Misery Line 3

[snuffle-bunny]

Misery Line

Part Three

It seemed to Alan that he cried for hours, sobbing against Ruth as she held him but it was only a matter of minutes before he quietened and lay snuffling in Ruth’s arms, too drained to be embarrassed. With a kind of wonder he realised that she hadn’t turned away from him even then but had actually encouraged him to cry all over her!

Ruth let him remain quiet for a minute longer, and then she looked down at him and stroked strands of damp hair away from his face.

“All done?”

He nodded, not trusting his voice; he knew if he spoke now he’d sound even more bunged up than before.

“Let’s dry your eyes then, sweetie, and see if we can’t get your poor nose unblocked for you.” As she spoke, she pulled a lace-edged handkerchief from her sleeve and began to wipe the tears from Alan’s flushed cheeks. When they were dried, she mopped very carefully at his eyes, catching the tears that still glistened in his lashes. Only then did she fold the handkerchief tenderly round his nose and push one side of it shut.

“I know how difficult it is, but try to do a nose-blow for me, sweetie. Deep breath.”

He took as deep a breath as he could, overcome at the way she was treating him.

“And blow!”

He blew, clearing his nose a little bit but tickling it at the same time. He tried his best to warn her but before he could stop himself, he sneezed, messily, right into the hanky.

“Ruth, I’b goidg to…to…H’CHHHMMMPHHH!”

“Bless you! That was a big sneeze.” She didn’t bat an eyelid, just continued to hold the hanky to his nose, as if she knew that he had to sneeze again…which he promptly did.

“H’H’CHHHMMMPH!” As soon as the second one was out, the tickle died away and for a moment they were both still; Ruth waiting to see if Alan would sneeze again and Alan getting his breath back and thinking how strange it felt to sneeze into a hanky held by someone else.

“And bless you again! Goodness, Alan, I think you might have the flu! You should be in bed. Come on, blow your poor nose.” She wiped again at his nose then pushed each side shut in turn while Alan closed his eyes, leaned forward slightly and blew his nose as hard as he could. The sneezing had helped; this time he filled the hanky almost instantly. Ruth refolded it for him and with her gentle encouragement he blew wetly enough to fill that side of it too.

On the third try, he honked loudly into her hand and gave an audible sigh of relief as he lifted his head.

“Ooh, that feels better.”

“You poor dear, I’m not surprised,” Ruth told him. “What a stuffy nose! Can you breathe easier through it?”

He snuffled in tentatively, and nodded. “Yes, much easier.” He really could , and he looked at her almost shyly. “Thank you, Ruth.”

Ruth smiled at him. “Let’s get you into bed. I’m sure you have a temperature.” She laid her hand against his forehead and Alan realised she was right. Her hand felt deliciously cool and he closed his eyes in relief.

“Come on,” she said, getting up and helping Alan to his feet. She had to hold onto him as he was ill enough to be wobbly. Ruth got him upstairs and into the bedroom with no problem but as she helped him into bed and propped him up with pillows, she caught sight of his expression. He looked very puzzled.

“What is it, Alan?”

“Why are you doing this?” he asked, then bent forwards suddenly and cupped both hands over his nose and mouth to catch a huge sneeze. “A-a-atishoo!”

“Bless you! Doing what? Looking after you?”

He nodded, his hands still cupped to his face and his eyes closed.

“Because you so obviously need it. You’ve got a fever, you’re sneezing constantly and you can hardly breathe. You’re ill and there’s no-one else looking after you…”

Alan looked up when she paused and saw she was blushing!

“There is no-one else,” he said quietly. “I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“That’s what Mike told me…and you looked so uncomfortable the other morning, I couldn’t help following you. I just wanted to help you feel better…”

She was still blushing and for the first time looked really shy. Alan longed to tell her not to be embarrassed but he wasn’t sure what to say. At that moment his nose itched.

“My nose still tickles, Ruth. Please, would you blow it for me before I sneeze again?”

Instantly she stopped looking shy and reached to pull a tissue from the box on the bedside table.

“Of course, sweetie.” She put an arm around his shoulders and cuddled him to her so that his cheek lay against her breast. “Now, you take a deep breath and have a blow.”

He inhaled, and felt her hold the tissue over his itching nose. This time he blew gently and slowly, making the tissue flutter, until he was clear and the tickle had gone.

“There,” she said, wiping his nose as he finished. Ruth didn’t take her arm from around his shoulders at once but continued to hold him. Alan cautiously leaned his head against her breast, expecting her to push him away as his last girlfriend had done, but on the contrary, she cuddled him more tightly as she felt him relaxing.

“Are you comfy, Alan?” she murmured.

“Yes,” he replied, then he gathered his courage. “This is…lovely, Ruth. My head aches so much, but this is helping.”

The next thing he knew was that Ruth’s hand was caressing his cheek, stroking there before passing gently over his forehead. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax properly against her for a few moments, but he opened his eyes in amazement as he heard what she said next.

“Oh, Alan,” she murmured under her breath, “you shouldn’t be alone when you feel like this. I can’t leave you; may I stay with you tonight?”

[count tiszula]

Excellent stuff! Lots of lovely lines, too. Something for everyone!

Did the first part temporarily reappear? Or did I just imagine it?

[Guest Corso]

Great story what happened to Misery Line 2?

I remember reading number 1.

Happy New year.

corso.

p.s. any news on Part 4?