Sorry for the super late chapter dudes. I've been super busy today and I've had legit no time to write. It's currently three in the morning here but I wanted to get this up for you. Enjoy!
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Once Lauren had make it to the bunk area, she was greeted with a pale Camila trying and failing to climb back into her bunk.
"Camila? Are you feeling okay?" She asks, walking forward to press a hand against the younger girls forehead. She immediately pulls it back when she was met with scolding hot skin.
The young girl shrugs as she continues trying to get back into bed. It seems like doesn't have the energy too and eventually, she collapses defeatedly face down onto the mattress with her feet still firmly placed onto the floor.
"Okay, it looks like someone is going to spend the day in bed" Lauren murmurs with a soft chuckle as she helps the girl stand up straight before wrapping her arms securely underneath her small frame and lifting her up onto her bunk.
Camila frowns and lets out a quiet whimper, "nooo. Gotta work" she mumbles, forcing herself to try and climb back out of the bunk. She lets out frustrated grunt when she was once again forced down into the mattress.
Lauren keeps a hand on the girls shoulder to keep her down, "I'm sorry Camila but you're sick, and when you're sick you need to rest in order to get better. You'll just get worse if you force yourself to thing your body physically doesn't have the energy for and yes, that includes work" she states firmly, leaving no room for arguments.
Camila, not liking that she was being told what to do stubbornly crosses her arms over her chest. Lauren waits to see if she would try and defy her again, but when she simply stays put, she deems it okay to let go of her shoulder.
"I'll go get you some medicine, don't move" she murmurs, gently resting her hand on the younger girls stomach for a second before walking over the kitchen, "Uhh, Camila's sick. Where do you keep the Tylenol?" She asks as she comes to a stop next to Normani who was making a coffee.
The woman frowns, "sick? How sick? Oh, there in that cupboard there" she replies, gesturing to the one directly in front of the green eyed girl.
Lauren nod in thanks and pulls the cupboard door open before grabbing the Tylenol, "not too bad I don't think. She has a fever but she hasn't complained of anything else." She says, pocketing the medicine before grabbing a bottle of water.
"Just keep a look out. She has a tendency to not admit how bad she's really feeling. Last time she ended up collapsing and in hospital because she tried and failed to look after herself" Normani says with a small frown as reaches for a cup.
"Do you wanna go check on her instead? I'm sure you'll be able to read her better then I can" Lauren offers, holding out the Tylenol and bottle of water.
Normani gratefully takes the offered items with a thankful smile, "thanks Lauren. You can still come too, I'm sure she'll appreciate your company" she says, beginning to walk to the bunks.
Nodding in agreement, Lauren follows her with her hands placed in her back pockets of her jeans. She stops a little away from Camila's bunk itself when she see's Normani opens the bunk curtain, and she has to hold back her chuckle when she hears Camila whine to Normani about how 'Lolo was being mean'.
"I'm sorry mila but Lauren's right. You're not gonna get better if you don't rest-no no, don't fight me on this, you know what happened the last time and I'd like it if that didn't get repeated, now, take your Tylenol."
Lauren waits to see if Camila would comply but when Normani walks back to her a few minutes later with a frustrated look on her face, she guesses that no, she hadn't.
"Want me to try?" She asks, running a hand through her hair.
Normani sighs, "you can try but I doubt she'll listen." She replies with a not so subtle roll of the eyes, handing the medicine and water over before brushing past Lauren.
Smiling knowingly, the green eyed girl pulls Camila's bunk curtain and leans her elbow against the mattres. The young girl was looking anywhere but her so with small sigh, she reaches out to gently to stroke her cheek which effectively forces Camila make eye contact with her.
"Why are you being stubborn?" She asks softly, continuing to stroke her cheek with the pad of her thumb.
Camila once again averts her eyes before curling up onto her side. That action alone forces Lauren's hand to fall to the mattress, and with a small sigh, Lauren stands up straight and crosses her arms against her chest.
"Listen Camila, you can sulk and ignore me as much as you like, but you're taking your medicine. I don't want a repeat of last time, and yes, Normani told me about that by the way" Lauren says pointedly.
At her words, Camila nods shyly and sits up which causes Lauren to reach for the Tylenol that she had placed on the end of the mattress earlier. Grabbing two out of the plastic container, she places them into Camila's hand before grabbing the water and handing that over to. Once the medicine was taken, Lauren decides to leave Camila be so she could rest.
"Did you get her to take them?" Normani asks hopefully as she see's Lauren make her way back into the room, letting out a sigh of relief when the girl nods her head with her own relieved grin.
"I kinda had to bring up the last incident, but yeah, she took them. Wasn't very happy with me though" Lauren chuckles as she places the medicine back into the cupboard, having have left the water with Camila with strict instructions to stay hydrated.
"Doesn't surprise me." Normani replies, "I think...oh" she cuts herself off as she gestures behind the Cuban with her hand. Frowning in confusion, Lauren whips her head round and lets with a sigh of slight annoyance when she was met with Camila standing a few feet away from them.
She goes to scold her for getting out of bed, but stops when she see's her teary eyes and trembly bottom lip. Walking over to her, she cups both her cheeks and presses a kiss to her forehead before lifting her up into her arms and holding her warm body close.
She gestures to the back lounge as she makes eye contact with Normani, and once the woman nods in understanding, she makes her way to the back of the bus, grabbing the small duffle on the way.
"Alright sweetheart, you and I are gonna relax and watch a movie okay? I know it may not sound very fun but whilst you're sick, you don't have a choice" Lauren explains softly as she places herself down on the couch with Camila straddling her lap, the youngster still clinging to her tightly.
In response, Camila simply shrugs her shoulders. Sure, being sick sucked but if she got to cuddle Lolo, she'd deal with it.
*
A few hours later, Camila's condition seemed to be growing steadily worse. Her skin was burning and clammy and her stomach was now beginning to hurt. The Tylenol hadn't taken effect and Lauren knew if she didn't start to get better soon, a trip to the hospital would need to happen. It sounded dramatic, she knows that, but after the last time, she really did not want to take any chances.
"Alright sweetheart, lets try and cool you down a little hey?" She coos softly as she gently eases Camila up into a sitting position on her lap. Camila whimpers quietly at being moved, her whole body feeling so much heavier than it should.
"Shhh, I know baby. Put your arms up for me" Lauren soothes as she gently tugs on the bottom of the girls sweatshirt, manoeuvring the item of clothing up and off her body when the girl complies. Camila leans against her heavily again as she tosses the sweater to the floor, her whole body physically trembling from the effort it took to hold herself up.
Looking down at the pyjamas pants the young girl was wearing, Lauren debates on whether moving them would help any. Seeing the sweat lingering on the girls forehead and feeling how damp the place where her hand was beginning to get from resting on the side of her thigh, she decides to go for it.
"Camila sweetheart, is it okay if I take off your pyjama pants? I don't think they're helping you cool down" she states softly as she rocks the small girl in her arms.
Camila nods her head, her entire body feeling entirely too sweaty for her liking. Why did she have to be sick today of all days?
"Good girl" Lauren praises as she gently eases the girl up and onto her feet, keeping an arm around her waist. Camila lets out another whimper at this, her eyes filling with tears as she feels her legs beginning to tremble from the sheer effort it was taking to hold her own weight up.
Quickly tugging the girls pants down so they were sat on her thighs, Lauren eases her back down onto her lap whilst quietly attempting to soother underneath her breath, "It's okay sweetheart, you're okay" she reassures, pulling the pants properly off of her before tossing them to the floor next to her sweater.
Camila gratefully cuddles into her again before resting her in the crook of her neck, her trembly hands coming up to tightly grip onto the older girls shirt. Her breathing was ragged and hoarse, so much so it sounded painful and not wanting to disturb her, Lauren simply rocks her side to side. Grabbing the thermometer Normani had brought in earlier off the side, she places it into the girls ear. Eventually it beeps and she pulls it out, a frown appearing on her face when she reads the numbers.
102.3
Knowing that she wasn't about to wait any longer and let the girl get even worse, she quietly calls Normani. The woman walks in the room a second later with a questioning look on her face.
"Call a doctor" she mouths, continuing to rock the girl in her arms to keep her reassured that everything was okay.
Nodding, Normani once again leaves the room leaving the two Cubans alone. At a loss at how else to make Camila feel better, Lauren begins to quietly hum underneath her breath whilst gently patting the side of her thigh.
At this action, she see's Camila in the corner of her eye bring her thumb to her mouth. It was just the end of her nail, not quiet the thumb itself which told her that she might now have the confidence to properly suckle on it and not wanting to embarrass the girl by putting her on the spot, she simply watches.
It happened slowly, painfully so, but eventually, the small girl was contently suckling on her thumb.
**
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