Chapter 9
Standing up painfully from your bed to pull out another tissue from the box, you blew your nose for what was probably the fifth time in the last 10 minutes. Your head was aching, your throat so irritated you sounded like a sixty yeasr old man who had had too much to smoke and your fever had you feeling like you were boiling inside. So there you were, barely standing in the middle of your room, your whole body hurting as you blew with all your might your stuffed nose. Suddenly, the door burst open which probably would have made you jump if you weren’t in such a weak state.
“CAN YOU STOP MAKING THIS NOISE? I’M TRYING TO WORK!” the blue woman yelled, her hand still on the knob. You were so tired your barely looked at her.
“I’m sick, you asshole..” you said with a broken voice as you wiped your nose with the back of your hand. You then thought that being part cyborg, she wouldn't understand the concept of having to blow your nose. She didn’t reply and stood still, taking a second to take in your posture. You didn’t have enough energy to try and figure out what she was thinking. Before you knew it, she strode your way and without any warning, quickly picked you up, carrying you like a sack of potatoes. You hit her back repeatedly with your small fists.
“PUT ME DOWN!” you whined. She didn’t bother answering you. As she arrived to your bed, she dropped you on it.
“What are you doin-” you protested but were cut off by her hand touching your forehead.
“You’re burning.” she stated.
“Yeah no shit, Sherlock!”
Not moving her hand, she stopped her diagnosis to give you a side eye.
“Sorry, Terran joke…” you pouted.
She moved her hand to the side of your neck to check your heartbeat but you slapped her hand away. You hated being sick and, worse than that, you hated admitting you were sick.
“Have you taken your medicine?” she asked so seriously you felt like you were at the doctor’s.
“I don’t need any.”
She sighed, standing up and making her way to the door, disappearing as she turned right into the corridor.
Sighing, you closed your eyes being finally able to rest, to open them wide at the sound of the footsteps coming back in side your room.
You brutally turned your head towards the door to see Nebula striding in again, but this time her arms full of boxes and a glass. She dropped all the boxes on you, put the glass of water in your hand so quickly you didn’t even have time to protest, and sat on the edge of your bed. She opened one of the box and you tried to move slightly to get a better look at what she was doing, grunting at the sudden pain that the movement caused. She took out to pills that she kept in her palm and finally looked at you.
“Open your mouth.” she commanded.
“No!” you objected, still convinced that you and your antibodies could heal without any medication.
“Don’t make me open it for you.” she threatened.
You started crawling away from her but the sudden headache came back strong, making you gasp in pain. Then, she seized her opportunity and brought her other hand to your jaw, pressing the sides so you would open wider. You tried debating yourself but damn, she was strong. She dropped the two pills into your mouth and took the glass from your hand to pour the water in your mouth herself, then closing it.
“Swallow.”
“Hm hm.” you shook your head from head to right with a frown.
“Fine, if you wanna play it this way.”
Removing her right hand from your mouth, she used the other one to hold your nose, making you no longer able to breath except if you swallowed the pills to breath through your mouth. Your eyes widened at how clever and cruel she could be at the same time. You tried holding your breath as long as you could, reading to not give in, but your head was starting to spin because of the lack of oxygen. You grunted in frustration and swallowed the pills, gasping for air once your mouth was empty.
“See? It wasn’t so hard.” Nebula said smugly, not even holding back her grin.
“That was so mean! Are you trying to kill me or something?!” you yelled.
“I wouldn’t have to go this far if you weren’t so stubborn.”
You knew she right so you didn’t answer and just gave her the death stare.
“Alright, those were the pills for your headaches, now you need to take these to lower your fever.” she said picking up another box.
“Uh uh! No way! One thing at a time.”
“...Fine.” she had already forced you to take the first ones, she figured she could give you a break.
Your eyes starting to feel heavy again, you yawned.
“Are you tired?” she asked, still sitting next to your weak figure.
“Exhausted…” you answered, your eyes starting to close.
She took the covers next to you and unfolded them to tuck you in. You rolled to the side, your eyes now fully closed and your headache starting to finally go away.
“Neb…?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you…” you mumbled, drifting off to sleep.
Looking at your innocent sleeping face, she allowed herself to smile. A genuine smile.
She extended her hand to take a strand of hair that was falling on your face to tuck it behind your ear when the door of your bed room opened.
“Oh, hi Nebula!” Mantis happily said as she noticed the other woman.
“Shhh!” Nebula shushed her so she wouldn’t wake you up.
“Oh, sorry,” she said now lowering her voice “I just wanted to bring y/n some tea, Peter told me she was sick-”
“Out!” Nebula whisper-shouted at her.
Mantis stood there with a cup of tea in her hand, wondering what she had done wrong.
“Are you deaf? I already have everything under control. Now get out.” she ordered through gritted teeth.
And with that Mantis left, closing the door behind her. Nebula got up from your bed and went to grab a book, then pulled out a chair that she placed next to you, and sat with the book she then started to read. Until the end of the day, she stayed at your side to make sure your sleep was undisturbed. And indeed, it was the best sleep you had had in years.