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Post by Hanna Squalor on Aug 4, 2007 12:26:17 GMT -5
"Right. Well I'll talk to you later." Esme said loudly.
"Oh but-"
"Bye." She hung up. Then she slid into the tub, shedding her robe as she went. It was soothing. Sickness faded away into the warmth.
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Post by Jenny on Aug 4, 2007 13:37:01 GMT -5
Jerome sat on the floor and took the phone off of her when she held it out to him.
This is what Jerome would have always liked. A damsel in distress, all the time. Not so tiring, perhaps, but just as dependent, and maybe with the blonde wig to just complete the look. Maybe he would persuade her to bleach her hair, or try. And buy her some hair curlers, and see if it worked.
He shook the thought from mind.'You're quite sure I can't get you anything?' he asked sleepily.
'Yes.' she murmured, half underneath bubbles. 'I'm quite alright, if you'd like to sleep.'
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Post by Hanna Squalor on Aug 5, 2007 13:14:45 GMT -5
"No I'm just going to have a bath." Jerome said.
"Well there's lots of room here." She moved over. It was a large square tub. Usually Esme would turn the jets on but she wanted to just relax.
It didn't take him long to climb in. He sat on the other side of the tub so that his feet were opposite Esme's. "Oh. I could sleep in here." Jerome said, pulling a towel over to rest his head on.
"Don't drown." Esme warned.
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Post by Jenny on Aug 5, 2007 13:18:15 GMT -5
'Oh, I'm sure you'd be quick to save me, dear.'
She looked at him with what could almost have been called admiration. 'Did you just try sarcasm? And understand it?'
He splashed her with water for that. 'Just because I'm not awful like you doesn't mean I don't understand sarcasm.'
She coughed and spluttered, wiping at her eyes before taking a handful of water. Before she went to attack him, she sat back.
'What are you doing?' Jerome was cowering, expecting a full on attack.
'High road.' she laughed.
'Oh, right. You're just too tired.'
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Post by Hanna Squalor on Aug 5, 2007 21:00:16 GMT -5
She slapshed him with her foot. He didn't see it coming. His hair flopped down in his face. He wiped his face off and gave her the look.
"I got you." She laughed.
"Well sure." Jerome laughed. "But you cheated" Then she got him again.
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Post by Jenny on Aug 6, 2007 7:27:19 GMT -5
He held up his hands. 'I surrender!' he coughed.
'For your own safety, that's a good thing.' she said quietly, sitting back. Jerome remembered an earlier question.
'What excatly have you just made me buy you? From MY tailor?'
'He likes me better than you,' she bragged. 'And I'm not entirely sure. It's going to be in pink, becuase I couldn't bear to see him ruin it by making it in turquoise.'
'So it is a dress.'
'Yes, darling.'
Jerome nudged her feet a bit so he could have more room. 'Maybe I should tell my parents where this extra money is going.' he chuckled.
'Well, I'll have you know your father things I look perfect in all of these clothes.'
'Mmm,' Jerome murmured. 'Yes. I was aware if that slightly disturbing fact, yes.'
'It's better that he likes me too much than doesn't like me at all.' she reasoned.
'You definitely have changed your opinion on my father. And my firends. I recall you didn't get on with Roger at first, either, and now he calls you to ask what colour things should be before he makes them. I daresay you're settling into my life rather well.'
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Post by Hanna Squalor on Aug 9, 2007 20:15:27 GMT -5
A few minutes later as they climbed out of the soapy water, Esme felt a wave of sickness come back on her and she grabbed a robe and ran for another bathroom. Jerome went after her. "You can throw up infront of me you know I'm your husband."
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Post by Jenny on Aug 11, 2007 14:13:51 GMT -5
She might have laughed had she not been otherwise occupied. She found another bathroom somehow-- coincedentally this was the same one she had been in hours and hours ago when this had all started.
Jerome disappeared when she waved a hand at him to go away a few times. He didn't like to live her, but would if it would prevent him from getting shouted at later. He hated it when she got angry.
So he found a phone and called the Squalor family doctor. Dr. Payne (who, Jerome had acknowledged from their first meeting when he was very ill as a child, was unfortinately named) was a most gentle, understanding elderly man who was surely by now far too old to be practicing. Nevertheless, Jerome was still answered by his favourite doctor when he called the number.
'Dr Payne?'
'Hello? How may I help you?'
The voice sounded very old now, very wavery. He knew Esmé wouldn't trust him when he arrived. Jerome could just see how insanely shaky his hands would be.
'Could you make a house call? I'm afraid my wife is quite sick.'
'....Is this Jerome Squalor?'
Jerome sighed. The old man wasn't as sharp as he used to be. 'Yes, it is.'
'I wasn't invited to your wedding, boy! Don't tell me you've forgotten about me?'
'No, of course not! It's just we hadn't much time, and I didn't have your address at hand, and...'
'Yes, yes, don't worry I'm not serious. Anyway, a house call you say? For a sick wife?'
'Yes.'
'What is wrong with her? Apart from the fact that she's married to you and she's never met me? I don't even know the girl's name!'
'Well, you'll meet her when you get here. 667 Dark Avenue. Penthouse apartment. And she's very sick. I'm afraid that's the only description I'm able to give you.'
'Alright, sonny. I'll be there soon.'
'Oh, Dr. Payne? For Goodness' Sake, take the elevator. Don't try the stairs or you'll never arrive.'
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Post by Hanna Squalor on Aug 12, 2007 13:28:56 GMT -5
When Jerome tried the bathroom door again he found Esme laying in the middle of the floor, staring at the ceiling intently.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes. I like the cold tiles." she explained rubbing her hands over them.
"Okay... Well I've called my family doctor. He's coming over to have a look at you."
"Okay." Esme said weakly. she needed something in her stomach in order to argue, and right now she wasn't sure she had anything left.
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Post by Jenny on Aug 12, 2007 13:33:54 GMT -5
Jerome leant down to take her by her arms. She complained mildy, but soon stopped.
'You can't lie here in the middle of the floor,' Jerome said softly, helping her up. 'Dr Payne will think I'm taking no care of you whatsoever. Let's get you into bed....'
'No,' she whined. 'Not covers. It's about three-hundred degrees in here...'
Jerome rolled his eyes jokingly. It was October, and cold.
Jerome eventually forced her to lie on top of a bed in a dressing gown when the elderly doctor arrived. Jerome opened the door in a hurry, only to find that Dr Payne had shrunk considerably and was now a hunched figure who walked with a cane.
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Post by Hanna Squalor on Aug 12, 2007 21:31:48 GMT -5
by the time the elderly man reached the bedroom hwe had placed her in, Esme had taken off her robe and was trying ans failing to undo the buttons on her nightgown. "It's so...hot..." she complained quietly. Jerome Stopped her from undressing while the doctor set up his things.
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Post by Jenny on Aug 14, 2007 10:01:01 GMT -5
Just as Jerome was trying to settle her down and stop her throwing off various items of clothing, she completely stopped and looked back from him to Dr Payne.
'That is NOT my doctor,' she whispered, eyes wide.
'Yes, Dr. Payne. Your doctor.'
She settled immediately, but never let go of his shirt collar. 'He's so old.'
'Experienced.'
'Old is old, Jerome. That man is a hundred. At least.'
'Oh, be quiet. And let go of my neck, I'm starting to need air...'
Dr Payne interrupted them, istting down shakily. 'So,' he said, squinting at her and adjusting his glasses (which were huge and magnified most of the upper part of his face). 'What exactly is bothering you?'
'Sick.' Esmé mumbled, among other things. Jerome rolled his eyes.
'She's sick. All the time.' he said simply.
'Only since the party...' she added.
'When was this party?' Dr Payne asked.
'Um...yesterday.' It felt like three years ago to Jerome, who was missing his sleep considerably and was likely to fall asleep if Dr Payne talked any longer.
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Post by Hanna Squalor on Aug 25, 2007 9:43:27 GMT -5
Jerome found himself a chair to sit on and watched.
"Well. It seems to be something that you ate. I suspect that it was milk product tht went bad. Are you allergic to anything?" Dr. Payne asked.
"No. Nothing." Esme answered with effort.
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Post by Jenny on Sept 3, 2007 12:37:12 GMT -5
Dr.Payne adjusted his glasses and coughed. Esmé was suddenly reminded of that dreadful Arthur Poe, and pulled a face to herself that luckily no one noticed.
'My advice is to rest a little while.' he said. 'I'm sure this will probably pass. If not, please don't hesitate to call me again. It would be delightful to speak with you both more.' he smiled, and packed away his things, patting Jerome on the shoulder (having to reach up to do so).
'Goodbye,' he said to Esmé, who was looking paler and paler by the minute. 'It was nice to meet you.'
'It was nice to meet you too,' Esmé would have said likewise if that hadn't have sounded so rude in her head.
'I hope you get better soon,' the doctor said, and left the room.
Jerome sat down at the edge of the bed and smiled at his wife. 'That's good. It seems everything's pretty fine.'
'Easy for you to say,' she spluttered back. 'And what, exactly, did he mean by 'hope'?'
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Post by Hanna Squalor on Sept 8, 2007 16:35:01 GMT -5
By mid day, Esme was still green but her fever had gone down. She sat up in a purple living room, wondering where her husband was. she went to search, finding him asleep on the kitchen floor. She tried to get into the fridge behind him but it only resulted in knocking a glass of water of the counter, his poured on Jerome.
He still continued to sleep. Esme left him there and grabbed something chocolait out of the fridge. It made her feel better. sick or not.
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