A Thief and a Queen

Flu Season

She waved him off. "It'll pass. I'll probably feel better in the morning."

"I hope so," he said. "And we'll do everything we can to make sure of that."

As she started to eat her soup, he walked into the bathroom. Robin had called Snow White for some advice after realizing Regina was sick and she told him a few things he could use to help her. He quickly located them in the medicine cabinet and carried them back out.

"Saw ahh," he said, holding out the thermometer like she had taught him when Roland was sick. She gave him a look but opened her mouth and let him put it under her tongue. He set the other items down as the thermometer beeped. Robin took the device from her mouth and frowned when he saw the reading. "One hundred and two."

"But I feel cold, not hot," she protested, quickly pulling out a tissue as she sneezed again.

Setting the thermometer down, he picked up the medicine Snow had advised him to give her if she had a fever. Robin carefully measured out the red liquid as he said: "You know a fever can make you cold rather than hot. Now, drink this."

He held out the little plastic cup toward her and she took it, downing the liquid. She made a face before shaking her head. "You'd think they'd make it taste like something good."

Robin twisted the cap off the menthol rub he had seen her use when Roland had a cold the other month and sat down on the edge of the bed. "This should also help you," he said, dipping his fingers into the cool cream.

She smirked as she popped open a few buttons on her pajama top. "You just want to cop a feel, Thief."

"Perhaps," he said, rubbing the cream on her chest. "But I mostly want you to feel better."

Once that was done, Regina rebuttoned her shirt as he cleaned everything up. He washed out the cup before placing the medicine bottle and the rub in her medicine cabinet. Robin then cleaned the thermometer with some rubbing alcohol, just as she taught him, and returned it to its proper place as well. By the time he returned to take the tray from her, Regina was sound asleep again. He kissed her still hot forehead and tiptoed out of the room, hitting the light on his way out.

Robin hoped that she was right and would feel better in the morning but worried this was going to take some time for her body to fight.

*****

Regina's condition grew worse overnight. Her fever fluctuated throughout the night—the medicine Robin gave her worked to lower it but once it wore off, the fever would return. She alternated between shivering and sweating, often throwing off the blankets before shortly looking for them again. When her cough returned and she struggled to breathe through her nose again, Robin was able to reapply the rub as she continued to sleep uneasily. Then as the dawn approached, she threw off the blankets and darted for the bathroom where she was sick in the toilet. He held her hair back before helping her back to bed, locating a bucket in case she couldn't make it the bathroom next time—because he knew there would be a next time.

He only got a few hours of sleep but managed to get the boys up, dressed, fed and off to school. Robin then called Whale and begged him to come check on Regina. The doctor balked at first, saying he didn't do house calls, but eventually relented when Robin refused to accept no for an answer. Whale showed up about an hour later, a bag in tow.

"It's the flu," he announced, taking off his stethoscope after examining Regina. "It's been going around."

"But she got the shot," Robin replied, frowning. He recalled her trooping them all into the hospital so they could all get the vaccine earlier in the season. "We all did."