The Adventures Of Nurse Emma: Ashton's Story. Emma's POV.

CHAPTER 3

Ash was leaning against the wall while we waited for our luggage. I know he was only doing this because he knows I'm watching him He'd never come to me for help, I know the others will but Ash, no he's so used to dealing with everything on his own it's not in him to ask for help especially someone as new as me. Don't want to draw attention to him he's not going to thank me for it. I slowly make my way over to him pretending I needed to rest against the wall too. "Ash" I say cautiously "Sunglasses off" Wow for the first time since I joined the team he listened to me! He must be really sick. He trails the sunglasses down his nose to reveal his eyes to me. God what a mess gone were those bright shiny hazel eyes and in their place a pair of dry, dull and inflamed excuse for eyes. Even the whites of his eyes were inflamed along with his eyelids he'd been rubbing them too hard as we landed. This was way more than jet lag and a cold. I snap into medic mode as I see my medical bags on the luggage carousel, I slowly guide him over to join the others. I barely have anything left in my medical bags, airlines have strict rules of what you can take on flights even as checked luggage. Everything I had in America I had got while I was there I didn't have the right paperwork to bring it back so I had donated it to a free clinic I spotted on the way back from the Howard Stern interview. The adrenaline was really racing through my body as I pulled my luggage along with my medical bags off the carousel, a feat that always amazes everyone being 5 foot 2 most of the luggage is nearly bigger than me and I pull it off the belt like it was nothing. I want to start a running diagnosis as we go through the airport but I know he won't let me and I really don't want to alert the paparazzi of anything either. I'm really starting to wonder how long he's been trying to fight this on his own. Once we're in the vans I'll start my diagnosis, I grab Dave to get him up to speed "Thought something was up" he sighs I glance back to see Ash swaying where he stands, Dave follows my eye line and reads my mind. "Get him in the van, you can go straight to the hotel I'll get the others in the back up van somehow" I nod my thanks as Ash's luggage is added to my own on the cart. Dave nods to a pair of suited airline staff and we are ushered through a staff only door into the belly of Heathrow. I have Ash hold the luggage cart he has no strength to push it, I only have him holding it in an effort to stop him from swaying. He drags his head up from his shoulders as I guide his hands on to the cart. "Noooooooo" he croaks "Why are we going this way, I need to see the fans why won't you let me" Temper starts to lace his broken voice, stumbling against the cart as he loses focus. "Look at you, you're in no state to see anyone" I tell him sternly. He's going to faint if I don't get him sat down soon. I wrap my arm around his waist as I hold on to the other side of the steering bar to give him a little more support. I'm half expecting him to push me away or start more tantrums but he stays silent. I feel him shift his weight on to me as he struggles to hold himself upright. I feel his heartbeat as he leans on me, His poor heart is racing and we're barely going at a snail's pace. I snap into action because I know what's coming next. He starts to slump against me "DAVE" I shout "He's going" I hold him up for the split second it took for Dave to scoop him up from me as he slips into a faint.

Sure I can hold him up for a few seconds but after that all I can do for him is become a squashy cushion for him to fall on. An airport employee takes the luggage cart from me as I pull out my medic bags and race after Dave who is in a full out sprint for the van, lucky we were so close. Ash comes round as soon as Dave sits him inside the van and almost as quickly out come the explanations and the temper tantrums. "Stop fussing Dave I'm fine, just tired leave me alone" he slurred Dave ignores him and jumps in the front seat with the driver. He's still arguing as I jump in the van to sit next to him. I go to help him with his seat beat but he pushes my hands away. "Emma stop it I'm not a fucking baby I can do it myself" "Why didn't you tell me you were sick" I snap I'm getting so fed up of his outbursts. "I'M NOT SICK" he screamed in my face. "REALLY" I scream back "Healthy people faint all the time do they?" I scream back. Professionalism gone completely but I'm jet lagged to hell and I'm sick of him acting like this and now he's screaming at me, I've had enough. I was ready and waiting for his comeback but it never came, his latest outburst has drained him of all the energy he had left. He sits in silence as I run through my tests. He's got a temperature I make a note of the degrees in my notebook and I pull the electronic reader out of his ear. "Feels gross" he mumbles under his breath. "IT WILL" I snap my temper going nowhere fast. I'm so tired I don't have the strength to keep my temper at bay anymore.

Against my better judgement I decide to get Ash to the hotel I don't want to waste my old hospital's time and resources for something I could fix myself. This is why I was hired management won't thank me for the bad press when people see Ash going into hospital again and the hospital wouldn't thank me either when the fans mob the ambulance bays. Least I don't have to deal with extra tantrums because I'm not dragging him to the hospital. "Tongue out" I ask a little calmer this time. He does without argument, holding his tongue down with a depressor. That's the official name but it's just a mini wooden spatula and to be brutally honest it wouldn't look out of place in a home waxing kit! With his tongue out of the way I can see the back of his throat with the torch at the end of my pen. It's so hard to keep still the van is hitting so many bumps in the road I'm surprised I haven't stabbing him in the mouth with the stupid spatula! I steady myself in my seat as I continue with the tests, yeah Ash is sick he's got a white tinge over his tongue and red inflamed skin coating his throat (a sure sign of infection) "How long have you been like this?" he does nothing but shrug at me. My temper jumps up again he's ill and still he's brushing me off like a disrespectful pap or fan. "Answer me! How can I do my job if you don't tell me shit?" Yup there goes my professionalism again. "I'm here to help you Ash, why won't you let me I'm here for you guys no one else!" Still I get silence I'm so tired I don't have the strength to deal with him when he's like this, I might as well be talking to management the way he's ignoring me. I may as well be sat in the van on my own! "Didn't want to bother you, it was only a cough the other day" he mumbled. "Well it's a whole bunch of crap today" I sigh.