So Friday night, Audrey was having a big Halloween to-do. She is famous for having humongous events that are gossip fodder for months afterward. I was looking forward to this as it had been a while since I'd gone to one. She called me several times to make sure I was still coming, but mostly I think to make sure I wasn't dressing up the same - she is a little crazy that way.

She was particularly interested in introducing me to her newest conquest - Elliott, I think his name was. From what I've gathered, the thing she is finding interesting about this one is that she has been introducing him to a lot of new things (one can only wonder what these things may be, and frankly I try not to think about it) so there is a newness in them for her as well. I don't know, now I'm just speculating.

I ended up missing the party much to my dismay because the flu then decided to smack me over the head and set up camp at casa de Bliss. I called Audrey and sent my regrets at not being able to go. She took a bit of a fit over that as it messed up her "seating arrangements" or whatever. I was too sick to care at that point and hung up on her.

Birch ended up going to visit some family, but not before I convinced him that I would be fine and not to be a worrywart and to go already. I think he was stalling because he dreaded the visit but it had to be done. So he left me the number where he was going to be, and said he'd be back in a few days and he would call in to make sure I was ok.

James went to pitch his tent over at his on-again girlfriend's place while Birch is here so I had the place to myself. This made me feel cruddy about being sick because it was the first time in months I've been alone in the house and I couldn't even enjoy it.

I don't remember much about the evening except for Raymond coming at around 10 pm saying he couldn't handle much more of Audrey and came to see how I was doing as soon as he'd heard I was sick. Because I was feeling particularly pathetic I ended up crying and throwing up on his shoes, which made me cry harder. He cleaned himself up and fussed over me, drew me a bath and told me he'd check on me in a few minutes.

He cleaned up my living room which was strewn with blankets and buckets and Kleenex and helped me out of the bath and into some warm pajamas. This would have made me feel strange on any other day as he'd never seen me naked before but I was too sick to care and so grateful to have him there, in spite of my previous bravado with Birch.

He helped me lay on the couch and sat beside me and rubbed my back until I fell asleep. I woke up at around 2 am feeling week and empty, and there was Ray asleep on the chair. I stumbled over to him and told him to go to bed. He said he would if I would. So we both went and crashed.

I didn't wake up until noon the next day when I heard the phone ringing. Ray picked it up in the kitchen before I could crawl over to the one beside my bed and I heard him barking something at what I can only presume was Audrey, judging by the responses I could hear. "What do you care if I'm here or not? No she isn't awake, she's resting. She's sick. She is so. I'm NOT going to make her get up. Yeah. Fine. FINE!" Slam! Down went the phone.

He came into the bedroom a few minutes later with some toast and tea. I went to sit up but couldn't find the strength to do so. So he helped prop me up and set the tray in my lap. Sat beside me on the bed and read me the paper while I feebly fed on some dry toast. I asked him how his shoes were and he smirked. "They're fine, dear, but from what I've heard they certainly aren't the first shoes you've murdered." He had heard about the incident with the shoe-throwing from my car. He chuckled at my scowl and told me not to worry about it.

I asked him who was on the phone, and he confirmed my earlier suspicions. I asked what she wanted and he said he didn't know; that she was probably prying to see if he was still here. He seemed pretty annoyed so I dropped the subject.

When I finished my breakfast, he took the tray away and told me to go back to sleep. He said he was going to go get some things and would return to take care of me, and asked me for the key so he could come in without disturbing me. I told him that it wasn't necessary for him to waste his entire weekend babysitting me and he refused to listen. Secretly I was glad but outwardly I was all stubborn and pouting.

He made good on his word and returned shortly after with hot chicken soup and some other stuff. I was snoozing on the couch and the first thing I felt was a cool hand on my forehead. It's funny how when you are sick, a cool hand or washcloth can feel like a little piece of heaven sometimes. Same when someone rubs your back.

By Saturday evening the heaving part of the sickness had stopped, and all that was left was the aching-bones and washed-out look. Ray drew me another bath but said he wouldn't come help me this time. I don't know if I was glad or disappointed. Birch called shortly after I got out of the bath and was relieved to hear that someone was here. Now that I had started to feel better, I was feeling a little ridiculous over all the fuss. It's not like I was dying or anything. I told him so and he laughed and told me to try to behave while he was gone and don't go giving Ray the flu now.

Having Ray take care of me reminded me that I do miss being taken care of. I have spent a great deal of time taking care of myself and others and have given little thought to who would take care of me. I realize I'm contradicting myself here. It just made me feel a little hollow. Of course that could have been the flu talking. But you know what I mean.

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