Problems of adults

Chapter 40 : Coughing

The next day, Jane's breathing was complicated. She was at the lunch table with her friends, but she couldn't stop coughing. Well, she wouldn't be surprised to have got a cold thanks to the poor isolation of her bedroom.

- "Try to eat," Max said.

- "I can't! I'm fucking coughing!" Jane answered.

- "Go take some air then!"

- "Good idea! I won't have to listen to your stupid advice!"

Jane angrily stood and weakly left the cafeteria. The entire table turned to Max who was rubbing her face.

- "Is it fine between you and her?" Dustin asked with a concerned tone.

- "No, it's not," Max answered.

Max was terrified by the situation. She could see Jane's health deteriorate, and she was feeling powerless to this. Beverly stood and joined Jane who was in the halls, coughing.

- "Let's go outside," Bev said.

The redhead wrapped her arms around Jane's right arm and walked with her to the outside. The two girls sat on the steps. Bev rubbed Jane's back and said:

- "Inhale with your nose and exhale with your mouth."

- "Inhaling makes me cough!"

- "Do it slowly."

Beverly began to breath with Jane. It strangely worked, for a few seconds before Jane cough again.

- "'Doesn't work."

- "Yeah...When did you begin to cough?"

- "Last night. Constance didn't sleep because of me. I'm a fucking pain in the ass."

- "You're not. We're all here for you, if you need."

- "Oh yeah!? You have a pair of lungs for me!? Or a new heart!?"

Bev had a sad sigh. Everyone was powerless in this situation, and, even if Jane was the one sick, all her friends and family were in pain with her. Bev placed her head on Jane's shoulder and kept rubbing her back. Jane managed to calm her cough by miracle, but she was feeling very dizzy and weak, and preferred not finishing her day at school. She thanked Beverly and walked away, in direction of her home.

But she wasn't in a good shape and preferred not taking risks, so she asked Joyce if she could pick her up. The woman obviously accepted, and, as it was her day off, she offered Jane to stay at her apartment for the end of the day, like that she wouldn't be alone. Constance took their cat to the vet and kept it with her for the day, so Jane had no reason to go back home, so she stayed with Joyce.

- "You can take some rest in Max's bed if you want," Joyce said.

- "No, it's worse when I lay down."

- "Oh, okay. Let me prepare you the couch, and, why not watching a movie?"

- "Yeah, okay."

Jane used the bathroom while Joyce took pillows, blankets, and a tray with some food on it. She chose a Disney movie that she installed. Jane reappeared, more tired than ever. She didn't know how her body could still walk. She was feeling like an old lady. Jane saw everything that Joyce prepared for her, and it strangely warmed her heart, a sensation she hadn't had for weeks now. The woman helped Jane to sit on the couch and installed her until she was feeling comfy.

- "Are you okay?" Joyce softly asked.

- "Yeah. Thank you," Jane weakly answered.

- "You want me to stay with you? I can stay in the kitchen if you prefer being alone."

- "It's your home, do as you want. You already picked me up and allowed me to stay here. It's good enough for me."

- "Then, I'll stay with you, if you don't mind."

- "I don't."

Joyce warmly smiled to her before sitting next to her and starting the movie. As Jane didn't sleep well last night, and as she was extremely tired, she managed to fall asleep, and Joyce was glad she did.

At the end of the day, Max and Will arrived in the apartment. When they entered, they saw Jane still asleep on the couch. Max felt relieved, she hated when Jane was alone, anything could happen to her. The redhead gently sat on the couch to look at her.

- "She opens her eyes sometimes, but she is very tired," Joyce said, her voice low.

- "Thank you for keeping her here," Max answered.

- "She can't stay alone anymore."

- "I know."

- "I didn't remember her snoring so loudly," Will stated.

- "Yeah, it was softer, now she sounds like a motorcycle starting. I don't mind."

If it wasn't because her lungs were not working, she wouldn't mind, but now, it was hurting to hear because she knew Jane was struggling to breath. Max stayed next to her to look at her. Jane started and woke up. She opened one eye and looked around to remember where she was when she saw her girlfriend next to her.

- "Hey," Jane said with a hoarse voice.

- "Hey. How did you sleep?"

- "Not that bad. What time is it?"

- "Almost five," Max answered, looking at her watch.

- "Damn. How was your day?"

- "Like a day at school without you."

- "I'm not a good company anyway."

- "Yeah, but you're still a company. I missed you."

Jane lightly nodded. Max leaned to her and kissed her before wrapping her arms around her waist and placing her head on her shoulder. Soft moments like that were pretty rare, so the two girls were trying to enjoy them as much as possible. Jane managed to wrap her arms around her girlfriend, even if she was shaking.

Jane sent a message to Constance to tell her she was at Joyce's. The blonde teen called her to tell her she was almost there, so Jane decided to begin to leave to wait for her at the first floor. She kissed Max, waved to Will, and took the elevator with Joyce who waited with her. After a few minutes, Constance arrived. Jane began to walk away with her sister, but Joyce stopped the blonde teen in her way.

- "Can I talk to you?"

- "Um, yeah," Constance frowned.

- "Look, I had a call from Robin yesterday, and she was very worried about you."

Constance rolled with her eyes before sighing with her nose, clenching her jaw, and looking away.

- "Jane doesn't need to lose someone else," Joyce continued.

- "If I don't try, I'll be the one losing someone else. I can't lose her too. If I wasn't compatible, it would be easier for me, but it's not the case. She could have my heart to live!"

- "What's the point for her to have a new heart if she can't use it to love you?"

Constance clenched her jaw and looked down, feeling hurt by this. Just imagining Jane waking up after her surgery, learning that her sister died to give her her heart, was breaking her.

- "I know it's hard, I can't even imagine what you're living, but don't give up. If you give up, she will give up."

- "Yeah..."

- "Call me if you need to talk, okay?"

- "Yeah, okay."

- "Good. Go home now, your cat needs some freedom," Joyce said, pointing at the box that Constance was holding.

The blonde teen had a weak smile and nodded. She thanked again Joyce before joining her sister. Constance was still lost with her thoughts, but now, she realized that it could hurt Jane more than it was supposed to be. They could just wait now. Hoping for someone else to die...Yep.