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Date Posted: 15:50:23 01/02/03 Thu
Author: CCCook
Subject: Re: Studs, Texas -book two- Still NOT at the hospital
In reply to: dqfan 's message, "Re: Studs, Texas -book two- Still at the Hospital" on 08:40:51 01/02/03 Thu

After Lucy called the hotel doctor, she was informed that they'd have to wait quite awhile before the doctor would be able to stop by.

"If you like, we can go to hospital instead of waiting, Christopher!" Lucy said.

"I am not going to any bloody hospital, Lucy! Besides, I doubt they'd be able to do much of anything...if it's not food poisoning, that is!"

"It's NOT!" Tony and Lucy said in irritated unison.

By this time, Chris had started to show signs of a cold, which tended not to indicate bad food, but he couldn't resist taking another shot at Tony.

"Fine. Then I'm not going. You can send a doctor here to see me, if you'd like."

Lucy got back on the phone and told the doctor they could wait and to come on over.

*****************

A bit later, Tony and Chris, were mercifully leaving each other alone. This had as much to do with Lucy's blowup as it did with the fact that Christopher, quite thirsty by now, and trying not to become too much more dehydrated, had tried drinking a glass of water to disastrous results.


As soon as he was able, he changed into pyjamas and a bathrobe before climbing into bed again. He still felt dreadfully tired, and to his dismay, he felt like he was catching a terrible head cold. He already felt bad enough without the sneezing, which seemed to subside once he blew his nose.

He was almost asleep again when the doctor finally came to the door.

"Wake up, Chris! The doctor's here!" Lucy called, as she shook him roughly. He started violently. "Don't do that!" he groaned, as Tony let the doctor in.

**************

"Well...although it's possible that you may have contracted food poisoning somewhere along the way, with all that sneezing, I'd say it's more likely that you're suffering from a virus."

The doctor began her quick diagnosis, based on her examination.

"Funny, we just had a bad virus going around that had pretty much run its course already. You're the first case we've had in at least a couple of weeks."

"Obviously, I didn't catch it here." Chris responded impatiently. "I told you it started almost as soon as I got on the plane in London - right after takeoff...ah-choo!"

"Bless you. As for you, Mr. and Mrs. Baker, it may already be too late to prevent your catching this..."

"Oh, how wonderful. Thanks, Chris!" Tony muttered under his breath as Lucy elbowed him hard, and Chris frowned at him, and blew his nose again.

"I'd advise washing your hands frequently, and some extra vitamin C might help!"

"Already being done, doctor!" Lucy said, smiling.

It was true, Lucy had been almost fanatical about washing her hands after the many times she'd fussed over her brother, and she'd long since broken out the vitamin C chewables. She did that while they were still on the plane.

"Good. Now, Mr. Davenport, while there's really not much I can do about the virus - it should run its course anywhere from a couple days to a week - I can give you something for the nausea, so that you can take something for the pain and fever - aspirin, acetominophen, ibuprofen, any of those will do."

"Very well. Thank you doctor." Chris said, suddenly feeling more exhausted than ever. He really hoped the anti-nausea medicine would work. Preferably immediately. He closed his eyes involuntarily as he began to drift.

"Mr. Davenport? One more thing!"

Chris opened his eyes slowly. "Yes?"

"You're Christopher Davenport...from England, right? The one who wrote and illustrated 'Travelling Amanda'?"

"Yes..." Chris replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh! Well...I thought I recognized you from the picture on the book cover...my little girl - I have a six year old - I'm sorry! This is so inappropriate, but I doubt I'll have another chance. She absolutely loves that book! Makes me read it to her every night! The thing is, I really like it too! Your work is beautiful, both the pictures and the words! I can't believe you don't have any children...you still don't do you? That's what it said in the bio..."

"Yes, the biography is fairly accurate as I recall. The publisher just sort of stuck that in...I approved it, but had little else to do with it."

"Oh...I just wish I had it with me...would you mind if I came back tomorrow and had you sign it...it would mean so much...if it wouldn't be too much trouble?"

"Well..."

"I am so sorry to ask you this, Mr. Davenport. I really don't want to take advantage, but I just never thought..."

"No, it's fine, really!" Chris smiled genuinely. "But you needn't wait till tomorrow. Lucy, will you bring me my bag, please?"

Lucy brought the fairly large tote bag that had been Christopher's carry on, and set it on the bed next to him. He reached in and got a copy of Travelling Amanda, as well as a copy of its follow-up, Travelling Amanda Crosses The Sea, already in UK bookstores, to be released in the US next week.

Tony's eyes went wide. "Unbelievable!" he murmured disparagingly at the sheer ego that must have possessed Christopher to be so prepared.

"Perhaps I should write a book!" he mused, a bit enviously.

"Whom shall I make these out to?"

Christopher asked, as he took out his gold sharpie. In spite of his illness, he was positively beaming as the doctor told him her daughter's name.

"I hope you'll disinfect it before you give it to her!"

"Thank you so much!" she gushed. "Jamie will be so happy! Don't worry, by the time it gets home it will be virus-free, and I'll be sure to tell her what a nice man you are!"

"Well, thank you." Christopher blushed. "But it's obvious that she has a very nice mother to think of her like this!"

Then it was the doctor's turn to blush.

"Well...thank you for your time, Mr. Davenport, and for the books! Here are your meds, and an instruction sheet that outlines exactly what I told you. If you have any more trouble, don't hesitate to call!"

"Thank you, doctor. You've made me feel quite a bit better already!"

Chris continued smiling as the doctor left happily. Tony shook his head as he closed the door and stage-whispered to Lucy.

"Well, that's it then. It's a damn good thing we'll be getting our own room tomorrow, cause there'll be no living with him now!"

*************

Tony sat up in bed after Lucy had finally gone to sleep. He smiled as he watched her in the dim light. She was now and always had been the sweetest, most beautiful thing in his life, and he felt lucky to have her. Damn, he couldn't wait for tomorrow night when they'd have a room to themselves.

"Lucy?" he said, testing. "Would you mind terribly if I turned on the telly? The local news should be repeating by now."

He turned it on. Lucy went on sleeping.

"Ha!" Tony cried...as quietly as possible. He gradually turned up the volume.

"Lucy?" he whispered. "I'm turning up the sound a little...do you mind?"

It was clear that Lucy was sound asleep, and it wouldn't really matter how loud he turned it up...within reason of course. Tony turned it up so he could almost hear. Good, good. He turned it up a little more. Still not very loudly, but at least Tony wouldn't have to read lips. He glanced over at the other bed as he turned the volume up one more notch.

"This isn't bothering you, is it Chris?" Tony continued to whisper.

No way would Chris be waking up any time soon. Sheer exhaustion combined with the mildly sedating effects of the medications he'd taken would see to that. Even so, at the sound of his name, Chris stirred, and turned to face Tony, but he simply sighed and lay still again. Tony breathed an exaggerated sigh of relief himself, then settled back to watch, quite pleased that he'd finally gotten his way.

Unfortunately, the jet lag combined with the rigors of the day had taken its toll, and within a minute, Tony was sound asleep as well.

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