Belonging - an adopted by Hamilton sequel

August 2nd 2027: Feeling off

[A/N: This chapter has a few trigger warnings, and one of them is mentions of OCD, but also a lot of mentions of being sick and throwing up. If that is something that makes you feel uneasy, I urge you to not read this💛]

August 2nd, 2027

It was early morning on a Monday, and the August sun was peering through the curtains by the window in our bedroom. It was already hot out, as the summer sun stood high and warmed the city. My alarm was ringing. I turned around, looking to see whether Dom was still asleep. I worked from home most of the time, while he commuted to work most days. That meant that we often woke up at different times. His side was already made, with pillows and blankets in their exact place.
Yet, I could hear him in the kitchen.
The familiar sound made me smile. It also made me relieved, because it meant that he was here. And that he was fine.
He was always up before me on weekdays, but still, he rarely managed to wake me up. I believed I never woke because I felt safe around him. I had told him that once, and he had smiled and pointed out that he always tried to be extra quiet. And if, if, I woke up, he always gave me a kiss on my forehead and told me to go back to sleep.

I turned over to my alarm clock, and pressed the off button. As I did that, I reached for my phone that was charging next to it.
The sudden reaching movement left me with a flush of nausea.
I stopped, and so did everything else around me.
No, was all I could think. It echoed in my mind.
No, no, no, no, no.
As I kept absolutely still, I squinted my eyes closed, and tried to swallow in order to suppress the nausea.
But it only came back stronger.
The sense of calm of familiarity that I had just felt was completely gone.
Hundreds of thoughts and pictures flickered before me. Of last night, and how we might have been out a little too late, and whether the chicken I had eaten had been bad, or if I had a late allergic reaction to something, or maybe if I had caught something at the restaurant. What if someone in the staff had had the flu? Or if maybe the party we had sat next to at the bar had a stomach bug? I hadn't drank anything alcoholic, I rarely did. But I had felt slightly off yesterday. I had felt off a lot lately. Maybe it had creeped up on me.
I blinked several times. Over and over and over, desperately hoping that it would fix the nausea.
I felt a weight grow heavier on top of me, bringing me down.
Maybe I had gone there, and I had caught something earlier on. Maybe I had made everyone else sick. What if I had made Sepi sick?

I hated being sick. I hated it.
There had been so many times where I probably should've thrown up, but I had done everything and kept it down.
That's how much I hated it.

The nausea grew even stronger.
There was no turning back.
Shit.
I jumped out of bed, and darted for the bathroom.
Dom had left the toilet seat up, which was a habit of him that I despised, but at that moment I was thankful.
I literally spilled my guts out. It was horrifying and exhausting and felt never ending.
"Rue?", I could hear Dom say my name, as he quickly walked towards the bathroom.
I didn't answer.
There was more left, but I pulled up my head and leaned against the cold wall next to the toilet.
I was shaking. And I was warm and cold at the same time. I skipped for air.
He carefully opened the door, which I somehow in the midst of everything had closed behind me.
I squeezed my eyes together again, over and over, as I felt another wave coming in.
"Oh, darling-", he let out, as he saw me sitting helplessly on the floor.
I whimpered, feeling the tears rolling down my cheeks. He instantly sat down next to me.
"I... I don't want to make you sick", I managed to quietly say, as I tried to push him away.
I could feel him shaking his head, and taking my hand that I only then realized was tapping.
"It's alright", Dom said in the way that only he could say it. "I don't mind", and for some reason, that was true. He didn't actually mind being sick, he just hated seeing people around him sick because he just wanted to make everyone better. Even if that meant that he, too, would get sick.
"No, it's not-", I protested, but as I said it, I couldn't keep it down any longer. I hunched over the toilet and threw up again.
It felt like forever, but it was probably over in a few seconds.
Dom kept a hand on my back, stroking me in order to remind me that he was still there.
It felt as if my stomach had turned inside out, but it seemed as if there was nothing left.
"I hate this", I whimpered, as I sat up and leaned against the cold wall again, exhausted.
Dom put his arm around me, and pulled me in so that my head would rest on his shoulder.
"I know", he replied, stroking my arm.
I was cold sweating, and the shaking didn't seem to want to stop anytime soon.