"Enough!" Cosima groans in her bed, eyes screwed shut and arms crossed over her chest. "Enough needles and probing and tests, it is driving me nuts!"

"Miss Niehaus, I'm sorry but this is necessary…"

"I don't care about necessary! I've had it up to here with needles! I'm scared shitless of those stupid things, just get them away from me!"

Sarah and Alison, posing as her twin sisters, looked at each other and then, puzzled, back at her. "Cos, you have a tattoo…"

"I was drunk, and young, and didn't know it would hurt so damn much. Please can you just give me one day where I don't have to get poked by a stupid syringe for a few hours?"

The doctors, feeling it was best if they left for a while, left the room, leaving Sarah and Alison with Cosima as she coughed up into another napkin, scoffing as she threw it in the bin next to her bed. "They've got enough DNA from me to make another clone."

"Do you really think that's what they're doing?" Alison asked in a hushed whisper, hand going to the cross on her neck as she clutched it protectively. Cosima shook her head, giving a small throaty laugh.

"Doubt it. I think these are just normal doctors, you know? Just trying to make me better; it's their job."

"Cos, you need to let them administer treatment, yeah?" Sarah broke in, grabbing her clone's hand and squeezing lightly. "We need you to get better, please."

"Sarah, I've had enough of nee-"

"I know, but Cos, please."

"I'm tired," she said hurriedly, taking her hand away. "Let me sleep. Come back when I'm awake." And with that, she rolled over and closed her eyes, feigning rest and listening to the sounds of chairs scraping back and footsteps leaving her room.

-0-

She woke up to Delphine, sitting next to her and reading from a magazine. When she realized she was awake, Delphine grinned at her, closing the glossy pages and leaning forward to plant a small kiss on Cosima's forehead, nuzzling their noses together.

"Hello, mon amour,"

"When'd you get here?"

"I've been here for a while. I was told to wait outside while Sarah and Alison where in here," she explained, taking Cosima's hand and cradling it in her own two, smiling softly at her. "How are you?"

"Horrible. They keep poking me with needles."

"Cosima, you have a tattoo…"

"It's been duly pointed out, Delphine," she sighed, shrugging. "I just don't like people poking stuff in me, it's nerving and painful and I'm scared of needles, okay?!"

"Okay, okay," Delphine laughed, shaking her head slightly. "Don't worry about it. Here," and she took Cosima's focus and kissed her, distracting her for a moment from the fact that she was pulling a needle and syringe out of her pocket and inserting it, painlessly, into Cosima's arm.

"Hey!"

"They asked me to help!" Delphine laughed, pushing the last of the liquid into Cosima's arm and replacing the needle with a small cotton swab, pressing down lightly. "Sarah told them I was an immunologist and they asked me to maybe sedate you."

"Sedate me?" Cosima slurred, the liquid pulsing through her veins already taking effect.

"Shush, just go to sleep. You won't feel a thing."

Cosima glared at Delphine as she felt her body slump and her head get heavier.

"Hate…you…"

"I'll be right here when you wake up."