Page 65 of See Me

I pocket my phone even though I feel it vibrate several times in my pocket. I don’t have the energy to deal with my dumbass brother right now. I walk back to my apartment to make a list for the pharmacy. Does she have a cold? A virus? The flu? I don’t even know if chicken soup will help that.

I open my browser to google how to treat a fever and almost puke in my mouth. I really need to learn how to close out of my searches. I swallow down the bile in the back of my throat and pocket my phone.

I’ll just ask at the pharmacy.

I let myself back into Ella’s apartment armed with everything that could treat, well… everything. Starting with a fever reducer should be a safe bet. I dig out the bottle of liquid cold and flu medicine, find a spoon, and head back to the bedroom. I ease slowly into the room, feeling wholly uncomfortable with this entire situation. Enzo’s right. This has nothing to do with me. I’ll wake her up, hand her the medicine, and skate the hell out of here.

I set the bottle and spoon on her nightstand and look down at her. I rub my hands down the sides of my pants to quell the anxious feeling, unsure how this will play out. I essentially broke into her apartment to retrieve my cat because I thought she was abusing her. Now I have to wake her up and convince her I’m not a psycho killer but here,drink this.

She looks worse than before. Her lips are chapped and dry. Probably from breathing with her mouth open. Does that mean her nose is stuffy? I pick up the bottle and see if that’s a symptom listed on the back. This print is too small. I put it back down convinced even if it doesn’t help, it certainly isn’t going to hurt her.

Just wake her up and get this over with.

I lean over and jostle her shoulder. She stirs and her tongue darts out to lick her lips. She moans and rolls over, facing the other way. I reach out and shake her shoulder a little harder this time. “Ella, wake up.”

She sits straight up and whips her head back and forth. From me, to Tuesday, to the door, and back to me. “What’s going on?”

I run a hand through my hair and shuffle my weight from one foot to the other. “Uh, you have a fever. I brought you some medicine.” I grab the bottle and spoon and hold it out to her. She stares open-mouthed at me but doesn’t take it and I set it back down.

Please don’t ask me how I got in here.

“I’m sick?”

“Yeah. There are some supplies out in the kitchen. You should start with this, though. It’ll help with the fever.”

She puts her hand on her forehead. “I have a fever.”

“Yeah. I don’t know how high.” I point over my shoulder,toward the kitchen. “I bought a thermometer, though, if you want to know the number.”

She puts both her hands on the sides of her face. “Oh no. It’s probably a hooker virus.”

I blink a few times replaying that in my head. “A what?”

She looks through me with glassy eyes. “A hooker virus. I knew I shouldn’t have gone with Cassie. I just had to get outta here, ya know?”

I take a step back. “Where exactly did you go?”

She puts a finger on her chin and looks up at the ceiling. “Cock Lake?”

I clear my throat. “Say what now?”

She shakes her head. “No, that’s not it.” She smiles. “Dick Cabin. That’s it. I knew I shouldn’t have gone. Although I didn’t know we were hooker hunting until we were halfway there. And I should’ve never eaten that Flounder Pounder. Adam was really nice though, even if I cried at the end.”

I stare at her with my mouth hanging open. “Dick Cabin? You cried?” Oh, shit. This is worse than I thought. She’s completely delusional. There’s not a scenario in the world where any of that makes sense.

She runs her tongue over her lips and smacks her mouth open and closed a few times. “My teeth are cold.”

I put my hand over my face and shake my head. “Jesus Christ.” I walk to the nightstand and grab the medicine. “Here, take some of this.”

She scrunches her nose and leans away from me. “What flavor is it?”

I throw my hands up realizing there’s no way I can leave her in this state. “It’s adult flavored, I don’t know.” Now I understand why Joan Crawford tied her children to the bed.

Is there a helmet around here somewhere?

“I'm sick and you’re grumpy. We’re like the seven dwarfs.Wait, Sicky and Grumpy? Is that right?” She holds her hand out and starts ticking off her fingers. “Sleepy, Grumpy, Dopey, ha, that’s Enzo, Sicky, obviously that’s me, Bashful, Greed, Envy, Lust, Wrath… wait. I think I messed that up.”

I sigh and shake the bottle in her face. “Ella, take this please.” Hopefully it’s full of sleep aid.

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