Ritchie felt a sense of relief when Dan replied right away. "Hi. Thanks," he replied hoarsely, and used his elbows to lift himself up a bit into a seated position.
On one hand, he knew it was Dan's job to care, but on the other, there was something really nice and reassuring about his bedside manner. Ritchie liked chatting to him as a friend, and that probably helped him feel safe with him watching over. Dan touched his forehead and Ritchie even managed a small smile - a thermometer would've told him a more accurate result. This felt like his mum checking if he was well enough to go to school... in the nicest, warmest way possible.
Water. Yes, that had been exactly what he was going to ask her. "Mm, please," he nodded. Hopefully he would keep it down if he took small enough sips.