Rupture // h.s au

"Let me help you feel better."

Autumn

I had been sick in bed for two days now. It started with occasional shivers, an ache almost everywhere but nothing too severe. I went to sleep one night and woke up to the sound of my own cough. I had a shift at the clinic that day and Rick decided to check me over, which was when he diagnosed me with pneumonia, told me to go home immediately and find some place else for the kids to stay because this was highly contagious. Harry took the kids to Liam's house, reluctantly stayed with them but came to visit twice a day every day since. We had walkie-talkies to communicate without him having to be inside the house with me. He had to be right by the door for our voices to carry though.

There was a knock on the door, before static sounds came, indicating that Harry was turning his radio on. I blindly moved my hands around, groaning because the simplest movement felt heavy and achy. I found the radio, turned it on and put it by my chest, right beneath my chin because I didn't think I could find a proper grip around it. I just felt weak, loose everywhere that was supposed to be stiff. I had colds and flus before of course but this time was the worst. I felt like actual death.

" Hey, babe, how are you doing today?" I heard Harry's voice, muffled through the front door but clear through the radio.

" A bit better." I decided to say for his sake, but an aggressive cough broke through my words, and it took me at least a minute to be able to breathe in without feeling like my chest was about to implode with the added pressure.

" You don't sound better. Tell me the truth, are you having any new symptoms?"

" Just chest pains. I am having trouble breathing even when I'm not doing anything. And I think the fever is back, I don't know, I'm too tired to go find the thermometer." A chill went down my spine, as I tightened the blanket around me.

" Okay, that's it, I'm coming in, you can't be left alone, Autumn."

" No, Harry, please. The kids can't have both parents be sick. They need you to be healthy in order to take care of them since I can't. I'll be fine. I just need to sleep it off."

" You've been sleeping it off for two days, Autumn. I don't like this at all." I fell into another aggressive coughing fit, this time, having to gasp out like a fish out of water before I could regain control over my breathing.

" Autumn, please. I can't listen to you go through this and not do anything to help."

" Fuck," I groaned into my walkie talkie, lifted an unwilling arm and threw it over my eyes, " You are helping. You're taking care of everything so that I can focus on getting myself better. What did you get me today?" I tried to neutralize my voice as much as possible, but it still sounded rough.

" Some chicken soup. Cheesecake too in case you felt like something sweet."

" Thank you, honey. You can leave it by the door and I'll get it in a few minutes. You have a good night, kiss the kids for me."

" It's nine in the morning, Autumn." I could almost see Harry shaking his head behind my closed eyelids, smiling a little because of how out of it I was.

" Oh. Well, have a good day. I love you."

" I love you too. If I come by tonight and you're still sounding this bad, I'm coming in, I don't care anymore. And – you're already asleep, aren't you? Yeah, thought so. I love you, Autumn. Please feel better soon."

I thought I dreamed Harry's voice, coaxing me until I fell into a deep sleep. I twisted and I turned every time another muscle in my body would start to spaz. I pushed the blanket off because I was too warm and sweaty, then I pulled it back on when I started shivering uncontrollably. Every time I coughed, my head would pound so hard for so long, I'd feel like I'd popped a vessel in my brain and I was probably hemorrhaging. It couldn't have been this bad, logically speaking, but it felt awful.