“Wake Up With The Sickness”
A Highground Chronicle
By Margaret Lion
Story takes place at Mary's, early morning, day of and before the Blood Goddess ritual.

* * *

Her churning stomach woke her.

Eleanor rolled out of her large, four-post bed and stumbled to the bathroom. Kneeling over the toilet she wondered how a sidhe could vomit in public and not be embarrassed. Did such things happen? Her stomach heaved again.

Romulus, Aziraphale's large dog, came to the door of the bathroom, wagging his tail and whining. "I'm alright, Romulus" Eleanor reassured him. The dog didn't look like he believed her so he lay down watching her with his head in between his paws.

What was wrong with her? Eleanor rarely got sick or if she did, it was a cold. The last time she was nauseous she had eaten bad food at a greasy spoon coming home from a dancing gig. She vowed that, when on the road, to never again eat hamburger that was not very well done.

“ It is the day of the battle for all fae kind and I am losing my dinner ,” Eleanor thought. “ I must stop this. I must ensure the defense of Highground and then get to Muses. I have people to heal and demons to shoot. I have no business being so nervous I am sick. There are others who are risking more today – Freya's blessing Sir Kari! – I have no right to coddle myself.”

Eleanor's eyes began to water as her torso heaved. She leaned her head against her arm, braced against the back of the toilet. Lately she had been feeling “strange” and not quite right in her body. Plus for some reason she had been extra hungry, oddly enough for tofu. (Though she hadn't told Matilda yet as the boggan did not like cooking tofu.) Over the past week she had been feeling sick to her stomach and wondered if she was getting the flu. She heaved again and felt some relief. Goodness, did one always feel hungry and sick at the same time with the flu?

A cold chill spread through Eleanor's body as a thought entered her mind. She saw her Goddess's face.

“You are occupied.” Freya had said.

It can't be .

Eleanor crawled to the cabinet under the sink, opened the door, and reached inside. Her hand found the plastic shopping bag that had been hastily tossed inside and was now buried in the back. She could see Freya's smiling face “…some time since you last bled “Opening the bag she took out a small package from the local drug store. She had bought it on a whim after finding out she was to marry Aziraphale. Her hands shook as she opened the box and began to read the test instructions, pushing Romulus's curious nose away.

It can't be , she thought, I mean it's been five weeks since Aziraphale and I … and I'm ... late... but… there is so much stress in my life I'm sure that's it…

Minutes later the home test confirmed it: Baroness Eleanor Elise ap Eiluned of Highground was pregnant.

* * *

(Note: Now if you really want to make yourself laugh, then just listen to the perfect morning sickness song here. It's from Kyle's "What Would Percival Do?" soundtrack for Dino, playing song number 2 - "Dinocrates Saccas, Grail Knight". Oh and it opens in a new window so you can read this story and listen at the same time. Well, it makes me laugh. - M. Lion)