Make Me Better | Leah Williamson

Phlegm and meddling.

Finley was rudely woken for the second time in the space of a week by her phone blaring out loudly. The sound woke up her up straight away - when she originally got the job she set a different ringtone for the girls than everyone else on her phone, that way it was a louder one that she'd always recognise.

Checking the time she groaned. 03:26.

"Why does this team hate sleep." She mumbled before pressing accept and bringing it up to her ear. "Yeah?"

"Hey, Fin. Sorry about the time." She recognised Mary's voice straight away. "But I'm super close to killing Beth. She's been coughing up all night and I can't take anymore of her gross phlegmy noises." Mary stopped speaking whilst Beth let out a loud heaving cough in the background. "I know it's not an injury but Serina said to call you no matter what...that and i will personally injure her soon."

Finley let out a tired laugh. "Yeah, no worries Mary. I'll be there in a few. What room are you again?"

"226."

"226, right. Okay, give me a few. Bye, bye, bye bye bye." Finley has to be the last one to say goodbye.

Rolling out of her bed she pulled on a pair of joggers over her boxers and pulled a nike hoodie over her head before grabbing her med bag from by the door along with her key card and phone before setting off to room 226.

The girls were only a floor up from Finley so she arrived within a few minutes, Mary opening the door for her before she even had a chance to knock.

"She's in there." Mary said before a loud cough once again rang from Beth.

"I can tell." Finley replied with a laugh. "What's up, Petal? How're you feeling?"

Beth looked up and reached out for Finley who took her out stretched hand. Beth brought Finley's hand to her face and pouted. "Help me, Finners." She whined. "My chest is feels heavy like someone is sitting on me, my throat hurts, I'm warm, I'm coughing up all kinds of shit."

Finley nodded along as she took a mental note of the symptom, first of all pulling a stethoscope out of her bag. She put the ear pods in her ears and put her hand on Beth's shoulder. "Sit up straight for me." The northerner did so and Finley placed the stethoscope on her back. "Breath in...breathe out. Breathe in...breath out, breathe in...breathe out." Finley instructed, moving the stethoscope to different point on Beth's back with each breath. She moved it around to her chest and repeated the movements. "Ok, again. In...and out. In...and out. Great, okay."

Finley walked back over to the med bag and grabbed a tongue depressor. "Alright, open up and say ahhh."

Finley placed the depressor on Beth's tongue but as soon as she did Beth slapped her hand away. Finley's eyes widened as she laughed. "What the fuck?"

"Sorry, sorry. Knee jerk reaction. Go again."

Finley smiled and tried to do the same again, only this time to have Beth gag and knock the depressor out of Finley's hand.

Finley let out a laugh as Beth looked at her sheepishly. "The fuck, mate?"

"Sorry...bad gag reflex...I don't like things going down my throat."

Mary let out a loud laugh in the background and Finley had to suppress her own laugh. "I'm not touching your throat I literally touched your tongue!"

"I know, I'm sorry!"

"Ok, let's try it without the depressor, yeah?" Finley asked. She put her gloved hands on Beth's jaw and tilted her head upwards so she'd have the best view. "Say ahh."

Finley raised her eyebrows at Beth's attempt, unable to see because the girl won't put her damn tongue down. "Move your fat tongue out the damn way!" Finley said with a laugh, trying not to look at Mary who was sat on her bed laughing.

"I'm trying!"

Finley tried to look again but dropped her hands and threw her head back with a laugh. "Your tongue literally won't move, jesus. Good job you don't like dick."

"Fat tongue comes in handy with the ladi-" Beth was cut off from her own sentence by letting out another heaving cough.

Finley grabbed a tissue from the side and stuck it in front of Beth's mouth. "Spit."

Beth's eyes widened and she shook her head.

"Spit, Mead. I need to see the color. Trust me neither of us are enjoying this."

Beth signed before grabbing the tissue and spitting any phlegm into it, wincing when Finley quickly checked the color and then took it to the bathroom and dumped the tissue into the toilet.

"You've got a chest infection. I don't have any anti-biotics on me but I'll get you some first thing in the morning. You need to rest, drink plenty of water because that's gonna break up all the shit in your chest yeah? Try and raise your head up when you sleep, stick another pillow under you. Here's some paracetamol, two every 4 hours, it'll help with any aches and it'll lower your temperature, cool?"

Beth nodded and took the paracetamol box from Finley's out stretched hand. "You know what would help me feel better? Giving me an update on Leley."

Finley rolled her eyes playfully before glancing at Mary who sat there with a big grin. "Just because I don't grill you about it doesn't mean I don't see it. Also, she's my roommate." Mary said.

Finley shrugged. "There isn't any Leley. The girl hasn't spoke to me in like 4 days. She went from always finding me and talking to me to legit not even looking in my direction. I don't know what I've done."

Mary frowned. "That makes no sense. I heard through the grapevine that she'd spoken to Jordan and cleared everything up. I assumed she'd be all over you."

Finley shrugged, though made a mental note to question Beth what Jordan has to do with everything. "I dunno, but I don't like being messed around, y'know? Maybe it's for the best."

"For the best my ass!" Beth croaked out. "Somethings going on with her. Leave it with me."

"No, no, don't get involved. Whatever happens, happens. If Leah isn't interested, then fine. But don't go prying, promise me?"

Beth stayed silent for a beat.

"Beth, promise?"

Beth groaned before sticking her pinky finger out. "Promise." She said when Finley took her pinky with her own.

Finley sent her a grateful smile. "Right, we'll take two of the painkillers then try and sleep, ok?"

Kelley nodded. "Aye captain."

"Night Petal. Night Merp's." Finley said one last time as she left their room, closing the door softly after herself.

The two girls looked at each other once she left, but for very different reasons. "Go to sleep, sicknote. I'm surprised you promised Fin you wouldn't dig with Leah though."

Beth laughed as she got herself under her bed sheets. "Yeah, well I promised I wouldn't...I didn't say anything about you not being able to."

Quick note, certain things timeline wise will be off. Purely because I don't wanna write in characters that are going to feature like once in a blue moon, because I forget about them tbh because as with any of my stories, none of this shit is planned. So for example, in this, Leah is already captain, so just roll with it, deal?

Secondly, some stuff in this will make Jordan out to be a bad guy. I'd like to clarify that I actually think she's pretty sound, just for this I needed someone to be a bit...nasty.

Thirdly, if you haven't read any of my stories before, you should know I'm not one for drama every other chapter, I like my couples to be relatively realistic, and realistic couples don't argue every other month or day. It's just not the vibe. I like to describe my stuff as maybe like romcommy...usually with lots of sex, but again, unsure if I'll be writing that in this one.

Lastly, if there is anything you guys want to see, let me know, I'm more than happy to see if I can throw it in there.

Cheers guys. Be safe.