Without hesitation, Kieran pressed the pad of his large finger to the call icon. Matt answered on the first ring. “Talk to me.”
“Mom was sick when I left. I didn’t want to go but she said she’d be fine.”
“Sick how?” Kieran asked, looking for his sneakers.
“Like a cold or a flu or something. I texted her goodnight, just to, you know, check, but she’s not answering.”
“She probably just went to bed early.”
“Yeah, she said she was going to do that, but...” Matt let the sentence hang.
“You want me to check on her?” Kieran asked. Without waiting for an answer, he pointed the remote at the bank of electronics and shut them all down with a quick tap of his thumb, then flicked off the lights, keys in hand.
A pause. “Yeah.”
“You got it. I’ll text you, let you know everything’s cool, ok?”
“Ok. Thanks, K.”
Kieran was already out the door.
There weren’t any lights on when Kieran cruised up to the house, which was unusual. Faith always kept the porch light on and at least one on inside. He knocked softly, not receiving an answer. Trying the door, he frowned when it turned easily in his hand.
“Faith?” he called out. A slight noise near his feet had him looking down. Light from the dusk-to-dawn feature he’d installed on the garage flowed in, illuminating a figure on the floor.
Cursing softly, he bent down. “Faith? Faith, honey? It’s Kieran.” He touched her face, found it burning up with fever.
Her eyes fluttered open, and it took her awhile to focus. “Kieran? What are you doing here?” Her eyes widened and filled with fear. “Matt!? Is everything okay?”
“Matt’s fine,” Kieran soothed. “He was worried because you didn’t answer his texts. He said you were sick.”
Relief washed over her and she slumped again. “Just a cold,” she murmured. “I guess I was too tired to make it to the bedroom,” she said sleepily.
Kieran lifted her into his arms, ignoring her weak protests. “Don’t. I’ll get you sick.”
“Hush, now,” he told her. It was a testament to exactly how sick she was that she did exactly that. Kieran tucked her against his chest, cursing again when he felt the heat of her skin burning into his neck.
He flicked on a small light before carrying her up the stairs, but it was unnecessary. Kieran knew the layout of this house as well as he knew his own. Still, he didn’t want to take any chances, not with Faith in his arms.
He flipped down the covers of Faith’s bed and set her down gently. She insisted on visiting the bathroom; he put an arm around her waist and assisted her as far as the door. Once she was inside and he heard the water running, he pulled out his phone.
First he texted Matt. Moms ok. Sleeping. Got it covered. Matt must have been waiting, because within seconds Kieran received a response: thx k. i o u 1.
Then he dialed his brother. “Mick.... Yeah, sorry to bother you... Hey, Faith’s sick.... Fever, chills... What should I do?... Uh huh... Thanks, man.”
Michael told Kieran that Faith had probably contracted the flu that was making its way around, and that rest and fluids were the best form of treatment. It was common sense, but Kieran didn’t always trust his when it came to Faith. Michael had understood that all too well. With a promise to call if things didn’t improve by the next day, Kieran disconnected the call, feeling a little better.
“Faith? You okay?” Kieran knocked on the bathroom door when she seemed to be in there an extraordinarily long amount of time.
She opened the door, and he was hit with the scent of Listerine and minty toothpaste. She had also washed her face and combed her hair. “You should be in bed,” he scolded gently.
Pale as she was, the blush was easily visible, and in a flash of comprehension, he realized that Faith had gone to the trouble for his benefit, not hers.
“Come on,” he said, his arm slipping around her waist again.
“You don’t need to - ” she began to protest.
“Yes, I do. I told Matt I’d look after you. Don’t make me go back on my word, Faith.” As expected, Faith clamped her mouth shut. Kieran had brought out the Matt card early, wanting as little resistance as possible.
“Have you taken anything?” he asked, tucking her under the covers. He may have been overstepping the bounds they’d defined so far, but he’d had more than enough of those. Patience was all well and good to a point, but she was sick, and unless she somehow managed to find the strength to physically throw him out of her house (an impossibility on the best of days), he was staying. Fortunately, she wasn’t complaining too loudly.
“Acetaminophen,” she admitted. “Just now.”
“Good. Get some rest. I’ll just hang out for a while.”
“Kieran, you don’t need to - ”
“Rest. Don’t argue with me. I’m bigger and stronger and not in the grips of the flu.”
Faith’s mouth twitched. “You’re very bossy tonight.”