Seeing Noreen's brows knit together again, he quickly coaxed her, "I swear I'll leave the second you swallow that pill. No stalling."
As if afraid she would argue, he abruptly stood up, took the empty bowl, and walked out of the room.
The bedroom returned to a tranquil silence.
Yet the faint, woody scent of his cologne lingered in the air, stubbornly refusing to fade.
After getting some food in her stomach, regaining her energy, and sweating out the fever, her temperature finally returned to normal.
Seth walked in right on schedule, handing her the medication and watching closely until she swallowed it.
He checked her forehead one last time. Only when he was absolutely certain the fever was gone did he finally relax.
"Change your clothes before you go back to sleep since you sweat through them. Don't take a shower yet. Wait until the fever is entirely out of your system for good."
He rattled off a meticulous list of instructions.
"I left some chicken broth warming in the slow cooker. There are extra ingredients prepped in the crisper drawer if you get hungry later. The chopped green onions and cilantro are in there too. Throw some in right before you eat it; it tastes much better that way.
"I've also portioned out your meds for tomorrow. Take them at eight in the morning, and do not take them on an empty stomach—it'll wreck your stomach lining. If your cramps flare up again tomorrow, take a painkiller. If not, skip it."
He gave her a massive list of reminders, but Noreen didn't respond to a single one.
"I'm leaving now."
The woman in the bed remained completely silent for a long time before offering a barely audible "Mhm."
The corners of Seth's lips curved upward. He made sure to whisper a soft "Goodnight" before stepping out.
With a full stomach, her physical aches had lessened considerably.
Noreen pulled the covers over her head, her hazy thoughts drifting aimlessly as she surrendered to exhaustion.
Thankfully, she managed to sleep soundly.
When she woke up the next morning, the first thing she saw was the medicine Seth had left on her nightstand.
Assuming she might have forgotten his instructions from last night, he had even taken the time to stick a little post-it note on the box.
It strongly emphasized not taking the pills on an empty stomach.

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