Emily Under The Weather

Chapter 2-Consequences

Austin carefully opened the door and looked at Emily. She looked even more sick than the night before. Closing the door quietly, Austin took a seat at his sister's bedside. Emily shifted in her sleep and groaned.

"Emily?" Austin said. "Emily, can you hear me?" Emily's eyes fluttered open.

"Austin?" She was surprised to hear how strained her voice sounded.

"Yes, I'm here."

"Why am I so hot," Emily sighed, realizing that she truly felt ill and feverish.

"You have a fever," Austin said, getting up. "Here, let me get you a cooler cloth." He replaced the cloth on her forehead and Emily allowed a smile to flicker across her face. "Is that better?"

"Yes, thank you." Emily was trying to remember what happened. She was only faking being sick, so why was she now experiencing real symptoms? Was it God's way of punishing her for her dishonesty? Was death finally coming to take her for more than a carriage ride? Lines for a possible poem vaguely floating around in her head, but her fever burned them away before she could bask in their glory or much less write them down. "Why am I so ill?" Emily knew she should keep her act strong, but she was losing her logic.

"I don't know Emily. It isn't fair that you are so sick when you are the most fun person I know." Austin was not answering the question in the way Emily wanted, but she knew that it made sense with the situation on hand. "I've sent a letter to Sue." Austin said after a moment. Emily's eyes grew wide and she tried to sit up, but her head ached in protest and she fell back into bed groaning. "Emily!" Austin exclaimed. "Are you alright?"

"My head," Emily pressed her hand to her forehead and closed her eyes. Austin took her hand and sighed. He didn't know how to help his sister and it was hard for him to see Emily in pain. "Why would you tell Sue. You'll only worry her, Austin," Emily asked weakly.

"Emily, haven't you been listening? The doctor said you wouldn't make it through the night and even though you have, you seem worse than before. There is no hope Emily. I had to tell Sue, she needed to know."

"I'm not going to die," Emily said, but as she spoke she felt less certain. Before she knew she would be fine because she wasn't actually sick, but now she was, and her health or 'supposed' health, was out of her control. Austin looked at Emily and shook his head.

"I know I asked you not to die, but if you're suffering-" Austin doesn't have the heart to finish his sentence, but Emily knew what he was thinking.

"I'm not giving up and I'm not going to die, Austin, I refuse to." Emily squeezed Austin's hand. She tried to take a deep breath, but found herself coughing instead. In a slight panic Austin jumped up and fetched Emily some water. She strained to sit up enough to drink it but after a few sips she fell back against her pillow.

"How are you now?" Austin asked, and Emily nodded vaguely. She was a little annoyed by Austin's repeating questions, but it was clear she was not well at all.

"I think I need some sleep." Emily was scared to close her eyes, now that she really could have Yellow fever or something legitimately deadly, but she was so weary she felt like she couldn't keep her eyes open another second. Austin nodded, worry clear in all his features. Emily watched as he almost said something else, maybe a plea to get better? Or perhaps another expression of care? Either way, he decided against it and only gave Emily a small smile before he left the room.

Emily felt herself drifting off when there was a knock at the door. Emily hadn't said a word yet, but the door swung open anyways. She was so tired, but managed to keep her eyes open long enough to see Ben. The second she realized who was in her room, she put on her best smile and tried to force herself to be more awake. Ben looked at her with worry and confusion. He closed the door, a little too loudly for Emily's headache, and then turned to her.

"Emily, are you aware that your family thinks you're on death's door?" Ben wasn't as calm as he was before. Emily could tell that he now saw her actions as irresponsible, instead of intriguing. "You must make a miraculous recovery before one of them really falls ill worrying about you."

"Ben," Emily sighed. "I don't understand how, but I've really fallen ill. I felt fine last night and now I have a fever and a ghastly headache like the one I was faking before."

"You're actually sick?" Ben's attitude changes as he feels Emily's forehead after asking permission and realizes that she is running hot.

"Perhaps I'm being punished for my lack of candor." Ben smiles, even whilst sick Emily sounds almost poetic in her speech. "God has found me guilty and has marked me for a visit from death."

"No," Ben states. "It must have been the swim last night. It was too cold and you haven't been eating to keep up your act." Emily thought about this and some relief flooded through her. It was a likely explanation and one that may have a better outcome than Yellow fever.

"So I might not have Yellow fever?" Emily gaps out. She doesn't mean to be so dramatic- well, that's a lie. She loves being dramatic, she just likes being in control of how dramatic she is and this illness was taking that control from her along with her strength.

"I don't know, but if it is indeed a result of our swim, I know some medicine that might help." Ben started to head for the door. "I'll go out and buy some and bring it to you. Just promise me you won't tell your father that I took you swimming in that lake?" Ben smiled, and his calm demour returned.

"If you don't tell him that I lied in the beginning," Emily croaked out. Ben nodded and wished her well before leaving her room. The second the door closed, so did Emily's eyes. She had no will left to keep herself awake. Whatever sickness that had beseeched her, it was an awful one.

Sometime while Emily slept, Ben returned and slipped the medicine into her drawer and a note under her most recent poem, sitting on her night stand. He didn't dare read it without her permission, but he was curious to see if her poetry was as good as he was picturing it to be. As he walked back to Mr Dickinson's study to complete some work he noticed a young girl, around Emily's age, walk into the house, wearing all black. He thought little of it and entered the study.

Three guesses who the young lady in all black is? I think you all know anyways. Thank you for reading, and I hope you're having a good day/evening/morning/night/whatever