Jake woke up the next morning feeling as if he was in the desert. His throat was so dry, it burned. He went to roll onto his side and bit his lip, suppressing a whimper as his body ached and sweat fell down his back and over his body. He didn't feel tired anymore but the throbbing in his head was enough to make him pass out cold as soon as he had woken up.
He woke up again sometime around noon to the sound of the oven beeping. He slowly sat up, his head still pounding. He coughed slightly until he threw himself into a fit.
"Well, that hurt like hell," Jake thought to himself when he finished. His chest ached now...
He put his SJU sweatshirt on and slipped his sweatpants on. He was freezing now. He wrapped a blanket around him and slowly made his way downstairs, his head throbbing in time with his steps. He walked into the kitchen and saw Riley sitting at the kitchen table eating a pot pie. She smiled when she saw his figure but stopped when she saw his face.
"J? Babe? You alright?"
Jake held up a hand at her, even though he knew it probably added to his pathetic look. He had taken a look at himself in the mirror before he came downstairs. His hair was still gelled and from being in bed, it was sticking up in random places. He had thrown his hood on to cover it up. There were dark bags under his eyes even though all he had done was sleep. His nose was red from blowing it so much and the blanket wrapped around his shivering frame dragged along the floor as he walked to the fridge.
"I'm fine, Riley. I'm just a little... under the weather," Jake replied and his voice made Riley wince. He sounded like he was gargling nails and the coughing fit that left him wheezing after, made her get up immediately and grab his arm.
"Jake, you need to go to the doctor, babe. You seem deathly sick."
"I'm fine, Riley. It's just a bad flu. I just... need some fluids and sleep and I'll be fine," Jake said, laying his head on the couch, throwing the blanket around him.
"Wow, Nick was right. You are really stubborn about this aren't you?"
"What is that supposed to mean?" Jake asked, looking up at Riley. His words might have held some heat had he not been as congested as he was.
"It means that he's right. J, you look awful. Why don't we take you to Dr. Royala today and get you on a neb for that cough?"
Jake looked at her warily. He knew, deep down in his heart, she was probably right. Jake had had asthma since he was 18 and had been hospitalized a few times for it, the one most recent one being quite serious.
"Just give me some of what we have here. It's in my cabinet."
"Jake."
"Riley. Let's just see if it works and then if it doesn't, maybe I'll consider your offer."
Riley gazed at her boyfriend. "Okay. Fine. I'll go get it."
Jake sighed, leaning back against the couch as Riley left to go get the nebulizer. She brought it back as she set it up and held the mask over Jake's face. He breathed in the medicine, coughing, as Riley rubbed his back, not liking how he sounded.
At all.
After the machine gurgled and the treatment was done, Riley placed her hand on Jake's chest, silently begging him to lay down and close his eyes.
And Jake gladly obliged, dreaming of the first time he had an asthma attack.
3 years ago- Saint Joe's Season Opener Game- At the University
Jake coughed again, massaging his chest as he took another Ibuprofen.
"This spring cold just won't quit," he thought.
YOU ARE READING
Catching Faith
General Fiction**SEQUEL to "The Gift of a Coach: A Novel of Baseball and Friendship** Jake Wolff has been Brennan's saving grace. He took a team that meant nothing into a team that is feared by every competitor they come up against. Everyone at the school cannot t...
