm, I agree."
"God I really don't feel good."
Maya rubbed her back, "it's going to be a while of waiting it out and probably feeling sick, being sick, but we'll feel better soon. For now I have you and you have me."
"Maya?"
"Yeah babe?"
"I know your tummy hurts but can you rub mine?" Through all the times Carina had been sick since being with Maya, including the fertility treatments and bouts of car sickness, Maya had always rubbed her belly and somehow it made things better. She had even done it without her asking at the hotel, when everything in their life seemed impossibly difficult.
"Of course," Maya said into her hair, "roll over Baby," Maya lifted her arms off Carina’s back and waited as Carina moved. Slowly, not wanting to disturb anything. Maya shuffled forwards so her front was pressed against Carina's back, the pressure actually quite nice on her stomach. She adjusted the pillow slightly so her other arm was comfortable. There were easier ways to do this, like just Maya lying on her side with Carina on her back, but Maya wanted to cuddle, so spooning would have to work. She moved Carina's top a little, shuffled forwards a bit more and put her hand flat on Carina's stomach, "that feel okay?"
"Mmhmm."
"Good," Maya tipped her head forward so it was against Carina's shoulder and moved her hand up and down gently, feeling Carina physically relax against her. "Wake me up if you need anything." The exhaustion and drama of it all was propelling her towards sleep.
"This is where a house with two bathrooms would be good, huh?" Carina heard Maya say, her voice echoing due to the proximity of her face to the sink. She'd just been sick. But so had Carina.
"Yeah, hey, sit down Maya, you're wobbling," Carina said, leaning against the wall, the nausea slowly reducing. Maya sat, with a bump on the floor, putting her head between her legs again. Carina shuffled her way over and found Maya's pulse, relieved it was strong and steady. "Come sit over here with me, bambina, in case."
"Okay." Maya shuffled with her, surprised when Carina patted in between her legs, "you don't want a cuddle?"
"I want to cuddle you," Carina shrugged.
"I won't say no to that."
"We need water," Carina said, her hand on Maya's forehead. Her wife always seemed to run higher fevers. She put the back of her hand on her cheeks too. "I know you've just laid back," Carina mumbled, she had a bit of a headache now, "but can I get up?"
"Yeah," Maya struggled to sit up, her core hurting from tensing whilst she was being sick. In the end she pulled herself up with the toilet. Carina rubbed her back and then stood. "Are you going to the bedroom?"
"Sì."
"Can you get me a light top?" She was feeling cold.
"Of course."
Carina brought Maya a really loose t-shirt, helping it over her head. She disappeared and returned with two glasses of water and a bowl of ice chips, the only thing that ever eased her stomach during a tough round of IUI medication, putting them next to Maya whose head was lulling like she'd fallen asleep. Carina didn't like Maya's fever at all. Damping a cloth, she grabbed the thermometer. Despite not feeling great herself, Carina needed to prioritise her bambina, who seemed to be in worse shape.
Taking her own temperature first, Carina sat in front of Maya, waiting for the beep. It hadn't dropped much, but at least it wasn't shooting up dramatically from earlier. She wiped it on her shirt and slipped it under Maya's tongue. "Bambina," she gently caressed Maya's cheek, "close your mouth.”
"Hmm?"
"Just your temperature." She put the rolled-up cloth on the back of Maya's neck but pulled it away when Maya violently shivered. Instead she dabbed it on Maya's temples, her cheeks and the back of her neck, "almost 41, very high, my love, I'm gonna get you some paracetamol," Carina said, she'd need some too.
"Carina?"
"Mmm hmm." Carina looked over at Maya as she rifled through the storage tub of medicine.
"My belly hurts."
"Yeah, it will baby, you are not well.” She took the paracetamol and sat down next to Maya rubbing her back, "you're okay," Maya was crying a little, shifting uncomfortably. She changed to her knees and held onto the toilet tightly. Grabbing at her stomach, Maya groaned loudly. Carina slid her hand under her wife’s top and rubbed it, as Maya seemed to just be pinching. "Oh god. No, no."
"Deep breath, just be sick, good, that's it. Good. Oh you're doing so well," Carina's stomach was hurting. She looked down from Maya who was still very much being sick. "You're doing so well," Carina said weakly. Maya began to relax, panting. She fell heavily against the wall, spent. Carina stepped over her, crouching in between her legs, just in the nick of time. She held her stomach as it waved its way through, understanding why Maya had been grabbing, it was painful. She smiled as it subsided; Maya was rubbing her back even with feeling so ill. "Thank you," she put her head on Maya's chest, still sat between her legs.
"Bed?"
"Yeah, definitely, I will get you a bowl and something for me."
Carina stood up, leaving Maya there, her wife looked so weak. She ended up with a bowl and a bag for herself, rolled open. She smiled; Maya was curled up in bed now. She had pulled up the covers over her head which Carina would have to be mean and swap for just a top sheet or blanket but for now it was fine. She left the bowl on Maya's bedside and gathered the medicine, water and ice.
"Listen to me," Carina said, sat next to a shivering Maya, "just sip enough for your medication. Your tummy is very delicate."
"Mmhmm." Maya took the tablets with just a sip, rolling away from Carina when she was done.
"You want a piece of ice?" Carina asked, taking her own tablets, hoping to god this worked before they were sick again. Maya opened her mouth for it, crunching as soon as Carina gave her it. She swapped the duvet for a big blanket, her body shivering in the process alongside Maya's. She laid down next to Maya dabbing the cloth on her chest and each cheek, leaving it folded on her forehead. She put her hand on Maya's stomach frowning, "You've scratched your tummy, bambina."
"Oh."
"It's okay," Carina rolled over, she actually had a bit of antiseptic cream on her bedside table. She dabbed it along each scratch. She took a piece of ice for herself and passed one to Maya. Curling up on her side, she put her hand flat on Maya’s stomach and kissed her cheek, "hopefully we'll have a little break."
When Maya awoke she immediately noticed that everything seemed less. Less pain, less nausea, less sweating and shivering. Evidently Carina's medicine had kicked in. The second thing she noticed was a feeling of restlessness. She didn't feel like she should lie still. The third was that Carina wasn't on her chest where she had fallen asleep. She looked to her left; her wife was clutching a pillow curled up. Maya put her hand on Carina's back and nodded, her wife's fever had come down too.
The feeling of restlessness persisted. She picked up her phone to read the news or something but looking at the screen hurt her head. How long had she had a headache? And how long had her mouth been dry? Maya sat up and looked around finding a glass next to a bowl with a bag in it on her bedside table. She took the glass and made to take a big gulp; her thirst unbearable. Then she remembered her wife mentioning having a delicate stomach so just sipped it instead. Maya poked her stomach lightly, it was still swollen, still painful to touch, still aching. She shuffled and peaked over Carina, moving the pillow a little, Carina’s stomach was still the same too. "Poor baby," Maya said, replacing the pillow. She didn't want to disturb Carina with her restlessness so decided to get up. She wanted more ice and maybe a nature program on low on the television. Or a fire documentary. Distraction.
She got carefully out of bed for two reasons. One, the main one, was she didn't want to disturb Carina. The other, she had had three dizzy spells today and whilst they'd all been after being sick she didn't want to chance it. Now sufficiently upright Maya shivered, she was still only in a t-shirt and nickers and wanted it to stay that way so she walked to the spare bedroom and got the thick throw off the bed. That got put on the sofa, alongside her pillow. Heading to the kitchen with her growing stomach ache, Maya opened the freezer and filled herself a ramekin of ice. She almost laid down when she realised that she better have something to be sick into, given her lack of speed and devilishly sneaky nausea. Back in the bedroom, she was going to get the bowl but discovered Carina didn't seem to have anything to be sick into, so that got put on Carina's side. After a pause to think, trying to ignore her growing headache, Maya spotted the sick bowl she had bought from work. Perfect. Glancing back at Carina once more, she took the bowl with her to the sofa, pulled the throw all the way up and turned the TV on, reducing the volume immediately to near silence.
Maya had really thought the TV would help, as it usually did when she felt restless but couldn’t do anything. But not today. The issue wasn't the restlessness but the fact that the TV was making her headache 100% worse. The wide sweeping shots that usually boosted her serotonin were now inducing vertigo, making her feel nauseous. The television went off after six minutes, and Maya returned to lying in silence, her restless mind not handling stillness well. After five more minutes of shifting to find comfort, she groaned, got up a bit too quickly, forcing her to wait for the sensation to pass, and then opened a drawer in their TV console. Grabbing the little basket, she laid back down, placing the sick bowl on her chest as nausea set in. Picking a little cube with various things to press and spin, Maya smiled, relaxing as the urge to do something lessened. Fidget toys for the win.
Kind of.
Maya quickly went through the entire box Carina had made for her in about half an hour, growing bored with each toy. Grumbling, she rolled over, attempting to sleep, but nothing seemed to work. Her energy levels were conflicting; too much and yet none at the same time, leaving her in a state of contradiction. She spent a minute counting the spots on a cushion Carina had bought, first tallying them and then checking if a math equation would yield an equivalent answer. It did. Bored, again, she shifted to lying on her back, picturing the engine of a ladder truck and going through the steps to change a battery. This occupied her for a while; fixing things in her mind. But ultimately her legs felt restless again.
Getting up, she took a slow lap to the bathroom for a pee she didn't really need, then circled around to check on Carina, who was peacefully asleep and unaffected by legs that felt "fizzy" with energy. Unfortunately, the lap hurt her head and exacerbated the nausea, so she laid back down putting the bowl back on her stomach. Picking a fidget toy again, she closed her eyes hoping for some relief.
Because she was reciting the items in the cupboards on the aid car under her breath, a very satisfying task until she couldn't remember an item then it was just frustrating, Maya didn't actually hear Carina's approach. When the sick bow suddenly moved off her stomach she opened her eyes, frowning until she saw Carina. Looking after Carina, even just rubbing her back or kissing her, was a really good distraction from her boredom so she was more than happy when Carina lifted the blanket, laid face down on Maya and covered them back over.
Maya hummed happily, put a pin in her aid car inventory recital, and kissed Carina's head.
"I didn't wake you did I?" Maya wasn't sure how she would have, as she'd been lying there for at least 15 minutes.
"No." Carina mumbled, already sounding like she was falling asleep, Maya was entirely jealous.
"Okay," Maya moved her hand up and down Carina's back, trying her hardest not to wiggle her feet with the repetitive motion. The cuddle was actually helping some, Carina was a bit like a weighted blanket which Maya often used when sleep evaded her. That was until the pressure of Carina's stomach against her own grew uncomfortable. She tried to ignore it but it wasn't going. "Babe?"
"Mmm."
"I'm really sorry but this is making me feel sick."
"What is?" Carina opened her eyes.
"You lying on me."
"Shit," Carina sat up. Maya rubbed her stomach but knew it was going to happen. She quickly sat up, looking for her sick bowl. Carina seemed to understand because it was under her chin in two seconds, just the right amount of time. "I'm sorry bambina," Carina said, shifting from on Maya's legs to behind her, circling her hand between Maya's shoulder blades.
"It was nice," Maya said between gasping breaths.
"Sorry Tesoro," Carina kissed her shoulder.
"I felt it building anyway." Maya said, putting the bowl on the floor, panting.
"You couldn't sleep hmm? Busy brain?"
"How did you know," Maya looked back at Carina, sipping from the ramekin, her ice had devastatingly melted.
"You were fidgeting even when hugging me. And talking to yourself."
"I can't explain it," Maya sighed, "I have no energy, none, walking from here to bed makes me feel completely drained, exhausted but I also have way too much energy. And my brain will not be quiet."
"Have you tried your fidget thingies?"
"Yeah, they worked for a little bit but not loads."
"Okay, what about TV?"
"Got a headache," Maya tapped her temple, "I don't want to annoy you so I'm going to go and lie back down in bed."
"You won't annoy me Maya."
"I'm annoying myself with the constant moving," Maya muttered, already on her feet, carrying the sick bowl to the bin. Taking her time to reach the bin and then from the bin to the bathroom, she hoped it would quell her brain's incessant need for stimulation. In the bathroom, she spent more time than needed brushing her teeth because she felt herself fixating on the lingering taste; it still had a weird taste after the first round, so she went in for a second. Finally, she couldn't delay getting into bed any longer, but not before grabbing her weighted blanket. Surprisingly, the sensation Carina had crafted, before it started making her sick, had actually been lulling her to sleep, so she was willing to give it a shot. At this point, she'd take a potion from a wizard if it promised to calm her restlessness.
Carina waited about ten minutes before returning to the bedroom. While the sofa didn't appeal to her much; she was just going to fall back to sleep, and the bed was way more comfortable for that, she understood Maya's needs and gave her a little time before going through. Relief flooded her when she saw Maya asleep, hands under her cheek, the weighted blanket cocooning her nicely.
When Carina had first learnt about weighted blankets, she knew her wife would love it. Countless times Maya would ask Carina to lie on her or scooted her impossibly close whilst cuddling. Her favourite time was when she had almost all of Carina’s body weight on her. So, a weighted blanket for when Carina wasn't there or when insomnia hit hard turned out to be one of the doctor’s best ideas. Initially sceptical, Maya let it sit in the wardrobe for a while, uninterested. However, Carina had got back from a night shift one day to find Maya still asleep at almost 8am, which had panicked her into thinking she was unwell. It wasn’t until she was climbing into bed that Carina noticed the blanket; immediately explaining why her wife was able to enjoy a lie-in.
Unfortunately, Carina didn't get on with it; she found it suffocating and impossibly hot. So, on challenging sleep days, Carina would snuggle for a bit, but come bedtime, the blanket would make an appearance, and she'd retreat under her own cover. More often than not, Maya would sneak an arm out to rest on Carina's side during the night, still needing that connection.
Not wanting to disturb her, Carina skipped the part where she'd kiss her very cute wife's face whilst she slept and instead got into bed using her own blanket. She rolled onto her right side and watched Maya sleeping for a while before her eyes started to get heavy.
"Do you think we should try and eat?" Maya said.
They were lying next to each other on the bed. Maya's hand was on Carina's stomach and Carina's hand was on Maya's. Maya felt her laughing she turned her head and looked at her, "babe, what?"
"You just threw up like twenty minutes ago. Your tummy hurts."
"I know but-"
"You want a cuddle bambina?" Carina asked, stopping Maya from fixating. Maya nodded and curled inwards, pulling her weighted blanket over herself, mindful not to get Carina with it. That lasted under a minute and then Maya was sat back up, fighting her way out of the t-shirt she was wearing. She huffed, frustrated and moved her waistband down but that wasn’t enough so soon her boxers joined the other offending items on the floor.
“I could just feel them,” she mumbled lying back down next to Carina, “too much.”
“It’s okay, just cuddle.”
Maya tried; she really did. But the more she lay there the more she could feel every thread of the sheet touching her. Or a really itchy piece of Carina’s hair against her neck. Just everything.
"Maya." It was gentle, despite the fact that her wife was starting to annoy her just a little with the constant moving, trying to get comfortable.
"I can't lie here anymore but my stomach hurts." She sat back up.
"Okay, alright, alright," Carina could hear the wobble in Maya's voice. She put her hand under Maya's top at the back and rubbed, "Is this okay?”
“Yes.”
“You're okay. Let me suggest a few things, tell me what sounds good." Maya nodded, resting her chin on her knees, arms wrapped around her legs, a little ball of uncomfortable Maya-ness. "I will go and lie in the spare room so you can spread out and wiggle without feeling like you're disturbing me. Or you can go to the spare room for a change of scenery, different feelings. We can go and try and watch a film if your head feels better. We could sit at the table and do something gentle like the scrapbook pages. We can go and have a bath and help your tummy feel better with the warm water. We can sit on the balcony and talk to get a bit of fresh air. Or something else. Whatever you want." Carina could happily curl up and sleep this whole thing off until she was on shift next but that just wasn't feasible for Maya, she understood. And right now everything was overwhelming her so she had to take over before this turned into completely dis-regulated Maya.
Maya was quiet for a while and Carina wondered if a) she was about to be sick or b) she had fallen asleep sitting up. "A bath, with you in front. And maybe go on the balcony?"
"Okay, that sounds really good. You go and run the bath if you feel up for it?"
"Are you okay? I haven't really been looking after you," Maya asked, actually lying back down next to Carina, "you still have a fever," she put her hand on Carina's forehead gently.
"The medicine will have worn off; we'll get some more later. I'm okay, obviously I don't feel great, stupid food poisoning."
"When my head doesn't hurt I'm going to report it."
"Okay," Carina chuckled, grazing her hand up and down Maya's back.
"Mmhmm, dear restaurant, you interrupted me doing my favourite chore apart from organising at work and you made my wife sick too. In her Porsche. Not on. We were really excited to try a good Thai because my wife visited there when she was in her twenties but now we're sick and our tummies hurt and it's all your fault."
"You tell them," Carina mumbled.
"I will," Maya yawned, pulling her blanket back up, "I feel tired."
"Go to sleep, bambina."
"I'll try."
"I'm right here." Carina rubbed her back over the blanket now, letting herself fall asleep holding a very sleepy Maya.
"Car?" Maya whispered, rubbing Carina's arm.
"Hmm?" Carina opened one eye, stretching, feeling incredibly achy.
"You fell asleep."
"Oh."
"On the floor, in the bathroom."
"Yeah my stomach was hurting."
"How does it feel now," Maya was lifting her top.
"Better? Yeah I think it does feel better."
"Mine too, and it's not as bloated, neither is yours."
"That's good," she stretched and pulled Maya down to kiss her, "at least because we are both sick we get to keep kissing."
"Yeah. Do you want to go to bed?"
"Mmmhmm, you?"
"I'm reading, my headache went but I thought I should come and get you into bed, you didn't want to come earlier when I asked but then you were sick and that was probably why."
"Yeah. Okay, you will try to sleep though won't you, my love, rest is the best thing for sick stomachs."
"I will I'm just going to read until I'm tired or I get another headache."
"Okay," Carina leaned up and kissed her, then curled up on her side, arm slung across Maya's lap, "I love you."
"I love you too."
“Thank you for helping earlier, everything felt too much.”
“It’s no fun being sick, hmm, I’m glad we’re starting to feel better. Maybe we’ll go for a walk tomorrow?”
“Definitely.”