"Okay... yeah, no problem..."

...Brief pause....

"What? Oh... Yeah, I'll be sure to do that too. Anything else? No? Okay... bye."

"Dammit!"

I harshly set the phone down on its holder and muttered a few choice words under my breath. My boss could be the biggest thorn in my side when she wanted to. 'Head nurse ratchet' we all called her (behind her back of course). The name fit.

My co-nurse and cohort Janie stood beside me at our nursing station, sipping on a soda and leaning against the counter in her best 'laid back Janie fashion'. Was she laughing? Really? I glanced over again... yep she was really laughing at me.

I shot her a dirty look. The "if looks could kill" kinda look.

"UGH! Nurse ratchet gets on my ever-lovin' last nerve," I hissed at her as she shook her head at me and continued to giggle almost uncontrollably now.

"What'd she do this time?" She finally asked as her giggles turned into short breathy bursts of sighs.

"Oh, just everything in her power to keep me at work as long as humanly possible this evening. I swear I think she'd assign me to give Jason Wells a third spongebath just to keep me on this damn floor all night long."

"Well now..." Janie winked at me, "Jason Wells probably requested that spongebath himself... but what is it she wants you to do?"

I rolled my eyes at her.

"She wants me to stay and run rounds with all the overflow nurses... on my first wedding anniversary of all days! She has no heart!" I sighed and flopped down in my desk chair fiddling with the stethescope around my neck. I loved my job but this was becoming a routine thing -- let's see how late we can make nurse Emily for anything she has to do after every 10 hour shift she works! Who cares that she hasn't slept in two straight days!

It was getting downright annoying.

"You know I'd stay for you if I could Em, but I'm here til long after you're scheduled to leave." Janie smiled down at me and I nodded. I knew she would too. I loved that girl.

"Thanks chick, I'm sure you would... I guess it looks like I'll just have to deal with it."

I sat there for a couple more minutes in silence, stewing over how unfair the world could be. I finally shook it off and picked up the phone, "Well I'd better at least call Nick and tell him I'll be late. He's probably going to strangle me."

"Oh yeah..." Janie said watching me dial the numbers, "What major plans did you two have for your anniversary?"

I looked at my watch, he should be home by now why wasn't he answering?

"Umm.... yeah, I'm not even sure but I told him nothing too fancy..."

"Hewo?"

Finally.

"Nick, babe is that you?"

"Yeah... it's be." He sounded strange.

"What's going on hun? You sound funny." I asked even though I already knew the answer.

"I'b sick." He said it in the most pathetic voice he could possibly muster. From the sound of things he wasn't sick... no... he was dying.

"Oh, I'm sorry baby." I sighed as my pager went off. I leaned down to push the button... nothing important. "It's probably just what I had last week. Drink some OJ and take some Delsym okay. I'm gonna be a little late tonight, but I'll be there as soon as I can."

Why was I talking to him like I talked to my 10 year old patients? I made a mental note to myself... stop doing that.

"I don' think it's what you had Em... this is buch worse." I rolled my eyes. It was always worse for men. I knew this.

He coughed loudly in my ear... for emphasis I suppose.

"I don't think so Nick. I think it's the same thing I had, and you'll live, just like I did. Just get some rest."

"I think it's that flu where it's gets buch worse with each person... ya know that one?"

I rolled my eyes again. Was he really arguing with a nurse?

"Nick honey, the flu does not get worse with each person. In fact, it gets better. If it got worse we'd all die from it. Now get some rest and I'll be home soon."

I tried hard not to sound irritated.

"I love you." I quickly added before he had a chance to hang up.

"I lub you too."

I hung up the phone and looked over at Janie. Was she seriously laughing at me again? Yes. Damn her. "Stop laughing at me."

She continued to laugh anyway. "I'm not laughing at you... I'm... well yeah I am." She continued to laugh. "I'm betting he's sick?"

"Whatever gave you that idea!?" I rolled my eyes at her but this time I laughed too.

"Eric is the same way. It's always much worse for him than for anyone else in the world."

We both had a good chuckle over that one. Men... so overly dramatic.

"This is going to be one fun anniversary!"

I slipped my shoes and jacket off and tossed them into the hall closet. I shivered as I stopped at the thermostat by the kitchen... 67 degrees? What fresh hell was this?? I liked a sweatbox... Nick liked an icebox, we battled over the temperature constantly. I turned it to 75 -- a happy medium. I hurried up the steps to our bedroom eager to take a shower and shed my scrubs. After a long shift in the hospital, I always looked forward to coming home and slipping into sweats, lounging around the house and eating ice cream. It was just my thing. I shivered again... minus the ice cream tonight... maybe hot chocolate this time.

I gasped when I saw them sitting there on the table in the hallway. A huge vase of beautiful pink roses. I walked over and smelled them, inhaling deeply the scent I so loved. I touched them... the silky softnest felt good against my dry, cracked, winter-in-the-hospital hands. I slid the card out of its holder and opened the envelope carefully.

Emily;

I wanted this to be a special day for you... for me... for us. I'm sorry that I'm sick and that this isn't going to be the wonderful evening I had planned. I wanted you to know that I love you more everyday of our lives together.

You complete me Em.

Nick

P.S. I realize everyday with you is special even if it's not the way we planned.

I wiped the tears from my eyes and tucked the note into my pocket. He was right, I was sure we'd make it special somehow. Such a sweetheart.

I walked towards our room, stopping at the door before entering. It was cracked a bit so I peeked in. He was sprawled out -- taking up the entire bed -- not unlike usual. There was a bottle of medicine and a cup of orange juice sitting on the bedside stand. I smiled... at least he'd listened to my instructions for once. There was a trashcan on the floor which clearly he'd ignored because it looked as if our room had thrown up tissues in every direction. There were tissues on the bed, the floor, the table and most importantly there was that one he always kept rolled up and stuck carefully in his right nostril when he had a cold. I'd never understood the reasoning behind it... but I found it particularly adorable.

I couldn't help but smile at him. He was beautiful... even sick. I loved everything about him. I loved the way his hair matted to his head in a sweaty mess. The way his mouth hung open as he snored quietly. The way his one arm dangled over the side of the bed and allowed his fingertips to gently brush the floor. The way he crossed his feet whenever he slept on his stomach. Everything about him lying there in that bed... I loved.

In sickness or in health, he took my breath away.

I set my bag down and started cleaning up the tissues. It was a nasty job, but someone had to do it. I stopped as I snatched a kleenex from aside his head and leaned in to sneak a quick kiss on his forehead. I stood back and marveled at the sight of him, rosy cheeks shining brightly in the sunlight from the window. Feverish for certain.

He stirred a bit and then opened his eyes, blinking quickly and looking up at me with a smile.

I smiled down at him and touched his warm cheeks with my fingertips.

"Sorry sweetheart... I didn't mean to wake you up."

"S'okay..." He said as he stretched and coughed a wet rattling cough deep from within his chest. He did sound horrible.

He sat up in bed, leaning tiredly against the headboard and took in the room that I'd just straightened. He pulled me down onto the bed beside him and held my hand in his.

"You didn't have to clean all that ub."

I sighed at him and removed the tissue from his nose. I couldn't talk to him when he looked like that. I could hardly even look at him without laughing.

"Um... yeah I did." I said taking the kleenex he'd just blown his nose on and was about to toss onto the floor in my hand and throwing it away myself. "We aren't kids anymore Nick, stop making such a mess."

He rolled his eyes and pulled me down closer on the bed giving me a kiss on the cheek. I leaned in and kissed him on the lips. He pulled away quickly. "I don't want you to get sick hon."

I smiled and sighed.

"I'm fine baby... I already had it." I leaned down and kissed him again. This time he let me. It was a sweet and simple kiss. Not too short, or too long. Not too romantic, but just enough. No tongue action, no real chance to swap germs. I pulled back. It was perfect.

"Happy anniversary," He sniffed reaching over me to grab another kleenex from the box on the nightstand. "I'm sorry we can't go out."

I stood up and rubbed his cheek with my hand. "Really, it's okay Nick. I'm happy just being here with you."

He smiled and nodded as he tossed the kleenex off the bed and onto the floor again.

I picked it up from the floor and gave him a stern look. "Trashcan Nick. Trashcan."

He laughed at me... I didn't laugh back. I hoped he took the hint.

"I'm going to go take a shower Nick. When I get out if there are kleenex all over this floor, so help me..." I gave him a look that said, "Don't mess with me boy!" and tossed the kleenex into the trashcan myself.

"Can I join you?" He asked sitting weakly up onto the bed.

I stared at at the bathroom door for a moment. This was my ritual... home after a long shift and straight into the shower where I would stand and allow the water to wash over me, erasing all of the days doubts, fears, worries... memories. It was part of being a nurse for me... needing to let everything from that day go when I arrived home. Sometimes I'd seen things so awful I had to close my eyes and settle into my happy place until they disappeared. It was part of my life... my job. But it wasn't something I shared. It was a solitary activity.

I glanced over at Nick again, sitting there on the bed looking sweet and innocent, sick, and yet somehow mischevious all at once. I sighed and nodded towards him, "Sure... come on in." This was our anniversary after all and I had probably been the one to get him sick. I could certainly give a little tonight. Judging from the rouge in his cheeks he could use a lukewarm hose down anyway.

I watched as he rose shakily from the bed and I took his hand and led him to the bathroom. I helped him with his shirt... he helped me with mine. I turned the water on to an appropriate temperature -- too cold for me, but just right for him... oh the sacrifices we make for our men... and the two of us stepped in the tub together. After a few minutes spent washing each other's hair and backs and other more sensitive areas, he sank to the floor of the tub and pulled me down with him, wrapping me in his arms as I settled there, leaning into him as the water washed over us... washed away the days doubts, fears, worries, and memories. It was nice. I made a mental note to myself --

Do this more often.

"Are you up for dinner?" I asked Nick as I walked towards the kitchen watching him fumble down the steps out of the corner of my eye.

"Um... sure... soup?" He whined in reply as he sank into the couch in the den and flipped the tv on. The shower had certainly done wonders for his attitude. Uh... Yeah.

I opened the pantry door and pulled out a can of Campbell's chunky chicken noodle soup and a package of crackers. Not exactly the meal I'd anticipated, but it would suffice. I got the soup started on the stove and went out into the den to join him. "What's the plan?" I asked looking down at him stretched out on the couch in his best 'I'm miserable' fashion. You know the one where they are laying there with one leg draped over the back of the couch, a pillow held tightly to their chest and an arm pressed to their face as if perhaps they could block out the world. I call it the hangover look, but I guess it works for colds as well.

"You wanna watch a movie?... Cuddle?"

He looked up at me and raised him eyebrows in that little way that always drove me crazy. "Well... I was thinking other things... like eating dinner and turning on some sexy music... ya know "Let's get it on" style."

I leaned down and smacked him in the forehead softly. "Dude, are you high or something?!"

He looked up at me and mock cried, "Wh-wh-why not?"

"Nickolas, I love you more than every star in the universe, but I will not have sex with a man who has a tissue hanging out of his damned nostril!" I reached over and yanked it out as he rolled his eyes at me and sighed, giving up the battle.

"Fair enough. Is that soup ready yet? I'b starving!"

I leaned in and kissed him gently on the lips, more to shut him up than anything else. Sick men could be so whiny and whinyness annoyed the heck out of me. "The soup will be ready in a minute and..." I poked him gently in the stomach, "I've seen starving... you certainly aren't!"

He reached up and grabbed me, pulling me to the couch and smothering me in kisses. "Ew, ew, ew!" I screamed as he wiped his nose on the back of my neck, "SOOOO not necessary!" He laughed as I jumped up off the couch and headed for the kitchen cursing at him the entire way. "I take care of sick CHILDREN who act more adult than you do!" I looked into the den just in time to see him roll off the couch with laughter. "Go ahead! Fall on your damn head and cause brain damage!"

He laughed as he shot back up onto the couch and resumed his pathetic boy position.

"Sorry Em." He gave me his best apologetic look and batted his eyelashes. I threw the kitchen towel at him.

"Oh shut up and lay down, I'll be out with your soup in a minute you nasty, nasty, nasty little boy!"

I walked back into the kitchen... the sounds of laughter echoing through the house behind me.

I wiped my eyes with a tissue and sniffed loudly as Charlize Theron looked deep into Keanu Reeves eyes and spoke the words... I loved this movie... it never failed to make me cry. I looked up at Nick sleeping soundly on the pillow above me, mouth agape, snoring slightly, nose running, clearly not sharing my sentiments at all. I nuzzled back into his chest and resumed my sniffle fest.

I wiped the tears from my eyes again. So the night hadn't been what I'd imagined for my first anniversary -- a romantic dinner, maybe some dancing, followed by a late night rendevous in bed... a replay of our wedding night perhaps... but it had certainly been perfect enough. We'd spent the evening together on the couch, wrapped up in one another's arms, watching our favorite movies and reminiscing about our first year of marriage. We'd talked about life and love, about work and touring, about what the future held for us. We discussed the possibility of moving to another home and starting a family. I wouldn't hold him to anything he'd said knowing he was sick and halfway high... but it felt good to just lay there together in our own little world and talk about life to come.

I looked down at Nick again and ran my hand through his sweaty hair. I stared back at the screen... at least our lives weren't like theirs. So what if I had to spend my anniversary with a sick whiny husband... things could be so much worse.

The credits finally rolled on the movie and I stood quietly, so as not to disturb Nick, and pushed the stop button on the DVD player. Time to end our perfect evening together. I looked up at the clock on the wall... 8 hours before I began another long stretch at the hospital. I had to get some sleep.

I walked over to the couch, grabbing the blanket off the back and covered Nick lightly with it. He was already sweaty and still feverish so I didn't want to make him too warm. I picked up the tissues scattered around on the floor and coffee table -- more from me and my sappy movie this time than from him though -- and threw them away in the kitchen trash before flipping off the lights and heading up the stairs to bed.

I paused once more to smell and touch my beautiful roses. I caught sight of a small package laying on the table beneath them that I hadn't noticed earlier in the day and I lifted it gently and unwrapped it. It was a beautiful diamond necklace with a cross on the end... nearly identical to the necklace my mother had given me before she died. I'd lost it last year on a camping trip and I'd never really forgiven myself for that.

I held it carefully in my fingers as I read the note he wrote to me;

I know this will never replace the necklace your mother gave you... but I also know how much it meant to you and I wanted you to have a new one... from me.

Here's to a lifetime together.

I love you Emily.

I held the necklace up in front of me as a single tear slipped down my cheek. He always knew just the right ways to melt my heart...

I peeked down the stairs one last time to watch him sleeping peacefully on the couch before I headed off to bed alone.

As much as he could get on my nerves I loved him more and more every single day of our lives together.

"Happy anniversary Nick." I whispered into the darkness as I pulled the covers up over my head and drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

"Happy anniversary."