Late Night Munch

5

The first thing Emma noticed when she woke up was that her mouth was dry and her stomach was rumbling more than usual to the point where it was beginning to hurt. Her hand patted around the couch while she searched for her phone. The poor device was nearly thrown across the room when she saw the date. It couldn't be- she had practically slept through an entire day!

Her phone was filled with missed calls. All from her father and her therapist. The most recent text was from her father and it read 'I'm coming over.' She texted him a quick okay and decided that it was better to explain it to him in person. Her therapist on the other hand she chose to give him a call.

"Emma?" The man's worried voice said.

"Hello Dr. Julian." She replied.

"Are you alright? You missed our appointment today and your father said he couldn't reach you all day." He said.

"I'm alright. I took the medication you prescribed and it seemed to finally hit. I wasn't expecting that type of rapid effect." She said.

"Well I'm glad that it worked. There's a great chance it was drastically effective because of how sleep deprived you were. We might have to adjust the dosage considering it tranquilized you like an elephant. I imagine you're no longer at that level now that you've slept."

Emma sighed, "We tried that last time. Look where I ended up."

"There has to be a lot of failure before we find the right amount Emma. These things take time."

"I know, I'm just frustrated."

"I completely understand. It's 100% normal to feel this way and I promise you I'm doing my best to help you in a quick and safe manner. You're safety is the main priority here. You're history with depression is something we shouldn't take lightly with these strong medications."

"I know." She repeated.

"I'll reschedule you for Monday. Write down any changes in a journal and we'll discuss it in our next meeting." He said.

"Alright, have a nice night Dr." She said.

"Good night Emma, it was nice hearing from you. Take care." He said.

She hung up and walked to the kitchen. All she had were a couple of eggs and half an avocado that had gone brown on the top. With a butter knife she scrapped the brown parts off so she was only left with the green chunks. She lightly oiled her pan and cracked two eggs open. Emma was on the verge of flipping her eggs when a faint knock on the door was heard.

"Emma." The voice said.

"Don't you have your keys." Emma groaned. She walked over to the door praying that her eggs wouldn't burn.

She looked through her peep hole and verifying that it was her dad, she unlocked the door to let him in.

"What happened to your keys?" Emma asked, grabbing a plate for her eggs.

"I rushed over here and completely forgot about them which was stupid considering I might have needed them if you were in any danger. What happened kiddo?" He asked.

"I took my new medication. It completely knocked me out."Emma said.

"Did you just wake up?" He asked.

Emma nodded, blowing on her eggs to cool them down before taking a savoring bite. She moaned around the fork."My stomach was killing me." Emma explained.

"Don't tell me that's all you're going to eat." He said. He stood up and rummaged through her pantry and fridge. " Why didn't you tell me you need more groceries?"

Emma blushed, "I was embarrassed. You literally went a few days ago."

"Eating is good for you Emma." He said.

"I know, but my lack of sleep has got me eating all day." She said.

"You shouldn't feel embarrassed by that. Have you talked to Dr. Julian about it?"

"Yes. He said it's common for people to either over eat or eat less." She said.

"I'll go grocery shopping tomorrow. Please don't ever feel ashamed to tell me these sorts of things." He said.

"I'll try." She said.

"Emma-" He began to reprimand her, but realized that at least she was willing to put in some effort and that's all he could truly ask for. "Is there anything specific you want from the store?"

"No, nothing." Emma said.

"You sure? I could pick up a box of cheez-its for you if you want. It will probably last longer than the small bags you have on your counter." He said.

"I'm good. Honestly. They're starting to grow on me." She said.

"Alright, well I'm going to head out. Are you sure you'll be okay?' He asked.

Emma kissed him on the cheek, " I'll be fine. Thank you for checking up on me."

"Always." He said, and gave her a tight hug, " Call me if you need anything."

Emma waved goodbye one last time before locking the door. She absentmindedly glanced at the bag of cheez-itz and thought of Tucker. What was she going to tell him?