Protected Abroad [AmazingPhil / Danisnotonfire]

Twenty-Two: Heat

I must have fallen asleep because I awoke alone, and snuggling a pillow. The light from the window outside was bright, almost on the verge of dimming. A look to the digital clock told me that it was the early evening hour of four post meridiem. The dizziness spell I had before I passed out seemed to have subsided totally as the world and ground around me stayed still. 

I attempted to sit up, not unencumbered by covers, and was successful. The blood rushed to my head, and after a minute un-moving, returned to other places in my body. Once I was sitting upright, my legs were able to be swung over the side of the bed. My toes just barely skimmed the carpet. I heard a television from the living room. Or lounge, in British slang terms. I stood to my feet, stretched, and walked over to open the cracked door. Outside the door I peaked my head out to see two heads on separate couches. 

Venturing down the hallway, I come across two crunched bodies looking at computer screens. I entered the living room. 

"Well, well! It's sleeping beauty." Daniel commented. I smiled at this small comment. "And she's smiling, too. It just might be the rare and elusive eighth wonder of the world." He continued to say. 

Why would anyone say a thing like that, and about me. Sure I might be a sleepy girl, but I'm no sleeping beauty. I probably looked like a negative million dollars. Or—was it pounds, now? Yeah, that was it. During my thoughts I wandered over to an empty space on the couch next to an internet surfing brunet. The couch felt wonderful, after my trek to the living room. The small walk seemed to exhaust me; it was apparent that my fever is still with me. 

"Are you okay to be up and walking around?" Phillip questioned me.

"If she's not dying and falling over, then she could be alright." Daniel answered for me. "Hungry?"

I shook my head. My stomach felt as though it would simply return anything given to it, through the same route it was taken in. That wouldn't be a pleasant gift for the two of the people living with me. Actually, me living with them. Two boys. It wasn't as bad as it could be. They took care of me, accepted me, and didn't mind me or think me annoying. At least, I don't think they do, about me being annoying.

"Would you like to watch anything?" Phillip asked from the other couch. "Here." He said to attract to  my attention, and tossed the remote to me, which I almost dropped. I pressed the button with the customary  power symbol: a circle broken by a line. The last channel watched was a news station, as a man in suit and tie stood infront of a green screen while a map of England displayed temperatures, of course, in Celsius. 

I found the two purpose button to increase or decrease the channel, and pushed up. The number turned from sixteen to seventeen.  A channel who's emblem I did not know or recognize appeared next. A woman modeled a type of shawl/scarf while a man talked constantly about the product. I turned the channel up one, getting annoyed with the announcer's voice. The next channel had a group of what looked to be chef's madly attempting to cook. The next shot had a blond haired man who looked in his thirties yelling profanities. 

"I love Hell's Kitchen!" Phillip exclaimed. 

I had heard of it before it being a U.S. show. Kids have talked about it amongst themselves at school before: who will be eliminated, who's whose favorite, and the host's humorous profanity. Humorous to the audience watching, at least. 

We sat there, the group of us. The boys scrolling, typing, reading, whatever on their computer, and I paying attention to the show on the television. When the current show was over, and before a new one was beginning, Phillip asked if I was hungry yet, due to me not eating anything since yesterday. Was I able to eat anything yet? Perhaps... Soup? Didn't people eat chicken noodle when they were sick or ill? Skip the chicken, but both with some vegetables is what I would be happy with. 

"Do you... Have any soup?" I questioned, hesitantly. 

"I'll go check." He replied, and set down his laptop to enter the kitchen, opening random cupboards.  He called out, finding something. "Will just plain stock broth work? We have crackers and dinner rolls to eat with it."

"That sounds perfect to me." At my response he got out a pot from an overhead storage place and began the process. I returned to my show: the next episode had begun. During my conversation the announcer managed only to recap the previous episode that I had finished watching. I kept half my attention on Phil, half on Gordon. When Phillip wasn't cooking, he watched the reality cooking show along with me, his upper torso leaning against the breakfast counter with the help of his arms. Today he had on a subtle navy tee shirt with loose black sweatpants. A comfy day. Whatever day it was. 

Within a few minutes from the middle of the show, Phillip brought out my soup and bread on  tray table to set on my lap, but not before he brought me a quilt to keep me warm.

"You don't have to do all this extra stuff, you know."

"What else am I here for? Plus, you'd do it for me." With this he smiled. A glorious, white teeth showing and dimple revealing, genuine smile. If this was a book of some sort, you could say that I 'fell in love at first sight' of his smile. On the tray there was a glass of water, the bowl of soup, two dinner rolls, a napkin, and a soup spoon. And so, I began my dinner. I ate slowly, not sure if my stomach would hold my food in place.

A whole episode later, I had finished my meal, and my tray taken by Daniel, I lounged on the couch some more. The night sky took it's place where the day used to be. The moon replaced the sun and cast it's moonlight rays, creating it's own day of night. Somehow I had fallen asleep during the television watching and ended up using Daniel's arm as both a pillow and teddy bear of sorts. Daniel was just as warm as Phillip.