Page 45 of Fractured Grief
“What... Indy?” Seb said groggily from where he lay on the couch.
“I have to go.” I went to move around the couch, but only made it a step when a wave of dizziness and nausea assaulted me. It had been coming and going with my cold, but I needed to push through; I had to pick up Hazel. Breathing slowly through my nose, I closed my eyes andwaited for my body to catch up with my movements. My joints ached, and I was exhausted.
“Hey, easy there.” Seb’s hand was on my shoulder, steadying me. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, fine. Just need a sec.” I had to force the words out as I tried to breathe the nausea away. Maybe this wasn’t a cold. Hazel wasn’t sick at all, and none of my usual home remedies had helped fight the symptoms.
“You’re shaking. Sit back down and catch your breath.” Seb pulled me down on the other side of him. I sat there, my eyes still closed as I continued to breathe.
“I have to get Hazel. She’ll be waiting for me.”
“It’s only four thirty. My house gets morning sun, so it’s not as late as I’m sure you feared.”
My body relaxed as I tentatively opened my eyes. Sure enough, I could still see fading blue sky out the kitchen window. “I still need to go.” I scrubbed a hand down my face, trying to shake the fatigue that was weighing me down.
“Okay. Let me g-get you some water. Stay sitting.” Seb’s warmth left my side. My mind raced; I had to call and tell them I was running late. As soon as I opened my eyes again, the world started to spin. It was like I had vertigo. I couldn’t seem to get my eyes to focus as I swayed where I sat.
I felt Seb place a glass in my hands and a cool compress on my neck. It felt like heaven. I carefully took a sip, but it only made my nausea flare.
“Bathroom?” I asked, not knowing how I’d get there with the world spinning.
“Let me help.” Seb pulled me into his side as we shuffled to the bathroom. I knew he was not using his cane as I could feel both his hands on me. I was supposed to be helping him, not hurting him. “Your... cane.” Why was I panting? I’d barely moved. Maybe I had the flu. My legs started to shake.
“Lyric,” Seb called out, and I winced. The sound rattled around my head, both too loud and weirdly echoey.
“Lyric!” Seb called again as thundering feet crashed down the stairs, making me groan. My head hurt, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could stay upright. I just wanted to lie down and make the world stop spinning.
“Whoa, what happened?” Lyric asked.
“Not sure. He’s sick. He’s burning up.” I could hear the worry in Seb’s voice as his stutter became more pronounced. “Can you please call Doc? I don’t know what else to do.”
Someone touched my forehead. It must have been Lyric, as Seb’s arms didn’t move from where he held me steady.
“Shit, you’re right. Do you need help moving? Where’s your cane? You need to be careful.” Great, now Lyric sounded worried too.
“I have to get Hazel,” I said with a groan. I could barely move without the world spinning. How was I going to drive?
“Shhh, it’s okay. I’ll take care of it,” Seb whispered into my ear. My body relaxed at his reassurance.
Seb’s arms shifted then, and a smaller body held me up. “Lyric’s going to help you to the bathroom.” I clutched Seb’s arm with as much strength as I could. “I’m still here.”
We shuffled ever so slowly to what must have been Seb’s bedroom as the floor changed to carpet under my feet, but I didn’t want to risk opening my eyes again. Lyric took most of my weight, but Seb still held my arm steadily.
Once I was safely in the bathroom, propped against the vanity, Lyric let me go. “I’ll go call Doc. Be right back. Don’t try to lift him yourself,” Lyric added the last part to Seb on his way out the door.
“Yeah, yeah,” Seb responded as I heard Lyric leave. Silence fell between us. This was not supposed to happen during our time together. We were supposed to chat and get to know each other. Talk about our lives and our upcoming date. Why did I have to get sick, damn it!
“Are you okay by yourself or do you need help?” Seb asked hesitantly.
This was so embarrassing. I never got sick, or if I did, I kicked it quickly. “I’ll be fine.” I croaked, finally opening my eyes. Thankfully, the world didn’t spin.
Seb’s large body filled the doorway, his face set in a worried frown. “Okay, I’ll be right here.” He said anxiously before sliding the door closed to give me some privacy.
I turned back to the sink and carefully leaned over to splash some water on my face. The wet dish towel Seb had put on my neck fell into the sink. I used it to wipe my face and risked taking another sip of water, but I quickly realized that was a bad choice as my stomach finally rebelledand I fell to my knees next to the toilet. I barely managed to lift the lid in time as I lost the measly contents of my stomach. Seb must have heard me retching as he was at my side in no time, placing the cool dish towel back on my neck and gently brushing my hair from my face. My eyes pricked with tears at the gentle care Seb took and the longing that settled in my heart at finally having someone take care of me, for a change.
Once the retching stopped, I fell back on my feet and sat there catching my breath as Seb flushed the toilet and ever so carefully wiped my face with a washcloth. “Think you’re okay to stand?”
I felt a bit better but also weak as I nodded and let Seb help me to my feet. Lyric came back just in time to take over and help me into Seb’s room and onto his bed.
