Game Over: Life's Over

Only Going To Get Worse

This chapter is setting up for some pretty drastic changes. Poor Jake is in for a rough couple of days.

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My weekend at Mom's was over faster than I expected it to. I woke up on Saturday and pretended like Mom hadn't dropped a bombshell on me and that everything was fine. She, apparently, did the same. Either she wanted to put it aside and focus on me or she was just playing along like I was, I couldn't tell. I was just glad to forget about it so I could just focus on having time with Mom. It made me wish that she felt the same. I was more than enough for Mom.

I spent most of Sunday night and Monday in my bedroom. I wasn't interested in talking to Eric and Theo after I blew up at Eric over using the stuffed animals I had been given. I didn't want them so I wasn't going to use them. They needed to understand that.

I just wanted to be treated like my opinion mattered and I wasn't just some kid who needed to be taken care of.

I hadn't eaten much throughout the day since I stayed in my room so when my stomach started to hurt, I figured it was because I didn't eat anything.

It was dark in the hallway when I walked out of my room. I stayed quiet as I walked to the stairwell. I slowly opened the baby gate and headed down the steps. I did the same at the bottom of the steps and made my way into the kitchen.

There weren't any lights on downstairs but I knew my way around the house enough that I didn't need the lights on. I just would've felt better being alone in the middle of the night if they were.

I opened the fridge and grabbed the jelly from the door. I found the peanut butter in one of the shelves and was grateful that I could still reach. I made myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich before putting back everything I'd gotten out. I grabbed the sandwich and made my way back to my bedroom.

I shut my door and turned something on my TV. I turned the volume down so I wouldn't wake up Eric and Theo. I found a movie I'd always liked and settled with that.

I fell asleep shortly after I finished eating. The TV was still on but I fell asleep with no problem. I'd always been good at sleeping with the TV on as long as it wasn't too loud.

I woke up a few hours later and it was still dark out. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. My stomach still hurt and I couldn't understand why. It was really too late to be eating anything and I'd already eaten a whole sandwich. What more did my stomach want from me?

I barely had time to finish the thought before I felt the sensation that I was going to puke. I jumped out of bed and ran out into the hall. I made it to the bathroom in just enough time to throw up.

I fell to my knees, smacking them against the porcelain toilet. My stomach cramped up as it emptied. I was shivering but my skin was hot to the touch. Sweat beads rolled down my face and the back of my neck.

Once my stomach had calmed enough, I fell back on my butt and scooted until my back was pressed against the bathtub. I wrapped my arms around myself as I took deep breaths to calm my upset stomach.

It had been a long time since I was sick. Even going to school, I didn't get sick often. I just had a good immune system. But I knew I hated being sick. I was miserable and I couldn't do anything but lie in bed or on the floor by the toilet.

I'd forgotten to turn on the light in the bathroom when I was running in so I sat in darkness. The nightlight in the hallway provided a little light but not as much as I would have liked. I didn't want to be in the dark in the bathroom but I didn't feel well enough to get up.

Unbeknownst to me, I had fallen asleep shortly after I was done puking. I was curled up in a ball on the small bath mat that sat outside of the bathtub. My arms were wrapped around my middle as if that was supposed to make me feel better or stop the cramping in my stomach. And, while I was glad I hadn't gotten sick any longer after the first time, I still felt just as bad as when I'd run to the bathroom.

Theo knelt down in front of me. I'd forgotten to flush the toilet so he could see that I'd gotten sick. He brushed my sweaty hair from my forehead and pressed the back of his hand to my skin. "Poor kid. Jake, can you wake up for me?"

I turned my head away from him. He'd turned on the light when he entered the room and it was too bright for me. My head didn't feel good as it was.

Theo frowned. He wasn't used to seeing me in such a bad state. He was probably used to seeing me mad and upset but never sick like I was. "Jake, let's go back to your room and lie down."

Slowly, I shook my head. I wasn't up for moving.

"Let me go get Eric. He can carry you to your room. I don't want you to sleep on the floor like this." I wasn't sure why I had to get up. I wasn't comfortable on the floor but I'd been there for a while and was okay. I didn't want to move until I felt better.

Theo left the room and I felt a tight cramp in my stomach. I didn't want to get up but I didn't want to throw up on the bath mat. I sat up just enough that I could get to the toilet.

My stomach didn't have anything in it so throwing up was more painful than I expected. I dry heaved for several minutes before my stomach finally calmed down.

Theo came back into the room with Eric in tow just as I moved away from the toilet once more. I wiped my mouth off with the back of my hand and it was then I noticed just how badly I was shaking.

Eric crouched down beside me. "Jake, let's go lie down."

I reached out for him. As long as I didn't have to exert much energy, I didn't mind going back to my room. I knew I'd be more comfortable in bed than I was on the floor in the bathroom.

Eric picked me up and carried me back to my room. He didn't seem to struggle carrying me which made me feel a little better. I wasn't as heavy as I used to be but I wasn't just a toddler you could hold on your hip.

As Eric tried to put me down, I whined and gripped onto his shirt in my hands. I didn't want him to leave me, even to sit beside the bed or linger in my room with me. I wanted someone close by to make me feel like I was okay.

"Okay, okay." Eric sat down on my bed with me still in his arms. He helped me get comfortable against his chest.

Theo pulled my blanket over my body before kneeling beside the bed. "Jake, do you want some water?"

I shook my head.

Theo brushed my hair out of my face. "I'm sorry you're not feeling well. I know being sick isn't any fun."

"Do you think we should call his doctor?" Eric asked.

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea. We should do it before he gets any worse."

Worse? How much worse could it get?

Theo got to his feet. "I'll go call and see if we can get an appointment this morning."

I just wanted to feel better. Unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen anytime soon and things were only going to get worse.