Feeling Faint (BxB)

Chapter 3

Ben returns with the pizza and sets it on the coffee table. He looks at me thoughtfully then goes to the kitchen, coming back with another Gatorade.

I stare at him for a moment, opening my mouth to protest. He cuts me off. "You're drinking it. No excuses." He crosses his arms defiantly, staring me down. I scrunch my eyebrows together grumpily. He flips on the TV and frowns at me. "I should have you lying down again."

I simply sigh. He sits on the couch next to me and hands me my pizza. "Here, eat first." I take the plate and start slowly eating. I freeze when his hand appears on my forehead. I turn my head to see him frowning again. "You might have a fever," he tells me.

I stare at him for a moment. "Fine, fine. I'll leave you alone. Finish eating." he says, waving his hand at me. I proceed to finish a slice of pizza, setting my plate on the table. He looks at me again. I can't tell what he's thinking.

Suddenly he sets his plate on the table and disappears down the hall. He returns with a thermometer and a tablet. I'm too tired to ask questions.

He plops onto the couch and adjusts me so my head is sitting on his lap. "I'll take your temperature in a little bit, but you just ate so we might have to wait," he tells me. He starts tapping away on the tablet, and I close my eyes to take a nap, overcome with exhaustion. I drift off to the noise of his typing.

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When I wake again, the room is dark. A dim lamp sits lit on the side table next to Ben, but it doesn't provide much light.

Ben has fallen asleep, and his tablet is about to slide off the armrest of the couch. I slowly get up, careful not to wake him. I move his tablet and head down the hall to find the bathroom.

After relieving myself, I look at myself in the mirror. My face seems so much paler than usual, my blue eyes duller. My blonde hair is a mess, and I look like I've been living in a cave for a week. What did I do to myself? I dry my hands off and open the door, starting to walk back down the hall to the living room.

Without warning, my head is suddenly hit with a lightning storm of pain. I drop onto the floor with a loud thud, unable to stay standing. I'm frozen again, my hands stuck to my head, trying to stop it. My vision fades in and out.

I struggle to keep conscious. Strong hands appear on my back and legs, and suddenly I'm lifted into the air. I catch a glimpse of Ben's face looking down at me. His image is wrinkled with concern. From what I can tell, we're back on the couch.

Ben is rubbing circles on my back again, but I can't get any words out to thank him. My brain is focused only on the white-hot pain that sears me. A whimper escapes me that I didn't even know I was holding in. I can't breathe. The air is too thin.

Tears start to stream down my face as my fists clench. I'm fighting unconsciousness with every breath I take. Ben's voice fades in and out. "Jay it's okay. I've got you. Keep breathing. Let's try some deep breaths alright?" His voice comforts me and distracts me from the pain. I focus on it, trying to block out everything else.

My breaths are still shaky, but I'm starting to calm down. The pain is slowly fading, and I unclench my fists. Ben's hand brushes some hair off my sticky forehead. "Keep breathing. Deep breaths." He repeats. I listen to his voice and gradually start to relax. "Jay I'm going to take your temperature okay? Give me two blinks in a row if that's alright." I blink at him twice. I'm glad he understands that it's all the effort I can muster right now.

He puts the thermometer in my mouth for a moment, then reads it, grimacing. "You have a fever," he tells me. I sigh, trying to wipe the tears from my cheeks with my shaking hands. "I've got it," he says softly, brushing them away.