Only Him

Chapter 11

The health clinic on Lehigh's campus was exactly what I expected it to be like: a small, badly lit waiting room with ugly uncomfortable chairs. There was a guy in there who looked like he was dying, whether from a bender the night before or some other illness I wasn't sure. Another girl sat across from me, cotton tissue perpetually pressed to her nose as she made irritable honking noises in an attempt to clear her congestion.

Lissa was going to get me sick by sending me here.

I'd made it to the clinic quickly after leaving Lissa, intent on finishing fast and getting back to my job. Once there I'd filled out a quick bit of medical history and now waited for my turn.

I felt the time slipping by slowly as I waited impatiently, running through more arguments to have with Lissa upon my return. When "Hathaway, Rosemaire," was finally called from the doorway I was quick to comply.

The nurse on duty led me through the usual process of a check up, taking my temperature and blood pressure. She asked me a few more questions and asked for a urine sample. Rolling my eyes I'd complied with that as well, making a comment about how it was my stomach, not bladder, I was having issues with. She ignored me and left with the sample, leaving me once again to my own devices. I had thoroughly inspected every piece of equipment and cabinet in the room when the doctor entered at last.

"Hello Ms. Hathaway, my name is Dr. Lochten." A stout, old man with a bushy gray mustache greeted me as he entered the tiny room. He extended a hand to me and I took it wearily.

"Hello," I responded. "So, did your tests tell you what's wrong with me?" I asked without much preamble.

The doctor gestured for me to get on the exam table. I did and he proceeded to listen to my lungs.

"The results aren't back yet," he informed me as he moved the cool metal from one side of my back to the other, "but I'm here for more information." He put away his stethoscope and nodded to me. "You seem extremely healthy," he noted. "Do you do some sort of sport?" he asked. "Running? Swimming?"

"Mixed martial arts," I responded. When in the human world this was the go-to response for guardians to give. Any bodily manifestations of our profession were nearly identical.

The man nodded, having expected something along the lines. "Well it keeps you in top shape which makes it all the more curious that you've been ill of late." He sat down on a stool and rested his elbows on his knees. "Tell me, what exactly has been happening?"

I shrugged. "I just get sick randomly. Its like I have three seconds between realizing I'm going to be sick and it actually happening."

He made a grunt of acknowledgement. "And is there anything that these events have in common? A time of the day, location or smell perhaps?"

I shook my head. "Completely random." I'd had my episodes anywhere from early morning to mid-shift and right before bed. If it had been as easy as identifying some smell that bugged me I'd have done so by now.

Another grunt. "And has anything else been off that you've noticed? Aches and pains, weight gain, lethargy?"

"No—" I stopped myself. "Well, yeah actually," I admitted. "I'm almost always tired but that's really not unexpected, I've been pulling double shifts a lot lately."

"And weight gain?" he asked. I glared. What, had he or the nurse noticed my slightly tight shirt today? It was another blow to my ego, the once perfectly fitted button up blouse was tight, buttons embarrassingly showing some strain near the chest and bottom. Nothing outrageous or worth changing shirts over but still.