Lucas’s eyes widened. “I can manage.”
Jacob nodded seriously. “I know, but it’s in my nature to be a bit of a worrywart, so indulge me and get into bed?”
Lucas flushed, and Jacob was struck with how much better he looked with a bit of color in him. He left Lucas to it, despite really wanting to make sure he got out of the bath safely, and went downstairs.
He took the Crock-Pot out of the oven and decided that most of it could be saved even though it was overcooked. He ladled the chicken and veggies in a dish, grabbed a fresh glass of water and some tissues to double as napkins, and put everything on a tray. Lucas was sitting up in bed when he went in, and he made sure Lucas had everything he needed before going downstairs and getting his own. After eating and clearing up, he wandered into the living room and picked a few different books, intending to take them upstairs when he went for Lucas’s tray. He might like to read as there was no TV in there.
Lucas was asleep.
Jacob stared at him for a long minute, then picked up the tray and closed the door behind him. After a second he opened it a crack before going downstairs.
He felt better. Lighter. Was it just the relief of having Lucas back no worse for wear, or was it talking about Ben? It wasn’t something he could answer right at that moment, but for the first time in a very long time, he didn’t think he would have much trouble sleeping tonight.
Chapter Five
Something woke Jacob and he opened his eyes and peered at his phone. Just after four. He’d crashed early so he wasn’t surprised he was awake. Then he heard it. A distinctive cough from Lucas. He had—for some reason he hadn’t liked to question—not only not quite closed Lucas’s door last night but kept his own open. Jacob heard it again and winced. Maybe Lucas needed some water?
He got out of bed and shrugged on his robe, padding down the corridor to Lucas’s bedroom. It sounded awful, and concerned, he pushed the door open. Lucas was sitting on the edge of the bed with a tissue over his mouth, coughing a lung up. Jacob smiled at one of his dad’s favorite sayings before he took in Lucas’s face. Flushed, very flushed, and Jacob crouched down and felt his forehead.
“You need to stay away,” Lucas moaned miserably. He was hot, maybe even a fever, and Jacob squeezed his shoulder.
“Let’s get you comfortable. Do you need the bathroom?”
Lucas nodded weakly and didn’t protest when Jacob helped him up and into the bathroom. He rushed back and changed the damp sheets quickly, just finishing as Lucas appeared. He lifted the comforter, and Lucas crawled back in shivering. “I’m going to get you some water and see if I have any aspirin.”
Lucas shivered again and pulled the covers tight around him. Jacob jogged downstairs and put the kettle on. He was pretty sure there was some herbal tea somewhere although it might be out of date. He found some and then tossed it in the trash. Very out of date. He didn’t have any painkillers either and trudged back upstairs to see if Lucas had any. Lucas just shook his head miserably.
“Okay, I’m going to go get some,” Jacob decided. “There’s a larger store out towards Monroe that will be open when I get there.”
“I’m sorry,” Lucas said before breaking into another bout of coughing.
“This isn’t your fault.” And for a moment Jacob really wanted to touch Lucas again. But he doubted obsessively checking him would reduce his fever, so he went into his own room to get dressed and hurried out.
Jacob drove a little too fast. In his head he was telling himself that Lucas had got a simple cold, and that this was nothing like Ben, but he’d made this journey so many damn times before he couldn’t get the visual out of his mind.
Or the fear.
He spent a ridiculous amount. Things he needed and definitely things he didn’t, but by six he was pulling back into the driveway. He hurried back upstairs first to see how Lucas was doing, but he could hear the racking cough before he’d made it to his room. Lucas smiled weakly as he came in. “It sounds worse than it is. Mom always said whatever was wrong with me went straight to my chest. I don’t get many colds but—” His voice went as another cough shook his body. Jacob dashed back downstairs, and by the time he had unpacked everything, his kitchen looked like a pharmacy.
Another wave of grief washed over him, and he had to grab the counter for support. He was torn between wanting to camp out upstairs in case Lucas needed anything and run far away. But it was his fault Lucas was sick, so he carried a sample of everything upstairs including some boiling water and herbal tea. ‘Wow,” Lucas gasped weakly, but he didn’t try to sit up.
In another hour, Jacob was getting really worried. Lucas was feverish. He was coughing less, but Jacob didn’t know whether that was a good or a bad thing. He didn’t know whether to pile his blankets high because he was shivering, or to keep him cool because he had a fever. He needed some advice, but who could he call? He’d turned his back on all his friends. His only brother he hadn’t spoken to in years, and he didn’t have a family doctor. The last thing he wanted was to turn up to an ER. He would if Lucas was really sick, but the problem was he really didn’t know.
Patrick.
As soon as the name entered his head, he was scrolling through his contacts. Patrick had called him the other night and…yes. Jacob had pressed the button before he changed his mind.
“Jacob? You okay?” At least it didn’t sound like he’d woken him up.
“I need some advice, and I’m sorry, but I couldn’t—”
“What do you need?” Patrick interrupted, and his steady voice made Jacob feel better already.
“Lucas’s sick. It’s probably just a cold, but—”
By the time Jacob had rattled off a dozen answers to all of Patrick’s questions, Patrick had promised to come over before he headed to his morning clinic. Jacob’s hands shook as he dropped the phone back in his pocket. Lucas was asleep, but he wasn’t resting. He coughed repeatedly and tossed about. Jacob kept wiping his forehead with the cool cloth Patrick had told him to use when he heard a car pull in his driveway. Jacob closed his eyes in relief, then rushed downstairs to meet Patrick.
Patrick smiled reassuringly as he got out of the car. “I don’t see you for two years, then twice in two days.”
Jacob had to physically stop himself from dragging Patrick into the kitchen. “Thank you for coming.” He had a million things he wanted to say, but that seemed a good start.
“Where is he?”
“Upstairs,” Jacob said and jogged up the stairs, Patrick following him. He walked into Lucas’s room, and Lucas was awake. He gaped when he saw Patrick and struggled to sit up. “Sir, I—”
“Hush, boy,” Patrick soothed immediately. “Let’s have a look and see what’s going on, shall we?” He gestured to Jacob. “Do you want to wait downstairs?” Jacob looked at Patrick as if he was talking some foreign language.
“Downstairs?” he repeated like he didn’t understand.
“It’s okay,” Lucas said. “I don’t mind Jacob staying.”
Patrick nodded and did a physical examination. “Well, Lucas, you’ve caught a nasty cold, and you have a low-grade fever. The cough is irritating, but not worrying. Rest, plenty of fluids, and you’ll be up and about in a couple of days.”