Just Breathe

Chapter Thirty Three

As her eyes creaked open, Lia had the vague awareness that hours had passed. It was now close to dark in her room. She groaned as she turned on her side and found a full glass of water on her night stand. Gratefully, she gulped the entire contents down and set the empty glass back down. The house was quiet and she remembered the twins were staying at their grandparents'. As she sat up and her body aches screamed at her, she fully recalled why. Being sick as a seventeen year old was bad enough; trying to nurse two sick and grumpy toddlers was something the family very much wanted to avoid.

Her bladder forced her up and into the bathroom. While she washed her hands, she looked at herself in the mirror. She looked like hell. Her dark hair was up in a messy bun, pieces sticking out everywhere. Lia splashed water over her face, re-fixed her bun and then gently opened the door.

She could hear the faint sound of the television in the living room. Brooklyn-99, one of her dad's favorite shows. Lia quietly padded out, still orienting herself after being out for hours.

Her dad was on the couch; her mother working on her laptop at the coffee table. They'd heard her door open and had braced themselves for their daughter's state. Vanessa had described her symptoms to Lin, and both predicted she'd be out of school for several days. That could be earth-shattering to their highly organized, overachieving child. Both craned their necks as they heard her footsteps.

Lin got his first look at his kid since that morning. She was like a walking zombie. He stole a quick look at his wife and then got up to go hug her.

"I'm contagious," she stopped him, putting her hands over her face. "Don't come near me."

Lin rolled his eyes and walked around the couch anyway. "I'm your dad. It's my job to nurse you back to health."

"That sounds creepy," she told him as she arrived at the kitchen counter.

"Sit down," he told her. "How are you feeling?"

"Like death," she told him as he felt her forehead. Vanessa pushed herself up off the floor and grabbed the thermometer from the table.

"You hungry?" Lin asked, opening up the fridge.

"No," she replied.

"You should still try to eat something," Lin told her. "You need energy to fight this off."

Vanessa turned the thermometer on and held it in front of Lia's mouth. She dutifully opened. "I'll just puke it up," she protested, her words unclear as she held the device under her tongue.

"Let's try some soup," Lin decided, going to the pantry. He fished out some tried and true chicken noodle soup and found a saucepan.

"Can I go to school tomorrow?" She asked as they waited.

"No," her parents said at the same time.

"But I've got-"

Vanessa cut her off. "I already spoke with your school," she reported, reading her daughter's mind, and the temperature on the thermometer which read 100.5, "You can take all your tests when you get back."

"But-"

"For full credit," she added, again reading Lia's mind.

Lia relaxed a little, knowing she wasn't going to be penalized. She could push herself if she needed to, but she doubted her parents would even consider letting her go, especially after the incidents of the previous months. Lia could hear her therapist's voice in her head. This was a minor setback. It was not earth shattering. Her school work would be waiting for her when she was better.