Myka pushed Helena's hair away from her face rested the back of her hand against Helena's forehead. Helena sat up and tried to push Myka away.
"Uh uh Honey. You have a fever, you're not going anywhere." Myka gently pushed at Helena's shoulders encouraging her to lie back down in their bed.
"But I want to go!" Myka had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing. She sounded so childlike in her protest.

"I know you do baby, but you're sick. You're staying right here." Myka caressed her cheek feeling the heat radiating from Helena's skin. Helena made a weak, defeated noise in the back of throat and her expression changed from one of annoyance to one that better reflected how ill she was.

"Will you be gone long?" Helena asked

"I...I don't know. But hey, Leena's here. She'll take good care of you. And maybe tomorrow Claudia can bring you a little something to work on from the Warehouse?" Myka knew Helena was going to be bored out of her mind if she was confined to bed.

Helena grimaced, "You're going to be gone that long?" she asked, voice a little more high pitched than usual. Helena heard it too this fever really wasn't helping her keep her emotions in check.

Myka looked down at her sock clad feet and then back up at Helena. Her eyes were a little hazy and Myka wasn't sure if it was from her cold, or if she was upset that Myka was going to be gone.
"It'll be okay." Myka soothed, "I'm sure you'll be fine again tomorrow."
Helena scoffed under her breath but nodded. She tapped the clock
"You should get going. Pete will leave without you." Helena snuggled back down under the covers. Myka knew that she was trying to protect herself – hide herself – from her emotions by doing that. Myka leaned forwards and kissed her forehead.

"I'll call you when we get there okay? Try and get some rest. Leena's just downstairs if you need anything. She'll take good care of you." Myka grasped Helena's fingers in her own and squeezed them. Helena squeezed back, saying everything that she couldn't out loud. Please don't be gone long. I wish you were taking care of me. I'll miss you
"I know." Helena said faking a yawn to get Myka to leave. The longer she lingered in the room, the harder it would be for Helena to keep her mouth shut.
Myka nodded and left the room.

"Hey Leena, where's Claudia?" Myka asked walking into the kitchen.
"She already left for the warehouse with Artie, why?"

"I need her to go to Wisconsin with Pete." Myka fished her Farnsworth out of her bag

Leena looked at her, one eyebrow raised and Myka was sure that she had learnt that from Helena.

"Helena's sick." Myka explained "And I know that you're here, and It's not that I don't trust you to look after her or anything but she just looked so...and it's the first time she's...I can't go."
Leena smiled at her and rested her hand on Myka's arm

"You are so in love with her." Leena stated before leaving the room.

Myka smiled at Leena and nodded. She was so in love with her.

MYKA! Are you even listening to me?" Artie shouted over the Farnsworth.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, yes, Artie I was...I am. Look, can Claude go with Pete? I...uh, I'm not feeling well and I think it'd be better if I just stayed here."

"What? No, Myka I need-"Claudia snatched the Farnsworth from Artie's hand and her face was suddenly practically pressed against the screen.

"Yes, yes she can. No probs Myka. And tell HG to get better from me, 'kay?"

"Okay Claude. Thanks."

"See ya." Claudia turned off her Farnsworth and Myka turned to find Pete waiting by the door.

"You're not coming?" He asked

"No." Myka replied, "But, hey, that means you get a couple days to hang out with Claudia right? I bet that'll be way more fun."
"Yeah." Pete said, and then realising what he had said, added, "I have fun with you too...it's just...different fun...you know it's like..."

"I get it. Now go, quick, before Artie decides that he needs Claudia and you have to go on your own"

"Kay! Bye. Bye Leena!" And with that Pete was gone.

Myka sat down at the table playing with the edge of the tablecloth.
"Aren't you gonna go back upstairs?" Leena asked. Myka started at the sound of her voice. She was getting a little too good at sneaking up on people. A little too much like Mrs Frederick.

"No." Myka said, "I want to let her sleep."
"Why don't you go get some sleep too? Make sure you're the first thing she sees when she wakes up?" Myka's heart swelled as she felt how much she wanted that. She nodded, and back upstairs, slipped out of her pants, and into bed next to Helena.

Helena's eyes opened and she groaned loudly as she tried to roll towards the bedside table. She had slept for almost four hours. Myka had told her to 'get some rest' just before eight and it was almost noon now. There was a cold mug of tea on the table next to the clock. She assumed that Leena had brought it to her at some point while she had been asleep. She felt worse now than she had when she had first woken up at five thirty. At least then she had had Myka with her. Now she was alone, and would be until at least tomorrow evening. The thought made her feel like crying; she sniffed loudly and tried to take a deep breath. Her chest hurt...all of her hurt. She hadn't been this sick since she was a teenager. She had been out in the rain with one of her potential suitors, "Nearly caught pneumonia!" she remembered her father shouting at her. To which she replied, "You don't catch pneumonia, you develop it" needless to say he hadn't been particularly impressed.

"Oh, baby." Myka whispered, "You look so sick."

Helena started, she hadn't realised that Myka was there. Myka was there.
"What are you doing here?" Helena asked as she tried to move closer to Myka.

Every muscle in her body protested and she slumped back down onto the pillows in defeat. Myka moved herself closer and gathered Helena up in her arms.

"I couldn't leave you baby. I know you wanted me to stay and take care of you." Myka whispered into her hair.

Helena made a contented noise in the back of her throat and Myka kissed the top of her head.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Do you feel like eating something? You need to keep your strength up. Leena thinks you have the flu."

"mmm." Helena shook her head, and then squeezed her eyes shut tight, it hurt a lot. Myka noticed and hugged her tighter

"Baby. What if I get Leena to make you some soup, huh? And I can wash your face, and I can feed you? Let me take care of you, okay?" Myka rested her lips on the top of Helena's head.

Myka felt her nod and slipped out of bed.

Myka knelt on the bed and helped Helena sit up.

"Do you think you can walk?" she asked holding her arms to steady her

"Yes." Helena said,

"Really?"

"I don't know." Myka got out of bed and walked to the other side of Helena, she bent down and scooped her up into her arms

"Myka..."Helena whined,

"Don't start." Myka said, "You weigh way less than Pete."

Myka carried her across the room to their bathroom and lay her down on the cold tiles.

Helena let out a sigh; the floor was soothing on her burning skin

"Feels good huh?" Myka asked,

"Yes. So good." Helena said.

Myka knelt beside her with a warm wash cloth and began gently brushing it over Helena's face. When Helena smiled at her, angelic and, again, childlike, Myka began following every stroke of the wash cloth with soft kisses.

Back in bed, in new clothes and her hair braided Helena sat up against the headboard as Myka slowly spoon fed her the soup that Leena had made.

"Thank you Myka." Helena said

"You need to eat,"

"No, I mean, thank you for staying home and taking care of me. For looking after me. Nobody else would do that."

"I love you." Myka put the bowl on the table and tipped Helena's chin up to kiss her

"Don't." Helena said snuggling her head into Myka's shoulder.

"I can't kiss you?" Myka asked, not bothering to mask the hurt in her voice

"You'll get sick too." Helena mumbled.

Myka manoeuvred herself so that she was face to face with Helena,

"Worth it." She smiled, and kissed her again.