Dreams to vows

Chapter 21: Health Scare

*"Great things are done by a series of small things brought together."* — Vincent Van Gogh

POV: Priscilla 💕

It had been a demanding day at the office. My business was thriving, and with expansion came more clients, more contracts, and more responsibilities. Fortunately, I had a team now—Bola, Lisa, and a few others who handled much of the workload. Still, being a perfectionist, I found it hard to delegate completely. I was always in the thick of things, ensuring every detail was just right.

Today was no different. I was reviewing a proposal draft on my laptop, my eyes glued to the screen, when a wave of dizziness suddenly hit me. My hand instinctively went to my forehead, and I paused, waiting for it to pass. I had felt a bit off lately—tired, a little overwhelmed—but I chalked it up to stress.

"You okay, Priscilla?" Bola asked, glancing up from her desk.

"Yeah, I’m fine," I replied quickly, trying to sound casual. But my heart was racing, and a dull ache was spreading through my chest. I forced myself to stand, hoping to shake off the feeling, but as soon as I did, the dizziness worsened. My legs felt weak, and I reached out, gripping the edge of my desk to keep from collapsing.

“Priscilla?” Bola was at my side in an instant, her voice filled with concern.

"I..." I tried to speak, but the words got caught in my throat. My chest felt like it was tightening, and it was getting harder to breathe. Panic set in as my vision blurred.

Lisa, who had been in the next room, rushed in when she heard Bola’s alarmed tone. "What's going on?" she asked, taking one look at me and immediately pulling out her phone.

"We need to call an ambulance," Lisa said, her voice steady, though I could hear the worry underneath.

I wanted to protest, but the dizziness was overwhelming, and I felt my knees give out. Bola and Lisa caught me before I hit the floor, guiding me carefully to a chair.

“Breathe, Pris. Breathe,” Bola whispered, rubbing my back as Lisa explained the situation to the emergency operator. I could hear Lisa giving them the office address, her voice fast and efficient, as I sat slumped in the chair, struggling to stay conscious.

The minutes that passed felt like hours. I could hear my team buzzing around me, making sure I was still responsive, but everything seemed distant, like I was floating somewhere far away from them. The air felt thick, and my heart pounded in my ears.

Finally, the paramedics arrived. They asked me a few questions, but I was too weak to answer properly. I could only nod slightly as they took my vitals, checking my blood pressure and pulse before carefully placing me on the stretcher.

“We’re taking you to the hospital,” one of the paramedics said gently. “It looks like you’ve had a bit of a scare, but we’ll get you there, and the doctors will take care of you.”

Bola followed closely behind as they wheeled me out of the office, concern written all over her face. “We’ll call John,” she said. “He’ll meet you at the hospital.”

---

The next thing I knew, I was lying in a hospital bed, the steady beep of the heart monitor the only sound in the room. I blinked a few times, trying to focus, when the door opened and John rushed in.

“Pris!” His voice was thick with emotion, and in two strides, he was beside me, taking my hand. “I got here as soon as I could. Are you okay?”

“I’m... I’m fine,” I whispered, though my voice was still shaky. The dizziness had faded, but exhaustion weighed heavy on my body.

He looked down at me, his eyes searching mine, and I could see the fear he had been holding in. "I got the call from Bola... I was so scared." He swallowed hard, his grip on my hand tightening. “You collapsed, Pris.”

“I know,” I replied weakly. “I think... I think I’ve been overdoing it.”

John sighed, his thumb brushing over the back of my hand. “You have. You’ve been pushing yourself way too hard.”

A doctor entered the room, and John stepped aside to let him explain what had happened. "Your wife experienced severe exhaustion, dehydration, and a spike in blood pressure," the doctor said, glancing between us. "She’s been under a lot of stress, and her body finally gave out. She’s going to need to rest and rehydrate, and we’ll keep her for observation, but she should be okay with time."

John’s shoulders sagged with relief, though his face was still clouded with worry. After the doctor left, he sat back down beside me, his expression serious. "You can’t keep doing this, Pris. You’ve been working non-stop, skipping meals, barely sleeping. I knew you were busy, but I didn’t realize it was this bad."

"I didn’t either," I admitted, feeling a lump form in my throat. "I thought I could handle it all. I didn’t want to let anyone down."

John shook his head, his eyes softening as he leaned in closer. “No one’s expecting you to do it all by yourself. You’ve got a team for a reason, and you’ve got me. You have to start taking care of yourself, Pris. None of this—our businesses, our plans—matters if you’re not healthy."

I looked up at him, tears pricking the corners of my eyes. He was right. I had been so focused on growing my company, expanding internationally, that I hadn’t stopped to think about what it was doing to me.

"I’ll slow down," I promised, squeezing his hand. "I’ll start letting go a little more."

John smiled, though there was still a hint of worry in his eyes. "Good. Because I can’t lose you. We’ve both been pushing ourselves too hard lately."

I nodded, the weight of his words sinking in. We had both been so wrapped up in building our careers that we hadn’t realized how much it was costing us. But this scare was a wake-up call, a reminder that we needed to find balance.

As I lay there, I realized how lucky I was—to have a team that cared for me, to have John by my side, and to have this chance to slow down and reset.

John kissed my forehead, his lips lingering for a moment as if he couldn’t bear to let me go. “We’ll get through this, Pris. Together.”

I smiled up at him, feeling a wave of peace settle over me. “Together.”