Only Us (Justin Fields)

|24| Won't Leave You

Justin

A lot of things worry me about Jillian. She was obviously in a pivitol point of her life and I don't want it to go in the wrong direction. So when she didn't show up to class today I knew something was off. I send her a text but got no reply. That isn't totally insane considering she usually doesn't even know where her phone is most of the time. But she didn't answer me yesterday either. And I like to give her the benefit of the doubt for she wasn't going to do anything she shouldn't, but I also know that if something was wrong she wouldn't tell me either. Too afraid to burden me with her problems.

So I decide to just show up at her place. I respect her boundaries but I am also worried. When she doesn't answer any of the texts or calls I knew something was wrong.

I grab the spare key she keeps on top of her door frame and let myself in. I find her on the couch and quickly run to her side. It took a few seconds but I could see she was still breathing. I kneel next to her and look at the table by the couch. There was cold medication and a thermometer and cough drops everywhere. It's like a hospital in here.

"Jill" I say softly as I rub her shoulder. She starts to stir before her eyes slowly open.

Her eyes were dark and they were droopy. All the light from them had disappeared. There was no way she was okay.

"Justin" she croaks. I barely even heard her.

"Lilly how long have you been like this" I question.

"A few days" she admits. I can see in her face how bad it hurt to talk so I decide to try not to ask any more questions.

"Let me see this thermometer" I insist.

I slip it into her mouth and wait for what felt like forever. Only when I pulled it out I didn't believe what I saw.

"102.4" I sigh as I set the thermometer next to the table on the side of her bed. "You need to go to the hospital" I insist.

"No" she begs. Her voice practically gone at this point. You can hear the strain with every syllable she spoke.

"What if this is something that you can't wait out? A fever that high needs to be treated with hospital grade medication and not DayQuil" I explain.

"I don't want to go" she whispers. Her eyes closed shut. I can see her lip quivering and let out a long sigh.

"If your fever gets any worse I'm taking you in, got it" I question.

"Okay" she nods.

I let her rest for a while and head to the convenience store to pick up a few things like tea and some more cough drops. It was maybe 20, 25 minutes I had been gone. By the time I get back she wasn't even strong enough to open her eyes and I couldn't understand her. Her fever was now approaching 103 degrees I am terrified, I've never seen someone this sick. And I've never felt so helpless either.

"I'm sorry Lill, but I'm taking you to urgent care" I insist.

I take the blanket she had been living under and wrap it around her body. She was sweating but she was shivering at the same time. My arms wrap under her legs and behind her back as I pick her up bridal style. She lived on the second floor so it was a little tricky but I make it to my car with no problems. I put her in the passenger side and buckle her up.

"Justin, is that you" she asks. I nearly start to shiver when she asks me the question.

"It's me. I'm right here and I won't leave you" I assure her.