i can't lose you too

Chapter 1

Sam woke up with a sharp pain in her stomach. She clutched at her skin with a soft groan as she opened her eyes. Sam massaged her stomach as she took a deep breath, not genuinely waking up. The room was a little cool as the window behind the bed opened a crack. Sam could smell the rain outside as she sat up. The soft purple sheets fell over her legs as her gray tank top was bunched up a little on her body. Sam pushed her shoulders back, stretching off the tension from her broken sleep. She groaned softly as her back clicked and popped. Glancing down to her right, her girlfriend Alyson was fast asleep beside her. 

Alyson's longer black hair spread out against her pillow in the faint dim lighting from the moon outside and the nightlight in the bathroom in front of the bed. Sam sighed as she ran her hands down her legs, stretching her lower back a little. A soft grunt of discomfort escaped her mouth. Her entire back was stiff as if she had tensed every muscle in her back as she slept and her hips creaked and ached like she'd climbed 70 flights of stairs. Another soft wave of nausea hit Sam causing her to gag a little. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, her socks resting on the soft grey rug under the bed. She leaned over her lap, resting her elbows on her thighs with a faint shudder. 

"Hey, you okay?"

Alyson's voice startled Sam a little. It was quiet to not suddenly break the silence in the room but was paired with a soft rasp like she wasn't fully awake. Sam felt Alyson's hand rub along her lower back in a comforting and reassuring way. Sam could hear Alyson sit up in the bed behind her. 

"I'm okay. I think."

Even Sam didn't sound sure of herself. She still held her stomach softly, trying to massage the pain and discomfort away. She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, using all her focus to stay calm as nausea made her panic. Sam felt Alyson shift next to her as her arm went around her. Alyson pulled Sam a little closer as Sam instinctively rested her head on her shoulder.

"What do you need? Water? Meds?"

Alyson sounded a little more awake now. Her hold on Sam was strong, wanting to comfort her however she could. She felt Sam relax a little the second she held her like she just needed a hug at that moment. Sam nodded her head against Alyson's chest like she was saying yes to all of the above. Alyson stood up, her hand drifting along Sam's back. Alyson's movement turned on the motion-activated light in the bathroom as they often got up late at night for situations like this. Alyson reached for the green box on top of Sam's dresser. As she lifted the box, a soft rattle of the various pills inside echoed in the small plastic containers. She also grabbed the empty glass and entered the bathroom to fill it. Sam sat on the bed, still clutching her stomach and shaking a little. She bounced her right leg and bit the tip of her tongue as her anxiety was growing every second she was nauseous. 

Alyson sat back down next to Sam as she handed her the pill box and set the water on the nightstand next to her. Sam's hand was a little shaky as she took the box. Enough that Alyson decided to open it for her and dump the pills into her hand. 

"It's nearly morning so I'm gonna give you your morning dose along with the flare meds okay?"

Sam nodded at Alyson as she threw the pills back with a few good drinks of lukewarm tap water. Sam sighed a little like the fact she had the meds in her was enough to calm her a little. 

"Thanks. What time is it?"

Sam's voice was weak and slightly whimpery as she yawned a little. Alyson rested her hand in the middle of Sam's back as she turned around to look at the alarm clock on her nightstand behind them. 

"5:12. Close enough to wake up time. You gonna try to get some more sleep or should I bring you some tea?"

Alyson spoke with a soft smile, trying to encourage Sam as she got pretty sad when her health took a dive. Sam looked up at Alyson with her round brown eyes, the light from the bathroom making them sparkle a little. 

"The blueberry lavender one?"

Alyson's smile grew even bigger as she heard the innocent and soft tone in Sam's voice. She cupped Sam's face, her fingers brushing back the hair at the base of her head. 

"Of course baby."

Alyson kissed Sam's forehead before pausing as her face twisted a little. She pulled her face back and rested her hand on Sam's forehead, checking various spots.

"Take your temperate before I bring your tea up. I want to make sure you're not running a fever again."

Sam's eyes melted a little more as she smiled softly up at Alyson, feeling loved by how much she cared. She just nodded softly rather, too sleepy to speak. Alyson kissed Sam's forehead softly again as she got up and headed for the bedroom door. She groaned a little as she reached her arms up behind her to stretch. The muscles in her back shifted under her white tank top as she opened the door and stepped out. 

Sam watched her leave before turning her head to face her medkit on her nightstand. She unzipped the red bag and pulled out her thermometer and placed it under her tongue with a sigh. The sky outside the window began to shift into a deep blue as the early morning sun was getting ready to rise. The thermometer beeped softly and flashed a 99.9 at Sam. She scoffed and rolled her eyes at it. Just another morning for her.