Chapter 249 When Things Happen Unexpectedly
“Darling, you’re burning up. Do you have a fever?”
On a Monday morning, Teresa half-awoke to the sensation of her man beside her, radiating heat like a furnace, causing her own body to grow warm.
Slowly opening her eyes and tilting her head back, she saw him still deep in sleep, his arms securely around her. She reached out and placed her hand on his forehead.
Feeling Gabriel’s forehead, then her own, Teresa realized his temperature was noticeably higher.
But something didn’t quite add up. If Gabriel had a fever, why was he sweating profusely?
“Babe,” a voice murmured. Stirring awake, Gabriel opened his eyes and saw the worry in his wife’s gaze. He kissed her forehead, shifted their positions slightly, and whispered soothingly, “I’m fine. It’s early. Let’s sleep some more.”
“But you’re so hot and sweating a lot. Are you sure you’re not feeling unwell?” Teresa asked him, her sleepiness vanishing as her eyebrows drew together in concern.
Gabriel hadn’t been exposed to any harsh weather or cold meals in the past few days. They’d been eating together regularly. Could it be that he caught a chill during yesterday’s rain without her noticing?
Yet, even in the dead of winter, their house maintained a constant temperature. It didn’t make sense for Gabriel to be sweating so much because Teresa didn’t feel hot.
“No discomfort at all, sweetheart. I’m fine. Let’s go back to sleep.” Saying this, Gabriel gently guided her head into the crook of his neck with his large palm and kissed her forehead again, trying to slip back into slumber.
Teresa, however, couldn’t think of sleep. She turned, intending to get out of bed.
“Where are you going?” Gabriel, however, sensed her movement and woke up, grabbing her to prevent her from leaving.
“Darling, your temperature seems really off. I’m going to get a thermometer and check,” Teresa insisted, concerned, and tried once more to get out of bed.
“Babe, I assure you. There’s nothing wrong,” Gabriel said, still not letting go.
“Gabriel, why are you being so stubborn? It’s just taking a temperature. Are you going to let me check or not?” Teresa, frustrated, glared at him and raised her voice.
“...” Gabriel looked as innocent as a wounded little munchkin, nodding hastily, “All right, sweetheart, checking right now.”
Teresa shot him a sharp glance before wriggling free from his grasp and getting out of bed to search for the first aid kit.
Watching her, Gabriel couldn’t possibly fall back asleep. He rolled out of bed, wrapped himself in his robe, then grabbed Teresa’s and draped it around her.
After she was cozily robbed, Teresa continued her search for the first aid kit.
Having moved to Foxglove Fields not long ago, she had never used the kit and couldn’t remember where it was placed.
“Darling, where did we put the kit?” After a fruitless search, Teresa called out to Gabriel.
Gabriel stood with his arms folded, leaning against a nearby cabinet, watching her with amusement. Then, as she waited expectantly, he bent down to open the cabinet behind him and pulled out the first aid kit.
To Gabriel, the kit wasn’t that big of a deal. But now, with a wife and a son to consider, he knew it was essential to be prepared.
So, he had the housekeeper stock first aid kits upstairs and downstairs, and he clearly remembered where they were placed.
“Gabriel, you’re becoming more annoying by the day. You knew exactly where the first aid kit was, but let me turn everything upside down looking for it,” Teresa chided him again, striding quickly to snatch the kit from his hands. She opened it and grabbed the thermometer.
Just as Teresa was about to take his temperature, Gabriel wrapped his arms around her, his laugh more devilish than ever, “Sweetie, you have no idea how adorable you looked, rummaging through everything in search of this.”
Teresa glared at him speechlessly, grabbed his wrist, and pressed the thermometer to the vein...
100.94 degrees Fahrenheit.
“Oh my, 100.94 degrees.” Teresa’s anxiety spiked immediately.
Gabriel frowned. “This thermometer must be broken.”
With that, he took the thermometer and tried again.
Still 100.94 degrees Fahrenheit.
“It’s probably broken because we haven’t used it in so long,” Gabriel casually tossed the thermometer back into the kit.
“It’s not broken. You’re running a fever,” Teresa said, frantic with worry, as she pushed him towards the walk-in closet. “Hurry up, get dressed. We’re heading to the hospital now.”
“Sweetheart, I’m really fine. I don’t feel sick,” Gabriel reassured her as he hugged her, feeling blissful to see her so concerned about him.
“Zip it. You have a fever. It’s almost a high grade. You need to see the doctor,” Teresa scolded, her gaze stern.
“It’s cool, don’t worry about it. A couple of aspirin, and I’ll be fine,” Gabriel relented, noting her worried look.
“Are you going or not?” Teresa pressed, her eyes now glistening with the threat of tears.
“All right, off to see the doc, just for you, sweetheart,” Gabriel conceded with a chuckle, bending down to kiss her forehead and the tip of her nose. “We don’t need to head to the hospital, though. Don’t you have a lecture at nine? I’ll just have our family physician make a house call.”
Gabriel’s robust health had always been a point of pride. He scarcely needed hospital visits and wasn’t fond of them.
The Garcias had one of River North’s finest family physicians. Considering Gabriel’s suggestion, Teresa eventually nodded in agreement. “Fine, let’s have the doctor come here. We’ll see what they say, but you have to listen to them, no matter what.”
“Deal, I’ll listen to you, sweetheart.”
Rolling her eyes at his playful demeanor, Teresa quickly grabbed her phone to call their physician.
After explaining the situation, the doctor said they’d be there in about forty minutes.
The call ended, and the two went to freshen up together.
