Fireside Illness

Penelope looks over at Kayla, "what are you doing?"

"Trying to get warm." Kayla stutters as her teeth chatter. She is curled into a ball sitting on the floor as close to the fireplace as possible. Her arms are pressed tight to her sides, her hands sandwiched between her legs causing her bend forwards. Her feet are underneath her folded legs and her hair is out of its usual ponytail and covering her ears.

Penelope gets off the couch, where they had fallen asleep together watching a movie a few hours earlier, and walks over to Kayla. She feels her burning forehead, notices the glassy look in her eyes, and the clammy feel of her skin. "Stay here. I'll be right back."

Penelope gets their thermometer from the bathroom medicine cabinet. When she returns to the living room, Kayla is laying down in the same pose she was sitting in. It's as if she just fell over and couldn't be bothered to get more comfortable. Penelope runs over to her, and seeing that her eyes are still open and she's staring fixated at the dancing flames, she helps her sit up again. Kayla starts falling over so Penelope adjusts them so that Kayla is leaning up against her, and then she puts the thermometer under Kayla's tongue. "What's wrong?"

When the time is up Penelope takes it back out and reads the number. Kayla just lets her head roll back and rest on Penelope's shoulder as her eyes shut to slits,  she mumbles "Jus' cold an' tired. Too cold to sleep an' too tired to move or find banket."

"You have a fever of 101. Let's get you into warm clothes and bed." Penelope starts to stand; Kayla stays seated on the floor looking unbalanced now that she's not leaning against Penelope. As Kayla starts falling over, Penelope grabs her arms and pulls her to her feet.

"Mm dizzy." Kayla says as her eyes close again and she starts swaying.  Penelope leans her against her body and places Kayla's arms around her shoulders as she wraps her own arms around Kayla's middle. Together they stagger away from the fireplace towards the bedroom.