As soon as he finished drinking of the offered water, Pepper set the bottle off to one side on the end table in easy reach. She knew that right now what his system needed most was to remain hydrated and if she could keep him drinking little by little, he might be able to break this fever by nightfall. Until then, she was going to remain his diligent assistant...his diligent friend and remain there alongside of him.
Shifting back around, Pepper reached back and placed a pillow against the back of the headboard behind her before leaning back against it, her long legs stretched out straight in front of her. With her hands still at Tony's neck, she guided him down to rest his head pillowed against her lap while his arm swung itself miserably across her legs. His whispered words touched something inside of her and she ran her fingers down along his warm neck in a soothing caress.
"Shh. Hush now. Just try and get some rest."
Reaching back over to the bedside table, she picked up one of the washcloths that she'd brought in and let it settle into the bowl of cool water. Giving it a moment to saturate, she then lifted it back out and rung out the remaining water from it before bringing it back over into both of her hands and folding it up carefully.
"Alright, this is going to be a little cold...but it should help some with the fever."
The cold, wet compress was placed against his forehead, giving just a little squeeze of it to let cool droplets run their way along the heated skin of his face. She kept it there for a moment before it began to warm and she lifted it, refolding it again so the cold water was on the outermost area then placed it down on his cheek...then on his neck. She was quiet as she bathed his face it that cool water, her maternal instincts having kicked in now as she cared for the pitiful man.