Sherry felt like crap and had been up most of the night coughing her head off. She was all stopped up and figured, with any luck, she would die so she could feel better. She wasn't sure if she imagined it or if someone had actually knocked on her bedroom door. Either way, she thought she heard someone say, "Come in," but wasn't sure it had been her.
Derrick walked in and just stared at his older sister. He made it to her bed and set the juice and medicine he had brought on the nightstand.
Sherry felt him trying to get her to sit up, "No please, just let me die in peace."
Derrick wasn't taking no for an answer and soon had her in an upright position. He held her up with one hand and put the glass of juice to her lips with the other. He could feel her fever, she was burning up. He had urged her to go to the hospital but she flat out refused. He felt it was better to let her have her way and do what he could at home than to piss her off and have her try to go somewhere else.
Sherry felt the glass at her lips and swallowed a few sips of the cool liquid. She sort of saw his hand put some pills to her mouth and she did her best to take them. When she managed to get them in her mouth there was more juice so she could swallow.
Derrick made his sister keep taking the juice, a little at a time, until the glass was empty. He finally laid her back down on the bed. "You get some rest, I've seen road kill in better shape."
Sherry started to laugh and her head exploded, "No, please don't make me laugh."
Derrick left but soon returned with a wet washrag and bathed her forehead and neck. He continued checking on his only sister throughout the day. He kept forcing juice into her and giving her medicine when it was time. He was also continuously applying a wet cloth to her head until, her fever finally broke. It was late in the afternoon and she could now sleep peacefully.
The next day, Sherry woke as her brother knocked on her door again. This time she knew it was him and she was saying come in. She vaguely remembered him taking care of her the day before.
Derrick saw she was feeling better, "How ya doin?"
Sherry loved her younger brother. They were only two years apart. He was the only one she felt she could turn to when she had broken up with her husband, and as it turned out, she was right. When the rest of her family found out about her marriage ending, they all blamed her, never mind she had been used for a punching bag. None of the rest of them had even tried to understand, except her younger brother.
Of course, he had gone through the same family crap when he divorced his wife. Sherry had supported him then and now Derrick hadn't made her feel worse about her own marriage breaking down.
"I'm starting to feel human again." She saw the look on his face; he had really been worried about her.
"I brought you some more juice and medicine. I also brought you some toast, in case you think you can eat something." He watched as she propped herself up and took the offered items. "I'm glad you're here, Sher."
She giggled in spite of herself. She was 28 and he was 26 but he still called her the same name he had used when she was 12 and he was 10. "I'm grateful you wanted me, the rest of the family told me that I couldn't stay with them."
Derrick was sitting on the bed next to her. He raised his right arm and tried to sound like an Indian, "In the words of a wise old Indian, fuck them."
"Well..." she talked between bites of the toast, "...all I know is that it...was pouring down rain and...no one wanted me. You saw how sick I got...from getting soaked." She finished the toast and took the medicine. "I'll only be a bother for a few days."
"Have you thought about what you are going to do?"
Sherry softly sighed, "No."
Derrick stood up and carried the empty plate and glass to the door, "You lie back down and try to sleep. I'll be in to check on you later."
Sherry just smiled at her little brother. He deserved better. Hell, for that matter, so did she. Exhausted both physically and mentally, she ended up crying herself to sleep.
Derrick checked on her all day. He brought her some soup for lunch, and a little more medicine.
Sherry watched her younger brother as she ate. She knew there was something on his mind so she just waited for him to find the right time to say whatever it was.
"You know Sher; you have a couple of options that you might not have thought of."
"Like what, little brother?"
"Well, you could stay here until you get back on your feet."
"Humph, that might take awhile."
Derrick shrugged his shoulders, "As long as you need."
"What's the second? You said there were a couple."
Derrick smiled, "You could just move in with me."
"I don't know..."
"You worried about what the family will say?"
Sherry got a wicked smile, raised her hand, and tried to sound like an Indian, "In the words of a wise old Indian, fuck them."
When she finished, he held his hand out to her, "Come on, you need to get up for awhile."
Sherry stared at his hand, "Why? If I die here, I won't have so far to fall."
"Come on."
She sighed and took his hand. He had to help her walk because she was still very weak. They stopped outside the bathroom. "What are we doing here?"
"You're going to take a hot bath. It will make you feel better."
Actually, she thought that a hot bath sounded good. His arm supported her into the bathroom and she stumbled as he took it away. "I don't think I can. Maybe I should leave the door unlocked just in case."
Derrick nodded, "Great idea, I can come in after you've fallen and bashed your brains out. Why don't I help you into the tub?"
"I don't think so!"
He chuckled, "I've seen a naked woman before. As a matter of fact, I've seen you without your clothes on."
"We were kids, and you haven't seen this naked woman before!"
"You don't have anything that will surprise me."
Before she could even think, Sherry blurted out, "All right, you take your clothes off too and get in the tub with me." She was shocked at herself, why had she said that?
"Ah, Sher,...I don't know if that is a good idea."
Sherry got a smug look, "Why, you don't have anything that will surprise me."
"All right, if that's the only way for you to get in the tub, let's go."
Her smug look disappeared. She was sure he would say no and that would be the end of it. They had always been close but they had never thought of each other that way, except when they had both been kids and that didn't count.
She let him help her further into the bathroom then stopped, "I need some privacy." She drew the line at having an audience for 'that'. She at least needed to relieve herself without any assistance. She couldn't believe she was going to do this anyway.
She flushed the toilet a little while later, "O.K., you can come in now."
He came in and saw her standing there, still dressed in his pajamas, and thought she had changed her mind about the shared bath. He went to the tub and started the water, then made a big deal about getting towels and a washcloth. He even added some scented oil to the bath water, stuff his ex-wife had left.
Sherry was beaming at her brother. It was the first time since he was a kid that he was shy. While waiting for the water to be ready, she noticed her reflection in the mirror. She looked like crap. She had dark circles under her eyes, her skin was pale and her hair was plastered against her.
They just stood and looked at each other, both feeling very awkward. She still felt woozy but when she staggered, the awkwardness was broken. Derrick reached for her so she wouldn't fall.
Sherry felt him start to take her clothes off, "I can do that."
He fussed at her, "You can barely stand up."
She realized he only had her best interests at heart and stood there with her eyes closed. "This is kind of embarrassing, you know..." Using one hand on him for support, her top was soon on the floor.
"Damn sis!"