Finding Jaime

Chapter 84

Jaime POV
I didn't want Dad to know my port was really kind of bothering me. It hurt, and after my chemo, it felt really sore. My arm started feeling heavy, and I wasn't feeling well. But I didn't want to let on. I already took up so much of Dad's time, and he had to miss a few things while I was having chemo, so I tried to stay out of everyone's way.

I watched Dad's concert from the side the first night for a while. He brought me out to introduce me to his fans, and they threw a bunch of stuffed toys into the stage. One hit me on the shoulders, and I grabbed it (the toy, not my shoulder) and tried to make sure I didn't show how much that had hurt, but after I got hit, it really started to bug me. And I really started not feeling well. I was getting cold and shaky, and dizzy. As soon as I got off stage, I saw Thomas and told him I wasn't feeling well. He walked with me to the bus and ensured I was okay.

"Jaime, do you want me to stay or do you want me to go let your dad know you're out here?"

"I'm just gonna sleep. You don't have to stay," I groaned. "Just, yeah, let my dad know I'm here," I said.

"Alright. Feel better, kid," he said. I grumbled back at him and closed my eyes against the spinning that the bus seemed to be doing.

I must have fallen asleep and pretty deeply, too, because Dad was beside me and making me wake up.  He said he'd called the tour doctor and he was going to come check me out. He also had a wet towel and was dabbing my forehead with it. It was really cold and was not making me feel better.

Words were kind of fluid and my head hurt. Eventually some other guy showed up and poked at my port. It just made me more miserable.

Eventually everyone left me alone. Someone had gone to get me some antibiotics, and Dad woke me up to take that, but otherwise I just slept. It's all I had the energy for anyway.

I had to get off the bus in Houston when we stopped at a hospital. They took the port out and cleaned up some of the area that was infected. They gave Dad instructions but I couldn't pay any attention to what anyone was saying.

After a couple of days, I guess, I felt better, and I got up pretty early. We were still driving and I had no idea where we were. I got out of bed, used the toilet then went into the main part of the bus.

"Hey, Cal," I said to the driver. "Where are we?" I asked, looking out at ... not a lot.

"We're on our way to Albuquerque, New Mexico. How are you feeling? You slept for, like, two days."

"I'm better. Thanks," I said.

I grabbed the book I was reading for English class, poured myself a bowl of Froot Loops and sat down to eat and read. Dad rolled back in his pyjama pants and made himself a cup of coffee while mumbling something. I wasn't paying much attention.

"How are you feeling?" I heard.

"Better," I said. I was interested in my book.

"Jaime?" He got my attention again.

"What?" I asked, wanting to keep reading but not wanting him to think he'd annoyed me.

"Is that for school?" He asked. "Is it good?"

I nodded.

"What's it about?"

"What could happen if a theocracy formed in the US. It's actually pretty disturbing," I said. He lifted the book off the table, almost making me lose my place.

I finished my cereal and rinsed the bowl in the sink. I lay down on the couch and continued reading.

The rest of the guys got up a little later. Andy got my attention by tapping my foot.

"What?" I asked.

"Two things," Andy said. "One, move. I want to sit down and you're taking up the whole seat."

I bent my knees so he could sit where my feet had been.

"And two, I'm going to a salt cave in Albuquerque and thought you might want to come along."

I looked at Dad, and he gave me a look that said, 'up to you.' Unhelpful.

I thought, meh, why not? How bad could it be? Besides, I'd spent the last three days cooped up on the bus because I hadn't felt well. So I agreed to go.

After a while, Andy and Joe started bugging me and wanted to play Xbox, so I put my book away and played with them for a bit. We had fun, and pretty soon, we were in Albuquerque. It looked like... a city.

Once Dad and the guys settled things around the venue, Andy came and got me, reminded me to grab my pass, and we left with a local crew member who drove us to some spa Andy knew about. Dad sent the tour photographer and told him to take photos and pictures whenever he could.

I followed Andy into the spa, and if the staff had any idea who he was, they didn't say anything. I just followed along.

Andy said he wanted to do a 'float' first, and I had no idea what that was. He asked if I wanted to, too. I shrugged and asked if my shoulder would be an issue. He asked the staff and they said I might find it uncomfortable where the skin was still a little raw but it shouldn't be painful. I thought I'd give it a try, and they were able to give us bathing trunks. We went into a locker room and changed.

The photographer was waiting outside. I still had my beanie on and figured I'd take it off before getting in the water.

It was a small pool with Himalayan salt in it; all we'd do was float in the water for forty minutes.

I got into the pool, removed my beanie, and put it on a shelf beside it. It was a little weird being in this float pool thing with Andy, but it was relaxing after a couple of minutes. Because there was so much salt in the water, we literally just floated.

Before I knew it, Andy was poking me. I must have dozed off or something. He was standing up in the pool and smiling down at me.

"Pretty relaxing, huh?" He said, offering his hand to help me up. I got a bit lightheaded when I stood up and grabbed Andy's arm.

"You okay?" He asked me, holding me around the waist. I nodded.

"Yeah," I breathed out. "I think so."

"Come here, come sit down," Andy led me to a small bench and sat me down. I put my head between my knees and tried to catch my breath.

Andy came back into the room and handed me a cup of water.

"Here. Drink this. You sure you're okay?" He worried.

I nodded. I drank the water. It helped.

"Okay," Andy said. "Whenever you're ready, we can go. Do you want to just go back to the buses? Go to bed? Or do you still want to stay and go in the salt cave? I'm fine either way."

"No. I'm okay. I think I can handle sitting for another half hour in this salt cave thing," I said, trying to sound like I'm okay . I am. Mostly.