Caught in the Undertow

Under the Weather

"Jack!" A voice calls out waking Jack from his dreams with a jolt, it was three in the morning and he had no idea who was calling out his name. Maybe he was dreaming but then he hears his name being called out once again but there was a panic to the tone of the person calling out for him. "Jack... please!" The voice sounded desperate.

That was when he realized he was still living with Nikki, he was so tired he had lost his bearings for a moment but pulling himself into the upright position he stretches and turns the bedside lamp on causing him to be blinded.
He walks through to Nikki's bedroom from the spare room he had been stopping in to be greeted by an empty bed, he then sees her ensuite light on and walks over and carefully pushes the door open to see Nikki sat beside the toilet throwing up. "Oh Nikki," He sighs walking to her side and pulling her hair out the way ignoring that there was vomit in her hair which is no all over his hands.

A common side effect of the medication she was on for her head injury caused vomiting and nauseous flares. "Jack," She coughs her throat sore from the extend of the vomiting.
"I know, it will pass..." Jack sighs rubbing his hand in circles around her back.

His mind drifted to the thought of her miscarriage and if events hadn't taken place this vomiting right now wouldn't be caused by the side effects of medication helping her recover but the side effects of pregnancy. "Want some water?" Jack asks her as he grabs a hair bobble and ties her hair up.

"No," She speaks but holds her hand out.
Jack looks at her confused he did recall the nurses mentioning Nikki managed to get a few words confused but it would be natural in her recovery process, "You mean Yes?" Jack asks and she nods before throwing herself over the toilet again and gagging violently.

Jack fills her glass up and passes it to her, Nikki takes a couple of sips before passing the glass back to him and leaning back against the bathtub. "Why do I feel like this?" She groans.
"It's the medication... remember?" Jack smiles softly.

Nikki takes a breath out and looks up at the ceiling, Jack stands in front of her helping Nikki to her feet, he holds her steady for a moment as she sways. "Okay?" He asks and she nods. Jack lets go of her and steps away he turns to the toilet and flushes it before putting some cleaning products down there. He turns to see Nikki walking towards her bed with her hand on her head but just before she gets to the bed she collapses in a heap on the floor.

"Shit Nikki," Jack says rushing to her ride and rolling her into the recovery position, placing his hand against her forehead he notices she is burning up. "Nikki? Nikki, can you hear me?" He asks shaking her shoulder.

Nikki groans and rolls onto her back looking up at her, she coughs and gasps for air before attempting to sit up. "I think we need to get you to hospital," Jack responds.
"I'm...fine..." She whispers holding her forehead as Jack lifts her up and sits her on her bed.

"I'm gonna give 111 a wee call," Jack speaks helping her lay back on her bed, he walks through to the spare room where he has been sleeping and grabs his phone off the bedside table. Dialing the number he walks back through to Nikki and places his hand on her forehead, giving her a sympathetic look.

The woman in the 111 call center answers his call and starts to go through set questions with him before getting down to the main discussion. "Nikki? the woman on the phone wants to know if you are having any difficulty breathing?" Jack asks placing his hand on her knee as she opens her eyes again and turns to look at him.
"A little not too much," She breathes.

Jack resumes his conversation with the person from the 111 call center, as he is spoken through the potential issue of Nikki having contracted Coronavirus during her stay in hospital they are advised to stay at home, book a covid-19 test and to let Nikki rest up, he then feels Nikki roll over in her bed and rests her head in his lap.
She must have been feeling really under the weather to do this, but as he speaks on the phone he runs his hand over her soft hair and smiles warmly.