Tim grabbed the basket from Ethan when he returned. “I’ll make the bed. You’re supposed to be resting.” He disappeared into the guest room and changed the bed. “You want me to wash these right away?” He asked Ethan, regarding the bedding he had just stripped off the bed.
“No. Just throw it in my room.” And Tim noticed his voice was hoarser than it had been that morning, if that was possible. “I’ll get it when I do laundry.” He coughed harshly into his sleeve. Tim put the laundry in his room and returned with Ethan’s water bottle, something that had been a constant fixture with Ethan.
“You forgot this.” He handed Ethan the water.
“Thanks.” Ethan’s voice sounded painful, and he took a long drink.
“And you sound like shit.” He continued. “You sounded better this morning.”
Ethan sighed. “My mom called. It was a long call.” He left off the fact that it didn’t go well. “It’ll come back.” He took another drink of water. “Do you want to get the cough drops from my room please? I think Dustin could use them too.”
Tim nodded, disappearing again into Ethan’s room and grabbed the cough drops of Ethan’s nightstand. He doled them out, sat down on the couch next to Dustin, then popped right back up again. “Blankets. Who wants a blanket? Ethan, did you wash the one that was out here? I don’t see it.”
Ethan shook his head, raising his wrist up to his nose to catch another sneeze. “HahChoo! I put it in with my dirty laundry. I didn’t want Dustin to use it. There’s more blankets in the closet.”
Tim returned with two blankets. He handed one to Dustin, who took it eagerly, wrapping his tall frame in it.
He held Ethan’s out, and Ethan shook his head. “Still warm.”
Tim bent down and pressed his lips to Ethan’s temple. “Still got that fever. How bad?”
“Still hovering just below 100.” Ethan sighed.
“You’re always tough to break when you have a fever.” Dustin reminded him. He looked at Tim. “Fortunately, he doesn’t jump above 99 that often.” Back to Ethan. “Just remember, pneumonia, ear infection…you’re pretty sick.” He coughed several times.
“So’re you.” Ethan pointed out when he finished. “I don’t know when I’ve seen you get this sick this fast.”
“Probably the year before I got m-mahhhriehhd…HahKishoo-kishoo-kishoo-kshoo-kshoo-kshoo-shoo-shoo…HahKishoo……HahKishoo-Kishoo-kshoo-kshoo-Kshoo-kshoo-shoo-shoo-shoo…HahKishoo.” He paused and coughed roughly into his damp sleeve.
“God bl-“
“M-more…” Dustin managed to gasp, burying his face in his elbow again. “HahKishoo-kishoo-kishoo-kishoo-kshoo-kshoo-shoo-shoo-shoo-shoo…HahKishoo”
Tim and Ethan exchanged concerned glances, Ethan having been through this before with Dustin and Tim with his own asthma. Dustin’s sneezes were starting to have a tight, harsh, sound, as if he was having to force them out.
“HahKishoo-kishoo-kshoo-Kshoo-shoo-shoo-shoo-shoo-shoo-shoo-shoo…HahKishoo.” Dustin straightened up, looking dazed, reached for a handful of tissues and attempted to take a deep breath to blow his nose.
They all heard the wheezing. “Inhaler.” Ethan told him.
Dustin shook his head, attempting another deep breath, being rewarded with a coughing spell. He looked up and his eyes met Tim’s as he attempted a slow shallow breath.
“I think nebulizer.” Tim interjected. “But try the inhaler while we get it set up.” He directed. “It’s with your stuff?”
At Dustin’s nod, Ethan headed towards the bedroom. “I know what I’m looking for.” He reassured Tim.
He returned, seconds later, setting the machine on the coffee table, setting it up and plugging it in. Tim poured the vial into the cup and handed it to Dustin who was sitting there, taking shallow breaths, wheezing audible to all.
He took a deep breath of the mist and immediately coughed. But tried again, staying focused on breathing in the medication that would open up his airway. Then his phone rang.
“Beth.” He wheezed. “Ethan, can you?” He handed over the phone.
Tim and Dustin listened as Ethan reassured Beth that Dustin was ok, well, mostly ok, that Tim and Ethan, ok, mostly Tim were capable of taking care of him. Dustin breathed in the nebulizer mist in the background and coughed, although the coughing was ceasing. Not reassured, Beth made Ethan promise to have Dustin call her later, and ordered Ethan to rest.
“You gotta call her when you’re done.” Ethan set the phone next to the tissues, taking one. He fiddled with it for a couple seconds, then “Hatchoo!” His head pitched forward into the tissue.
Tim frowned, noticing that Ethan’s sneeze sounded harsher than this morning. “Bless you.” He fixed his gaze on Ethan.
Ethan, for his part, pretended not to notice, focusing his attention on Dustin who was halfway through his breathing treatment and starting to breathe easier. His eyes met Dustin’s, and they pleaded with him not to give details of his typical conversations with his mom.
“Long chat with mom.” Ethan managed casually. “I did most of the talking.”
Coughing from Dustin drew their attention back to him. “‘M fine.” Dustin pulled the pipe away to awkwardly blow his nose one handedly.
“Lunch!” Ethan exclaimed, hopefully distracting Tim. “I’ll make lunch while Dustin finishes up. I need to eat.” He all but ran into the kitchen to start making sandwiches.
Tim shot Dustin a confused look. Dustin just shrugged, taking another deep breath as the machine started to make the tell tale noise it was getting low on the liquid, and Dustin’s neb treatment was nearly over. A few minutes later, smoke had stopped coming from the pipe and Dustin was breathing easier,
“Better?”
Dustin nodded, disassembling the machine.
Tim took a couple of the pieces. “I’ll rinse these for you.” He walked into the kitchen where Ethan was reheating a pot of soup. Tim rinsed the nebulizer cup and pieces as Ethan stifled a cough into his sleeve. Tim set the pieces on a paper towel. “I’ll take over.” He told Ethan, rubbing his back. “Go get your blood sugar.”
Ethan nodded. “How’s Dustin doing?”
“He’s ok. Wanna let him know we’re ready to eat?” He took the pot off the stove and began dishing up the chicken soup.
Only Tim had an appetite for lunch; Dustin managed his soup and picked at his sandwich while Ethan actually ate half a sandwich and finished his soup, better than he’d done for awhile. He packaged up the other half of his sandwich for his snack later, and looked at Tim and Dustin.
“Naps.” Ordered Tim. “Both of you. Ethan shot him a look. “Yes, you. You sound worse. I don’t want you relapsing.” He softened. “If you can get comfortable in the big chair in the living room, then you guys can nap in there; I’ll bring in a chair from in here, and we can find a movie.
Dustin laughed and coughed. “Ethan sleeps in that chair all the time. And I can try to leave you the end of the couch. A nap sounds fantastic.” He backed Tim up.
Ethan made a face as Tim herded them to the living room and tucked them in with boxes of tissues.
“I have to call Beth.” Dustin remembered once they were all settled in with pillows, blankets, tissues and a movie. He grabbed his phone off the coffee table and dialed. “I’m sorry, baby, I forgot.” He said when she answered. “Ethan brought me in for lunch, and then Tim insisted on naps, and then I remembered.”… “I’m ok. Sneezed too much at once, I guess. Round of four, I almost never do that.”…”Asthmatic bronchitis plus the cold from hell plus my regular allergies.”…I know. How are you and AdaLyn?”…” She did that last time we were there too; think it’s the cats and dog?”…”I was her age…we’ll deal with it next week, as long as she’s ok right now. Sehehhcond…HahKishoo-kishoo-kishoo-Kishoo-kshoo-kshoo-shoo-shoo-shoo-shoo…HahKishoo. Nughh…excuse me.”…Yeah, I am…Tim did. Ethan was doped up on codeine. They both decided I should stay here overnight while I was being seen. I’m gonna need to get picked up when you get back probably though…Around 7. Ok.”…”I’ll see you tomorrow. Love you.” He hung up his phone and snuggled back down on his pillow, yawning.
“They didn’t get sick, did they?” Ethan coughed.
Dustin shook his head. “They’re ok.” He cleared his throat. “Beth can pick me up tomorrow evening around 7, if that’s ok.”
Ethan nodded. “Ok. I mean, where am I going right now?”
“I work until around 7.” Tim explained. “I need to go home after that and check on my cat, at least.” He looked at Ethan. “I’ll leave for work about 10 tomorrow.”
Ethan nodded. “Don’t let me fall back to sleep before you leave. I have to call and make a-“. He paused for a second. “Atchoo! A doctor appointment.” He blew his nose and coughed for several long seconds before taking a sip of water.
“Bless you.” Dustin’s congestion was getting the better of him, and he propped himself up against the arm of the couch as he looked over at Ethan. He shifted on the couch.
Tim stood up. “I’m gonna grab a chair. You need to be able to stretch out and be comfortable.” Tim returned with a kitchen chair and sat between the two.
Dustin yawned and pulled the blanket up over his shoulder.
Ethan tucked his legs under him in the chair, resting his head on the pillow, focusing on Tim. “Gonna study while we sleep?” He asked, voice still hoarse.
“That’s my plan.”
“I won’t be awake long.” Dustin yawned again. “I’m exhausted all of a sudden.”
“I’m not.” Ethan sniffled.
“Try.” Tim urged. “You sound like shit. Do you need more cough syrup?”
Ethan shook his head. “I’m ok. Really. Just talked too much.” He insisted.
“HahKishoo-kishoo-kishoo-kshoo-kshoo-shoo-shoo-shoo…HahKishoo!”
A well timed sneeze from Dustin, at least in Ethan’s opinion, kept Tim from asking questions. “Bless you.” Ethan chirped before hastily cupping his hands over his nose. “Hahshoo! Ugh…that one was contagious.”
Tim shot him an amused look. “That’s ridiculous. You can’t cahahh…ahhshoo…” He brought his arm up to block the sneeze. “Heyyahhshoo!” Came the second one. “Can’t catch sneezes.” He finished lamely.
“Bless you.” Ethan shot him a worried glance, knowing that the frequency of Tim’s sneezes was next to none. “You ok?” The unspoken question if “I didn’t get you sick again?” Hung in the air.
“Fine.” Tim laughed. “Maybe sneezes are contagious. Never had that happen before.” He laughed again.
“Happens to us all the time.” Dustin explained. “Really annoying, actually.”
“It’s not that bad. Kind of funny when it happens, actually.”
“Not when you sneeze 7 or 8 times to your 1.” Dustin snapped, glaring at Ethan.
Tim looked surprised by Dustin’s sudden change in personality, but Ethan took it in stride. “Take your nap, Dustin.”
“I would if I could breathe. I’m too stuffed up. In case you couldn’t tell by listening.” Dustin’s tone was harsh, and followed by several long, loud, futile nose blows.
“Can you take more Sudafed?”
“Not for an hour.” Dustin snapped again.
“Tea? The steam sometimes clears your sinuses.”
Dustin shook his head, glaring.
“I think you left some vapor rub here the last time I had a sinus infection. Want that? Tim, can you go check the medicine cabinet?”
“Don’t want it.” Dustin said, petulantly.
“Then try to sleep sitting up.” Dustin rolled his eyes; Ethan sighed, getting up. He returned with a pillow, sticking it in a clean pillow case. “Here, try this. You’re gonna want the third pillow tonight anyway.”
Sighing, Dustin took it. “I’ll try it.” He grumbled. He propped himself up on the pillows, coughing.
“Let me know if you need the other one from your room.” Ethan informed him.
“Why didn’t you just get it in the first place?” Dustin grouched.
Ethan fixed him with a look Tim had never seen before and made a note he didn’t want to be in the receiving end of. The look lasted about 2 seconds before Ethan doubled over with a rough sneeze. “Hatshoo!”
“Bless you. Do you want me to get the other pillow?” Tim offered.
“That would be great.” Ethan rasped, fumbling with a tissue and blowing his nose.
Tim returned with the pillow, handing it to Dustin. “Thanks.” He mumbled sullenly, placing it under his head with the other two.
“Any better?” Tim asked.
“Dustin sniffled. “Maybe.” He admitted. “Too soon to tell.” He yawned.
“Well, try and rest.” Tim told him, returning to his spot between Dustin and Ethan. “You need anything?” He asked Ethan.
Ethan shook his head. “I’m good.”
Tim noticed how painful his voice sounded after the interchange with Dustin…well, it had sounded painful before that, but…. “Your voice sounds like it really hurts. How about some tea with just the tiniest bit of honey?”
Ethan smiled. “Sure.” He coughed. “Just a little bit.” He reminded Tim.
Tim nodded. “I think I’ve got it down how you make your tea after this weekend.” He grinned. “I’ll be back in a couple minutes.” He bent down and brushed Ethan’s usually perfect hair out of his eyes; Ethan hadn’t bothered with doing his hair that weekend. “With tea and a thermometer. Dustin, do you need anything?”
Dustin shook his head. “I’m ok.” He said softly. “Just gonna try to sleep.”
Tim returned a few minutes later to find Dustin with his eyes closed, trying to sleep and Ethan staring blankly at the TV. He swiped the thermometer across Ethan’s forehead as he handed him the tea. “99.5. Holding steady.” He commented.
“Yeah.” Ethan took a sip of the tea. “This feels good.” He smiled as Tim’s phone rang.
“Mom.” Tim looked at his phone. “I’ll take this in the kitchen. You try to sleep.” Tim instructed him, disappearing into the other room.
Ethan sipped his tea as he overheard Tim laughing and talking with his mom. He snuggled into the chair, sighing.
20 minutes later, Tim was back. “Sorry. I forgot she’d be calling. We always talk on Sunday afternoons. How was the tea?”
“Good. Thanks for making it.” Ethan said softly, looking away.
“E? You ok?”
Ethan nodded. “F-fine.” He scrubbed fiercely at his nose, delaying the inevitable for a few seconds. “I’m fine.” He said, as his head dipped down a second later. “HehAHCHoo!”
Tim startled at the sound, and the previously snoring Dustin’s eyes popped open.
Dustin spoke before Tim could offer a bless you. “Dammit Ethan!” He growled. “Why do you always have to be so loud?” He snapped.
Ethan opened his mouth to respond, but Dustin continued. “You always do this!” He yelled as much as his voice would allow. “Every time I’m sick, the minute I fall asleep, you sneeze as loud as you can and wake me up! Every. Single. Time.”
Ethan opened his mouth to protest and coughed instead. A few seconds and a drink of water later, he was staring Dustin down. “You know that’s not true.” He responded in a cold, steely, though raspy tone. “You know I try to keep them quiet. You know that’s not easy. And you know know the more I try, the greater the chance a really loud one gets through.” He sniffled and blew his nose. “We’ve been through this every time you’ve gotten sick for over 20 years. When is it going to sink in?”
“When you learn to be considerate.” Came Dustin’s congested retort, followed by several deep coughs.
Ethan sighed. “I I try. What more can I do? You know I can’t stop them, stifle them or hold them back for more than a second or to. Definitely not long enough to get very far away. You’re being unreasonable. You don’t feel well, and you’re being unreasonable.” Again, he fixed Dustin with a steel eyed glare, this time to less effect.
“I am not.” Dustin snapped.
“Yes, you are.” Tim broke in. “Ethan’s been sneezing quieter since you got here. As someone who sneezes just as loud as he does, I don’t know how he’s doing it. One slipped through. Give him a break; he’s trying.” He paused for Dustin to cough and take a drink of water. “I know you’re fighting to breathe, and that’s hard. And it makes everything seem a thousand times worse. But, really, he’s not doing this to torment you.”
Dustin sat there, quiet, looking at the floor. “Sorry.” He finally mumbled.
“It’s ok.” Ethan reassured him, and Tim echoed his sentiments. “I know you’re not used to being knocked down like this, especially not this quickly.”
Dustin nodded, raising a hand to his face. “HahKishoo-kishoo-kishoo-kshoo-kshoo-Kshoo-shoo-shoo…HahKishoo.”
“Bless you.” Tim nudged the tissues closer to Dustin, and Ethan waited while Dustin blew his nose.
“It’s also gotta be hard to have Beth and Ada out of town while you’re sick and not be in your own bed.” Ethan continued.
“And I know it typically sucks to be fighting to breathe and not be in your own bed.” Tim chipped in.
“But, you’re not going to do this. You can be grouchy, but you are not going to jump on me for everything you don’t like. And not on Tim either. Understood?”
Dustin took a deep breath, which resulted in twenty seconds of coughing. “Yeah.” He managed, chastised, when he had caught his breath again.
“I know it’s been, what 4, 5 years since you were this sick; you’re used to colds that just slow you down…not knock you on your ass. Even if you do pick up everything the kid brings home from daycare…”
“She never brings home anything this bad.” Dustin wheezed.
“Exactly. This probably came from work where who knows what you were exposed to. But, I’ve told you before, and I’ll keep telling you, being sick doesn’t mean you can be an ass.” He pressed his small crumpled wad of tissues to his nose. “Atchoo!”
“Bless you.” Tim looked at his watch. “I think you could have some more cold medicine now.” He stood up, and headed in the direction of the bathroom, returning a few minutes later with the aforementioned cold medicine, handing it to Ethan.
Ethan finished blowing his nose, then took the pills from Tim and swallowed them. “Thanks.” He sniffed, in his hoarse, stuffy voice.
Tim gave him a soft, sympathetic look, then turned to Dustin. “You need anything?”
Dustin shook his head. “I’m alright. Well, not alright, but you know what I mean.” He pulled his inhaler out of his pocket, shook it then set it down. “Not now.” He muttered, grabbing for a tissue. “HahKishoo-kishoo-kishoo-kishoo-kshoo-kshoo-shoo-shoo-shoo-shoo-shoo…HahKishoo.” He gave his nose a quick blow to clear it, then leaned against the couch gasping to catch his breath.
“Bless you.” Tim handed him a few more tissues. “You ok?”
Dustin nodded, having caught his breath. “Just time for this.” He said, turning away and using the inhaler. “I’m just gonna go back to sleep.” He said, yawning; he curled back up against his pillows and pulled the blanket around him, tucking as much of himself under the throw as he comfortably could.
Tim looked over at Ethan. “You. Sleep.” He attempted to order.
Ethan shook his head. “Just not tired. Slept out.” He explained in a matter of fact tone.
Tim laughed, tucking a leg under him on his wooden chair. “How am I supposed to study if you don’t sleep?”
Ethan shrugged. “I could help you.” He coughed.
“What do you know about taxes?”
“I pay them.”
Tim laughed. “Oh? And who does your forms?”
“I’ll have you know, Timothy Fitzpatrick, that I do my own taxes.” Ethan said, proudly.
A snore from Dustin interrupted their banter, and they looked over to see that he had fallen asleep.
“Alright, alright.” Tim laughed. “Got room in that chair for me?”
Tim and Ethan found their spots in the oversized chair, with the smaller Ethan sitting half on Tim’s lap. Tim opened his book and began to teach Ethan about the California tax law changes.
“Hatchoo!” Ethan muffled his sneeze into his pile of tissues and looked up and over at Dustin about half an hour later. “He’s cold.” He said, and Tim looked up to see Dustin shivering.
“I’ll get him another blanket.” Tim slipped out of the chair and headed towards the linen closet.
“Get him a regular blanket.” Ethan rasped after him.
Tim returned with a warm looking blanket, and placed it, folded double, over Dustin, then scanned his forehead with the thermometer. “101.” He reported to Ethan. “Should I wake him to see if he can take Tylenol?”
Ethan shook his head. “He hasn’t been asleep that long, and he isn’t very good with a fever. He’ll rip your head off. Let him wake up on his own.”
Tim nodded. “I think he’s due for the decongestant, too.” He commented.
“He’s sleeping; he’ll be ok until he wakes up.” Ethan let Tim back into the chair where he resumed “helping” Tim study and sneezing for the next two hours.
“Ahtshoo!” Again, he attempted to muffle his sneeze into his wad of tissues. He sniffled and blew his nose carefully.
“Bless you.” Came a drowsy voice from the couch.
“Thanks. How long have you been awake?”
“Not long. You two are cute. Don’t quit your day job, E.”
“I can’t be an accountant?”
“No,” Tim laughed. “Sorry. But why don’t you go get a snack? Dustin can grab some more medicine and join us. And, we can figure out what I’m making you two for dinner.”
Aggedy Ann 