Our Safeguard

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

~Nolan~

       I was shaken awake and when I opened my eyes, it took me a while to realize I was not at home in my bed like I thought I was. Instead, I was in English class, my head resting on the desk. It wasn't often that I feel asleep in class. In fact, I didn't think I ever fell asleep in class. Sure, I would rest my head on my desk sometimes, but I never fell asleep.

       I rubbed my eyes and once they adjusted, I saw Mrs. Davies standing by me. I thought she was going to get mad that I fell asleep in class, but she wasn't. Instead, she looked concerned. "Are you alright, Nolan?"

       Should I lie and give her the basic I'm fine answer or tell her the truth? Then again, I didn't even know the truth. All I knew was that I was feeling a bit dizzy in the morning, but it wasn't a rare thing to happen. I would just wake up dizzy sometimes but within an hour or so, I would feel perfectly fine.

       This time? I wasn't perfectly fine.

       I must have taken too long to answer because Mrs. Davies soon said, "Why don't you go to the nurse's office to rest? I'll write a note for him to say I let you go there."

       I didn't even bother declining. Maybe trying to rest in a classroom wasn't the best for me, so I nodded in reply.

       As Mrs. Davies went to her desk to write me a note, I packed up my things into my backpack. Orchid leaned over, tapping my arm. "Are you okay?" she whispered.

       "Yeah, just tired," I said because really, I didn't know if I was okay. I felt sick but at the same time, I didn't think this was just a flu or something. It felt worse than that. If I knew I was going to feel this way, I would have just stayed home from school.

       Mrs. Davies walked back to my desk, handing me the note to give to the school nurse. I thanked her, weakly, before leaving the classroom and heading to the nurses's office. Honestly, I hoped that he would just send me home but I have heard rumours about this school nurse. He wasn't exactly bad, but he was infamous for giving students painkillers before sending them on their back to class.

       I highly doubt painkillers would help me right now. I wasn't even in pain. I just felt like crap. I felt chilly, yet I was sweating a bit. I was very tried even though I got a decent amount of sleep last night. My heartbeat would change from very fast to normal out of the blue.

       Even though this didn't feel like I was sick, I was hoping I was overreacting that that I really was just sick.

       I walked into the nurse's office, handing the school nurse, Jasper, the note Mrs. Davies gave me. He quickly read it before gesturing me to sit on the bed. I did so, tempted to lie down instead.

       "So what seems to be the problem?" Jasper asked.

       "I just... feel horrible," I said.

       "Well, Mrs. Davies said to let you stay here and rest," Jasper said. "Why don't I get you some Tylenol and you can rest here until your next class."

       Jasper started digging through the drawer of medications, trying to find something for me to take. "I don't need Tylenol," I said. "I'm not in any pain."

       "It's for fever too, not just for pain."

       "It's not a fever."

       Jasper didn't listen to me. He just grabbed a bottle of Tylenol, about to open the lid to grab some. "Look at you," he said. "You look pale. You're sweating. If that isn't a fever, then I don't know what is."