Color Blind

Chapter Fifty-One

AN: Soundgarden's 'Spoonman'. One of the ones we all know you drum along to on your steering wheel.

* * *

"How about this?"

He held up his green flannel. She'd always liked that flannel. It was really soft and warm.

"Can I keep it?"

"No."

They'd just see about that. She'd wash it and just...put it in her half of the closet.

"Okay."

"Great."

"What else?"

He shrugged and wandered over to get his pencils and his canvas.

"Jeans, I guess. T-shirt. Whatever."

She'd go with the ripped jeans, she decided. The ripped jeans and the black t-shirt and her sneakers. Those were all...loose. Not too low-cut or see-through or anything like that.

"How's your ribs?"

"Breathing still hurts."

"This can wait."

"No." he said softly. "No, it can't."

He fiddled with his gloves and eventually just took them off. She grabbed the flannel, the shirt, the jeans, and the sneakers and went into the bathroom. Sadie batted a paw under the door until she was let in.

This flannel really was comfy. No wonder Cole liked it so much.

She picked up Sadie and went into the main room. Cole had set up his makeshift easel and was slumped in the chair, one arm curled protectively over his ribs.

"Take a rest."

"No." He swallowed hard. "I'm fine."

Then why was he pale and shaky, hm?

"Cole..."

He shook his head and straightened up a little.

"I'm fine. Would you...um...would you lie down on the couch?"

She put Sadie down and went to make herself comfortable. It took a few minutes to find a position that he liked and that she wouldn't lose circulation in, but eventually he went back to his easel.

The radio clicked on and then the only sound was that, the rain, and the scratching of his pencil.

* * *

Nancy was in some sort of doze when Cole started to cough. Okay. He was done for the day, whether he liked it or not.

"Cole."

"Mm."

"I'm getting stiff and you don't sound good. Take a break."

He groaned and stood up, gripping the chair for support.

"I got the basic outline done."

"Can I see?"

"Not yet."

Damn. Oh, well. She'd live.

She heard the coffee pot turn on and pulled herself up. Sadie was sitting by the window, tail twitching. She ruffled the cat's ears and went to put on sweats. The flannel was definitely staying on, though.

She was just putting her hair in a scrunchie when Cole came in with mugs of decaf. He set them on his nightstand and sat down on the bed with a low groan.

"How's it looking?"

"It looks good." He eased his shirt over his head and lay back. He'd put a bit more weight on, she was happy to see. Not much, but she doubted he'd ever be anything but stick-thin.

"That's good." She grabbed her mug. "I think I'm gonna grab a shower, okay?"

"Okay."

It wasn't until she was halfway through it that she realized that she didn't so much want a shower as much as it was part of her afternoon routine.

Hm.

When she got out of the shower, Cole had apparently stripped the rest of the way-his jeans were lying near his shirt-and gotten under the covers. Sadie was lying by his feet. Both were asleep.

She finished toweling her hair off and downed the rest of her coffee. Well, since he was asleep and she was a little groggy from her hot shower, she was going to watch cartoons.