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Audrey cringed inwardly at the flecks of the virus on her face. She was seated in the back of Mrs. Butter’s 2nd graders, waiting for her turn to present about Haven PD. Gross.
The second grader sniffled and offered one of the clean tissues to Audrey. Taking the tissue, Audrey tried to remove the germs. The little girl mumbled an apology and then went back to face the front of the classroom, where Mr. Franklin was talking about handyperson services to the class. She reminded herself she had a great immune system and would probably be fine.
A few minutes later, Mrs. Butters introduced her, and she walked towards the front of the room. I better not get sick. If I do, Nathan is doing the next presentation. I don’t care who loses in rock, paper, scissors.
*----*
Audrey rolled over and buried herself in Nathan’s back. He felt cool; typically, that was nice compared to Duke, who was warm on her back. Her arms felt heavy, like she had been in a fight or had a sunburn. The flannel sheets suddenly felt too warm, and she tried to pull her blanket down a little more. Moving too swiftly, she woke Duke with an elbow to his chest.
“Audrey?” Duke blinked in the early morning light. He looked at Audrey's flushed cheeks. He rubbed where she got him and pulled the blanket free of her legs.
“Sor-,” Audrey cleared her throat and tried again. She pulled her legs out of the blanket and turned to him. “Sorry, Duke.”
Duke put his hands to his eyes and tried to clear them. He saw Audrey more clearly after pulling on the bedside lamp. She had flushed cheeks and was drowsy-looking. One clue slid into place as he put his palm to her forehead. Audrey said a kid sneezed on her yesterday. It was best not to let Nathan catch this cold; it looked terrible on his girlfriend. He couldn’t imagine his boyfriend.
“You're hot. Come on, that kid got you. Let's get you some Tylenol and some water.” Duke stood, moving his blankets, and helped Audrey sit on the edge of the bed. He poured some water from a carafe on the side table and then went to find Tylenol and Vicks Vapor Rub. Maybe it was Lucy, but she loved the stuff for a cold.
Entering the bathroom, Duke let his eyes adjust to the nightlight. He found Nathan’s first aid cabinet and all the supplies he kept well stocked. He opened the second cabinet with all of Duke’s medicine supplies: Tylenol, Vicks vapor rub, ginger candy, cough drops, and some handmade plant medicines from the farmers' market, and allergy meds he ignored his asthma meds. He grabbed the Tylenol, Vicks, and the cough drops, and returned to their big bed.
Duke sat next to her, letting Audrey fall to his shoulder. “Two pills, and then we will get you in the guest bed.”
Nathan would hate being away from her in the morning. He tolerated Duke’s system to keep them healthy but hated being quarantined. Nathan being sick, though, was too much of a crapshoot. He would either be fine or have pneumonia and not know it until Nathan was so uncoordinated and unbalanced from a fever he ended up in some hospital bed.
Audrey wasn’t really awake. Otherwise, she would have protested moving away from her boys. She swallowed the pills with the water he offered. She was quiet and let him rub her shoulders where knots were forming. He smeared some Vicks, and she perked up a little under the camphor smell. He didn't really like it, but it soothed parts of her.
“I don’t want to be alone.” Audrey leaned into Duke's touch, seeking his warm hands. She shuddered, feeling cold now.
“I know I’m going to sit with you, and then I’ll have a shower and come back to bed with Nathan.” He grabbed her blanket from the middle and put it over his shoulder. Duke bent down and put his arms under her, trying to help as much as possible.
“Okay, we are going up on three, Audrey.” He counted in her hair softly to not disturb their boyfriend. Now standing, she swayed a lot, almost falling back on him and the bed.
“Okay, up we go.” Duke scooped her hand on her hot back and one under her warm knees. Up in his arms, she snuggled him as he moved down the hall to the guest room. It wasn't really a guest room; it was more Audrey and Duke's library and yoga studio that happened to have a Queen bed in it.
“Duke, when did we get over here?” Audrey looked around the guest room and saw all Nathan’s landscape photos covered with Mod Podge above the small bookshelves. She clicked on the side lamp wincing at the warm light. She smiled at Duke and grimaced as her sensitive skin protested the slightest movement.
“Just now, lie back. I need to get your things, and then I’ll sit with you.” Duke put her blanket beside her and opened the covers to reveal cold cotton sheets for her.
“Ok-” She cleared her throat, “-can I have more water, Duke?”
“Of course,” Duke said, disappearing down the hall.
Now that Audrey was alone, she let her back relax under the cold cotton covers. She pulled her pajama pants down, but she kept Duke’s undershirt and Nathan’s boxers. Her legs were sensitive, but the cool cotton felt like a welcome ice pack. Her fevered skin quickly warmed the summer bedclothes.
The guest room typically had some good cheer and comfort. When Nathan asked Audrey and Duke to move in with him, they took over the room. There was a small rattan chair that Bill McShaw had made Duke some months ago in the summer. Nathan had completed an overstuffed cushion for it a few weeks ago as a Christmas present. Audrey would sometimes read with Duke lying on this bed. Or she would look through the Teagues archives on her laptop, trying to find information on the Barn or her past lives.
Duke loved pulp novels, and Parker loved trashy romance. Nathan had hung landscapes above each of the four small bookshelves ringing the walls. The queen bed was smack in the middle, and Nathan had been talking about adding another bookshelf recently so Duke could add more stuff from his travels and more of their books. There wasn’t much room to put Duke’s yoga mat but there was enough room for Duke to practice meditation.
The guest room doorway opened again, and Duke held her things and looked a little haggard. “I brought water, your phone, your robe, and more meds.” Nathan had made them sets of PJs for the winter. Duke wore a shirt and flannel pants with a tiny skull and crossbones over black plaid, spinning in multiple directions. It was tacky, but Nathan smiled when he saw Duke wearing them, and so did Audrey. Audrey had a set of flannel with tiny seashells over the top on light green flannel. Nathan was a simple blue plaid set with little anchors. Nathan was crafty when he was left alone in his massive craft basement.
“I hate being sick.” Audrey accepted the water and let Duke rearrange his rattan sitting chair close to her.
“I know. I also know you want to go back to chasing troubles. You also hate being alone because you were often alone as Audrey, Lucy, and Sarah.” Duke cupped her cheek, feeling her temperature in his fingers.
Audrey leaned into his cold hand from carrying over the water and let him check her temperature with his forehead thermometer. Nathan loved a gadget, and Duke loved a happy Nathan.
“I love you, you know that?” Audrey turned into his palm, seeking coolness.
“I do know that. Now tell me the symptoms so I know what to expect and what not to see in Nathan.” Duke checked the reading; it was a warm 99 F, not alarming but still worth monitoring. She had taken off her flannel pants, that's his smart girl. He bent and folded them, putting them behind him on one of their many short bookshelves around the room.
“Let’s see, fever, sensitive skin, muscles feel exhausted, and my throat hurts; the little girl had a runny nose, but that’s probably coming later.” Audrey took another sip of water and tried to soothe the heat in her. She leaned back, feeling like that one sentence had depleted her.
“Okay.” Duke looked at the meds he had brought to the library and squinted at the labels, making a choice. “We have Tylenol, Vicks, and I’m going to have you take some Mucinex so you can sleep through tonight and probably ‘til lunch tomorrow.” Duke poured a dose and then poured more water into the glass for her.
Audrey was such an easy patient compared to Nathan. Nathan would have wanted to pretend he was fine. Audrey will wish for her space later, but now she wants him close at the start.
“Did I mention I love you?” Audrey smiled at the prospect of being knocked out while the worst of the cold took its course. Modern drugs were a wonder, and honestly, Duke would probably make her favorite chicken noodle soup for dinner tonight.
“I love you too, Audrey,” Duke smirked, watching her take the Mucinex dose.
Duke stood to hang Audrey’s robe on the back of the door. He crossed to one of their shared bookshelves and held up a battered, well-loved copy of Outlander and his copy of The Hobbit over his head in a silent question.
“Outlander,” she took a sip of her water. “I like it when you do the voices.”
“There’ll be no funny business tonight, Lass.” Duke smiled in his best Gaelic accent as he got up from his crouch and came to sit in the rattan chair.
“Later,” Audrey promised and settled under the covers to listen.
Duke took on a slightly gravelly tone. “It wasn’t a very likely place for disappearances, at least at first glance.”
*----*
Duke read for nearly 30 minutes and stopped when he heard Audrey snoring. Mucinex for when your workaholic girlfriend needs to be knocked out to recover.
Duke stood up, stretched out his back, placed the book on the top of the bookshelf, and put the chair back in the reading nook. Nathan had designed these shelves for Audrey and him. It was so sweet. One side had a beach theme, and the other had a nice flowery side. No one would expect anything from Nathan, but he was a big softie who loved crafting. He was shy about his hobbies and didn’t take compliments well, but he loved to be rewarded. A nice meal and a nice blowjob there, and suddenly the Cape Rouge had matching bedside tables with a nautical pattern.
Duke pulled the thick curtains closed against the morning Maine sun, which was now fully up. He turned off the lamp, rubbed another coat of Vick’s on Audrey for good luck, and closed the door softly. He padded down the hallway and entered the main bedroom.
Nathan was still in bed, but he looked worn down. Duke smiled, shaking his head, and headed into the bathroom to start the shower. Discarding his winter pajamas and socks, he turned the shower a little higher than the line, warning Nathan not to turn the shower higher. So much of Nathan’s house was like this, accommodating his trouble, and that’s why they moved in together.
The Cape Rouge was for him but he loved having them over for more adventurous stuff, like one particular night Nathan had tied up Audrey and him while Nate drew them. Nate liked Shibari, but exploring with Audrey was interesting. Maybe it was Lexie, but she was adventurous and bossy in bed. She had a take no prisoners attitude to sex leaving no orgasms on the table.
Duke enjoyed lathering on rosemary and tea tree body wash, slowly cleaning away germs, and enjoying the hot shower. He felt more than heard Nathan come in. His first warning was the cold from the glass door opening on the shower.
“Morning,” Nathan kissed his neck and adjusted the shower knob with one hand, running his hands up and down Duke’s chest and stomach with the soap running down his skin.
“Hrmm,” Duke greeted Nathan, leaning into Nate’s touches. He breathed deeply, smelling something purely Nathan over the smell of his rosemary and peppermint body wash.
“What time did you get in last night?” Nathan made a simple conversation washing away the soap and reaching for Duke’s cock.
Nathan was like that. He would tease Duke and act like he wasn’t driving him wild making conversation about nothing and fucking you silly. Nate was kinky. And so was Duke because he was so obedient.
“Probably around 1 am, I got to bed around 2:30 am.” Duke sucked in a breath as suds and Nathan’s hands stroked a little faster with a twist at the top of his cock.
“Hrmm, so you didn’t want to wake us? It’s 7 am now and I want to hear you moan my name.” Nate redirected the water and let it splash Duke lower in his stomach, rinsing away suds. He was going to tease him before he started showering properly. If Audrey was already at work, he could play with Duke before he let him go open for the Gull in 5 hours.
Duke breathed in quickly and moaned deeply as Nate reached below his cock and massaged his balls. Duke let more of his weight lean against Nate. Duke felt Nathan’s erection pressing deliciously against his ass. He kissed Nathan’s morning stubble and kept eye contact as Nathan continued to stroke him, their faces next to each other. The warm water running down his body was lovely, and so was the quick rub below his premium, rubbing his prostate from the outside. Duke widened his stance to let Nathan rub more easily.
“I was sleepy, and we caught up at lunch yesterday.” Duke took in a deeper gulp of air and let out a breathy moan.
“I seem to remember our lunch ending in a promise.” Nathan looked at his hand rubbing slowly, making Duke shudder. Duke was close, and he wanted to edge him at least once.
“I will still suck your cock here or the bed.” Duke quickly promised. That was the correct answer because Nate was getting to the edge again.
“Here,” Nate let Duke edge and watched a little precum leave his cock. He rubbed the sweet spot behind Duke’s ball a little quicker, just a sharp edge to zing up Duke’s spine.
Nate turned off the water but didn’t want to drown Duke or overheat. Duke breathed in and moaned as he let Nate lead him to the bench in their shower pulling him by the hips.
Nathan had a nice bathroom. Duke had made the shower stall large enough to accommodate all of them, but Audrey had asked for a ledge.
Placing his boyfriend on his knees, he held his erection out for Duke to suck. He watched Duke first lick and then move his tongue over his cock head. Duke moaned at the slight taste of precum he got from the first show for Nate. Nathan was more than his sense of touch. He loved the show.
Duke kept eye contact as he stroked his cock with one hand. Then he swallowed Nate to midshaft first a few times, then swallowed down to the root.
“Look at the way you take my cock. What a good mouth you have.” Nathan still had his morning gravelly tone and played with Duke’s curls, twisting them into little ringlets.
“Rub your hand slowly now, not so fast. I want to see you come.” Nate watched Duke's chest rise and dive as he bobbed on his cock. He watched Duke’s tan fingers slowly stroke his cock kneeling between his legs.
“That’s it. Good Duke,” Nate stroked his hands through Duke’s hair and then moved his hand down to Duke’s throat. He gently pressed against Duke’s throat, not to hurt but to make Duke focus on where Nate was in his throat, and he heard him gag. “That’s such a good slut. Look at how good you are at taking my cock.”
Duke swallowed around Nathan’s cock a second time and then gagged, pulling off him. He stroked himself a little faster but still tried to keep the same pressure.
“I love your cock,” Duke started to stroke himself a little faster. He could feel Nathan getting harder as he sucked him back down. He showed Nathan his own swollen erection, almost shiny red with need.
“Let me see you come first, Duke; you know I like it when I can see you enjoying yourself on my cock.”
Duke didn’t need to be told twice. He stroked himself closer to completion and closed his eyes, humming around Nathan’s midshaft, breathing through his nose. He pulled off to swallow some more precum from Nathan.
“Good Duke,” Nate stroked Duke’s hair back, making it messy and sticking up at odd angles. He watched Duke swallow in the air, slowly blink, and yawn, cracking his jaw.
“Someone's a sleepy cock slut,” Nate smiled. He loved how soft Duke could be in subspace. Duke could float like that for another minute.
“Audrey woke me up early this morning, a little over an hour ago,” Duke let Nathan play with his hair some more.
“Oh, my sluts are up early without me. Did they play together? I can just picture Audrey’s breasts in your mouth.” Nathan wasn’t mad. He loved Audrey and Duke, and he knew Duke knew that, too.
Duke moaned, floating a little lower into subspace. Nathan started to push his erection into Duke’s mouth and placed his hand, warning Duke he was going to fuck his mouth. Duke relaxed his throat letting Nathan take control of everything for a second. It felt so good to let Nathan handle everything.
Duke went with each thrust, gagging occasionally and breathing when Nathan let him. He swallowed precum after precum humming when he could make Nathan hear how much he wanted to be mouth fucked. Maybe it was the tenth or fifteenth thrust, but suddenly, there was cum running down Duke’s mouth. Nathan felt a little buzz in the back of his head, and an internal vertigo sensation flowed through him. It was nowhere near an orgasm with Audrey touching him or before his trouble, but it was something. He cherished Duke's trust after so many years of misunderstandings on his part it was so comforting for them both to be able to trust this much.
“What a good mouth I have to use for my cock.” Nathan started to stand and move Duke to the bench.
“Hrmm,” Duke hummed, enjoying the break from the world. This week, he had a lot. He let spiraling thoughts run down the drain as Nathan turned back on the shower.
Nathan rinsed Duke’s arms in safe, warm water. He grabbed his body wash, wanting Duke to smell like his sandalwood and tobacco blend. He grabbed Duke’s washcloth from earlier, started with Duke’s feet, and then worked his way up. When Nathan rubbed Duke's back, he could tell Duke was returning from subspace.
“There’s my guy,” Nathan smiled softly, kissing Duke’s temple with a small kiss and rubbing a circle at the base of his skull.
“Hrmm,” Duke inhaled through his nose and mouth, slowly meditating on the sex and love from Nathan.
Duke looked as Nathan returned to doing a simple scrub of his body, slowly getting the body wash everywhere he could. Nathan was slow and efficient making the strokes into almost a massage of loose limbs.
“I’m here,” Duke spoke softly, slowly leaving the subspace for his complicated life. He took a deep breath and let Nathan start rinsing them both off. All the endorphins were helping his mind not spiral.
“Let me scrub your scalp.” Duke held his hand out for some of Nathan’s shampoo.
Duke smelled the pear soap he had gotten Nathan at the Farmer’s market and woke a little more. His legs were still like jelly from crouching, but he could lean against the shower wall and scrub his boyfriend's scalp. He knew Nathan couldn’t feel it, but he didn’t mind. He knew Nathan appreciated the intimacy. Duke felt Nathan smooth down his hair.
“Go ahead and rinse.”
“Now let me fix your curls,” Nathan was happy to help maintain Duke’s curls, applying co-wash for one minute and then rinsing it.
“I can do the rest. I know you need to pick out an outfit for work.” Duke started twisting a curl here and there. Nathan ran his fingers over them, smoothing out the knots he had made earlier at the base of his neck.
“I already picked out an outfit last night. Audrey had some fun without you, too. She got off last night, and I didn’t. Last night, I wanted everything to be for her. This morning to be all about you.” Nathan shaped some more curls and saw Duke gasp in shock.
“Oh no.” Duke rubbed his face for some calm.
“What?” Nathan asked innocently. “It was sweet. Do you want me to describe how I kissed her and opened her legs slowly? Let her scream for a little bit before I-”
“Uh no,” Duke, under normal circumstances, wanted to hear he loved a story. “Did you brush your teeth and maybe shower last night after these events?” Duke looked slightly panicked, worried Nathan might have a fever or muscle aches he couldn’t feel right now.
Nathan knew when something was up. Duke was a germaphobe, maybe because he was a sailor, and sickness always found him. Or perhaps it was because he was so sick when he was younger that he is a wellness health nut nowadays. Maybe it was because he grew up poor and couldn’t go to the Doctor, but something was up.
“What’s wrong?” Nathan asked to fix one last curl and lower the water temperature. He leaned back to rinse out the conditioner in his hair thoroughly and then let Duke under the spray.
When Duke turned off the water, he left the shower, handed Duke a warm towel, and wrapped his terry robe around himself.
Nathan let his Detective brain, which never fully turned off, click some of the pieces together. Her robe wasn’t hanging with theirs. The charger on her side of the bed wasn't there. Her blanket wasn’t in the middle of the bed. If he had chosen to look, his thermometer would have probably been in the guest bedroom.
“The kid-”
“Who sneezed in her mouth.” Nathan completed the sentence.
Duke closed his eyes and agreed with Nathan, glad Nate had gotten there himself.
“And now you're worried I have that cold? And now you're worried you have it because we just had sex.” Nathan knew Duke. He was a worrier. He would face trouble with them, but the sickness was where he turned into a terror. Nathan dreaded having to be separated from Audrey. Although if I already had this cold, we could just all be a little miserable, there was no need to quarantine.
“You might not have it, or you could have a fever. It looks like thermometer checks are in your future.” Duke sighed and rubbed his face. He needed pants and a thermometer, possibly a cup of coffee.
*---*
Nathan got ready for work and let Duke take his temperature. Nathan's temperature was normal, and he didn’t feel sluggish; his muscles were fine. He promised to send texts with his temperature every two hours and voice notes to show that his voice wasn’t becoming scratchy. Duke let him see Parker for a few minutes. He tucked Audrey back in and left with his lunch and thermos to the Station. Someone had to write up the paperwork from their latest trouble. There was supposedly a storm coming and Stan and Dwight probably needed the back up for the storm.
Around noon, a storm started and Stan and Nathan were put on storm duty. Stan was doing cats and trees and Dwight was directing the Guard to ferry troubled people to places with power; some of the outer neighborhoods had lost power. The storm had not been expected for another day. Nothing major happened, no troubles were activated and everything seemed in hand by 3pm.
Afterward back in his office he pulled off his coat and sat back down for paperwork. Nathan admitted he felt sluggish, and his muscles didn’t react as fast. Twenty minutes later, he sent a voice note with a scratchy voice he couldn’t clear. Fifteen minutes later, he texted Duke to say he was on his way home from the station. He told Dwight he was leaving and that Audrey would probably return in two days.
Dwight wished him well and told him to take it easy. He had already heard about Audrey being sick this morning from Duke. Dwight remembered the colds Lizzie would bring home from daycare with a bittersweet sadness—they were a mixed bag. Either they took you down for a week or lasted 24 hours.
*---*
Nathan pulled up to his driveway and parked next to Audrey’s sedan. He turned off the Bronco and slowly got out of the old girl. The rain had made the drive harder to concentrate on. He couldn’t feel the inflammation, but he could feel his balance was off, and his thoughts were slower. He put the thermometer Duke made him take earlier under his tongue and heard the beep while he unlocked the door. The little screen read in black, “101 F.” Well, not good.
“I’m home.” Nathan shook his Police jacket off in the mud room. He stowed his gun in the safe, which he kept in the hallway closet. It wasn’t like he didn’t have other guns around the place. They lived dangerous lives, but he liked the ritual of seeing his badge and gun next to Audrey’s gun and badge. Duke’s legal carry gun and paddle holster were in there today. Duke wanted some normalcy in the ritual, too. Nathan smiled and then sat to remove his shoes.
“Rain is coming down outside. I will check the generator, but I think we should be good.” Nathan didn’t feel the pain of the scratchy throat but he heard how warped he sounded.
“I missed that. Did you just say you were going to check the generator?” Duke called back from the kitchen.
Nathan smiled and went to Duke at the stove. “Yeah, I think the worst of the storm is over but can’t be too careful.” He could tell something was wrong with his nose because he saw spices on the counter, but he barely smelled chicken noodle soup being cooked.
“You're crazy. First of all, take some Tylenol and chew on these ginger chews. You might not feel it, but nausea is also part of this cold.” Duke handed Nathan some ginger candy and returned to stirring chicken noodle soup in two separate pots.
Duke was prepping for himself to get sick. He knew Nathan could cook casseroles, pancakes, and about anything easy to chew, but beyond that, he was limited. Audrey could order a mean pizza, but she was not a cook.
“I’m not crazy. Just a boyscout.” Nathan took Tylenol as asked, but only to get away with checking the generator. He didn’t need them losing heat during this storm. He pulled up a corner of his rug in the living room and went to the basement, checking the generator. Checking the fuel gauge and ensuring the flood pump works if they have any problems with flooding. He trusted his mother’s house, but he trusted Dwight’s contractors more when the house was nearly destroyed last year during the Hunter Storm. He didn’t want to dwell on those memories. He had both Duke and Audrey right now, and that’s all that mattered; they lived moment to moment. He wanted to finish his photo project. It was Duke’s Cape Rouge in the Haven harbor made from different tile pieces all glued together into a mosaic but Duke was barely letting him down here as it was.
He looked at the canning stores from Duke and the water and other emergency gear down here all in one corner. Nathan was a boy scout who was prepared but Duke remembers being hungry so he started canning the moment Nathan let him in the house the water bath canner was shiny from its recent use.
He looked at the scuba gear from Duke's boat and the tools from Duke's boat mixed in with his own yard work gear. He checked the cellar doors and made sure they were braced for the storm. He felt himself starting to sag against the wall. Definitely balance problems from the fever. He clicked off the lights and headed back up.
Nathan was sluggish in pulling the rug back down after his checks. He wiped his hands off on his jeans and then tried to massage his neck. He couldn't feel how tight his muscles were or ached but he could tell his body was stressed.
“What you cooking?”
“Audrey chicken noodle with the scallions and leeks.” Duke held out a small ramekin with some broth to Nate. “I also got out your Mom's old copy of Betty Crocker and made her chicken noodle with a little sugar just like she notated in the margins.”
Nathan took a tentative sip of the broth. Nathan smiled because he wanted so much to kiss Duke. He stepped away instead and rinsed out the ramekin.
“It's perfect exactly how Audrey likes it.” Nate complimented his boyfriend.
Nathan loved that he made two soups. Nathan knew they still had a curry Duke preferred in the freezer for when he got sick last month from some trouble. Instead he waved at Duke and headed upstairs to take a lukewarm shower before Duke started earnestly checking his temperature. He stopped at the guest bedroom first. Audrey wasn’t there. There were new sheets on the bed, and it had been cleaned. He could barely smell the bleach. Nurse Duke must have decided they could all bunk together.
*--- Audrey and Duke 4 hours ago*
Audrey was asleep for a little while. It was past 11 am when the Mucinex was wearing off. She smelled Vicks and smiled. Duke wasn’t smothering here; he left the Outlander book by her phone with a note.
“You can read. I’ll make soup. Call me if you want company. Love your Pirate.” Audrey whispered to herself, trying not to strain her voice.
She took the pineapple juice off the nightstand and downed it. She felt better enough to read. At first, the cold medicine made everything bearable, but by the time 1 pm rolled around, she texted Duke for company.
A: Company? +ginger T
Duke was upstairs in 3 minutes with ginger tea. She let Duke take her temperature and exchange the empty juice glass for the tea and more water. Duke looked slightly worried about how her temperature was fighting the Tylenol, but he returned quickly with a cold pack and placed it on her neck. She first didn’t like it, but as her head cleared, she pushed the compress to her forehead in relief.
“How did you get to be so good at caring for people when they're sick?”
“Practice,” Duke smirked with a smile; he didn’t want to reveal too much. “On ships, colds run through everyone, and when I was younger, I had to make sure I never got sick.”
Duke pet her hair, tucking her bangs behind her ear. He could feel his stomach churning with anxiety. She didn’t sound better, but she was more energetic. He checked his phone when Nathan texted him about coming home early.
“Okay, new plan. Nathan is sick, so let’s get you into the big bed.” Duke roused himself and got Audrey up in her robe. “I’ll clean this room up after you nap, and I’ll sleep here tonight.”
“I’m not arguing, but is Nathan a challenging patient yet?” Audrey held her book, charger, and phone in one hand as she slowly walked down the hall. Her muscles felt tight after lying down all day. Maybe she could convince Duke to let her take a warm shower.
“Nope, he is on his way back now.” Duke tilted his head, holding Aurdey’s cold medicine and blanket. Without the thick curtains in the library, he could hear the downpour of rain.
“Is that the rain?” Audrey asked, sniffling as she hung up her robe with Nathan’s on the back of their door.
“The storm was supposed to hit tomorrow, but I guess it’s early. Don’t worry, we’ll be okay.” Duke got her comfortable and plugged back in her phone.
Duke washed his hands in their bathroom. He didn’t see signs of a fever or any other sickness. He grabbed one of his sweaters from the closet to fight off the storm's chill; this room was colder because of the big windows he rationalized.
Duke switched off the bathroom light and looked at their bedroom. The three hampers in the corner. The armoire from Bill was a nice deep walnut full of night clothes. The big Wyoming King had a custom frame with small swirling carvings from Bill as well. Duke and Audrey had conspired to upgrade Nate's bed from a King to this monstrosity. The bay windows behind the bed made the bed the mainstage of their room. There really wasn't much room left; they had mounted the TV a few months ago.
“TV?”
“Please give me Vampire gore and a love triangle to cure my boredom.” Audrey made childish, grabby motions towards their remote and clicked on Netflix.
Duke watched one episode of some vampire show and then went to straighten up the guest room when Audrey started snoring. It's a good thing Tracy said she could handle the Gull today without him. He started the washing machine and grabbed Audrey’s untouched tea.
Checked on Audrey one more time and started making chicken noodle soup from the old Betty Crocker book from Nathan’s mom. Nathan had it earmarked and had written in the margins extra steps like “Check the temperature with a probe”, “Don’t touch the pan it’s hot out of the oven” Nathan's Mom had a small cursive with “add ½ cup sugar” to change the salt and fat ratio. He stirred the pots and heard the lock turn in the front door.
*---* Back to the present
Nathan opened their bedroom and saw the Netflix “Are You Still There?” He smiled and turned the TV off.
“Hey, I was watching.”
“You were sleeping.” Nathan smiled and bent slowly to kiss Audrey.
“Ok, dozing and watching.” Audrey amended after the chaste kiss.
“I’ll be standing and showering to lower my fever before Duke sees it.” Nathan smiled down at her. He loved her deeply at that moment. She could face the troubles, but she was soft with her boys.
“How high? I’m 100F. How high are you at Wournos?”
“101, but I know Duke wants it lower. Do you want to join me?” Nathan asked, offering her a hand up.
Audrey thought about how good water would feel soothing her muscles. The sunburn feeling was back and hurting her temples. Audrey clasped Nathan’s hand and waited for the dizziness to stop. She put her head on his shoulder and moved her legs to stand up. She could have Nathan in her quarantine now. She could hear his voice was raspy and his skin was hotter than hers.
“I’ll start the shower,” Nathan stood once she signaled she was okay.
Parker shuffled slowly behind him. Her skin and muscles, tight from the flu. She really hoped Duke wouldn’t get this chest cold because he had asthma. Though he was pretty well controlled because he was a diver. But last year he had that trouble go after him and hadn’t dived in any of his oyster or fresh water spear fishing spots.
In the bathroom Nathan adjusted the water to a new line nurse Duke had scribbled sometime today saying “Lukewarm for Fevers.” Audrey pulled the borrowed boxers off and let Nathan help her with Duke’s undershirt. She helped Nathan slowly with his waistcoat. He didn’t feel his muscles or skin hurting, but he was hot to the touch. His fingers were not cooperating, probably because they were stiff, but he couldn’t feel the inflammation. Once they were in the shower, the water would help them both.
She tensed at the mildly warm water. It felt cold, but she knew it was warm. At this point, anything would feel cold unless it was higher than 130 °F. She sat on the bench in the shower, and Nathan sat with her, letting the water flow over them. She smiled at him and didn’t have much energy.
Nathan had started scrubbing gently with a washcloth sweat from the sickness coming off her skin. She smelled the peppermint and fig body wash Duke had found for her at a Farmer’s market some time ago down the coast. Duke always takes care of us, my sweet Pirate.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
“Duke always takes good care of us, but I don’t fully know how to care for him when he gets sick.”
“Oh, that’s easy. He likes curry or garlic ginger soup, and he likes it if you watch horror or read his pulp sci-fi books to him. He doesn't want to be left alone but he doesn't want to be a burden. But if he feels sick to his stomach, he wants to be cuddled and or have space, but it’s hard to tell sometimes.” Nathan listed it like it was nothing.
“How do you know that?” Audrey asked, stunned to hear Nathan rattle off that information so quickly as if he had a manual.
Nathan shrugged, “I have known him my whole life. Sometimes, he would let me in when he was younger. My Mom died when I was 15, but he used to come over before that and we would hang out. He wasn’t always my childhood bully, he was my best friend and now he’s my boyfriend. Garlic and ginger is a soup my Mom used to make, but he liked curry when he returned five years ago so I made that last month.”
“Is that when you got together the second time? Or after the troubles came back?” Audrey clarified, staring at him, feeling more like herself as the sweat from the sickness left her and she could roll her shoulders letting her brain chew on a mystery.
Nathan shrugged. “Probably the first time we got together was when I was 19 and headed to college and he couldn't stay out of trouble.” Nathan looked up and away, remembering the fights, the make up sex, the sneaking around.
Audrey smacked his arm. “Last Winter, he got bronchitis, and you knew what he needed. But instead, I muddled through phone calls while he cared for himself. Nathan, he had just lost Jennifer!”
“We weren’t together then; if you recall, he and I fought the week before.”
“Probably so you wouldn’t come to his rescue. He picks fights, too, you idiot.” Audrey wanted to slap him again but settled for splashing water at him.
“Oh.”
“That’s all you got? Oh.” Audrey felt some of the pieces that made Duke slot into place.
“Oh, I didn’t know it’s only recently that we have been working because you were with us; you balanced us, Audrey.” Nathan admitted. He rinsed them with the shower head and started ringing the washcloths to hang out of the spray.
“You are making it up to him,” Audrey shook her head and leaned against the shower wall for a minute, thinking.
She remembers phone calls to the Gull to place orders for soup. She recalls the talks on the phone where he would do a breathing treatment because she found out Duke had fricken asthma, and no one told her. He had great control of it, but it scared her. Sarah didn’t understand modern drugs for asthma and had been terrified when she found out about Duke’s asthma. It took a little while for her to control Sarah's reaction. Eventually, just like Lexie, it became more settled though. Like a dream of being a World War II nurse. But then there was Emily, a nurse who used to deal with scarlet fever victims and consumption.
“I am. Every day we are together. When he gets sick, I’ll make him garlic ginger soup. I already have the ingredients. He and I are complex but Parker makes up with me everyday for all the crap he pulled as a kid. I try to make it up to him, Parker, we do what we can. Heck. I already started on his Christmas present because in 4 months he is still going to be with us troubles or no. We have a lot of history together,” Nathan assured her. He pulled her wet bangs back and scratched her scalp feeling the hairs on his fingers.
Nathan bought the garlic and ginger and froze the prepped ingredients just like his mom used to do so she could keep the stoup stalk for emergencies. Duke was asthmatic. He didn’t know it was a secret he always knew. He had helped when they were together the first time as teenagers then as young adults before Duke left and he had gone away for the Academy. The Son of a bitch picked a fight, so I wouldn’t care for him, the idiot.
“Come on, I'll wash your hair and then let's go see if we can watch a movie together.” Parker smiled and kissed him on the lips then started washing away muscle tension.
“Jurrasic Park?” Nathan felt a little more aware of his tense back as Audrey touched him with soapy hands.
“Maybe we’ll let Duke pick since we’ll probably pass out after 20 minutes.” Audrey let the suds run down the drain feeling a mystery settle, apparently she had done some of the right things last year.
“Last month when that fire trouble burned the old matchstick factory to smithereens and Duke had that asthma flare, do you think he hid how bad he felt from us?” Audrey spoke out as if dropping a bomb.
“I mean he did sneak off to his boat for three hours each day probably doing breathing exercises and doing breathing treatments. He probably took a nap, sometimes he just wants to be alone. The invincible Pirate and all that bravado.” Nathan assured her trying to assure her Duke trusted them but he could be an idiot.
“He keeps his emergency inhaler and now his nebulizers so he must be trusting us.”
Nathan only hmmed for a moment remembering how many layers Duke could wrap himself up in. Duke did like to not let people see how vulnerable he could get. Duke would easily take care of them but letting himself be cared for was another fight. Troubles had taken things from them like privacy, he himself lived in a house with sticky notes reminding him not to touch the hot stove.
“Well he is a worrier,” Nathan rinsed the conditioner from Audrey's hair and turned off the water.
“Yeah I know you are too, you just show it in different ways.” Audrey accepted a warmed towel from their towel rack and then tied up her hair.
Nathan could only look back at her and stare back. Who, me? No, I worry a normal amount?
*---*
Duke was letting the soup simmer, but it needed an hour more. He heard a large crash outside. Looking up at the sky, he thought. Why can’t we have some peace? Anything for a bit of peace? Nathan and Audrey need to get better before they go running after troubles.
Duke looked out the back window and saw a branch had fallen on Nathan’s patio table. It is not a bid deal, but they could deal with it tomorrow. Then another branch fell, and half a tree was down across the back porch. The area it fell over was the outtake for the cellar when it flooded 10 feet away from the house and was now going to clog. Perfect all the crafts and tools not to mention the generator.
He heard Nathan on the steps coming to investigate Audrey coming at a more sedate pace. He smiled and waved Nathan over to the window, but it wasn’t like he could hide the fallen tree limbs.
“Well, that’s over the vent for the generator, too, which we will probably need tonight,” Nathan slowly reasoned. Squinting into the rain and seeing all the debris out the window, a plan formed.
“First, we should-”
“First, I put on a rain jacket, and you tell me what to do while you check on the generator below.” Duke stopped Nathan; he would only make his cold worse.
“I second this plan.” Audrey held up a finger in agreement. She went to the mud room and went to fetch Duke’s slickers. After her shower, she felt almost normal. The muscle aches tapered down, and after a dose of Mucinex, she felt nearly fine.
“Just push the tree out of the way of the outtakes, and we can deal with the rest later. Move the table over the outtakes to prevent any worry about more debris from the dead Pine.” Nathan rolled up the rug and watched Duke put on his slicker coat.
“Stick to the plan,” Audrey closed the zipper and opened the front door.
Duke shouted over the storm, “The plan is evolving over the situation.”
Duke felt the chill cling to him even in his slicker. He walked around the back of the house. Looking at the Pine tree, he saw burn marks from lightning. It was a damn good thing the tree had taken the hit. Maybe the tree was dead, but it had ground the lightning and missed the house. Duke crossed his arms and sighed. The pine branches were covered in pollen, and his jacket was covered in gross old pollen as he moved a branch out of the path to the patio.
“Stick to the plan, and it will all be fine.” Duke approached the patio table and moved the first branch off it. “One down.” He pulled the strings tighter around his hood against the wind.
Duke saw Audrey watching from the living room window. He waved like a goofball he was and then put both thumbs up for a moment. Her boys are always trying to make her laugh.
“How’s he doing?” Nathan asked, standing next to Audrey at the window, watching the yellow rain jacket carrying another branch out of the patio table’s path.
“I think he’s alright. I'm just ensuring he doesn’t have a branch fall on his head.”
“With the power of your eyes?”
“Maybe. It’s Heaven afterall.”
“I feel like even that’s not a Haven thing.” Nathan pointed out he stepped behind Audrey and watched Duke at the window.
Duke was almost done and could pull the table over to the outtakes. Duke looked at the wooden table and the ten feet he would need to drag it over. He tilted the table on its side and rolled it over a few feet. The table was hard to navigate with its slick surface, almost like a drunken walk. He lowered the table and ensured the feet didn’t land on vents or the pumps. The heavy table in place he went back to move the patio chairs out of the down tree path; everything was covered in pollen.
Duke wiped his hands on his slicker but ended up getting more pollen on his hands. He ended up just holding his hands up and letting the rain wash away some of the pollen. He looked to the window and saw Nathan and Audrey watching him. He saw lightning flash and then heard thunder. He felt it all through his chest and decided he had tested his Crocker luck enough for today.
Duke went back to the front and opened the door. He tried to get the zipper open, but his hands wouldn’t cooperate with his shaking fingers. He should have worn gloves. The rain had been freezing and his hands were pale from the cold.
Audrey walked up to Duke and stopped his fingers. She got in close and helped pull the zipper free. She smiled and moved the hood down.
“My hero in slicker yellow.” Audrey leaned up and pushed Duke's curls out of his face.
“What’s that powder all over your jacket?” Nathan helped Duke out of the jacket and tossed it into the mudroom to dry.
“I think it’s sap or pollen?” Duke grimaced, looking down at his hands coated in the stuff feeling returning with the blood.
“Go wash your hands,” Nathan instructed. He started tea for Duke and thought about where Duke kept his inhaler. Too many irritants in one minute: pollen, cold, stress, and a chest cold in the air.
“Nate, can you grab my sweater from the couch?” Duke said as he started cleaning his hands then accepted a kitchen towel from Audrey. The print had a 1950s like Woman stating in black font “When life gives you lemons make tequila sunrise and call your girls to bitch.”
“Soup smells good.” Nathan helped Duke into one of his old man sweaters.
“I made bread earlier, too.” Duke smiled, knowing how much Aurdrey loved crusty bread.
“You're my favorite,” Audrey said as she sat on the couch and turned on the TV.
“I know, but don’t make Nathan jealous.” Duke loudly whispered to her.
“Have you been cooking all day?” Nathan asked, seeing their normally clean kitchen almost looking sparkling clean.
“Maybe,” Duke shrugged, he stirred the pots and let them simmer again.
“Duke Crocker you sweet man you.” Audrey winked at him and patted the spot next to her for Duke.
Nathan wanted to joke with them, but all at once he felt tired. He shook his head and sat down in the living room armchair. Nathan sat for a little while, letting Audrey and Duke pick a movie to watch while they waited for the soup to finish.
Maybe a second had passed or not but suddenly Duke’s warm hand was on his shoulder moving him back and forth. His vision moved sideways letting him know he was moving.
“Nate?”
“Hrmm?”
“So out of it?” Duke said to Parker behind him.
“What am I?” Nathan asked, reaching up to push Duke’s hand out of his hair.
“Out of it. Come on, I think the soups are ready, you have been dozing and staring into space.” Duke smiled as he stood back up and rolled up his sleeves on his brown cable knit sweater.
“Parker help! Duke is trying to mother me to death.” Nathan let himself be helped up and to the kitchen.
Audrey looked up from her steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup and smiled. “Let him. Makes him feel loved.” She went immediately back to tearing off chunky pieces of bread.
Duke led Nate to the kitchen and poured him a bowl of chicken noodle soup and cut Nate some bread for his soup. Nate sat down next to Parker and then Duke was there handing him a spoon and giving him a napkin. Duke was attentive and Nathan loved him but he couldn’t kiss him right now. Nate couldn’t do anything more than repay Duke for his kindness later. Duke was always so kind lately.
*---*
Duke cleared the dishes and sent Audrey and Nathan to bed. Audrey was flagging, and she needed rest. Her temperature was stable, but Nathan needed his temperature to break; it might happen tonight if he kept taking Tylenol. The cold medicine was helping either way, and they could sleep tonight and tomorrow.
Duke stored all the soup in Tupperware and put it in the fridge. He also set more flour in the bread-making machine, Nathan was not a bread-making person, yet Duke had revived a sourdough starter in his fridge when he moved in 10 months ago. He started the machine and cleaned the counters. He sipped his ginger tea, calming his stomach, and prepared to sleep without his lovers tonight.
Duke ambled upstairs and pulled off his cable knit sweater and his sweatpants, leaving his undershirt and boxers. He opened the bedclothes with the soft green flannel sheets he had put on hours ago.
Duke inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, doing small breathing exercises. He was so exhausted from his lack of sleep and the day caring for his lovers. Stress had a way of eating away at him and lately the troubles had been a lot, but sickness in their house was a different stress. He was picturing his mind emptying out like a sand timer one moment and then the next he was asleep.
*---*
Nathan startled awake, hearing a noise. He rolled over and reached for the thermometer. The reading said 98 F, which was good. He quickly read Audrey and found it was an excellent 98 F. He laid back, listening for the noise again. Maybe it had come from Audrey? He couldn’t tell if he was congested or not. Maybe she had coughed?
Nathan drifted in and out. He dozed and fell back asleep, still listening. Audrey shocked him, touching a little strip of skin around his hip, and he was ticklish there. She pulled him closer, probably seeking him out in sleep. Parker was the biggest cuddler of all three of them. Duke normally settled in with her all over him so that Nathan wouldn’t get occasional jolts of sensation from her.
Nathan laughed breathy at the tickle. He tried not to squirm as Audrey pressed a little firmer with her chest to his torso. He could feel her neck and hair pressing against his shoulders. Now, though, he heard a cough, deeper and then another. He wiggled out of her arms and tucked his blanket around her. It sounded like Duke was coughing.
He went to the medicine cabinet and saw his usual emergency supplies. He closed that cabinet and went to look through the first aid kit Duke had made in the other cabinet. He saw on the bottom shelf Duke's rescue inhaler bright red. He didn’t know if Duke needed the inhaler, but better safe than sorry. Grabbing it quickly he closed the cabinet and hurried hearing another cough.
When he opened the guest room, he saw Duke sitting up, but he was not struggling just yet like he was when he was a kid. Duke used to have bad nights during Maine winters; he was 12 the last time Nate had been so scared. Nathan sat on the bed and offered the inhaler.
Duke grabbed it and shook it. He tried to breathe out as Nathan helped him to sit up straight untangling the bedclothes for him. Duke took a puff, trying to breathe in. He felt the taste of albuterol and tried to breathe in. He was a little successful, and he succeeded on the second breath.
“That’s it. You can take a deep breath.” Nathan coached, holding Duke up against him. He pushed the pillows out of the way letting Duke rest against his chest. He ached a little being unable to feel him breathing deeply to reassure himself the air was being used by Duke. Duke lifted his right hand and gave an “ok” sign. Nate watched Duke rise and fall with his own breathing leaning against him.
Duke was whistling, tasting the sharp, cold oxygen in the house. He shook his head, gasping a little less as he took another breath. Duke tried to take another breath and got another lungful of air.
“Thanks, Nate.” Duke's voice was quiet as he breathed a little deeper. He capped the inhaler and then put it down. He leaned against Nathan a little heavier, and they sagged against the headboard.
“Come back to bed where we can watch you.” Nathan suggested he was a little worried Duke hadn’t gotten up to get the inhaler earlier.
“I’m alright; it was just all the stress, pollen, cold, and probably the Vicks I put on Audrey.” Duke never put Vicks on Nathan. He hated the stuff; it was just too powerful of a scent for his sensitive nose.
“Okay, fine. Come back to the big bed so you can protect me from Audrey tickling me in her sleep.” Nate kissed Duke’s hair rubbing a hand up and down his partner’s arm.
“You love it when she does that anyway.” Duke leaned into Nathan’s touch, feeling he was almost at an average temperature. Maybe this virus would run its course quickly.
“I do love her little touches, but I was trying to sleep.” Nathan rubbed Duke’s back, sure his back muscles were stiff from trying to breathe for probably an hour.
“I should sleep here. I don’t want to disturb either of you with my coughing, and besides, I don’t want to catch your cold.” Duke sniffed Nathan’s shirt smelling the laundry detergent they all used now. Lilac and honeysuckle something with a flower on the bottle.
“It’s just a cold and seems to be running through Audrey quickly. I think it’s just one of those 24 hour bugs.” Nathan kept rubbing muscles in Duke’s back; he did all those crafts to have better hand control. He watched his hand rising and falling slowly on Duke’s side, the tattoo on his ribs under his fingers dark in the nightlight.
“I know, maybe it’s her immunity. She is old and immune to troubles. Maybe she has an immune system that protects her from common colds too.”
Duke smiled as he reached up and felt Nathan’s temple. Feeling the fever was still a little high but nothing terrible. Duke sat up allowing Nathan to climb out of the bed now that the danger was over.
“I love you Duke.” Nathan kissed Duke’s hair smelling his shampoo and under that the kitchen spices.
He shook his head one last time and then shooed Nathan back to Audrey “I love you too now go back to bed I’m sure Audrey is missing you.” He pulled his pillows back from where Nathan had pushed them aside to help him earlier.
Nathan pulled the blanket from the edge of the bed. He could tuck in his boyfriend even if they couldn’t spend the night together. He pulled the blankets straighter and rescued the inhaler before it fell on the floor. He put it on Duke’s phone on the end table.
“Close the door. I’m sure I’ll come to bed with you tomorrow night when you're both fine, and I will have gotten a decent night's sleep. It’s so cold in here I can see my own breath.” Duke pulled the cover over his shoulder, already missing Nathan’s warm torso and strong arms.
“I won’t force you, but you know I want you right next to Parker and me.” Nathan closed the library and went back to Audrey.
Duke slouched down and tried to tighten his back muscles so they would release tension. It was just the pollen; cold doesn’t usually affect me—just the pollen.
He turned back on the bedroom lamp and bathed the library in warm light. “Just the pollen, nothing else.”
Duke reached over for a dog-eared Ray Bradbury Fahrenheit 451 copy and started to read for a little while. Sometimes, the albuterol made him shaky, and it was impossible to sleep with the adrenaline. Nathan had grounded him through the worst of the adrenaline. Duke looked over the book after a few minutes spotting his rescue inhaler on the side table. Nathan had rescued him tonight.
Nathan had asked Duke and Audrey to move in with him 10 months ago, and suddenly, he was the one who used the cookbooks in Nathan’s kitchen. He had taken over the second medicine cabinet with lotions and over-the-counter meds. He had space in his boyfriend's home with his girlfriend. She had taken over the counters with her make-up. She had made him upgrade his skincare routine, but he had taught them how to maintain curly hair. It was intimate, just like their little library filled with exciting, worn-down books, just like the past with Nathan. It was all balanced now because of Audrey. Nathan was a hot head and quick to judge him but Audrey was a hot head but had a rational mind who didn't see every piece of Crocker past in everything he did.
Duke looked at the inhaler and what it meant for them. Nathan knew about him being a young, determined kid who knew how to stretch a dollar. Nathan knew about his asthma and the scars on his back from when his Dad abused him. Audrey knew about who he was now, but Nathan knew who he was then. Audrey helps Nathan see who he is now. Audrey also helps him see who Nathan is now, not the confused 8-year-old with the busted arm he carried to the hospital.
Duke closed the book, set it on the side table and turned off the lamp. The adrenaline was still around but his hands weren’t shaking. He could probably sleep for two days at this point.
*--*
In the morning, Audrey rose feeling almost completely normal. It was like her whole body was revived. She still felt dead tired, but her fever must have ended. Duke’s pineapple juice probably killed what was living in her body because she felt normal—a little tired but normal. She stretched and pulled her blanket off her. She checked her temperature, and yeah, it was back to normal. She could smell clean air and their sheets.
“Nate?”
“Nathan?”
“Hrmm?” The pile of blankets to her left said.
“Do you feel better?”
“No-” Nathan cleared his throat and tried to get his arms to work on detangling the sheets around him, but with no feeling he wasn’t making much progress.
“No, I still feel pretty tired and sluggish.” Nathan felt Audrey’s hand find his in the tangled blankets.
“I feel great,” Audrey revealed to Nathan a moment later, pulling one last blanket free.
“Must be all that dozing and watching you did yesterday.” Nathan got out.
“Must be,” Audrey kissed Nate and then huddled down with him. She held him in her arms before going back to dozing with him. It was close to 10 when they started stirring again.
“Do you smell that?”
“No, can’t smell anything,” Nate tried to inhale, but his nose was clogged.
“It’s chicken noodle soup. I think Duke is warming up some soup for breakfast.” Audrey kissed Nathan and then handed him a tissue. Letting him clear his sinuses, she pulled on her robe and headed downstairs.
*_*
Duke had already finished plating soup when he heard Audrey start waking up and Nathan blowing his nose. Duke might not have Nate’s sensitive senses, but he did have a good ear.
“Good morning,” Audrey said, descending the last step to their first floor.
“Morning coffee is waiting for you, how are you feeling?”
“Normal, almost ready to start chasing troubles,” Audrey praised, pouring a cup of coffee and accepting a bowl of chicken noodle soup. “You did make more bread, Honey, you didn't have to do that again.”
“I love you too,” Duke handed her a spoon and let her tuck into the soup and coffee.
“I think it's the cold medicine or how I slept last night but I feel better.”
“Well, you sound better and you're talking louder.”
“Must have been a 24-hour thing,” Audrey shrugged.
“Maybe Nate will feel better soon then.”
“I doubt it. I think he pushed himself yesterday. Did you hear he was out in the storm with Stan doing traffic or something?”
“No,” Duke glared at the ceiling as if it would pierce Nathan. He made himself a bowl of cereal and sat next to Audrey at the breakfast bar.
“Don’t worry. I think he will stay home today with me. Go about your day. I can handle Nathan's watch for a day so you can run errands and go check on the Gull, making sure some creature from the deep hasn’t destroyed it the last time you were there.”
“You say that like it’s not a possibility,” Duke smirked at Audrey over his coffee and cheerios.
Duke looked up at the ceiling hearing shuffling and then Nathan’s footsteps on their carpeted staircase. Nathan waved and went straight for the coffee. Duke pushed out the stool next to Audrey letting Nate sit in the middle of their little breakfast bar.
“Morning,” Nate mumbled, his voice sounded painful.
“Morning, want some juice while you wait for the coffee to cool?” Duke rose and rinsed out his cereal bowl already making to do lists and plans for Audrey to take care of Nate.
Nate shrugged, not really making a decision either he would get tea or he would get pineapple juice like Audrey. He was not surprised when he suddenly had a glass of pineapple juice in front of him.
“Drink it and maybe you’ll feel like Audrey tomorrow.”
“Feel sluggish and hoarse but otherwise fine.”
“Yeah, that’s because you can’t feel the muscles aching, but buddy, you're probably fighting muscle stiffness.” Duke sipped his coffee at the kitchen sink across the kitchen.
“Not your buddy,” Nathan complained, swigging the pineapple juice down.
“Nope, you're my lovely boyfriend, who is going to take the day off and keep Audrey from doing paperwork.”
“Duke, I can do paperwork,” Audrey complained at Nathan’s elbow.
“You can watch that show you're always trying to get Nathan to watch today.” Duke cleared her soup bowl. He motioned towards the Tupperware if she wanted more. Audrey shook her head now but understood Duke was asking if she could keep Nathan in bed all day.
“Oh yeah, come on, Nate. We can watch that show with the sheriff and the scientist.” Audrey grabbed Nate’s coffee cup and tested whether it was safe to drink yet.
“Give it another minute.” Audrey put the coffee cup back down and kissed Nate on the cheek. She wandered over to the stairs.
“Come on, Nate, let’s go so Duke can run errands.”
Nathan sighed but then got up and returned to the staircase, following Audrey back up. He heard Duke start the tap to rinse dishes. Only Duke would give Audrey a task more appealing than working on trouble while recovering from an illness.
*_*
“Okay, so Jessica and Lynn are going to probably be your favorites,” Audrey tells Nathan as she arranges the blankets for maximum cuddle exposure.
“Jessica and Lynn?” Nathan asks, sitting at his headboard, allowing Audrey to snuggle to his side so he can feel her weight next to him.
“Jessica is a crafting queen and Lynn has a thing for bad boys with a heart of gold, like a certain someone I know.” Parker leans into Nathan conspiring with him as she hits play on a drama. Audrey has already got Duke hooked on this vampire show. As soon as Nathan is hooked, she can eventually get Nathan to watch the movie with them.
“I have no idea what you're talking about.”
“Her with the dark hair and green eyes, Lynn.” Audrey points out the woman who will eventually marry a Prince of Darkness who looks suspiciously like their boyfriend, Duke.
“Did that man just eat Jessica?”
“No, keep watching.” Audrey flicks her hair over her shoulder and presses her head to his shoulder without crushing her hair. She runs a hand under Nathan’s shirt and rubs his side. Intimacy was just what Duke wanted so Nathan would stay in bed.
*___*
Washing dishes is soothing on any ship. There is usually a galley, and it's typically spotless if the boat is moving. There is peace in the meditative washing of a dish. Duke tries to concentrate on clearing his mind as he makes a mental list of errands he will need to run today, and Audrey is almost ready to get back to work. Nathan will not be far behind her, regardless of his health status; he won’t let her face the troubles alone.
I need to buy curry groceries and pick up a nebulizer script from the Rouge in case I get the flu. I also need to call Dwight about Audrey and Nathan being out again today. I need to call Tracy and Sheila about payroll and see if she can have Derrick cover the bar tonight. What else? I may need more ginger tea. Otherwise, I probably won’t need to stop by the pharmacy.
Duke pulled a pen and a small sticky notepad from the kitchen junk drawer. He jotted down the to-do list and started with the phone calls.
“Hey Dwight, yeah, they’re still sick. Okay, I’ll let them know. Yeah, I’ll see that they're back to themselves soon. No, I think Audrey is better, but okay, I’ll let you know if--okay, sick leave. No, I don’t envy you on paperwork. Okay, talk soon.” Duke hung up on Dwight and crossed out and called Dwight on his sticky note.
The call to Tracy and Nora went similarly. Derrick could cover for Duke, and he was glad for the extra shifts because Duke already knew he was saving up for concert tickets for his siblings to see a tour. It was easy enough to cross the payroll and shift change and The Grey Gull off the list.
Duke looked out the window to see a mild day. He looked at the weather station dials on the wall. Nathan’s parents had bought it back in the 1970s, and it still worked now. Nathan swore it was more accurate than the weather station news. Duke wasn’t one hundred percent convinced. The dials said it was a mild day planned, but he looked out the kitchen window to see gray skies looking to storm.
Pocketing his wallet, keys, phone, and sticky note, he gathered his slickers in the mud room. The yellow jacket still had pollen on it. Pausing, he pulled on one of his windbreakers. He did not want a repeat of last night while on the road. He pulled on gloves and headed out to his Land Rover.
“Well, it’s off to the Rouge and then groceries, old girl.” Duke started the Land Rover and backed out of the driveway, heading for the Rouge. He began to see the road damage, and a down tree had already swept to the side here and there on his way. He got to an intersection closer to town with the electric company fixing a light most people didn’t use. The good news about the time almost exploding weekly is the city has become more efficient at fixing things. He pulled into the marina parking lot and headed to his slip.
Duke walked onto his ship and slowly made his way to his bedroom. He crouched in the back of his closet, looking for the nebulizer and the albuterol he had used last year when he had pneumonia after a troubled time. He regretted the fight with Nathan now, but he was glad he had Audrey to talk to him while he did treatments.
He grabbed a bag and stored the nebulizer and the fluid in the same bag. Duke disappeared into his bathroom, looking for the stupid spirometer from the hospital with which he had been sent home a year ago. He remembers people who had been affected by the Treons family curse dying. The Treons were germaphobes. Trisha Treon had recently learned she had lupus. The trouble had sent her disorder into remission, but everyone she met had their health problems into overdrive, almost like she was swapping other’s health for her disease. Trisha had to act immunocompromised and Audrey had to talk her down from hypochondriac hell. He was lucky because only one other person survived the curse. Dania Eckles' poor dear had fibromyalgia flares for a month.
Duke came back to his bedroom with the spirometer and packed that as well. He looked in his own kitchen for a small tincture vial from California. Running his hand over the small vial from a fellow sailor, he took a small drop of gum plant under his tongue. He waited for the oil to heat up under his tongue and then swallowed it.
“Thanks, Crissi,” Duke smiled and put that small vial into the bag.
Duke hefted the bag on his shoulder and exited the port door momentarily. He looked at the sky, seeing that the gray clouds had almost turned black. Rain after I get back, please.
Duke opened the Land Rover door and put the bag on the passenger floorboard. He then turned out of the parking lot and headed to the big-box store part of town. Safeway bloomed out of the fog. He parked and crossed out the Cape Rouge Nebulizer. Duke grabbed his reusable bags and a cart from the front of the store.
Mouthwash for Audrey, Lubiderm, carrots, apple juice, 10 pounds of rice, curry paste, goldfish crackers for Audrey, Oreos for Nathan and Audrey, cranberry trail mix, and chicken breasts. Don’t get anything else. Nothing else. Mouthwash for Audrey, lubiderm, carrots, apple juice, 10 pounds of rice, curry paste, goldfish crackers for Audrey, Oreos for Nathan, cranberry trail mix, and chicken breasts. Don’t get anything else. Nothing else.
Duke was on the third chant of his list when he was already distracted by a coupon for seaweed snacks. He tossed the coupon into the cart, knowing he would probably not get Nathan to eat it but could probably get Audry to try it if he made sushi again.
“Rice, curry paste, and chicken.” Duke softly reminded himself, going back to finishing his list.
Goldfish crackers for Audrey, Oreos for Nathan and Audrey, cranberry trail mix, and chicken breasts. Maybe Ritz? No, don’t get anything else. But ritze is better than regular saltines, I just made bread. No Ritz I made bread. Check out Check out. Don’t need anything else, maybe more mucinex, no wait. Check check out. Mucinex works on Audrey. Okay Mucinex and then home.
“Are the oreos still on sale?” Duke finished cleaning out his basket and handed over three coupons. He sniffled and pumped hand sanitizer into his hands hoping he wasn’t getting Audrey's cold.
“Yeah still buy one get one free so the double stuff and the lemon oreos will work for this coupon.” Berry held up the three coupons for scanning and waited for this customer to stop sniffling long enough to pay.
“Thanks,” Duke swiped his card and let the grocery store clerk fill the bags. Duke tried to clear his throat of congestion and started pushing the trolley out to his car.
*___*
“Duke, did you get lemon oreos for little old me?” Audrey laughed as she helped put away groceries with Duke. Nate was passed out on mucinex upstairs.
“Yes dear,” Duke cleared his throat trying to shift the congested feeling in his lungs and tried to move the bands around his ribs. He rubbed his chest and tried to pull the muscles back into order he would probably have to do a breathing treatment tonight.
“You good Duke,” Audrey could tell something was up. Duke was probably getting sick and just didn’t want to admit that yet. Or his normal asthma was getting to him in the weather change. She made a plan to text Nathan later to conspire to get their man taken care of and up and running again.
“Hrmm, just feel phlegmy I need coffee and to probably take a nap.” Duke was feeling run down he had been feeling like this all week but today it felt like the sickness going around was getting to him. He pulled the bag from the Cape Rouge into his arms and started setting up the nebulizer and a breathing treatment.
“I’ll make you some tea and we can watch an episode of the buddy show you like.” Audrey finished putting on the kettle and folded the last reusable bag.
Audrey walked to the tv, put on the show and brought some coffee for Duke. She kissed his temple and pulled out the tupperware Nathan had told her about with the makings for curry from the freezer setting it to thaw for Nathan to cook later tonight.
Audrey set on the couch and let Duke lean into her open arms. She rubbed his shoulders and felt his tense back muscles. “Want me to grab Nathan, he wants to make you curry tonight. I got him to take a nap if he promised he could make you curry later.”
Duke couldn’t respond with the loud machine in his mouth but he could shake his head yes or no. “No.” Duke wanted to say later but that isn’t really a response he could do while he breathed in the medication.
“Okay later he can do it later.” Audrey scritched her nails through Duke's hair and let him lean on her. She was feeling so much better but her boys where starting to feel pretty terrible. Duke was blatantly waving a flag in her face that he was feeling terrible.
“So Danny and Trevor are stuck in a time loop in this episode huh? You remember when I went into a time loop and you had to make pancakes?”
“Yes,” Duke nodded Danny and Trevor getting stuck in a timeloop that got them into wacky shenanigans was better than Audrey getting stuck in a timeloop.
“You're like a big cat,” Nate said from the stairs, he was concerned Duke was doing a nebulizer treatment but he was also happy to see after his nap that Audrey had done as promised set the curry ingredients to thaw and she was getting Duke to sitdown.
“No,” Duke shook his head. He had only momentarily caught off guard hearing Nate’s sickly ground down voice. Nate looked a little better, definitely a 24 hour flu for both of his lovers.
“Don’t worry, I like big cats.” Nate kissed Duke’s head and then sat next to Audrey waiting for Duke to finish the treatment.
“Danny and Trevor got stuck in a timeloop.” Audrey says explaining the episode they are on, Duke's favorite buddy shows one cop and one criminal who get into magical adventures through random cursed objects or something.
“Not as bad as our timeloop at least theirs was funny,” Audrey pointed out. She didn’t watch the show as religiously as Duke but she knew this was his one show. Everything else he liked was a book or music.
Audrey swept her hands through Duke’s hair until the machine finished delivering medicine to Duke. Nate sat next to him and occasionally brushed his hands on Duke’s legs and eventually holding Duke’s legs in his lap. Duke was like a big cat soaking in the attention from his lovers enjoying the comfort while he did a breathing treatment. He could admit the medicine helped a ton with shifting the bands around his lungs. Which was either great or bad he couldn’t tell at the moment.
“I’m going to start on curry,” Nate kissed Duke’s temple wishing he could tell if he was warm or cold.
Duke tuned in out of the show leaning more and more on Audrey until she was holding Duke’s head in her lap. She was about to just fall asleep herself she was so relaxed with Duke in her arms, Nathan cooking in the kitchen and the show was a re-run of the old good cop good crook does bad things for a good reason.
“Dinner is almost done,” Nathan says to Audrey’s hair one minute she was dozing and now she’s waking up to his lips in her hair.
“Okay let’s get Duke fed and then we should all sleep I think I’ll head back to work tomorrow make sure the town doesn’t go away because someone’s cat died.
“I believe in you Parker but good luck I’ll stay with Duke,” Nate helped Duke’s dead weight to a sitting position, he started snoring a little congested but nothing terrible.
“Yeah wishing for a Trouble free week is impossible in this town.”
“I thought you were out.” Nate complained he just lifted dead weight he was so sure.
“I was but someone shifted me up.”
“Want curry?”
“Oh yes and my bed with my lovers.” Duke would have asked for a piggy back ride to the table if it meant he could get curry quicker and sleep even quicker.
Nate didn’t answer, he just leaned down and helped steady Duke when he was a little dizzy. Nate hummed into Duke’s curls and stepped closer; he couldn't feel the fever or the way heat radiated from Duke but he could guess.
“What kind of curry did you end up making?”
“Come here and you’ll see.” Nathan held Duke against his waist and walked with him to the kitchen table. He pulled the chair out with his feet no easy task when he couldn’t feel them but he knew this table and knew these chairs.
“I made the mini potatoes just soft and one apple to sweeten the whole pot.” Nathan brought over some naan bread and the curry for Audrey and Duke.
“You remembered my yellow curry Nate.” Duke was touched. Nate was always so sweet with gestures, the big sap.
“I wrote it down after you showed me.” Nate held out a spoon and Duke took it digging into the sweet but spicy potato. He wanted to suck Nathan off just for how perfect the chicken and potatoes tasted in his mouth.
“You made this pancake bland loving food?” Audrey gasped after she had her first bite. “I might have to marry you both just so my taste buds don’t have to live without good food again.”
“Thanks Parker but you know I can cook.”
“I know you can make a lasagna this is curry something hard to balance sweet and savory.” Duke wanted to savor this but he was flagging he let Audrey and Nate bicker about hiding his cooking skills.
The End.