The Experiment 2: The Journey

Tim

"Babe... you okay?" RJ asked when he got out of the shower and saw Dei bent over by the kitchen counter. Her right arm was propped on the granite countertop while her hand clutched her lower abdomen. She was biting her lip with her eyes squeezed shut in pain.

"Period cramps... and it hurts so bad," she groaned.

"Can you please sit down," he told her while rubbing her lower back with his palm. "You don't have to do this, babe. Let me prepare the breakfast for now."

"Are you sure?" she asked, wincing as she felt another stab of pain shoot through her abdomen and lower back.

"Yes. Come here." He gently led her to the living room and sat her on the sofa, and then went into the bedroom to get her a blanket. "Rest, okay? I'll get you some hot compress."

"Thanks, babe," she said as she laid on the sofa and curled in a fetal position with the blanket pulled up to her chin.

"Why is it so painful again? I thought it stopped getting that bad after we got together?" he asked as he grabbed a bottle and filled it with hot water. He then pulled a small hand towel from the kitchen drawer and wrapped it around the bottle. He walked over to Dei and helped her place it against her lower abdomen.

"It still happens periodically but today it's just worse, probably because of the cold," she muttered as she rolled the bottle up and down her tummy. "My back hurts so bad too," she whined, and she looked like she was about to cry.

She hated it when her period cramps got so bad. She felt helpless and vulnerable and she never liked being too dependent, plus the pain just hurt so much that she could even barely walk sometimes. This day was one of those times.

"Are you gonna be okay here alone?" he asked, while gently massaging her lower back.

"Yea," she said through gritted teeth as another wave of pain hit her. "I'll probably just sleep it off the whole day."

"You have to eat, and take some pain reliever babe," he told her.

"I don't want to rely on medicines."

"Well sometimes you have to, when the pain is too bad that you can barely move. Just like now," he said sternly.

Dei sighed. He was right of course, and he knew he was right because he was being bossy about it.

"Do you have any?" she whispered, peeking at him with one eye.

"I do," he replied. "Let me finish preparing the breakfast so you can eat first before taking the medicine." He stood up and walked straight into the kitchen. Dei had already taken out the sausages to thaw and had prepared the scrambled eggs too so he just worked on those.

"Won't you be late, babe?" she called from the sofa.

"It's still early, Dei, don't worry about it." he said.

RJ grabbed a pack of chicken noodle soup from their small pantry and cooked it for her too. When the food was ready, he placed them on a tray and brought it to her.

"Can you sit up?" he asked.

"Yep," she replied. She propped her elbow on the sofa, pulled herself into a sitting position and leaned against the armrest.

"Have some soup first," he said, holding a spoonful of it to her lips.

"Babe, you will be late. I can do this, I can still move my hands," she said after taking that spoonful. She took the bowl and spoon from him but smiled to soften the blow.

"I wanna take care of you," he said.

"But you have to get ready for work. I'm gonna be fine, babe. I'm not bed ridden," she told him with a small smile.