Disoriented and Distraught

Chapter Two: The Sickness

I practically have my own room at Nate's. Our parents are fine with us spending the night together since we're pretty much siblings. Because I have fallen asleep on their basement couch so many times, Nate's parents call it "Jess's Room", Nate and I even put a sign on the door going down the stairs. When we got back to the McNarma's house, I went straight to my 'room', and Nate went to his. 

I keep a pair of pink, white, and blue pajama pants at their house and usually borrow one of Nate's shirts. This time I didn't bother to change. I felt really cold and tired. I grabbed a blanket and set it on the ground so I could pull out the couch and make a bed. Their couch is a sectional, but half of it was a pull out, and the couch turned into a king size bed. Finally, when I had everything ready I laid down. Just as I started to doze off, a shirt hit my face. I could hear Nate waiting, tapping his feet, at the top of the stairs for me to tell him he could come down, but I couldn't talk. I was too tired.

I don't know how long Nate had been waiting, but he must have come down at some point. He was sitting next to me and I woke up with my head in his lap. He was twirling a piece of my hair while reading a book. I tried to move but my head hurt really badly and Nate said, "Don't try to move. Your sick. The doctor will be here soon."

Then my mom and Esther, Nate's mom, were coming down the stairs looking worried. My mom said, "Esther called me because you were burning up. Your fever is at 101.7 degrees Fahrenheit right now, and we didn't want to move you, so we called a doctor to come here."

The truth is, I could care less about what my mom was saying. Nate is worried and I don't know why. If only Esther and my mom would go back upstairs. They were probably gossiping about this woman, Veronica Lance, who is in their book club.

As if Nate knew what I was thinking, he said,"Okay. Do you have an estimate of what time the doctor will be here by?---because I think Jess should get some more sleep. It could bring her fever down."

My mom looked surprised that Nate was trying to take care of me. Then, to my surprise, she said, "Nate is right Esther. We should let Jess get some more rest. Nate, Jess, the doctor will be here in an hour." My mom usually won't let anyone but herself take care of me when I'm sick. Nate is always there though. My mom never lets him in my room when I'm sick, so he sits against my door and will sometime just ramble on. It surprised me that she had let him within twenty feet of me.

Once I heard a steady conversation going on upstairs, I said, "Okay Nate. You can give up the 'I'm fine' act now our parents are upstairs. Tell me why you're so worried." Nate looked at me but didn't answer. Fine, I thought Nate can tell me that along with everything else he needs to explain! He looked down at me, opened his mouth, and closed it again.

Nate finally said, "Jess. Don't worry about what I'm worrying about. You're sick and you worry too much about me anyway. Could you please just rest for once. Get some sleep before the doctor comes." He then mumbled, "I think you might need it," and that's when I drifted back off to sleep.

******

When I woke up ten minutes later I remembered what Nate had mumbled. It kept replaying in my head. That's when I knew what was going to happen. I've hated needles my whole life and now I knew why Nate was so worried, and why my mom listened to Nate earlier. The doctor was going to give me a shot, or even worse, take blood!

I could feel the panic spread through my chest. Then words started coming out of my mouth, but it didn't sound like I was talking. "Nate?" I said, my voice cracking, "Could you please help me get up. I really need to use the restroom. And I think maybe---" I didn't get to finish my sentence because Nate got up. Instead of helping me, he walked up the stairs.

The next thing I know, my mom is taking me into the bathroom. "Mom," I said, "I really want rinse off my face with some cold water." I was starting to feel hot, especially since someone put four more blankets on top of me. My mom rinsed off my face for me and took me back to the couch, and I must have fallen asleep again.

I was woken up by Nate. He was sitting just as he was before, with my head in his lap. "Jess," Esther said, "This is my friend, Doctor Katherine Miller. She has been Nate's doctor ever since we moved here, so I thought you would like her."

Dr. Miller started asking me a bunch of questions. As she asked the questions, I studied her. She had long brown curly hair that came down to her elbows, with brown eyes. Her skin seemed to be glowing, but I think I've started to see things because then I saw Nate's skin glowing too! Maybe I'm dreaming, I thought. After that I don't remember anything except for a sharp pain in my neck, and then darkness.