Pandemic

Chapter 9 : Anxious

Chapter 9

Later...

Riker POV

"Riker, you need to calm down," Rocky said, kneeling down beside me.

"I c-can't!"

I wrapped my arms tightly around my legs, holding them tightly to my chest.

"Riker, it's just a doctor's appointment. Don't you think they sanitize literally everything there? You'll be fine, Riker. You're not going to catch the virus."

Rocky wrapped his arms around me and put me on my bed instead of in the corner of our bedroom.

"Riker, just breathe."

Rocky wrapped his arms around me tight. I was eventually able to slow down my breathing again. 

"I'll be with you the whole time, Riker. Don't worry."

Later...

Riker POV

Rocky managed to get me to the doctor's. But I was still so nervous.

"Ok, Riker. I'm just going to listen to your heart for a few minutes," my doctor said.

I sat as still as possible, but I was shaking a little. I kept taking deep breaths for my doctor to listen. And after a few minutes, it was over.

"Your heart sounds fine. I'm going to refer you to an endocrinologist. He's going to look at your thyroid and stuff and see if he can figure out what's going on, ok?"

I nodded.

My doctor wrote down my new doctor's information for me and then gave it to me. 

"Alright, just make an appointment with that doctor and he'll tell you what to do next."

"Ok."

My doctor left, and I was left in the room with Rocky.

"You ok? You look pale," Rocky said.

"Just nervous. I'm going to wash my hands before we leave."

"Ok."

I washed my hands and then we went home, and I took a shower to be extra safe.

Later...

Riker POV

Rocky needs a certain number of hours of driving practice to get his license, so dad said Rocky could drive for the beginning of our trip back to Colorado. But that meant I was sitting all alone in the back since dad was in the front, helping Rocky. 

I've just been so anxious, and I just wanted to sit next to Rocky in the back.

My anxiety has been destroying my appetite. So I didn't even care that I wouldn't be eating any fast food on the way back to our cabin. My stomach just constantly hurts from the nerves. 

I just want someone to tell me that it's going to be ok, and that I'm ok, and I won't die if I catch the virus. But nobody can say for sure. And now I have an appointment with a new doctor in a few weeks.

I laid down in the backseat, curling up. It was starting to get dark outside.

"Can we stop somewhere soon for food?" Rocky asked.

"Sure. Since you're driving, you can watch the exit signs and pick where you want to stop," dad said.

The exit signs always showed what restaurants were off that exit from the highway. I don't even know what state we're in right now. But I'm not getting food. So it doesn't really matter.

Rocky stopped somewhere random, and he and dad got food. Dad started driving instead because he didn't want Rocky driving and eating at the same time. 

The smell of their food started making me feel super sick. Normally I love the smell of food, but I hadn't eaten anything in about a day now, and I just feel sick.

"Dad, I think I'm going to throw up," I said, wrapping my arms around my stomach.

Dad pulled over on the side of the road. I opened my door and started throwing up. There was barely anything in my stomach to throw up. Just some water.

When I was finished, I shut the door and put my seatbelt back on.

"You ok?" Dad asked.

"Can Rocky please sit back here with me?" I asked.

"Sure. Are you ok?" Rocky asked, climbing into the backseat.

"I just don't feel good and I'm anxious," I said, curling up beside him.

Rocky put his arm around me and dad continued driving. My stomach still hurt, but I felt less sick now.

Later...

Rocky POV

By the time we got back to our cabin, it was the middle of the night. Riker was fast asleep with his head on my shoulder. After he had thrown up earlier, he fell asleep and had just been asleep ever since.

"We'll unpack tomorrow. You boys can just go up to bed," dad said, getting out.

"Riker, wake up," I said, shaking him.

"I'm cold..." He mumbled.

"We're at the cabin. Let's go to bed."

I got out and then waited for Riker. He took off his seatbelt, and went to step out of the van. But he slipped and went sliding forward. I was able to grab under his arms and catch him before he hit the ground.

"Whoa, careful," I said, standing him back up.

"My legs feel like jello."

"You haven't eaten in like a day, Riker."

I put my arm around him to make sure he didn't fall on our way to the cabin. But when we got upstairs to the loft, Riker stopped.

"I need to take a shower."

"Riker, it's the middle of the night. Don't you remember what happened last time?"

"No. I need to. There's germs on me."

"No, there's not. Riker, you made dad pull over so you could pee on the side of the road instead of using the gas station bathroom. You made dad pull over again so you could throw up. You didn't go anywhere besides the van. There's no germs on you. I promise."

Riker sighed.

"Riker, I promise. Really. You're fine."

"Ok..."

Riker got into bed, so I pulled the covers over him.

"Night, bro," I said, getting into my own bed.

"Night..."