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Pam withdrew her palm from the sleeping man's temple, a worried frown creasing her forehead. The skin below was warm, clammy and not what she hoped. Turning her hand over, she gently laid the back of it against his flushed cheek. Even despite the cool temperature of the house he was radiating heat like a smouldering log. She stood thoughtfully running her fingers over the back of his neck for any change in temperature there. He was warm, his hair damp with sweat.

Sighing, she turned, frowning at the mound of ragged tissues and the half emptied water glasses standing on the night table. Twisting her lips together tightly Pam crossed the room in four gentle steps and plucked up the small waste-basket from the corner. She approached the night table with a grimace and, holding the waste bin down low, she slid the mess from the tabletop into the bin. As she gathered up the glasses, she glanced down at Jim again, worry steadily prickling within her. Not just that he was sick, but just how quickly he had gotten sick. She picked up his hand, and almost immediately hot fingers curled sleepily around her own. Not wanting to wake him up, she carefully tucked his hand back under his blanket, smoothing down the covers before heading downstairs to empty the water glasses.

On her way down she could hear the familiar screeching ring of her cell phone from the living room - she still hadn't bothered with changing the ringtone on it to something less obnoxious – and hurried towards her purse which was lying sideways on the couch. She rushed forward, forgetting in her haste the still half full glasses she was carrying. Tepid water sloshed over the edges of the two in her right hand, splattering large droplets over the carpet and darkening the front of her shirt.

"Crap." she muttered vexedly, trying vainly to hold on to the glasses. However the spilled water had made the glass slippery to the touch and before her brain could register the sound, the carpet was sparkling with clear shards, the colourless liquid sinking into the floor around them.

Pam flinched as a sudden chill flew inside her at the crashing noise the glass had made. A loud sound in a quiet house, it sounded – to her – as loud as a sudden backfire in the middle of the night, a startling as a heavy door slammed shut in a fit of temper. She stood still, rooted to the spot in shock. Blue sparks of anxiety set alight in her abdomen, flowing upwards fiery hot into her chest. She grew stiff, frightened. Oxygen, there was not enough oxygen in the room, she was going to suffocate. Then, helpless with mounting terror, the wall opposite her melted, shifting into swirling pastels and dizzying whirlpools.

Crack.

Long ago sounds of breaking china, skin striking skin replayed through her mind. Plates hurled full throttle into walls, a crystal vase slapped out of her hand, shattering dramatically over the hard kitchen floor. Dull roses of blood congealing in carpets. Skin striking skin.

She closed her eyes slowly, pulling in a long breath through her nose. She released it slowly, working towards getting herself under control. The house was silent; no telltale angry creaking from the floorboards that an enraged man was coming to remind her not to wake him up, not to be such a dumb bitch.

She listened intently, her breath slowing down. No indication she had woken Jim up with her clumsiness. No, Jim would not call her a dumb bitch, no he would not come and yell at– hurt – her.

Steadily she prodded herself to move around the mess she had made, sitting herself down shakily on the couch. The room was coming back into focus. She settled her elbows on her knees, helplessly putting her face in her hands.

She remembered her phone. It had rung; that was what had made her drop the glasses, made her forget how clumsy – stupid – she was. Snatching it out of her bag with a heavily shaking hand, she swiped the screen to find out who had been trying to call her. Releasing the tension in her shoulders in relief she didn't hesitate before tapping redial.

"Pammy!"

Pam closed her eyes again, leaning forward, elbows still on her knees. Her mom's familiar voice flowed into her like soothing balm.

"Hi, Mom." Pam said, attempting to force a calm, quiverless tone.

"How are you doing? I was hoping I'd catch you on your break." Helene said brightly.

"Well, you did."

"You okay?"

Pam paused. "Yeah…. I just br…. Doesn't matter. How's dad?"

"The old man is out the back on a stationary bike. A bike. You can imagine it can't you?" Helene laughed. Silence followed. "Pammy? I thought that would get a laugh out of you."

Pam shivered, feeling cold and sweaty. "Sorry, I just spaced there for a minute. What?"

"What's wrong? You okay?" Helene asked again.

"Yeah." Pam said quickly. She heard a heavy intake of breath from her mom. "I'm just tired. Busy week, not used to it all anymore."

"Sure? Well, you know – your dad and I actually were talking, we want to talk to you about something. I was thinking about driving over for when you get out of work?"

"Oh, uh…" Pam stuttered, wondering what her parents wanted to talk to her about. Nothing came to mind. "Uh.. okay.. is it important?"

"Yeah, kind of. Nothing to worry about, I promise."

"Oh… okay… yeah. I'm actually at Jim's and I'll probably be here after work so-"

Helene giggled softly. "Already, Pammy? Things are going that well?"

Pam sighed. "No, mom, not like that. I mean Jim's got.. uh.. I… he's got flu."

"Oh."

"Don't sound so disappointed, mom." Pam caught sight of the glass twinkling in the carpet, like a big red flag of her stupidity. She glanced at the time.

"Don't be like that Pammy." Helene gently rebuked. "I was happy for you, that's all. Are you looking after him?"

"Yeah." Pam said, trying to remember where the dustpan was kept. "Not very well though. How high should his temperature be before I need to call the Doctor?"

"He's got a fever? Umm normally above a hundred, like one oh five is really high. Or if he has any rashes or bad headaches as well. Make sure he takes some tylenol and lots and lots of water."

Pam winced at the reminder, eyeing the sodden carpet, glass glinting in the middle of it like icicles.

"Okay mom."

"I always called the Dr if one of you had a fever for more than a few days." Helene added.

"Thanks mom."

"Things are going okay with you?" Helene persisted.

"Yeah, mom, don't worry. Things are great." Pam rubbed her head tiredly. "With Jim, I mean. He's really good to me."

"Happy to hear it, not that I'm surprised. He obviously cares a lot about you."

"Well, I guess if you wanted to come here it would be okay…" Pam said slowly. "I should be going. My lunch break is almost over and I just wanted make sure he's got some soup or something."

"Put it in a thermos to keep it warm and leave it beside him," Helene advised.

"Yeah, I will. Thanks again mom. I gotta go. I guess I'll see you tonight?"

"I'll talk to your dad about it. Love you, Pammy."

"Me too, Mom."

"Pam," Helene said after a moment. "You've not heard from Roy or his family have you?"

Pam shivered again, looked down at the broken glass. "No Mom, I haven't." she said softly, closing her eyes.

-TO-

She was settled back behind her desk again for the afternoon. Jim had woken up just long enough to display his delight at finding her still there, sleepily allowing her to again check his fever. She had left him with soup as her Mom had suggested, in a warm flask on his night table and some tylenol and fresh water. He was still flushed and warm to the touch, flinching back when Pam had bent down to leave him with a quick kiss on his cheek.

"You don't want this too…" he coughed.

She had settled for brushing his hair back affectionately instead, a little of her good humor returning. He seemed to have that effect on her.

It was still raining out. Had she remembered to close the window in Jim's bathroom ? He would freeze. Shaking her head, she thought it was just her day for doing stupid things. It would be just like her to go out of her way to look after him and then do something idiotic like leaving a draughty window open and giving him another chill.

Her mind pulled back to the broken glasses. She had simply swept them up and thrown out the pieces, vacuuming the floor as quietly as she could.

She would replace the glasses on the way home. He probably wouldn't even notice anyway.

"Where's Jim?" Michael came out of his office.

"He's out sick. He's weak." Dwight said, not looking away from his screen.

"Oh right.. woah…. that's inconsiderate….yes. He is out sick. I knew that. I'm glad you knew it too. Important to know where we all are…. Okay… now I gotta find a new wingman…" he muttered distastefully to himself, hands in his pockets.

"Okay….. where's Ryan?" Michael said. "Get me Ryan."

"The temp's up at corporate now." said Kevin.

"Traitor." Dwight added.

"Damn… damn… damn… double damn…" Michael mumbled. "alright Pam, what kind of sick is Jim?" he said, leaning on the reception desk, eyebrows raised upwards.

"Uh—"

"Like is it a level one, level two? Three? Nothing that he couldn't put on hold for tonight?"

Pam stared at him, her mouth half open. "Uh.. no- what's going on Michael?"

Michael leaned closer to her. "Here's the deal… Jan and I are having dinner with her parents tonight… and due to an unfortunate incident the last time we had dinner I just thought I would bring along a wingman.. to, you know… give me a heads up if Jan's mother tries anything… "

"Michael, I thought you tried to kiss her?" Oscar said, leaning back in his chair.

"It was a moment!" Michael said defensively. "It's just my appeal to the ladies, it's overpowering. Even elderly ladies, like Jan's mother. That's why I need Jim, otherwise it'll be like I'm trapped between a toilet and a wall and the only way out will be to kill one of them."

"Michael, calm down." Kevin said.

"He's pretty sick." Pam told him quietly.

"On a scale of…..?" Michael said. "Like- playing russian roulette with a fart kind of sick?"

"Too sick." she confirmed, looking at Michael innocently.

"Hmm. Being sick… that could w-"

"No, Michael." Pam shook her head.

"You know what. Get me Ryan. Tell him I need him tonight and that it's an emergency. Or Jim."

"Michael, you know that you can just not kiss Jan's mother, right?" Andy said, with no small amount of humor.

Michael knocked on the desk again. "Great. Fabulous. Thank you Andy McFly. Why don't we just hop in the delorean and make it so it never happened…. God. Tie my hands behind my back and kick me in the balls, why don't you?"

"I'm not doing anything tonight, Michael, if you need-"

Michael turned on Toby. "You know what? If I had an actual delorean the first thing I would do is stop off in the sixties and make sure your parents never meet!"

"Michael." Pam said. "Just don't kiss your girlfriend's mother. Easy. Okay?"

"Come on Pam. If you were sitting at dinner with Jim's dad and you were drinking and you thought he was going to kiss you, would you leave him hanging?"

Pam drew in a quick gasp, dropping her head to the stack of messages on her desk.

"Wait. Jim's dad?" Kevin said, confused.

"Oh my god you and Jim are dating?" Kelly appeared suddenly, squealing excitedly. Michael stared around the room in embarrassed horror before abruptly turning hurriedly towards his office.

"Oh, so you are seeing each other?" Karen said coldly, fixing Pam with a hostile glare. Pam blinked nervously and looked away. She could cheerfully throttle Michael at that moment. She really wished Jim were there. He was great at handling the Michael – factor earthquakes. As it was, she was left to face the not so subtle enquiries of all of their colleagues.

"I'm not surprised." Angela said, sitting down prudishly and not so subtly taking herself out of the from the conversation.

"Way to go, Big Tuna! Alright!" Andy cheered happily.

"You guys are together?" Phyllis was smiling widely.

"It's great news, Pam." Oscar said, genuinely. Pam rubbed her lips together, looking around at everyone nervously.

"I KNEW IT!" Kevin boasted, clapping his hands.

"Pam, Pam, Pam !" Kelly chanted. "How did it happen? I need details. Did Jim like just ask you out or was it more romantic? How long have you been together? Oh my god I've so many questions! Double date! Double date!"

Pam was unable to stop a smile from stretching across her face. This she had not expected. Not in the least. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

"We never saw you with Roy. He was no good for you." Phyllis added.

"We're very happy for you." Oscar said.

"I'm so happy I could cry." Kevin nudged Oscar lightly, looking at Pam.

Pam stood up. "Uh… thanks guys." she said, feeling overwhelmed and a little embarrassed. She stepped over to Michael's door, knowing he was probably feeling badly about outing her and Jim.

"Congratulations." The voice from behind shot over her with the force of a missile, icy cold, and hard as nails.

Opening Michael's door, Pam didn't turn back.

-TO-

"Only two degrees, but it has gone down." Pam said cheerfully. "Looks like you're going to make it, Halpert."

He was sitting up on the couch, still red and flushed, but slightly cooler to the touch and had a brightness to his eyes that hadn't been there that morning. Pam was happy to see his fever was breaking.

"I feel a little badly that you had to handle the press conference without me." he told her.

"Me too." Pam laughed. "It wasn't so bad really. Should have expected it, it is Michael after all."

"The onus was on us." Jim said.

"Totally on us."

"Seriously. You don't mind everyone knowing?" Jim coughed. "Because you know….."

Pam nodded. "Kind of blows the tape off the whole nothing official, no labels thing, doesn't it."

"Wasn't what I was going to say. I meant there's a whole other level of interference now."

"Oh. Oh yeah." she said thoughtfully. "Ah, screw 'em."

"That's the spirit, Beesly." Jim smiled warmly at her. "No one else matters. Nothing is changed, right? Still the way you want it, okay."

Pam returned the smile. How quickly things change, her emotions like a tornado – right then her earlier panic attack felt like it happened years ago. She slid over on the couch and settled next to him, leaning against his shoulder. Weakly he tried to caution her away, reiterating he was still contagious but she didn't care. His hot fingers slid over her hand, twining their fingers together.

"My parents should be here soon." Pam said absently.

They sat in silence, perfectly content with each others company. No words were needed. Jim's head had dropped onto her shoulder, his breathing steady and rhythmically peaceful. She smiled again, rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb, happy to let him continue to sleep against her. She wasn't going anywhere soon.


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