Date: Fri, 19 Jul 1996 00:38:38 -0400 To: Multiple recipients of list FKFIC-L Subject: Bedside Manners (1/?) This is my first fan fiction post to FKFIC-L. I figured since I've been managing the new fan fiction web site, it's about time I added a story of my own to the it. :) All of the story (about 6-7 chapters) should be finished posting by next week (before the War starts, I hope). I had this story in the works for a while when I saw that Bonnie Pardoe posted a story by the same name, though it was a Vachon/Tracy story, to JADFE. Bonnie gave me permission to use the same title for this Nick & Nat story. Thanks Bonnie! I'd also like to thank my beta-readers: Soulseek (Laura MacMillan), Chana Rossman, Linda Rose Pierce, and Antonia Spadafina (Toni). You all are wonderfully helpful and supportive! This story takes place sometime in the middle of Season Three, sometime after "Fever". I think it also contains some minor spoilers for "Francesca". Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine, they belong to TPTB of Forever Knight. Feedback, comments, etc. greatly appreciated. Bedside Manners (1/?) by Melanie Moser mmoser@tiac.net Nick finally got down to the coroner's office late in the shift. The past several nights had been pretty hectic and he had had a lot of paperwork to dig through. He was still waiting on the autopsy results from the homicide he and Tracy checked out two nights ago, so he thought he'd use it as an excuse to go down and see Nat. Not that he really needed an excuse. Pulling on his coat, he checked out with Tracy, and traveled the familiar way down to the morgue Entering quietly, he hoped to sneak on Nat while she worked like he always did, but was stopped dead in his tracks. The person he was about to sneak up on was not Nat, but a stranger, a slightly overweight, average height man with balding hair and a bored look on his face. The man wore a lab coat over his hospital greens as he worked over a body on the slab in front of him. In his surprise, Nick must have knocked something and made a noise, for the man turned and looked at him briefly over his shoulder. "Can I help you?" The man asked, pausing for a second to look at him then returning to his work. The man's voice was about as dull as the man looked. "Um... I'm looking for Natalie- I mean Dr. Lambert." Nick kicked himself for stumbling over his words. "Hmmm.." the man looked at him curiously for a second, then noticed the gun underneath Nick's coat. "Detective Knight, isn't it?" He turned back to the table and began removing his gloves. He walked over to the desk where a pile of envelopes and folders were stacked and began looking through them. "Yes. " Nick found himself out of instinct wanting to follow the man closely like he usually did Natalie while she worked, but stopped himself by taking a few short steps instead. "I was really expecting Dr. Lambert." "Sorry to disappoint you." Interesting, obviously there was something going on between Dr .Lambert and Detective Knight. The man thought to himself. That ought to make some good gossip for the day shift. "Dr. Lambert called off sick tonight. Flu, I think. There's a pretty nasty strain of influenza going around. Better be careful you don't come down with it yourself. " Nick smiled at the irony of that. "I'll be careful." "Ah, yes, here they are." He picked up a manila folder and held it out to Nick. "John Doe, Case #41811, drug overdose. She said you might be looking for this." Nick took the envelope from him. The label was written in Natalie's familiar handwriting. . "You talked to her?" "Yeah. She called in and gave me a quick briefing on everything. Sounded sick as a dog too." The man didn't seem to notice the look of concern on Nick's face and went back towards the slab to continue his work. "I doubt she'll be back for a couple of days." Staring at the envelope, it took a second for the words the register. Then Nick realized the man had moved away and had gone back to his work. "Um, thanks." He wasn't sure if the man heard him, but at this point, he wasn't even sure he cared. He had to go and check on Natalie. * * * * * * * * Nick started up the caddie and drove it down those familiar streets that would take him to Natalie's apartment. While en route, he made a brief call to Tracy to let her know he was following a lead and wouldn't be back the rest of the evening. He tried Natalie's phone number, but just got a busy signal. Trying her cell phone and pager, he also didn't get a response. He began to worry. He tried to remember when he'd seen her last. Probably the night before last at the last homicide scene. She had looked exhausted, he recalled. Parking the caddie next to Natalie's car outside her apartment complex, he saw that like the rest of the windows of the building, her windows were dark. No one answered the doorbell, or his knocks, so he used the key she had given him to unlock the door. "Natalie?" he called out, peering into the darkness of her apartment. Closing the door behind him, he nearly tripped over the mail scattered on the floor that had come through the mail slot. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a brief movement. "Nat?" he called again. A dark streak flashed across the room and pressed against his leg. "Rreeeooow!" Nick found the light switch and turned it on. Sidney was rubbing insistently against his legs. Sidney was trying to tell him, butting with his head & curving his spine around to make sure every part of his back got stroked by the movement. Nick didn't need to be a mind-reader to figure out what the cat wanted. "Sidney?" "Rreeooow?" was the response he got. Sidney broke off at a trot towards the kitchen, pausing only to turn back and see if Nick was following him. With the lights on, Nick could see the rest of the living room and dining room. The room was a bit messy,. A few used dishes and half-read magazines lay scattered on top of the coffee table by the sofa. The afghans and pillows were scattered about the sofa and armchair as if casually discarded. Two of the houseplants by the sliding glass door had been knocked over, Sidney's work, no guesswork there. A pile of opened and unopened mail lay on the dining room table. He saw Natalie's purse and medicine bag there as well. He was pretty sure she was here,. . "Rreeoow!" Sidney came back to wander through his legs again, this time purring loudly, and pausing occasionally to run his claws down his pant leg. "Okay, Sid, I'm coming." He went into the kitchen and found it to be in not much better shape then the other rooms. Looking down at Sidney's dishes, he saw that they were indeed empty, including the water. Filling up the water bowl first, Nick placed it on the floor and watched Sidney drink a few good laps, look at his empty food dish, and then look up at him expectantly again. It only took him a minute to find the cat food, a minute longer to find the can opener, Sidney's eyes watching him hungrily the entire time. Placing the food in Sidney's dish, Sidney pounced on it before he had time to get it all out of the can. Well, one down, one more to go. Nick thought to himself, and began looking for Natalie. On his way through the living room, he followed the cord for the phone across the room and on to the floor where he found the phone scattered on the floor by an end table, the receiver off the hook. Another present from Sidney. He checked to make sure it still worked before returning the phone, receiver in place, to the table. Going into her bedroom, he tried to remember if he'd ever been in her bedroom before. The door was partially opened, the light from the living room shown from behind him, showing him a dark, simply-decorated bedroom. Clothes he did and did not recognize lay about the room. His superior sense of smell could detect her strong, familiar scent in the air. This was definitely her bedroom. His eyes adjusting to the dark, he was able to make out the bed against the wall and various other furniture in the room. He turned on the lamp beside the bed and noticed that next to her alarm clock and cell phone, which was switched off of course, was a photograph taken a couple of years ago on her birthday. It was a picture of both of them taken while they were dancing. He remembered that night, she wasn't all into dancing, but he had talked her into a few strolls across the floor. Much to her own surprise, Nat had been pretty good at dancing, and he had found it quite enjoyable being able to hold her close. She had looked very beautiful that night, dressed in a colorful, taffeta dress that crackled as she moved. The picture had caught the both of them holding each other close. Both of them looked good in it. Lost in the memories of that night, he nearly forgot the reason he was here. For a second, he wasn't even sure she was in here, the blankets were jumbled on the bed, a thick comforter spread smoothly across most of it. "Nat?" he called out softly. And then concentrating, he heard it. The sound of her familiar heartbeat coming from the vicinity of the center of the bed, a little rapid, but it was hers. Now he could see a vague outline underneath the covers. Sitting down on the side of the bed, he peeled the covers back slowly to reveal her. Sound asleep, she slept on her right side, legs bent, one arm under the pillow that her head rested upon, the other hugging a pillow against her chest. With her arm bare all the way up to the smooth, bare skin of her shoulder, for a second he thought she might have been sleeping in the nude under the blankets, but then he caught sight of a green satin piece of fabric between her shoulder and neck, a green he could now see covering more of her body beneath the covers. Her clean face, devoid of makeup, was pale, yet flushed. There was a light layer of sweat across her forehead, and her hair was in disarray as she lay there sleeping. His heart was touched by how so peaceful she looked while she slept, her features relaxed, her lips slightly parted as she breathed softly. It took him a second to remind him that she was sick. She had so rarely been sick in the time he had known her, this was a new concept for him. Alongside the table, he noticed an empty glass and an opened bottle of Tylenol. Laying his hand on hers as it lay on the pillow beside her, even he could tell that her body was warm. He moved to touch her forehead, then her cheek with the back of his fingers instead, cursing his cool body temperature that made it difficult to accurately determine how warm she was. He knew her soft skin was warmer than normal though. She moaned slightly and moved a bit at his touch. "Nat?" he called her name again. The body under the covers next to him stirred again. He stroked her soft hair. Her head raise slightly as she woke up. "Nick?" Nat turned slightly to look at him. "Nat, are you okay?" Stupid question, but it was out before he had a chance to stop it. Too late, he saw the brief flash of anger in her eyes. "No, you big oaf. I am NOT okay. I'm sick." Her face was flushed with her combined anger and fever. Nick, dumbfounded by her expression, could only respond, "Sick?" Then regretted his choice of words. Of course she was sick. Wasn't that what the guy at the morgue told him? "Yes, Nick. Sick. You know, one of those millions of afflictions that torture us mere mortals on a regular basis." Feeling her temperature rising again, she sat up and reached out for the bottle of Tylenol and the glass, her bare arms shivering at being exposed to the cool air of the room. Lifting the glass, Nat was dismayed to find it empty. A bit slow, but now that slow. Nick took the empty glass from her hands and headed towards the bathroom with it. "I know what sick is, Nat. " He had seen quite a lot of sickness in his long life. "I'm not THAT out of touch." Echoing in the bathroom, his voice was calm and sincere. Nat felt slightly embarrassed for drilling into him, she knew she was usually crabby when she was sick. She heard the sound of water running and Nick returned to her bedside and handed her the glass, now full of water, it felt cold and refreshing to her burning skin. "And I did have that fever last month, remember?" "Yes, I remember." Nat took the glass of water gratefully from him. Tapping the bottle of Tylenol against her blanket-covered thigh she tried to get two capsules to come out of the bottle, but one tap too many brought a shower of yellow and red caplets all over her lap. With one hand holding the glass and the other holding the bottle, she wasn't sure which one to set down to begin picking up the caplets. Nick solved that dilemma for her by reaching down to pick each one up, his hand touching her through the blankets where he grabbed each with his fingers and added to the pile in his other hand. The water glass tipped a little as she nearly dropped it. When he was done, he took the bottle from her hand and returned his handful of tablets to it. "Thank you, " she told him. Her voice was soft and dreamy. It caught his attention and he looked into her eyes. The moment continued for a long breath. He held out his hand, bearing two red and yellow Tylenol gel capsules, to her. "Tylenol?" he offered. What? Oh, yeah. The Tylenol. She reached down with her free hand and picked up the caplets from his hand, her warm fingers touching the rough, cool skin of his palm. Placing the tablets in her mouth, she chased them down with several long swallows of water, trying to distract her mind from where it had been wandering, somewhere around the thoughts of what those rough cool hands would feel like elsewhere on her hot, feverish body. Now she knew she was sick, to be thinking such thoughts. Her willpower must really be down. Her body seemed hot and thirsty all of a sudden. She continued to drink the water straight without breathing until the glass was empty. She looked back at Nick only to find him smiling down at her. "What's so funny?" Nat couldn't think of anything that could be funny, especially since she knew she must look horrible without any makeup, her hair all messed up, and her body pale and sick. And she felt horrible, her head pounded, and on top of the fever, her body was exhausted and ached horribly. Nick had been watching her drink the water down thirstily and was reminded of how much it was like a new-born vampire taking it's first taste of blood. He couldn't even imagine Nat's response if he told her that. But her saw the feverish expression and other minor clues that reminded him that she was sick and decided now was not the time to be getting her riled up. He wiped the grin off his face. "Nothing." He responded. He reached down to start pulling the blankets up around her again. "You should lie down and get some rest." Nat thought for a second that there was a battle brewing here, but her sick and aching body took precedence. The thought of lying back and falling asleep underneath the covers again was too tempting. His soft voice was hypnotizing as it told her to lay back and rest, and she found herself slipping down underneath the covers again. A voice at the back of her mind wondered if he was using more than his soft voice to persuade her back to sleep, but the rest of her was growing too comfortable to worry about it. She trusted him, there was nothing to worry about. "Don't worry." Nick whispered softly as he tucked the covers up around her. He leaned down and kissed her tenderly. "I'll take care of you." His lips were cool against her temple. Nick? Take care of her? She was always the one taking care of him. Now this was going to be experience, she thought smiling to herself. With that thought in mind, Nat drifted off to sleep again. (End of Chapter 1) * * * * * * * * Intro, disclaimers, and spoilers can be found in chapter 1. Bedside Manners (2/?) by Melanie Moser Flu. Now how long had it been since he took care of someone with the flu? Probably the last time, they were still draining the blood out of people in order to draw out the infection. An intriguing medical practice to vampires, but not quite modern medicine. Nope, he was going to have to use common sense on this one. After checking on Nat and Sidney one last time, he headed out for a while, making a couple of stops, returning just over an hour later, the bags in his arms full of purchases. At an overnight drug store, he had discovered not only a book on treating common illnesses, but a helpful middle age woman more than glad to give a young man advice, convinced that he was a newly married man na^Ėve to the ways of taking care of a sick wife. Plenty of fluids, aspirin for the aches and fever, plenty of bed rest, and basically let the illness run its course. Like the man in the morgue, she had said a nasty bout of the flu had been going around. Wiped people out for days at a time, followed by several weeks of fatigue. Better go home and take good care of her, the woman suggested. Everyone likes to be pampered every now and then. And that's what he intended to do, he told himself as he placed the orange juice and other cold items in the refrigerator. Outside, dawn was just beginning to break. Closing the blinds and curtains, he set about tidying up the place. Whether Nat liked it or not, Nick thought to himself, he was here for the day at least. Checking up on Natalie, he saw that she must have been tossing and turning in her sleep, for the covers had been thrown off and were now lying about her hips. Now, she was shivering, he noticed her sleeveless nightgown not only left her arms bare, but with its scooped neckline, left an attractive portion of the smooth skin of her chest exposed. There was a soft meow from a now-content Sidney who lay curled up at the foot of the bed. Giving the cat a couple soft pats as he passed, Nick pulled up a couple of blankets over her again. Nat was still restless in her fever, stirred occasionally as she slept. He noticed that the water glass was empty again and went to refill it. On his way back to the bed, he thought he heard her call his name. "Nick¬" came her soft voice, amidst a few more murmurs. "Nat?" he called, thinking her awake. But when he sat down beside her, he saw that she was still asleep. She must be dreaming, he realized. Was she dreaming about him? He wondered. What kind of dreams did she have? He had known this woman for nearly 6 years now. She was a large part of his life. His best friend, his companion, his doctor, and yet, he realized that he still didn't know a lot about her. Most of their time spent together they talked about work, or him, or his dream to become mortal again and all that it implied. They had talked little about her, he now realized regretfully. She always seemed so reluctant to talk about and share things about herself. There was always a wall around her feelings, a barrier that kept anyone from getting too close. And with the distance that he had been putting between them, the wall had grown even bigger and stronger, he feared. He saw the way she kept people, including him, from getting close by playing the professional doctor role or through her dry sarcasm. If he wasn't so afraid of the implications of getting further involved, he would love to be the one to break down those walls of hers and love the sensitive, passionate woman he knew was behind them. But she was a mortal, and he a bloodsucking, immortal vampire. The barriers would always remain between them unless they found a cure. Of course, there was always the quick method to learning more about her, his eyes traveling to find that tempting spot on her neck where her pulse beat strongly. Even now, he could hear her heartbeat echoing in his ears, the sweet smell of her blood coursing through her veins. So easy it would be to lean down and taste just a little. He felt his eyes burning and fangs tickling his inner lip. In shock, he violently looked away, shaking his head in self-admonishment, feeling guilty and shameful for such thoughts about his close friend. At that moment, like many times in the past, he hated his cursed existence. She had been his wish, a wish he had never expected to be granted like this. He had wanted to find someone to help him or some way to find a cure, and after years of searching, she had come into his life. Not only did she seem the possible answer for finding his cure, but she, a beautiful lonely woman working night shift in a morgue, intrigued him. Was it fate, he wondered? Was she definitely the fulfillment of his wish? Was she even more than what he wished for? He knew he was afraid to answer that question. A coward, he was, for expecting and wanting too much. Watching her sleeping reminded him about how tired he was, how little rest he had been getting the past week or so. Pulling up a nearby, comfortable looking armchair, he settled down and drifted off to sleep beside her bed. * * * * * * * * Natalie awoke hot and feverish still. Her whole body still ached, her throat was parched, and there were other bodily functions that required attention. Sitting up and throwing the covers to the side, she froze. She wasn't alone in her bedroom. The room was mostly dark, except where daylight shown through the edge of the curtains by the windows. Not a lot of light, but enough to illuminate the tall figure asleep in the chair by her bed. She knew who is was, hearing no sounds of breathing. Nick or not, she had to get to the bathroom. Foregoing all modesty, she didn't even bother looking for her bathrobe. It was her bedroom, gosh darn it, and she was sick. Somehow, spurring her aching body on, she grabbed her empty glass and managed to travel the short distance to her bathroom. Several minutes and a glass of water later, her body was felt a little bit better until she looked in the mirror. She saw her pale, feverish reflection looking back at her. The white light of the bathroom lights made her look even worse, emphasizing the dark circles building under her eyes, the slight blemishes in her skin, the beginnings of wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and mouth. Oh God, and on top of it all, Nick was here and had to see her like this. She always tried to make sure she looked her best when seeing Nick. Oh well, now he got to see her at her worst. She filled the sink with cool water. Groaning aloud, she washed her face with a cool, wet washcloth. Then she regretted it, as the groaning and cool washcloth only reminded her of the rest of her aching, hot body. She bent over and leaned heavily against the top of the sink and proceeded to wash her arms down as well. "Nat? Are you okay?" Damn. She must have left the door partially open, as she saw his reflection behind her in the mirror. "No, I'm NOT o-" "-okay. I know. Got that the first time." He moved up behind her and took the washcloth from her hands. Rinsing and wringing it out in the sink, he placed it against the smooth, hot flesh of her shoulder, then ran it down her arm. And then he repeated the action with the other shoulder and arm. Lifting her heavy damp hair off her the back of her neck, he rinsed out the cloth again and placed it against her neck and the hot skin of her back, letting the water run down around her neck to disappear down the front of her chest. "Oh, God. That feels so good." Nat sighed, still leaning on the sink, her knees were starting to grow tired of the sustained position. .And punctual as always, at that moment, her knees decided to finally give out, but before she had a chance to catch herself, his arm reached around her waist to hold her up. "Where does it hurt?" he asked. "Hurt? Like, everywhere. I feel like I got hit by a Mack truck. Or, a least that's phrase that's generally used." Nick thought for a second. "I got hit by a Mack truck before. Didn't hurt that much." He joked. She grabbed the washcloth out of the sink and threw it at him. "Oh, stop it. That's not funny." But she found herself smiling a little bit at his remark. Catching it easily, he took the sopping wet washcloth and wrung it out just at the top of her the back, underneath her hair again. The water pooled and ran down her back and legs, and around her sides dampening her nightgown, and dripping onto the bathroom tiles in front of her feet. Some of it ran onto his shirt where he held her, but he didn't notice. His attention was caught up in the long shiver that ran through her body. Nick tossed the washcloth back in the basin. "All right. Enough of this. Back to bed with you." To her shock and amazement, he scooped her up in his arms and easily carried her back to lay her in the bed, leaving her wide-eyed and breathless looking up at him as he pulled the blankets up around her damp body. Words of protest bubbled up, but his finger across her lips silenced her. "Doctor's orders." He told her. He left silently only to return a few seconds later carrying a tall glass of orange juice. "Where did you get that?" She asked. She knew her refrigerator was mostly empty and had not contained any orange juice. "Grocery store." Nick replied, watching to make sure she drank a good amount of it. "Grocery store?" Nat tried to imagine Nick grocery shopping. It was a comical vision. It must have made him sick, knowing his low tolerance for typical foodstuffs. It was Nick's turn to get her back. "You know. Grocery store. Food, shopping carts, coupons, annoying tabloid magazines¬." "I know what a grocery store--- " She caught herself. Damn, that sounded familiar. He was grinning at her again. Man, he was in big trouble once she felt better. Already, she thought of some new ingredients to add to his protein shakes that she knew he'd just love. "Touche." She drank some more of the orange juice. "I bet they had to kick you out of the meat section." "There was a very delicious looking woman working behind the meat counter." He winked and smiled at her. Nat was probably the only one he could joke with like this. Nat laughed lightly but regretted it when it brought back her headache. She closed her eyes in pain. "Tylenol?" Opening her eyes, she saw that two more Tylenol had magically appeared in his hand. She washed them down with the remainder of the orange juice. "Good girl." He took the empty glass from her hand. "Now back to bed with you." Kissing her brow, he tucked the covers over her as she laid back down and went back to sleep. (End of Chapter 2) Intro, disclaimers, and spoilers can be found in chapter 1. Bedside Manners (3/?) by Melanie Moser She was dreaming again. She was in a meadow, dressed in a beautiful white gown. She walked upon the soft earth, walking among flowers and lush green grass. The wind was blowing softly, teasing at her hair and whispering through the leaves of the distant trees. Lifting her eyes, she saw the birds dancing in the summer air against the blue sky. The sun shown warmly from behind cottony white clouds. Looking in the distance, she saw another person. She knew him. She loved him. Eagerly, she stood still and lifted her eyes and her heart to watch him walking towards her, his gait strong and steady as he returned her smile. He walked on. But behind him, a growing darkness gathered and moved towards him. "Nick!" she cried out in alarm. But he did not hear her. He did not see the blackness steal up from behind him and overtake him. He staggered and faltered. "Nick!" she called to him again. "Nick, don't give up. Keep coming. I'm here." She held out her arms, encouraging him on. He staggered on towards her, but the darkness was churning, luring him back into its evilness. A dark mist began to swirl around him and start to hide him from her view, taking him away. "Nick!! Don't go. Don't give up Nick" she cried out. She thought she heard him call her name, but she wasn't sure. "Nick!?" "Shhhh..." A familiar voice murmured in her ear as cool, gentle arms held and rocked her. "Nat, it's okay. " Soft, cool lips placed a tender kiss against her temple. It was him and he was okay. That's all that mattered. Nat opened her eyes to see that her bedroom was dark now but for the dim light from her bedside lamp somewhere behind her as her head lay against his shoulder. Held snug against his chest, his arms wrapped around her, Nick continued to rock her as he whispered soothing words into her hair. It felt so good having him hold her like that, she was afraid to move, to even breathe, afraid that the moment would end. How long had it been since he had held her like this? she wondered. She tasted a wet saltiness on her lips and felt the dampness of her tears on her cheeks. The coolness of his body was comforting against her burning hot, dry skin. Nick had heard her cry out in her dream, calling his name and asking him not to go. It was not only her words, but the emotional tones of desperation and despair in her voice that hit him right in the heart. `Don't give up.' She had cried out as he lifted her into his arms. And now he felt her damp tears against his neck as he stroked her hair. He knew she was awake now, but he wanted to hold her like this forever. He kissed her forehead, then down to each eyelid, kissing away the tears. It was then he noticed the her skin was unbelievably warm to even his touch. A worried look passed across his face. Tilting her face up to receive his kisses, Nat `s body was burning up beneath his cool kisses. But then, one of Nick's arms pulled away from her and she feared that the embrace was drawing to an end. An instant later, a thermometer was popped in her mouth and under her tongue. Her look of surprise was priceless and Nick would have enjoyed it more if he hadn't been so preoccupied with watching the numbers on the digital display of the thermometer as they rapidly flashed.. He thought the counter would slow as it neared the 100 degree mark but it did not. He was forced to watch in agony as the number continued to count .2 then .1 of a decimal place at a time until it finally began to slow as it crossed the 102 degree mark. Nat tried to read the display, staring at the thermometer display cross eyed as she tried to keep it under her tongue. Her mouth felt as hot and dry as the rest of her, the thermometer was even cool between her lips. Glancing up at Nick, she saw the look of concern on his face. Blinking her eyes, she found it hard to concentrate and look at him for very long. Her eyes hurt so she closed them briefly, hearing her own rapid heartbeat as her hot feverish blood was pulsing through her veins. Opening them again, she saw that the counter was finally starting to slow. They both watched as the display finally stopped at 102.8 degrees and blink several more times before finally stopping. Removing it from her mouth, Nick held the thermometer up in the light again, as if hoping the number would read differently. Tired, her head was throbbing making it hard to hold up, she laid her head back against his chest and closed her eyes. She felt the coolness of his legs beneath her thighs as she sat cradled in his lap. "Nat, I should take you to the hospital." She could hear the concern in his voice as she felt his voice rumbling in his chest beneath her ear. Wrapping her arms tighter around his neck, she shook her head. She didn't want to go to the hospital. She wanted to stay right her, just like this. "Nat..." His hand was stroking her hair, while the other stroked down hot skin of her bare arm, soothing her skin with the coldness of his body. "Your temperature is too high." "...need to lower it..." she mumbled, slightly disoriented against his neck. She was beginning to feel the effects of her prolonged fever and high temperature. "You took 2 Tylenol just an hour ago. That's eight in the past 24 hours, that's the dosage limit." Nat shook her head slightly again. "Need a cool bath..." And then she hugged him tightly, "Or a cool body." The longer she sat there cradled in his lap, her body pressed against his, the more she felt the unnatural coldness of his vampire flesh seeping into her feverish bones. Nick never would have imagined that the coldness of his body could actually be useful. He considered giving her a cool bath for a second, but the thought of bathing her soft, shapely body in the cool water of the bathtub was enough to disturb the bloodlust that was already tingling within him. For her sake, he was able to control it right now as he held her tight against him. He felt her heartbeat, his nostrils were filled with her scent, and he had the taste of her hot skin on his lips. No, he gave himself a mental shake, he had to get her temperature down. "Here. " Nick shook her awake from her half-sleep. He pressed a glass of water into her hand. "Drink." Nat looked at him hesitantly. She really wasn't thirsty, she just wanted to sleep. Noticing her reluctance, he helped her lift the glass to her lips. "Drink, Natalie. All of it." She was already dehydrated, he had to get her to replace the lost fluids. Lifting her head, she obeyed and somehow managed to drink the entire glass full. The empty glass disappeared for a moment only to be replaced by another full glass of water. "Again." Ordered the voice in her ear. Again she emptied the glass. Though she wasn't thirsty, the water did taste good. After the third glass, she felt sure she couldn't drink another swallow. Fortunately that was the last glass her made her drink, which was good, since she could hardly keep her eyes open anyway. Nat drifted off to sleep. (End of Chapter 3) Intro, disclaimers, and spoilers can be found in chapter 1. Some minor adult topics in this part, but nothing too serious. Bedside Manners (4/?) by Melanie Moser Nat opened her eyes. She felt warm and comfortable, wrapped up and being held tight. Her body was tired, but as far as she could tell, the raging fever was gone. It was daytime, for the room was dimly lit from the light that crept in around the edges of the curtain. She could feel Nick's body beneath her as she lay against him, held there in his arms, her body pressed and stretched out against the length of his. His body beneath his clothes was cool and firm against hers. Glancing up, she could see he was still asleep, his facial features relaxed. She smiled to herself, noticing how boyishly innocent he looked while he slept. It made her realize how much she loved him. Usually the one to fall asleep, she had so rarely got to study him this closely. She wondered if he had ever watched her as she slept like she was doing of him right now. Tempting thoughts began to take shape in her mind. Reaching up, she let her fingertips trace the edge of his chin and run up his jawbone, delighting in the sandpaper feel of his beard beneath her sensitive touch. And up to behind his ear, where his dark-blonde hair curled slightly against his neck. Then back down, underneath his chin, her fingers roamed, and down his throat to his neck, where his top shirt button was undone, exposing the beginnings of the smooth skin of his chest. She felt her body growing warm, but this time it wasn't the fever causing it. She lifted her hand across the shirt and let it explore the chest that his shirt still covered. Beneath the fabric, his flesh was firm and smooth, lightly muscled and supple. She left her hand drift down and across to his flat stomach, then back up again. So intent in her study, she didn't notice that Nick was no longer asleep. "Nat." His voice was soft and slightly husky. She didn't look up at him, for if she did, she would have to stop and consider the consequences of her actions. Instead, she continued by quickly unbuttoning the next two buttons of his shirt and allowing her hand to slip underneath his shirt to feel to smooth flesh it covered. Oh God, how many times had she dreamed of touching him like this? She felt him react to her touch, inhaling softly as her hand began to stroke and caress the uncovered skin of his chest. But yet, he made no move to stop her. She continued the simple, but heartfelt touches as her hand stroked slow circles around his chest. Her touch felt so good. It had been a long while since someone had touched like this. He could feel her heartbeat as her body laid against his, he could feel and detect the beginnings of her arousal and he wondered if and when he should stopped this before it went too far. So far, perhaps because she was the one touching him and not the other way around, the bloodlust was silent and the other desires, the more humanly ones, were in ecstasy as he felt her warm hand touching his sensitive skin. It was a battle between his heart and his mind. He knew he should stop it before things went much farther. It was only a matter of time before the beast within him was awakened. Rationality took over and he grabbed her hand and brought her fingers to his lips for a lingering kiss, an inadequate compensation. Natalie sighed deeply. The moment was lost. "How do you feel?" Nick asked. He could at least tell that her temperature had lowered. He knew he should probably check her temperature again.. "Better, but tired." Nat snuggled up against him again, relishing in the comfort of their closeness. Nick kissed her temple and stroked her hair. "Good. You really gave me a scare there last night." More than you know, he said to himself. He had stayed awake for hours last night just holding her, listening to her every breath and her heartbeat, wondering every few minutes if he should take her to the hospital or not. Though the book he read said one should seek professional care if the temperature was 103 degrees or higher, Nat's temperature had been too close to that mark for his comfort. Fortunately, after several hours, the fever had broken and Nick had finally drifted off into an uneasy sleep full of disturbing dreams. Nat felt and at the same time, heard her stomach growl. She knew Nick heard it too. "Hungry?" Nick chuckled, his laugh echoing in his chest. Hunger was a good sign. Nat smiled. "Just a little." Placing a kiss against her temple, Nick went to find his patient something to eat. (End of Chapter 4) Intro, disclaimers, and spoilers can be found in chapter 1. I'd like to also thank my beta-readers for these last 2 chapters: Soulseeker (Laura MacMillan), Chana Rossman, Linda Rose Pierce, Toni Spadafina, Denise Underwood, and April Ruskin. Thanks! Bedside Manners (5/6) by Melanie Moser After polishing off some toast and orange juice, Nat had fallen back asleep. The sun had set over an hour ago so Nick took the time to slip back to the loft for a shower, a change of clothes and to feed. He returned to find Natalie still sound asleep and the apartment still dark. Entering the living room, he decided to watch the news and turned on a light to look for the TV remote. "Reow!" Sidney jumped down off the window sill landing on the desk and knocking over a pile of papers and folders in the process. Papers tumbled to the floor as Sidney leapt to the floor and headed off into the bedroom. "Sidney!" Nick scolded. He went over and began cleaning up the mess the mischievous cat had left behind. Piling up the papers back into a neat stack, the contents of the document in his hand caught his attention. Perhaps it was the detective in him that noticed these small details, but what he held was a copy of an article from a medical journal. "The Dangers and Pitfalls of Doctor/Patient Relationships" it was titled. His eyes skimmed down the page and were drawn to several sections where the text had been highlighted with a neon-pink marker. "Patients undergoing treatment for long periods of time under the same physician often develop strong feelings for their doctor, typically exhibited as infatuation or a desire for deeper friendship." Reading the next couple paragraphs, the article continued to detail several documented cases where the lines between the patient and doctor had been crossed and the problems that had resulted. And then, further down, more text was highlighted: "Regardless of the doctor's own personal feelings, the needs of the patient must come first." The rest of the article talked about the need and how to maintain a professional distance when dealing with patients. Nick set the papers down on the desk and stared off into space deep in thought Did Nat really think he was only infatuated with her? Was it his own behavior or was this the reason why she had been so distant from him lately? Had Nat begun to remember what had happened that night at the Azure when he had told LaCroix that his interest in Natalie was only superficial? What price had they paid, had he and she paid for the distance that they had placed between them and for what had happened that night? Was it worth it? Shaking his head, he said down and became lost in thought, the TV remote and news forgotten as he pondered the ramifications of what his decisions had cost them. Should he tell her how he felt, how much he really did love her? If he did, what would happen to their relationship and could they still remain friends? To his chagrin, their friendship had greatly deteriorated over the past several months. Additionally, they were not much closer to finding a cure, both of them knew that. If they didn't find the cure, he would eventually have to move on and most likely leave her behind. Or could he take her with him? What right did he have to do that? No, he had learned the lesson repeatedly enough in the past that it was best to leave them behind. But this time it was different. He had never been so close to a mortal, loved someone this much in a very long time, if ever. Until that Valentine's Day last year that ended up with that nightmarish night at the Azure, he had never truly realized the depth of his own feelings for Natalie. And ever since then, he had been so fearful that LaCroix would learn and know his true feelings and use them against him, Nick had tucked his heart away to where even he was afraid to think about it. But yet, he also had never been this close to the cure either. What if Natalie was the one to help him find the cure? How long would it take? Would they find it in time? Would LaCroix let them? He could bring her across. The thought had crossed his mind on more than one occasion. He had often wondered what he might do if he was forced with the choice of bringing her across, if somehow she was injured to the point that the only other option was death. Nick shook his head. He didn't even want to imagine something happening to Natalie that would bring him to have to make that decision. No. Something deep inside him, gut instinct perhaps, told him that it was wrong, that bringing her across would be the wrong choice. Natalie represented everything in mortality that meant good to him: humanity, kindness, intelligence, strength, hope. He couldn't tarnish her goodness with the evil that vampirism would bring. He knew all too well the affect that vampirism had on a soul. It had taken him centuries to recognize and even begin to try to understand it. Even now, each day it still gnawed at him. It called to him, tempting him seductively to fall back to his natural ways, to return to killing humans and feeding on their blood. No, that option was definitely out. He couldn't do that to Nat. But could he face the alternative, he wondered, of living life and going on without her? He had loved before, sometimes perhaps too much. But this time he felt it was different. Perhaps it was the hope that they could find a cure together, perhaps it was her beautiful smile, or her dry sarcasm and wit, or her way of getting under his skin and reminding him of his quest for humanity. He couldn't say for sure, but with all these things, Natalie was probably the most unique woman he had ever met. For those and many other reasons, he loved her. And because he loved her, he might one day have to make the difficult decision to stay with her or leave. It was a decision he didn't want to make, especially not yet. All of these thoughts weighed heavily on his mind and his heart as he sat alone there in the dark. The sound of running water in the bathroom broke him out of his reverie. Nat was awake again and feeling well enough to take a shower. The thought of her bathing beneath the showery spray was enough to break his train of thought. Nick sighed. Soon this private time they had spent together would be over and things would have to return to status quo again, he realized.. His expression somber and sad, Nick replaced the pile of papers back on the desk and sank heavily into the nearby armchair. The sound of running water stopped after several minutes and for a short time it was quiet. Silently, the door to her bedroom opened illuminating the darkness of the living room with bright light. Natalie wandered out towel- drying her hair, her pink bathrobe tied tight at her waist. Nat paused when she saw him sitting quietly in the armchair. "You're sitting here in the dark?" she asked. There was a long pause before Nick responded. "Yes." His voice quiet and despondent. Slowly, he looked up and studied her closely as if noticing her for the first time. "You are looking better." Nat gave him a wry smile. "A hot shower can work wonders sometimes." she remarked, perplexed by his mood. He seemed distracted. Should she press him on it? No, she was still too tired to deal with Nick and his moodiness tonight. "Reese called." Nick said nonchalantly, looking away from her so he wouldn't have to look into her eyes, "There's a homicide downtown he wants me and Trace to look into." He had booked off the past couple of nights while taking care of her, so it was likely that Reese was getting a little suspicious. "I see." Nat stopped towel-drying her hair. Though she did her best to try to hide it, her disappointment was evident on her face The intimacy of the past couple days was over, she sadly realized. Nick stood up. Walking over to her, he cupped her cheek with his hand and tilted her face up to look into his eyes. With his thumb, he gently caressed the velvet skin of her chin. "Will you be okay if I go?" he asked quietly, his voice tender with concern. Nat nodded slightly. "The fever's gone. I should be okay." Her voice was soft and trembled with emotion. Closing her eyes, she tried to turn her face away but Nick used his thumb to gently make her look at him again. Holding her blues eyes captive with his, Nick let his love for her show in his eyes as he looked down at her. With them, he silently implored her to understand, to see how much she meant to him, how beautiful and special she was Pulling her into his arms, he let himself savor her sweet fresh scent one last time, his cheek against her temple. Kissing her tenderly on the forehead, his lips lingered for a long second as he tasted her damp skin against his lips. "I'll call you later," he promised and then he turned and walked out the door. Natalie stood there staring after him long after he was gone. (End of Chapter 5) Intro, disclaimers, and spoilers can be found in chapter 1. I'd like to also thank my beta-readers for these last 2 chapters: Soulseeker (Laura MacMillan), Chana Rossman, Linda Rose Pierce, Toni Spadafina, Denise Underwood, and April Ruskin. Thanks! Comments, feedback, virtual hugs and flowers greatly appreciated. Thanks and I hope you've all enjoyed my first fan fiction. :) Bedside Manners (6/6) by Melanie Moser It was a slow night. Even though Nick had been off for several days, there was not a lot of work to do. There had been very few homicide cases in the past couple days. Tonight, Tracy had finished up most of the paperwork and had left early, something about wanting to follow a lead on an old open case or something. Nick didn't know, and at this point, didn't care much. So, it was no surprise when several hours later he found himself opening the door to the morgue and searching around expectantly for Natalie. He saw her standing by her desk finishing up some paperwork and stuffing it into a manila envelope. Nick noticed that though she was still slightly pale, she looked much better. Sneaking up quietly behind her, he was able to get right behind her without her even noticing. "Good evening, Doctor, " he said in her ear with the most evil voice he could muster. "Feeling better?" Natalie gasped and nearly jumped a foot in the air. "I wish you would stop doing that!" She turned around to begin to scold him and instead nearly collided with him when she realized how close he was standing. She tried to get angry with him, but the boyish, endearing grin on Nick's face went straight to her heart and somehow she found herself smiling back at him. She pushed playfully against his chest. Nick caught her hand and placed a slow gentle kiss on the back of it. He grimaced slightly at the smell and taste he discovered there. Oh, the woes of being in love with a coroner. "Formaldehyde. My favorite flavor." "Serves you right." Nat replied wryly. Her eyes met his and as time stood still for a brief moment, her expression was soft and affectionate. The moment passed and her familiar mask of professionalism replaced it Averting her eyes, Nat removed her hand from his distracting touch and pushed passed him to return to her work. "I'm much better, thanks." Nick followed close behind her, the habit of following her while she worked familiar and instinctive. Out of spite, Nat stopped suddenly and felt him run into her. Surprised, Nick resisted the impulse to jump back away from her. Instead, he grabbed her lightly at the elbows and pulled her back against him. He felt her relax in his arms as his cheek came to rest against hers. Nick held her softly there as they both let the embrace linger. Oh, what an interesting game they played, Nick thought to himself. Her painfully familiar heartbeat pounded against his chest and in his ears. Inhaling, he could smell the scent of her shampoo, the warm smell of her skin and the familiar scent of her blood filling his nostrils. An endearing temptation indeed. With a sigh, he placed a soft kiss against her temple and smiled as he whispered in her ear. "I'm glad." They both pulled away from each other at the same moment. Nat walked around to the other side of the examining table and began to prepare for the next autopsy. "I hope I did the right things in taking care of you." Nick said, watching her closely. "Plenty of fluids, bed rest." Nat replied as she readied her tools. Smiling amusingly, she added, "Um, keeping the temperature down." Nat finished placing her medical instruments on the tray beside her. "I'd say you did pretty good." She glanced up and gave him a warm and thankful smile. "Thank you." "You're welcome." He smiled back at her. Nick turned to leave and paused as a thought hit him. "And my bedside manners, Doctor?" he asked teasingly. "Not bad." Nat was still smiling at him from across the examining table but now there was a distant look in her eyes. "Not bad at all." Her smile continued as she watched Nick walk out of the room. ( * Finis * ) * Mel Moser ***************** moser@clark.net ************* Red Ridinghood * * N&NPacker & Lonely Heart w/Light Cousin, Natpacker, & Vaquera tendencies * * Chief Defender of Faith (N&NWarFaction) * Founding Mbr of FK Wallflowers * * FK Wallflowers: http://www.mbay.net/~ithildin/fkwfhome.htm * SKLer * SWS * * Webmistress: WWW FK Fanfic * http://www.clark.net/pub/moser/fkfanfic.htm *