“Sir, can I help you?” a nurse with a clipboard asks.
“Yes. She has a high fever and has been unresponsive. I found her unconscious in her house. I couldn’t get her to take any fluids.”
“Bring her in here.” I carry Edith to a small curtained room and lay her on the bed. It is the first time she actually stirs and opens her eyes, grabbing my shirt.
“Edie, you’re going to be okay. We’re at the hospital,” I say.
“N-no.” Edith cries a little and, with the help of the nurse, I have to pry her surprisingly strong grip from my shirt. I have to believe she is going to be okay, and I need her to believe it, as well. The nurse makes me step back.
“My goodness, she’s fevered. I’ll need you to step outside, sir.”
“With all due respect, I don’t want to leave her alone.”
“Are you family?” The nurse looks at me pointedly.
“No… She’s got a high fever and I was afraid something would happen if I didn’t bring her in.” This nurse is going to give me a hard time unless I can convince her otherwise.
“Sir, if you’re not a family member or a partner, I can’t let you stay. HIPPA laws and all that jazz.” She is clearly irritated.
“B-boyfriend,” I choke out. I am so getting fired for this. Job suicide seems to be all the rage, but I can’t leave Edith here alone.
She cocks her head to the side, unconvinced. “All right. While we get her settled and wait for the doctor to come in, I’ll need you to fill out this paperwork as best you can.” She hands me a clipboard and that is that.
Chapter Six
Edith
I feel like someone has taken me and beaten me with whatever blunt object they found, then ran me over with their car. My body hurt, my eyes hurt…god, even my hair hurt. I can tell it is loosely braided and hanging over my shoulder. If I could have slept forever that would have been perfect.
“Edie! Oh, my god! Is she okay? What happened? I just got the text.” Shelby yells into my room, and I swear her mouth is right up against my sensitive ears, making me groan.
“Miss Moore, please. Edith hasn’t woken up yet.” I recognize Jack Hamilton’s voice right away. I wonder how I got here.
“I’d say she’s about to by the look of her heart monitor. Have they given her any pain medication? If it’s the flu, it’s too late for Tamiflu, but they can keep her comfortable.” Good old Aiden is here, too, ready to doctor me up like a lab rat.
“When did you bring her in? Why didn’t she call us to let us know?” Shelby sounds tearful. I want to reassure her I’m okay, but I feel too tired to respond. I can feel a hand lightly rubbing my arm. In a strange way, it hurts because my skin is so sensitive and achy, but it’s warm and comforting, too.
“I found her yesterday afternoon alone in her apartment. Her fever was so bad, I brought her here. Dehydration and the flu is the diagnosis. Her phone was dead, and it looked like she hadn’t moved from the couch in a while.”
Aiden grunts. “So you charged her phone, then texted us.”
“I figured she’d want familiar faces when she woke up. There’s no next of kin on her school forms.”
“She wouldn’t want them here anyway,” Shelby snorts. She is right about me not wanting my parents here. I open my eyes and squint. Everyone seems busy making plans about what happens next, ignoring me.
“So, what’s the plan? I mean, how long will they keep her here?” Aiden asks, putting his arm around Shelby, who is hovering near the end of the bed.
“If she wakes up a bit and takes in some fluids, they’ll discharge her…provided she has a place to go.”
“We’ll take her home,” the duo offers. The thought of going to Aiden and Shelby’s new love nest is not on my list of places to recuperate. I’ll be fine in my own home.
“I don’t think so,” I force myself to croak between labored breaths. I pray my aches and pains will diminish with each forced action.
“Whoa, easy there.” Jack grabs my hand and gently squeezes, while his other holds my shoulder down. I don’t know why he thinks I would attempt to move, as I’m feeling so shitty. It’s also the first time I let myself think of him as Jack and not just Mr. Hamilton.
“I better find a nurse to check on her,” Shelby nods, leaving the room.
“You need to rest, Edith. You scared the shit out of me,” Jack brushes my hair off my face. I wince at the touch, not sure if it’s because my hair is gross or if I’m in actual pain.
“Hurts, huh?” Aiden is checking my pulse.