Vicki Manser Short Stories

Poorly

This is very badly timed seeing as (when I post this 12/03/2022 ) Vicki is actually at home with a stomach bug

Vicki POV

I wake up and I feel weird. I can't really put a finger on it. It's like anxiety mixed with sadness and excitedness all at once. I shake it off and get out of bed, getting changed and ready for the day.

I go downstairs and make myself a coffee. As the kettle boils I pop my head into the living room. "Hi mum, I'm going to do some admin in my room." I say so she knows where I am before heading back to the kitchen. I make my coffee and then head back to my room.

I grab out my laptop and have a look at all of my merch orders. There are so many Manser mails. I count out all of the cards and start writing them. I finish writing them all and then pack the rest of the orders. I'll ask mum to take them to the post office for me.

I run down the stairs and go into the kitchen to see mum making some lunch. "Is a wrap ok for your lunch Vicks?" She asks. I nod and she hands me a cheese and ham wrap. I grab a can of diet coke from the fridge and sit down. I quickly eat my wrap. "mum can you take all of my orders to the post office tomorrow? I don't have time to take them." I say. She nods. "Right, I'm going to grab my stuff and then go to Northampton." I say. I'm about to stand up when mum puts a hand on my shoulder. "Do you feel ok Vicks? You look quite pale." She says. I nod. "I'm fine, I promise" I say and run off back to my room. I don't feel fine. I feel like crap. I feel sick and tired and I have a headache, but I can't tell anyone that.

I pack all of my things into my car and then get going. As I'm driving down the motorway, I start to feel dizzy. I pull into the hard shoulder and look for a bottle of water in my car. I have one somewhere. I find one and open it, taking a few small sips. I check the time and realise I have half an hour till I need to be at the theatre. I'm still 45 minutes away. I grab my phone off of the stand and click on our company managers number.

The phone rings and she picks up. "You ok Vicki?" She asks straight away. I never call, so she must know something is up. "Yeah yeah I'm fine. Just running a little bit late. i'll be there as soon as." I say. "Ok thanks for letting me know. Are you sure you're ok, you're never late?" She asks. "Yeah I'm fine I promise, I was too busy packing orders at home, I forgot to leave." I say. "Ok well I'll see you soon." She says. "Yep bye see you later." I say and end the call. I sigh to myself and then get ready to go again. That's until I feel tears welling in my eyes. Why am I crying. I pull my knees up to my chest and just cry for a bit.

When I'm finally ready I get going. I arrive at the theatre almost an hour late. I ended up stopping multiple times, crying and a few times having panic attacks. I walk to the stage after putting my things in my dressing room. I see all of the girls sat waiting for me. "Are you ok Vicki? You don't look too great" Harriet says. I nod. "Where's Lisa? I need a hug, but a strong hug. A Lisa hug." I say quietly, trailing off towards the end. "She's in the greenroom vicks. Are you sure that you are ok?" Harriet asks. I nod and head to the greenroom.

I get there and knock on the door. I open it and see all of the crew there. "Lisa, can I borrow you?" I say quietly, almost inaudible, wrapping my arms around myself and looking down, starting to feel the tears in my eyes. "Of course you can, let's go to your dressing room yeah" she says as she walks out the room towards me, realising something is wrong.

We get to my dressing room and she pulls me into a hug. Since Frankie left, Lisa has really been looking after me. Making sure I'm eating, checking that things aren't getting too much, and that I feel ok. I cry into her chest. "What's up? Hey? You're not yourself darling." She says. She pulls away from the hug and places the back of her hand on my forehead. "You feel quite warm Vicks, do you feel ok?" She asks. I shake my head. "I feel sick, I have a headache, I had to pull over like ten times on my way here because I didn't feel well and I just wanted to cry." I cry out. "Oh Vicks, why didn't you message, before you left? You could've stayed home." she says. I shrug my shoulders. "I thought that if you guys all thought I was ok, I would be able to make myself feel ok." I cry out. She nods and just holds me close.

After a while of being in a hug, I hear a knock on my dressing room door. "You sit, rest, relax. I'll tell the girls you aren't feeling 100%. Ok?" she says. I nod and lie down on the sofa.

Lisa opens my dressing room door and Harriet is there. "we are about to start. Are you coming Vicks?" Harriet asks, peering over Lisa's shoulder to look at me. I shake my head and Lisa leads her out of the room.

Harriet POV

Vicki went to go and see Lisa half an hour ago. We can't push tech back any further. I decide to go and find her. I head to the greenroom. I go in "where's Vicki and Lisa?" I ask. "They went to Vicki's dressing room, Vicki didn't look like she was doing very good." Gemma tells me. "Ok thanks babes." I say to her.

I head towards Vicki's dressing room. I get there and knock on the door. Lisa answers. "We are about to start. Are you coming Vicks?" I ask, peering over Lisa's shoulders so I could see her. I see Vicki shake her head and then Lisa ushers me out of the room. "She's not feeling great, got a bit of a temperature and a headache. She's anxious as well." Lisa tells me. I nod. "I did think she didn't look too good. Do you think she has a sickness bug?" I ask. Lisa nods. "It seems very likely, but it might just be she's got a bad cold and it's making her feel really shitty." Lisa says. I nod.

We get to the stage. "Right so Vicki isn't doing tech, she doesn't feel 100% so Nat do you wanna do Howard for us?" I ask. Nat nods. "Will Vicki be doing the show tonight?" Nat asks. "We aren't sure yet, her anxiety is getting her down and she has a bit of a temperature, so we'll see how she gets on. It doesn't seem likely she will be though." Lisa says. We all nod and then get ready to start.

Vicki POV

The girls start doing tech. I have to get up and turn off the tannoy. It's too loud. It's making my head hurt more.

As I stand up, a wave of sickness comes over me so I run to the small bathroom in my dressing room and throw up. I crawl back to the sofa and grab my phone before going back to the bathroom, still feeling really sick.

I message Lisa 'i need you'. She replies saying she will be here asap.

After around five minutes I hear Lisa come into my dressing room. "Vicki? Where are you?" She asks. "Bathroom" I say quietly, before throwing up again. I feel Lisa start rubbing my back. "Let it all out vicki, don't hold it in" she says. I nod but sit back. I don't need to be sick anymore.

"I think maybe we should call your mum and see if she can come and get you. You're going to be better off at home, but I don't really want you driving back on your own when you aren't feeling very well." Lisa says. I shake my head. "I'll be fine tomorrow, I'll go to my digs and sleep." I say. This has happened before. It's just a 24 hour thing. I'll be better tomorrow. I'm sure of it. "Ok then, but I'll come and check on you tonight ok, and then again in the morning." She says. I nod. I slowly stand up and go and grab my things.

Lisa walks me out to my car. "Message me when you get back, so I know you're safe. If you need anything just call or message." She says. I nod and then drive to my digs.

I get there and get changed into some pyjamas before getting into bed.

I fall asleep.

-~ts a few hours~

Lisa has just been to check on me. She said my temperature is higher than before but I'm feeling a lot better already. She said that she never told the others I was sick, because that means I can't go in tomorrow, in case I make any of them sick as well.

Luckily I hardly saw any of them before going to find Lisa. I would never forgive myself if I made one of them ill.

I snuggle back into bed and lie down, starting to fall asleep. Well that didn't last long.

I leap out of bed and dash to the bathroom, just making it in time to throw up. When I'm done I head back to bed. I message Lisa saying 'I threw up again' and wait for a reply. She soon replies saying 'ok I don't think you will be better tomorrow. If you haven't thrown up again by the morning, I'll bring you some Calpol so we can try and get your temp down, then I may reconsider you performing.' I send her a thumbs up. She remembered I don't like taking tablets so I need Calpol. That makes me happy. I hate taking tablets.

Pushing those thoughts aside, I lie down in bed, falling asleep.