In the middle of a dream in which he was running through a shopping mall full of little kids all calling for his attention, he began to hear coughing. The sound jolted him to the core, causing him to jerk. The dream shattered and her jolted from sleep with a gasp. The book clattered to the floor and he looked at her. Tears streamed from her eyes, her face pulled into a grimmace of pain as she coughed. Leaping to his feet, he rubbed his eyes as she rushed into the kitchen to fetch the glass of juice he'd left in the ice box to chill. He'd mixed the juice with a tea of his own brew, using soothing herbs to help her relax and dull the pain. It would be a mild effect, but it would act quickly. He carried the glass, and also a small bottle of pain pills he'd found and rushed to her side. With a gentle, almost loving hand and an obviously practiced bed-side manner, he leaned over her. His hand slid easily behind her neck and h helped her sit up enough to drink, tipping the glass to her lips just enough to give her small sips.<br/><br/>"Shh... there now... easy does it..." He continued giving her a sip at a time, "Just breathe and swallow. Your coughing is half nerves, dear. Just relax. That's it..."