21. River

"River?" Skye said when River stumbled in the door from work the next day and immediately started turning off lights. "What's going on?"

River was holding his hand to his head and feeling along the wall with his other hand, trying to make his way into the kitchen for some Tylenol. Being on his anti-anxiety meds also meant he couldn't take ibuprofen or aspirin and his head was throbbing. It had started at work a few hours ago and had only gotten worse throughout the day and the drive home. Nausea coiled in his stomach and his head spun. The only thing he wanted was to take some medicine and lie down.

"River, you look awful," Skye said, appearing at his side. "What do you need?"

"Tylenol," River said, barely managing to get the words out, his eyes squinting as he gestured towards the kitchen cabinet.

"Go lay down," Skye said. "I'll bring it to you."

River didn't argue. He made his way to his room and collapsed onto the bed in the dark. He'd never had a headache of this magnitude before. The pain was so intense it was overwhelming. His whole head felt hot. The top of his head and his temples were throbbing, stabbing, like they were aching to get out. It felt like his skull was being crushed. He was having shooting pain in his ears, and his eyes were hurting. He was hoping that if he took some medicine and got some sleep this would all be over in the morning, nothing but a bad dream.

But when the alarm clock went off the next morning, the splitting migraine was still there, pounding against his skull again as soon as he was conscious. He tried to get up and get ready for work, hoping it would go away, but it didn't, and he decided he had better call in sick because there was no way he could make it through the day like this, let alone drive. He took more Tylenol and went back to bed, this time with an ice pack over his head to try and dull the pain that was radiating throughout his skull, setting it on fire.

When he awoke several hours later, the pain was still there, a pounding force against his head, like something living inside was screaming to get out. At this point he was wondering if he should be going to the ER, or Urgent Care at least, but he didn't feel well enough to get there and he certainly wasn't going to call Skye and ask him to come home from work for this. So he got up to use the bathroom, and then went back to bed, grabbing another ice pack, because that seemed to be the only thing providing him with any relief. The Tylenol wasn't helping at all, he was realizing. He was tempted to take ibuprofen. He'd done it before when he was desperate, feeling like the risk wasn't all that great and chances are he'd be fine, but Skye didn't approve and he hated to let him down. He knew he was only thinking of River's well being and safety when he asked him not to mix the meds.

He was feeling nauseous and hot and cold all at once as he lay there with his eyes closed, trying to block out every sound, the curtains in the bedroom drawn tight to keep the sun out. His eyes were hurting, his ears were throbbing, his head was pounding, and he realized he hadn't had anything to eat or drink all day other than the water he'd used to take his Tylenol, so that forced him to push himself up and out of bed, because maybe, just maybe being more hydrated would help.

He managed to get two full glasses of water down and then collapsed into bed once again, resting on his back, one ice pack at the base of his skull and the other draped over the front of his head, trying to get some relief from whatever this was. And he managed to doze off again.

He woke briefly at one point to gentle fingers stroking his jaw and a strong arm around his waist. "Skye," he murmured, nestling into the warm body behind him and dozing off again.

River almost cried when the morning came and his headache was still in full force. It hadn't started out that way. He'd felt like it was getting better as he'd gotten out of bed and started to get ready for work, but the more he moved around, the quicker it found its way back.

"River, are you okay?" Skye asked, noticing his boyfriend's distress as they ate their breakfast.

"No," River said in dismay. "I can't get rid of this damn headache, Skye. I don't know what's going on. I've never had a migraine like this in my life."

"Do you need me to take you to the doctor?" Skye asked.

"I don't know," River said, honestly. "I don't know what they would do for me. And I really don't want to waste the money. So, I guess not. Can you take me to work, though?"

"River, you can't be serious, you look like shit."

"I already called in sick yesterday. I can't take two days off in a row," River insisted. "Maybe it'll get better throughout the day. I have to try. Please?"

Skye sighed. "Okay."

But when he dropped River off at work thirty minutes later, River felt even worse, and when Skye texted him around four o'clock asking how he was doing, River replied, Not good :(, which was an understatement, because when Skye arrived at six o'clock to pick River up he practically had to carry him to the car. And when they got home ten minutes later River was shaking as they walked inside, holding onto Skye's arm to try and support himself because his eyes were hurting so badly he couldn"t keep them open, and it felt like someone was stabbing knives into the sides of his head and squeezing it in a vice all at the same time. He felt nauseated again, and his body was aching. And to top things off, his damn tailbone was hurting too.

River stood in the entryway, delirious, as Skye unbuttoned his coast and slid it off for him, taking his scarf and his gloves as well, and then in a moment, he was in Skye's arms, being carried to his bedroom and placed gently on the bed, as Skye slid his shoes off.

"Do you want dinner?" he heard his boyfriend ask.

"If I'm awake, maybe," he mumbled. "Ice pack?"

"What?" Skye asked, leaning closer.

"Ice pack," River repeated, pointing to his head. "For my head. Please. And, Skye, I'd like to try some ibuprofen. I can't do this anymore. I'd like to see if it will help."

"Okay," Skye said, reluctantly. He returned a moment later with the ice pack and the ibuprofen, along with a glass of water. He waited for River to swallow the medicine, then pressed a kiss to his hair and left the room.