If My Characters Were Sick...

by Alexa Bourne

Like so many other people throughout the country, I’ve been fighting some kind of cold or stomach virus for almost a week. I’ve had fever, aches, stomach issues and I haven’t wanted to eat. I’ve slept more than I have since college (which was a looooooooong time ago!) and I’ve put off some of my author duties. (Don’t tell my editor!) In short, I’ve felt just crappy enough to be miserable, but not crappy enough to stay home from work.

So I got to thinking…how would each of my couples from my Honor Guard romantic suspense novellas handle being sick?

Her Highland Champion

Heather-It would depend on how severe her cold was. If she had a fever, she’d stay in her room and away from the kitchen since she and Malcolm run a bed and breakfast. She wouldn’t want to get her guests sick! But once her fever broke, she’d think nothing of shuffling down to the kitchen or to the office in her pajamas to check on the staff and lend a hand.

Malcolm- He hasn’t gotten sick in years. Heather’s not sure how he’d react, but his mother told her as a child he just suffered and didn’t complain. He slept a lot and accepted his mom’s comfort when she offered, but he never asked for anything. Heather’s pretty sure he’d be the same type of sick person as an adult.

Fractured Paradise

Rachel- Only a doctor’s note would keep her away from work. She would take medicine, rest when she could and then go to work to soldier on. Too many people depend on her computer expertise for her to be out of work. Besides, she can hole up in her office and keep everyone else out.

Aidan- He may be a happy man when he’s traveling through northern England with tourists, but you’d want to stay far away if he was sick. Aidan is grumpy, short-tempered, and likes to be left alone unless he needs something. In short, he’s the complete opposite of the Aidan we all know and love. He also indulges in LOTS of comfort food.

Simple Treasures

Joanna- Since Joanna was in the US military, she learned to “suck it up and deal with it” when she was sick. Now that she’s out of the military, she’s okay with pampering herself a bit when she’s got a cold. She’ll spend the day under the covers and drink lots of liquid when she’s awake. She doesn’t ask for anything from Colin. If she wants or needs something, she takes care of it herself.

Colin- Colin may be a kick-arse bodyguard with a sharp mind, but when he gets sick, he’s like a little kid. He whines and milks it for all it’s worth. He lays on the couch or bed, acting like he’s dying, and begs Joanna to cater to his needs. (I don’t know about you, but this sounds horrible! Luckily, Joanna is smart enough to leave him alone quite a bit when he’s like this.)

I guess I’m most like Rachel. I didn’t call in sick all week and I tried to space out my author duties so I wasn’t overwhelmed any night. I made sure to get enough sleep and to take medicine on a regular basis. What about you? How do you handle being sick? How does your significant other handle it? Which one of my characters are you most like?