Music, Tattoos, and Muscles

Chapter 6: Fever

Sam sneezed. She hated herself for being so stupid for going out in the rain with out her coat again. 

She rung out the cold water out of her hair. She had inherited her mom's thick brown hair, minus the natural purple streaks. 

Sam started coughing loudly. Soon she was gasping for air, holding herself up with the counter. 

When her coughing fit stopped, she carefully lowered herself to the floor of the hotel bathroom. The medic part of her brain told her she had to call someone incase she blacked out from lack of oxygen. 

But who could she call?

Not her family, after the fight she had with her mom. Nor Maggie. She wasn't much help in a emergency. Virgil? 

He had given her his number before they had gone to the bar a few days ago. And with him being part of Intranational Rescue, he would be able to help her if she went down hill. 

 Hacking and coughing as she went, Sam grabbed her cellphone from her bag. She kind of light head, but focused on calling Virgil.

"Hello?" He had answered it on first ring.

"Virgil, I need your help." Sam said sliding to the floor.

"What's wrong?" She had made the right call in calling him.

"I'm sick and I'm having trouble breathing."

"Where are you?"

"The hotel three doors down from the bar."

"I'm on my way."

"Please don't hang up on me." Sam bit her lip as another cough shook her body. She didn't want to be alone.

"Okay, just lay on your side on the floor. That should help you breath a little better."

"I already am."

"Good, just stay awake until I get there."

"Okay."

A patch of silence grew in between the pair. Suddenly Sam coughed and her side started screaming at her. 

"Virgil," she managed to gasp out between coughs. 

"What's wrong?"

"My ribs hurt. It feels like I broke one or two."

"Don't worry, I'm almost there. All you have to do is keep breathing."

(Virgil's POV)

Virgil bit his lip as he prepared Thunderbird 2 to land. 

When Sam had called, he had known that something wasn't right. The sound of her breathing was wet and jagged.

'Just keep breathing, Sam,' he thought grabbing his med bag from its spot behind his seat. 

As Virgil reached the front desk, he got a verity of looks. 

"I'm looking for Sam Brahstone's room?" he asked the person at the front desk.

"22. Its on the second floor, dude. Here's the keycard," the guy said rolling his eyes.

Virgil didn't even thank the man as he raced for the stairs. They were faster then the elevator at this point.

"Virgil, where are you?" John's voice over the coms made him jump.

"I'm a bit busy here, John," Virgil said as he scanned the door numbers.

"You're needed."

"I can't."

"What do you mean? Where are you exactly?"

"New York City, helping a friend who's having trouble breathing."

 "I'll send an ambulance to your location."

"John, she called me. I'm not letting her down. And the ambulance might be too late. I'm here right now," Virgil said swiping the card and unlocking the door. 

When he pushed the door open, he could hear Sam's loud coughing. They were deep chest coughs that were filled with moisture.

"Coms off," he said as he moved Sam's side.

"Hey, Virg," Sam said smiling slightly before her whole body shook with another coughing fit.

"Easy, can you tell me what happened?" he asked in his rescue voice, as his younger brothers called it. He pulled off his gloves and brushed his hands across her forehead. She defiantly had a fever. 

"End up outside in a rainstorm." 

"Deep breath in, okay," Virgil said, listening to her chest. 

A rasping sound filled his ears through the stethoscope, causing him to wince internally. As Sam tried to breath out, she yelped in pain and started coughing again. 

"Where does it hurt?"

She pointed at her lower ribs. As Virgil brushed is fingers, Sam winced.

"I can't tell if they're broken or not."

Sam nodded and began coughing again. The coughs shook her whole body and she pulled her legs closer to her chest.

Virgil grabbed the oxygen mask and carefully put it over her face. Then he connected it the air supply on his suit. 

"Deep breaths, Sam. Do you have a bag any where?"

Sam pointed at a black duffle that sat on the floor next to one of the beds. Good, the big shoulder strap would make it so Virgil could carry it and Sam at the same time.

"I'm going to take you some where safe so you can get better, but I'm going to have to carry down the stairs to Thunderbird 2. Tell me if you hurt when I lift you, okay."

Virgil slung the bag over his shoulder and carefully lifted Sam. She winced slightly and he moved her gently into a better position.