The water looked invitingly calm. Amber suddenly wanted to go for a swim.
As she stood up in her peach bathing suit, she began to grow dizzy. She shook her head to clear her thoughts but her stomach began to protest.
Sasha noticed and cast a concerned glance. “Are you okay, love?”
She nodded. “I’ll be fine.” But she was lying. She wanted to retch everywhere, the feeling growing in her until she could barely keep it down.
Rushing towards the bungalow, with her hand on her mouth, she aimed straight for the sliding glass door. Slamming it opened, she barely made it to the bathroom before puking all over the toilet bowl.
Her innards felt like they were being wrenched together. She was so nauseous she couldn’t stand. Leaning on her knees she hugged the toilet just as Sasha and Melanie came rushing in.
Melanie ran to the kitchen and rattled some cups in the cabinet while Sasha grabbed her hair. She tied Amber’s hair in a make shift ponytail as she waiting for the vomiting spell to be over.
Within a few minutes, Amber could breathe again. She sniffed, her nose runny and her body suddenly exhausted.
“I’m okay,” she took the cup of alka seltzer that Melanie appeared with. It was bubbling almost to the surface.
Staring at it wryly, she downed it.
“What happened? Did you eat something weird today?” Melanie looked at her with the same concern plastered all over Sasha’s face. ” I don’t know. I just stood up and everything felt dizzy.” She shook her head. “I’m just as clueless as you are.”
“Well let’s get you in bed. Maybe you just need rest, my love,” Sasha suggested.
She came around to assist Amber to the bed. “I can walk okay, thank you. But I would like a fresh change of clothes,” she said, motioning to her bathing suit that was slightly covered in barf.
Melanie wrinkled her face. “Aww, gross girl.” Turning around, she headed towards the large bureau in the adjoining bedroom which contained most of Amber’s night clothes.
She rummaged through things until settling on something comfy. She held up a pink tank top and fuzzy long pants. “These okay?”
Sasha walked over and grabbed them. “Who cares? These will be fine.”
With the assistance of her two friends, Amber changed into the pajamas and lay in bed. “I think I’ll be fine in a bit.”
Both girls began to whisper together and then inched out of the room. The whole place lay in silence except for the fan above her stirring the air vigorously. She stared up at it, her stomach still roiling uncomfortably, threatening to flare up again. She had to avert her attention to something else that wasn’t quite moving.
She looked at the door with its delicate silver handles and the shiny floorboards that led out into a much bigger living room.
She drifted in and out of sleep as the hours traversed. There were times she felt the sun fall on her face, only to wake up to the shadow of palm trees touching her skin.
Then somewhere in her fitful dreams she heard the rattling of keys. They were so far in the background that she couldn’t quite place what reality she was in.
“Baby…” There was this voice. It was deep and comforting, but she couldn’t respond. Sleep hugged onto her so tightly that she didn’t fight it. She just let the soft whispers sing sweet lullabies to her.
Day turned into night, and that was when she awoke. She saw Charles’ arm protectively hugging her waist. It made her smile and feel warm to have him so close.
Reaching down she kissed his cheek. He apparently had fallen asleep with her, which was surprising seeing as he never did that anymore.
After stroking his hair she sat up against the bed, cracking her neck from the stiffness of sleep. Looking at the door with the silver handle, she saw a slit of light illuminating the living room. Apparently Sasha and Melanie had stayed up to amuse themselves on their vacation.
She stood up awkwardly, still a little faint feeling. Shuffling towards the door she opened it, careful not to make it squeak and disturb Charles’ deepened slumber. Both girls were sitting at the soft couches with a bunch of snack food spread before them and something cooking on the stove. It smelled of pork, causing Amber to wrinkle her nose. She fanned the air to dissipate the smell, but it didn’t work. God it smelled awful. “Took you damn long,” Melanie was the first to look up. “You look better.” But after studying her further she shook her head. “Do I stink?” She began to smell herself, lightly sniffing her arm pits. Hurriedly she brushed her off, waltzing to the slow cooker with steam coming out. “Oh God this is nasty. What the hell are you making?“
Both girls looked at her oddly, but Sasha was the one to get up. “Your favorite, slow roasted pork with potato and onions.” She flashed a grin before proceeding to grab a spoon. “It should be done soon.”