Behind The Glass Door

Chapter 14

Riley:

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"It's so good though," Lacy giggled.

"It's putrid," I cringed.

"It's not," she whined.

"Alright, let's take your temperature," I chuckled as I grabbed the thermometer off her bedside table, "Come on, open please," I said quietly.

"Only 'cause you said please," she muttered with a small giggle that made a stupid grin splay on my face.

She parted her lips and raised her tongue as I put the thermometer under her tongue before she closed her mouth and I turned it on, the beep ringing in my ears as I went to refill her water bottle.

I put an electrolyte packet in before taking a Brita from the mini fridge and filling it up. I heard the beeping again and I went over to check, seeing a hundred and two on the small screen.

I sighed and took it out of her mouth, wiping it down and placing it back on the table.

"Better?" she mumbled.

"Worse," I said.

She huffed with a pout as response.

Her tiredness took over her brain, making her loopy and childish like she had been all day since her temperature reached a hundred.

"Where'd it go?" she said, eyebrows furrowed with frustration as she patted her bed.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Can't find my blankie," she said in frustration.

My expression rose at her words, a smile wide on my face as bent down next to her bed and picked her blanket up for her, the small raggy one that she must have had her whole life.

She lit up as I placed it next to her.

"Thank you," she smiled happily before bringing it under her comforter and bringing it to her nose.

"How are you feeling?" I asked her.

"Mmm, my body hurts," she scrunched her face.

"I'll get you some Advil," I said, reaching for her second drawer on her bedside table.

"Don't open that one-" she said awkwardly in a quiet tone.

"I didn't know you could hide something like that," my face twisted.

"It's nothing like that, I just have private stuff in there," she muttered.

"Like a vibrator?" I asked, eyebrow raised.

"Ew! No! Why would I have one," she said in a frustrated tone, slapping my back with her hand as I dug through her top drawer for Advil.

"Calm down. I'm joking I just like watching you get angry," my laugh booming around the walls before pulling out a bottle of Advil and taking out three.

"I can tell. Sadist," she muttered the last part.

"Hey, there's a difference between enjoying, you, in particular getting angry, and enjoying watching you in pain," I corrected her, "Which I don't," I muttered.

"Take the three," I told her, putting the three Advil in her hand.

"No," she said, pushing my hand away.

"Come on, I'm not gonna listen to you whine," I scoffed.

"You didn't say please," she said, eyelashes blinking against her skin.

I sighed, trying to hide the smile that tugged at my lips but failing as a grin tugged at my lips.

"Can you please take your Advil?" I asked, grabbing her hand and placing the Advil in it.

She cupped her hands over mine, taking the Advil by scooping it with the pads of her fingertips. Her skin tickled my palm, a tingling sensation spreading throughout my body as she stared up at me.

A sly grin spread across her face. The hair on my skin stood up, a shiver sliding down my body. My breath hitched in my throat and I quickly pulled my hand away before clearing my throat.

"Stop being gay and take your fucking Advil," I sighed, handing her the water bottle.

"I'm not gay, I'm taking my Advil, 'cause you said please," she smiled innocently.

"Keep telling yourself that," I mumbled.

"If someone says that one more time I'll kick them in the throat," she sneered.

I laughed loudly, head thrown back as I looked at her serious face.

"Okay, sugar plum fairy," I scoffed.

"Have you seen her turns? She could do some serious damage," she smirked.

"Maybe, we'd have to see," I said as she swallowed all three pills at once.

"Junkie?" I asked her with a raised eyebrow at her actions.

"No, mentally ill," she swallowed the rest of her water.

Once again, my laughter boomed through the walls.

"You're funny when you're not insufferable," I huffed.

"You're the insufferable one," she muttered.

"Got a boyfriend?" I dismissed her comment, sitting on her bed with my back against her wall and my legs slung over hers.

"Nope," she sighed.

"Want one?" I asked, fiddling with my fingers.

"Nope," she sighed harder.

"Tough subject?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yep," she coughed out, her body shaking with each cough.

She looked frail, her body moved every time she coughed, laughed, or sneezed. She could barely do anything herself. No matter how much water she drank she still got dizzy.

"I have to pee," she said, sighing.

"Need help?" I asked.

"Funny," she sneered as she pulled the sheets off.

"I'm serious," I said, "Last time you stood up you hurled your guts out and you just had a whole small pizza," I said.

"I'll manage," she said, standing up and gripping the table, staring out into space.

"I told you," I sighed, standing up on my knees and pulling her hair back before she threw her body over the trash can, wrapping her arms around it and hurling out the whole pizza.

"Might be pregnant," I joked.

"I'm a virgin," she glared before vomiting noise filled my ears.

"Right, forgot," I said quietly before sitting on my heels and bending my torso over slightly to hold her hair.

Moments of silence passed, her stomach flexing as she drooled over the trash can between hurls. She looked brain-dead.

"Can I touch your back?" I asked quietly.

She looked at me, drool dripping down her chin and neck, her eyes were watering and her body was shaking, her hands slipped on the sides of the trash can from how badly her body shook.

My expression dropped at her state a frown lying on my face.

She nodded and I went down on the floor, sitting beside her and laying my hand on her sweaty back.

Her arms flew around my side as she threw her torso over the trash can. My brows furrowed in confusion at her movements before wrapping my arm around her back.

She calmed down after a while before her head fell on my shoulder, letting out a deep sigh as she faced her body toward me, her arms tightening around my back as she sobbed into my shoulder.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, you're gonna be okay," I grabbed her face from my shoulder and looked at her.

"Everything hurts," she sobbed, tears rolling down her face.

"I know, you'll be okay soon though, I promise," I cooed.

"Pinky?" she sniffled.

A stupid smile rested on my face as I intertwined our pinkies.

"Pinky," I smiled.

"Thank you," she whispered, staring at me.

We sat in silence as I stared at her face her sobs loud at the pain and tears rolled down her face.

I held her face and kissed her forehead, brushing away her hair with my thumb. Her sobbing stopped as she sniffled and looked at me with confusion.