Draft version - Russian Roulette - Family secrets

Ch. 40: You need to see a doctor

"Open the fucking door, Mackenzie!"

Gareth's angry voice carried through the door into the small apartment. His excessive banging on the poor piece of wood attested to his state of mind. They were hard and poorly controlled knocks.

Mackenzie dragged herself to the door. She had not moved since she had texted him the address. She had not read the other messages or listened to her voicemails. The phone she had thrown on the table and just leaned back and waited for her downfall.

"Mackenzie, if you do not open the door in 5 seconds, I'll break it down!"

She clicked the lock and opened the door swaying a little because she was feeling nauseous. "I don't feel well," she mumbled weakly when she faced him.

He looked beyond pissed. His eyes were bloodshot, the veins she had imagined bulging out looked ready to pop, his body language was one of a lion ready to lunge at a target. Or maybe a dragon.

As soon as he saw her everything he was feeling wheezed out of him like a deflating balloon. She looked awful. He was going to yell at her and get some answers but not while she looked like that.

"Dolly, what the hell...?" Gareth wrapped his arm around her and scooped her up. With his foot he slammed the door shut and carried her to the couch. He did not notice the room or the left-over food on the table. All he saw was her. And though he was more comfortable seeing her right in front of him he felt cold to the core at how bad she looked.

"Malyshka, are you ok? Do you need the bathroom or something to drink?"

Gone was the fire breathing dragon replaced by something she had never believed possible.

Gareth was acting like a concerned boyfriend.

Mackenzie shook her head at him. Her head was still pounding but his presence had a soothing effect on her. Then she nodded her head and gestured towards the bathroom.

Instantly he lifted her up again and carried her to the bathroom where he put her down next to the toilet and lifted the seat and cover knowing very well what she needed.

There was not room for modesty or shame, Mackenzie folded over and emptied her stomach content into the toilet bowl. She had expected him to make a tactical retreat and leave her to it, but he guided her down on her knees on a folded towel, he picked from the rack, to protect her knees from the hard tiles. He swept back her hair and held it while making soothing circles on her back to comfort her.

If the sounds or the smell bothered him, he made no show of it.

Gagging and heaving for air Mackenzie hung over the toilet bowl. She was certain that there was no more in her stomach, still she was not sure it was over yet.

"Are you done, malyshka? Do you need some water?" Gareth smoothed back her hair from her sweaty forehead and examined her pale face. If she had looked awful when he got there, she had upped that a few notches.

She looked ready to pass out.

"Gareth..." She weakly tried.
"Done? Just nod if you can't speak."

She nodded.

Gently he lifted her from the floor and held her against his body to support her while he found her toothbrush and some toothpaste in the small cabinet next to the sink. He helped her brush her teeth and rinse out her mouth before he carried her back to the couch.

To her dismay he left her there and she was too drained to turn her head to see where he went, he came back moments later with a cold cloth to put on her forehead and a bottle of water from the kitchen.