A Famous Affair

A Famous Affair chapter 14

Waking up on the morning Lydia and I are travelling up to Sheffield for a trade fair is the same as all the other mornings. My first thought is Jonny, just as my last thought at night is Jonny.

I lie in bed for a few moments, summoning the strength to get out of bed. Is this aching ever going to bloody go away? I sit up, grimacing at the pain in my shoulder. I must have slept on it wrong or something? Standing up, I feel dizzy and disorientated. I really don't feel very good at all. I'm finding it hard to even stand up because of the gripping pain terrorising my abdomen. As the cramping gets worse, I double over. My panic is barely containable when I notice the blood between my legs. What's wrong with me? Everything becomes such a daze. I feel so light-headed and detached from my body, that it doesn't feel real. Although this pain, fuck the pain is very real!

I manage to make it to the toilet, holding onto the walls as I stagger along. That's when I hear Shawn coming up the stairs, whistling a happy tune.

"Shawn, I'm bleeding and it's bad." I screw my face up in pain.

In an instant I'm in his arms. "Shit! Jessica, what's wrong?"

I wince as the pain continues to rip through my body. "I don't know, but it's hurting really bad, please call someone," I pant.

"Fuck . . . you're really bleeding." The distress in Shawn's voice only adds to my panic.

I struggle to speak. "Please call Lydia, too. She'll be waiting for me at the train station."

"I will in a minute, but first you need a doctor." Shawn helps me to sit down onto the toilet; I slump down onto it. The excruciating pain is making it really difficult for me to breathe. I pull my knees up to my chest as the pain sears through me. I see the blood in the toilet. Terror pushes the bile out of my throat with such fierce velocity that Shawn has to jump back.

"Shawn, I'm scared. Please call a doctor." The tears streak down my hot, flushed cheeks.

"Stay there, Babe, I'll be back in a minute." I've never heard Shawn sound so panicked before.

The girls get up to find out what's going on. Lissy walks in and as soon as she sees me, she looks absolutely terrified.

"Mum, what's happening?"

"I'll be okay, Love. Dad's calling a doctor." I try to stand but can't.

"Here Mum, I'll help you." Lissy tries to put her arms around me and lift me up. We somehow manage to get me up on my feet but I'm feeling faint and have to lean heavily on her for support. I hear Lottie in the background asking her dad what is happening, Shawn asks her to wait as he's on the phone. All this is happening around me, but it doesn't seem real. What is wrong with me? We make it back to my bed, but the pain increases; it's agonisingly unbearable. I'm dying!

Shawn has the phone in his hand as he puts his head around the bedroom door. "The doctors want you to come down straight away, but maybe you need an ambulance?"

I'm trying to answer him, but find I can't. I feel strange. Although I'm aware Shawn is speaking to me, I can't process his words, as the pain has me too much in its excruciating grip. I feel like I'm drifting. Everything and everyone is fading away. A comforting blackness reaches out for me, pulling me down into a deep and dark oblivion.

***

I'm trying so hard to open my eyes, but my lids no longer cooperate. My throat is dry and sore. I feel heavy, groggy and worse than ever. I'm barely conscious, and so afraid because I don't know what is happening to me. The only thing I am aware of is, I'm not at home. My senses have gone into overdrive. The sounds and smells are all alien to me. I hear my name being called but my damn eyes won't open.