A Theatrical Performance Of An Intimate Moment

Part 10

Brittany suffers through the worst flu of her life in January. After the excitement of touring the US, playing shows of her own, Christmas and New Year, her body gives out. Every muscle aches and her hands shake with exertion every time she moves. A headache that doesn't quit makes her feel constantly nauseous, the back of her skull throbbing every moment.

All she wants to do is sit in bed or cuddle up to Matty on the couch and watch movies. He's more than happy to comply, pulling her close and passing her water glass when she's thirsty. Though he knows she's getting worse when she doesn't quote the "Dinosaurs eat Man, Woman inherits the Earth" scene along with Ellie Sattler during Jurassic Park.

He's nearly hysterical when he finds her on the shower floor after she'd been in the bathroom for too long, the steam overflowing into their bedroom, and Mayhem barking excessively. The heat makes her body feel better but dehydrates her, making her faint. Turning off the water, he pulls her out of the shower, wrapping a towel around her before carrying her back to bed.

He won't leave her alone after this. He carries her down the stairs when she wants to sit in the garden with the dogs, covering her with a blanket, pulling his sweater from his shoulders, and pulling it over her head instead. He won't even let her get a cup of tea herself. After he didn't let her reach across the couch for the remote, rushing from the kitchen and yelling that he'd get it, she'd snapped.

"Matty, seriously, fuck off. Go and see George or something. You're driving me fucking insane! Just leave me alone!"

He is silent, standing there looking heartbroken before grabbing his keys and leaving the house without saying goodbye, taking Allen with him. After changing the channel, refilling her water glass, and attempting to make something to eat, she was exhausted. Looking at the staircase leading upstairs to their bedroom, they felt impossible to climb, the aches in her muscles settling in and the dizziness creeping behind her eyes with each step.

She wakes the next morning to a mug being placed on her bedside table and Matty brushing the hair off her face, feeling her forehead to check her temperature. She didn't hear him come home last night and wasn't sure if he actually did. Opening her eyes when the bed dips beside her, she can see he's changed his clothes. He's wearing one of his old t-shirts and a pair of grey tracksuit bottoms as he sits beside her on the bed.

"I didn't like how you spoke to me last night."

He's quiet but serious. She thought he'd make a joke about how she took too much cold and flu medicine and was acting crazy the night before.

"It made me feel like shit because I'm just trying to help. I've been really worried about you."

She feels totally uncomfortable with his sincerity. There's normally an underlying current of satire to his words, but not today. She apologizes quietly, and he nods, leaving the room.

~~~

After being sick, Britt's weight drops again, and they have the worst argument she thinks they've ever had because of it. He makes an offhand comment about how she feels like a bag of bones when she cuddles up to him, and he thinks he's being funny. She doesn't feel the same.

They both scream at each other until her voice is hoarse, standing at opposite sides of the room. He yells that he doesn't want to see what she looked like when she came home from LA - the photos of her coming out of the clubs were enough.

"It's nice to know that you cared! I must have missed all of your calls!"

"You were too busy posting on Instagram and ignoring everyone. I didn't think you'd have the time to talk to me," he spits at her.

She throws the TV remote at him, missing his head by an inch. It hits the wall hard, the batteries spewing out of it when it hits the floor, and he glares at her. Allen and Mayhem are barking at each other, picking sides in the argument. Matty takes his keys and exits through the garage door wordlessly, slamming it behind him. She thinks they're falling apart all over again.