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Current Mood: lethargic

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Chris sniffled a little and wiped at her nose with a tissue.

Her nose had stopped bleeding.

It was weird that it didn't even worry her that much. At first she'd been terrified but now she was resigned to it. Although sometimes she wondered if this hemorraging would spread to other organs - if that's how she would die.

A short coughing fit overtook her, when it was over she laid back against the pillows.

The ears were gone. She seemed to grow and lose new body parts quickly. Soon they'll be enough for a whole new person! She had extra fingers and toes. There was also a growth on her back, on each side of her spine. Chris wasn't sure what they were but it was getting more difficult to lie on her back.

Her skin was a horrible blue color. She looked like a deformed three-day old cadaver.

A small sigh. She just wanted this to be over.

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Elaine knocked softly before poking her head in. "Christine? May I come in?" She keeps her voice soft, so as not to exacerbate any headache Chris might have.

Chris curls onto her side, her back hurting.

"Yeah," she calls, her voice fading into a croak.

"Hello," Elaine said gently. "Stupid question, but how are you feeling? Is there anything different today?" Elaine sits beside the bed in a chair.

"I'm tired. My back hurts. I'm not sure why." She could guess why but she didn't want to think about that now.

"Well, when one is sick, everything hurts, normally. Do any painkillers help the aches and pains? I think we have just about everything here."

Elaine surveys the small "city" of bottles on the side table. She spent a little time getting everything organized and all of the drinking glasses clean last night. Her bag of herbs and supplies is in the corner. The aromatics help just a little with the congestion.

"No, it's just easier if I lie on my side or stomach."

Elaine nods, goes to the closet and gets down an extra pillow. "You can put this between your legs--hopefully it will help the pressure on your lower back and hips."

Chris takes the pillow and does as Elaine says.

"Thank you, Elaine. For everything."

Elaine smiles. "I can do nothing less, and I only wish I could do more." She tucks the covers around her a little.

Chris nods a little, suddenly tired. She closes her eyes and falls into a brief sleep.

Ah, good.

Elaine takes out her crocheting and watches over as Chris sleeps.

Jack leaves his room dressed in the early-1960s-era suit, fedora, and long wool coat that Bar had provided. He's trying to focus, trying to keep his mind on the mission, but there's one thing he has to do before he can slip into his usual detatched persona.

He walks down the hall and knocks on Chris' door.

Elaine goes to open the door, making sure Chris is covered adequately first.

She opens the door and says, "Oh, hello, Jack." She smiles weakly. "You are heading down soon?" She opens the door a little wider to let him in.

And prays Ryan takes just a little longer with dressing and preparations.

He nods, glad to see it's Elaine with Chris and not Ryan. "Yeah, as soon as everybody meets downstairs."

He turns to Chris, seeing that she's awake, though how alert she is, he isn't sure. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

Elaine nods, and shuts the door behind Jack. She picks up the bag of herbs and supplies and goes into the bathroom. "I've got to prepare some things," she says softly, and shuts the door.

Soon, there is the sound of water running.

"Tired, mostly."

She smiles a little. "You look nice. A little overdressed."

"Huh? Oh, yeah," he says, looking down and smiling a little as he crouches next to the bed so he can be on her eye level. "We're heading out to find one of the ingredients for the cure, and this one is located in East Berlin, in the early 1960s. We have to dress the part."

He reaches out and brushes her hair back from her face with one hand. "We'll be back soon; just hang in there."

Chris nods slightly. This strikes her as odd but she's too tired to think more about it.

"I will." Her face feels warmer with his touch.

"Who's going with you?"

"Your father, Professor Lyon--older man, British, a wizard, actually--a few others I think, but everything's come together so fast I'm not sure who."

She's nervous now. It worries her that both her father and Jack are going on this mission.

"Be careful."

"We will be. Your father and I have both done field work, we know what precautions to take."

"I know," she whispers.

"Still. Be careful and come back."

He strokes her hair, the heat if her feverish skin seeming at great odds with its blue-grey pallor. But at least she has the fever, otheriwse the colour of her skin would be more even more nerve-rattling than it is. "We'll be back. Just try and get some rest, and try not to worry too much."

He smiles at her. "When we get back and you're feeling beter you can show me how to get to that hiding spot you mentioned across the lake."

She smiles back. "I will. It's a bit of a hike, though."

"Well we'll just have to wait until you're strong enough for the walk. Either that or I could carry you piggyback all the way there," he says, teasing slightly.

This makes her smile broaden. "I might hold you to that."

"Go ahead." It would be a small price to pay to have her with him, to have her get better. He has to believe it's going to happen, has to believe that they're going to succeed if he's going to go on this mission at all.

"I'd better get going. We'll be back, I promise," he says, finally.

"All right," she nods.

"I'll see you then."

He nods, and after a moment's hesitation, gives her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you when we get back," he says softly, before standing to leave.

Elaine comes cautiously out of the bathroom, smiles and waves at Jack before he leaves.

Then she turns to Chris. "Do you need anything? A drink of water, or anything?"

"Um, yeah. Water would be good," she answers in a small voice.

Elaine goes to get her fresh drinking water, running it from the tap until it's cold. She puts a straw in the glass and holds it up to Chris's mouth as she sips.

While Chris is thankful for all the help Elaine is giving her, she still doesn't like being this dependent on anyone. It makes her uncomfortable.

She takes a few more sips, the glass now half-empty, then pulls away. "Thank you, Elaine."

"You're welcome," Elaine says, and doesn't make mention of anything else. Chris will ask if she needs anything.

"Your father should be here in a few moments," she says softly, sitting down. "He had to get dressed."

Ryan closes the door to his room. He's already had a quick shower and is now dressed in an outfit the bar provided: an old, slightly-worn wool suit, a long wool coat and a gray fedora.

The bar had also provided papers, extra ammunition for the gun he carried and a bulletproof vest. The vest and the holster felt strange, it had been a long time since he'd worn either.

He knocks on Chris' door.

Elaine gets up to answer it. She smiles when she sees it's Ryan and pretends to straighten his tie. "You look nice."

Then she steps aside to let him in and waits outside the door.

"Thanks," he replies softly and smiles at her before entering the room.

Ryan walks towards the bed and crouches by the side of the bed. He reaches out and strokes her cheek.

"Hey, Starbuck." He smiles. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm all right. Just a little tired," she finishes with a sigh.

He nods. "Did Elaine tell you about the trip I have to go on?"

"I know about it," she answers.

"How long will you be gone?"

He raises an eyebrow at her answer but doesn't comment.

"However long it takes. But I don't think it'll be long. We know where it is, which will make it a lot quicker."

Ryan brushes her hair with his hand. "Elaine's going to stay with you, while I'm away. If you need anything, ask her."

Chris nods and brushes the back of her hand against her father's.

"Dad, I'm so sorry for everything. I never wanted to hurt you. I know I've been selfish and I'm sorry I lied..."

"Hey, don't worry about that now."

His voice was soft when he spoke. Hearing her say this was making it more difficult to leave. But there's nothing I can do for her here.

"Listen, we both made mistakes but it'll be all right. When you're feeling better, we'll talk more... straighten things out. All you need to do right now is rest and focus on getting better. All right?"

Ryan leans over and gives her a kiss on her forehead. "I love you."

"I love you too. Be careful," she whispers in a tight voice.

"I will be," he smiles and stands to his feet.

"Take care. We'll be back before you know it."

Chris nods and curls further into the covers.

Ryan leaves the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

Elaine is still out there and he tells her he's leaving. A quick kiss then he walks downstairs.

Elaine comes back into the room, shutting the door quietly behind her, and begins setting up the burner for the aromatics.

They do, after all, help the congestion. A little.

And then Elaine sits and begins to make the soothing balm for the rash on Chris's hand.

There isn't much else she can do, and that knowledge is terribly painful.

She doesn't ask if Christine is all right. Elaine knows she isn't.

"He'll be all right," she murmurs instead. "Don't worry."

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