"Ugghhh..." you groaned in quite an unladylike manner, but for good reason. You had just woken up sick, your head pounding, your mouth dry, and your nose running. You attempted to breathe in through your nose, but the passageway was swollen and restricted, and so your breath caught, making your splutter and cough.
"(Y/n)?" you heard John, your husband, call from his office across the hall, "are you all right?"
"Y-yes," you answered weakly. "I am fine, John."
But John seemed not to believe your words, as you soon heard his clipped footsteps sound on the wooden floor of the hallway, stopping at the door of your shared room. The door opened with a squeak of protest, and you instantly smiled at seeing your husband's handsome face.
"Dear God!" he cried out at seeing you in your state of illness, and rushed to kneel at your bedside. "You look terrible, my love. Shall I call the doctor?"
You slowly shook your head and said once more that you were well enough, but John's brow only furrowed more, further disbelieving your claims.
"If you do not wish to see a doctor, dearest, then I shall not call one, but at least allow me to tend to you."
His words took a little longer than usual to process, and your eyebrows slowly knit together in confusion. "But..if you are here...looking after me, how will you look after the mill?"
John simply smiled and shook his head, affectionately stroking your (h/c) hair. "There are plenty of men to take over the mill for a few days, not to mention my mother. They can manage. But for now," he paused to pull up your armchair by the side of your bed so he might have a bit more proper place to sit, "I will be your caretaker."
For the next couple of days, John waited on you hand and foot, never complaining once. You would not stop protesting however, saying that you could take care of yourself, that you weren't sick enough for him to temporarily leave the mill, that he would get sick as well from being near you so much. But of course he didn't listen, and secretly you loved the attention.
Since John had not heeded some of your words, he did end up coming down with the same cold as you had had, and it was your turn to be his caretaker.
