*James*

"How do you think she's gonna do tonight?" I look back at Paul, who sits on the couch while we watch football. Usually, the two of us would crack open a beer right now, but I know you can't have any booze here at the Avalon. And last thing I need is to fuck up my house arrest. 

"She'll be back here by eight thirty." Paul snorts. Neither of us have faith Julia will make it all night up there. Not a shot in hell.

"How's the 4th floor going? Have you heard from Will at all? Has he fucked anything up yet?" I laugh a little. Will is a great bodyguard but like Paul, shit at the computer. I can only imagine him trying to check people in and out, pretending to be a Marriott Receptionist.

Paul lets out a huff and shakes his head while his eyes are glued to the TV. That's all of an answer he is going to give me on that subject which means it's a shitshow over there.

"D-do you regret signing up to be on Moretti-duty?" I boldly ask now.

"Me? No. I don't think Will could handle Julia. I don't even know if Evan can. Time will tell. But I know her like the back of my hand."

I raise an eyebrow, and Paul glances at me.

"Not like that, dipshit."

"Hey..no judgment here, pal. This IS Julia we are talking about." I chuckle and watch Paul petting Maggie as she lays right next to him. This isn't something you see often. Maggie is giving Paul of all people attention. I wonder if he is a little more stressed out than he lets on. Or Maggie is still a damn dog who loves attention from anyone, so she could just be loving being a spoiled little brat.

"Nothing between me and Moretti." Paul scoffs. "Though she DID have a sex dream about me once."

I almost spit out my soda and cough while laughing. "WHAT?! How the hell do you know this?!"

"You know Julia. She can't sleep alone. This was back before she got this apartment. The way she said my name in her dream.. Yeah. I still got it." He smirks with pride.

"You're delusional, Rossi."

"Ask her. She'll tell you." He grunts with a slight laugh. Julia had a sex dream about Paul? Now, THAT is something she never told me. Girl's been holding back on me in the best friend department.

Sex dream about Paul.

I laugh again just thinking about it.

******

*Trisha*

I'll never admit it, but I never used to get headaches before the accident. I know I got a concussion from the collision, and all tests have come back fine now, but every once in a while, I get these nagging headaches that last for days. Tonight is the start of another one. Nate's hacking isn't helping. I toss and turn in bed wondering why the hell he's still in the living room.  It's ten at night, and everyone else is already in their rooms, so I make my way out to the living room to see what's wrong with Nate.

"I'm surprised you're up. I thought you were 'sooooo' tired." Nate quickly turns off the TV, making me laugh.

"Porn?" 

"Golf."

"You're a bore. And yes, I WOULD be sleeping if you'd stop hacking away out here." 

I look at Nate's setup on the couch. He's like a damn child with a pillow and blankie. But then I see a box of tissues, Tylenol, thermometer, hand sanitizer, and cough drops 

"Oh God help us, Nate Hollan is sick."

"Ha....ha...ha..." He sniffs. 

"Jesus, you really are sick." I feel his forehead and look at the plastic bag on the ground in front of him. It has tissues in it that are tinged with blood. It's light and not a lot, but it's there. No.... is this really happening? 

"Nate..."

"Jonah is on top of it, ok? I'm going in first thing in the morning for an x-ray, but he thinks it's bronchitis and already has me on antibiotics. I'm too tired to go tonight, and everything I've read said a little blood can happen if the coughing irritated my airways."

"You NEVER look shit up. Ever. This got you nervous." I sit down next to him, but he shakes his head at me.

"Everything came back negative, but it could be too early. I may be contagious." Nate says, and I jump up. I can't do sick people. Not like that. I'll take care of Nate as much as I can, but if he's contagious ...well, that's why we have two nurses here. I will hand him off to them.

"Are you going to have the man-flu? Because I really don't feel like listening to you whine and complain for a week."

"I'm fine." He blows his nose. He doesn't sound fine. "Really though, go back to bed. Cancel anything for tomorrow."

"Nate, next week you are booked solid. Richard's gonna -"

"Think I planned this? Jesus, Trish, seriously? If I'm sick, I'm sick. He'll have to fucking get over it."

"Ok. Get some rest." I hightail it away from the sick man but there's so much running through my head right now. Especially our agenda for next week.

About twenty minutes go by when I hear a light tapping on my door. Thinking it's needy Nate with his man flu, I swing it open without bothering to put my robe on.

But it's Jonah.

Fortunately, I'm in a tank top and pajama shorts, but still...

"Hey, He's asleep. Can we talk for a minute?"

"Sure thing. What's up?" I grab my robe hanging on the door and throw it on. Then, crawl back into bed. Jonah looks around and sees the loveseat near the window but has to take a shitload of clothes off it before he can sit down.  He looks around my room and laughs.

"You're a real slob, you know that?"

"Yeah, yeah." I wave him off.

"Ok. You'll need to cancel anything Nate has for the rest of the week. That cough.... it just doesn't sound good."

"Should we be concerned?" I ask nervously now, knowing Jonah won't sugar coat anything.

"Yes. Very. I already started him on meds, but we are going to the hospital first thing in the morning for an x-ray. I think he has pneumonia." Jonah answers in his straightforward way.

"Ok, yeah."

"I need you to take this seriously. I know you have his manager on him about interviews, but Nate's health comes first. I don't want things to get worse or see him admitted."

Jonah is blunt, and I nod. This is more than a stupid cold. I can tell by Jonah's tone. As Nate's nurse, he is worried.

"I will cancel it all. But Jonah, you're making me nervous. He's ok, right?"

"Any infection can affect his heart. Even the smallest ones. I wanted to take him to the emergency department tonight, but he was too tired. I'm going to let him rest, but like I said... first thing in the morning he needs to get seen." Jonah stands. "Try and get some sleep. I'm going to stay up and keep an eye on things."

Jonah is committed to his job, that much I know. So when he says he's going to stay up the night- he will. He's going to get Nate's medical chart out and go right into Doctor Mode like he needs to. I'm thankful for that.

I don't know where any of us would be without Jonah.

********