Chapter 24
That night the route from my bed to the toilet bowl became my own private flight path.
A couple of times I didn’t make it in time and had to reach for the bucket Kay had intelligently put next to my bed.
After puking onto her terrace, she had accompanied me to the bathtub and then up to my room.
From one moment to the next I had grown so weak and so shivery that I couldn’t make it up the steps on my own.
When the next wave of nausea hit, she lifted my hair off my face and stroked my back soothingly while I released the contents of my stomach together with bitter bile.
Eventually I had crawled under the covers like one giant heap of misery, but the constant stomach cramps had made falling asleep impossible.
I hadn’t kept any water or electrolyte solution with me and quickly developed a terrible headache.
At some point I dozed off with a damp cloth on my forehead and only woke up again when Kay put a glass of water by my bed in the morning.
“How are you feeling?”
“Shitty.”
My voice was raw, and my throat hurt with every word.
She held the glass out to me, but I shook my head. “It just comes right back out.”
“Your body needs fluids.”
I reluctantly lifted my hand to take the glass and grimaced.
“Aching muscles?”
I nodded but then thought that that might have to do with what Vince had predicted. Vince. But before my thoughts could drift to all that had happened between us, Kay said, “I’m going to ask Dr. Chen to come by. She’s my GP. We should make sure you don’t have food poisoning or salmonella.”
“Salmonella?!”
“Who knows where Vince Greenfield dragged you?” She sighed.
“It was a completely normal food truck.”
I tried to bring the glass to my mouth, but my arm was trembling, so Kay helped. The water was such a relief to my dry lips. “I’ve got some kind of intestinal flu. You can pick that up anywhere.” Though, to be honest, I had to admit that I’d never been hit so hard.
“Slowly,” she said as I rushed to drink some more.
I let myself sink back onto the cushion too quickly and felt like my head had hit concrete. I shut my eyes with a groan.
“Oh dear.” Kay caressed my cheek. A caring gesture that brought my bad conscience back to the fore. What I’d said last night wasn’t untrue, but my tone and choice of words had been way off.
“Kay, I’m sor—”
“Shh,” she interrupted. “We can discuss all that once you’re better. For the time being, concentrate on getting your strength back.”
I wanted to argue, to tell her that I truly was sorry, but I didn’t manage to as right then I was hit by such heavy cramps that everything went black. In a flash, Kay scooped the bucket off the floor and held it out to me. I vomited back up the water I’d just had.
“Like I said.”
* * *
I didn’t really register much for the rest of the day.
At times I slept, at times I just lay there.
I stared at the ceiling or had weird dreams that I forgot as soon as I opened my eyes.
I was too sick to watch TV, and I even left my phone untouched on the nightstand.
When I finally did manage to look at it in the early evening, a text from Laurie was waiting. She’d sent it in the late afternoon.
Hey! I heard you’re sick?
Are you any better?
Not really… ??
Shit. Intestinal flu is the worst!
?? Get well soon!!!
I was about to put my phone down again when I suddenly had a thought.
How do you know that?
Vince ran into Gabe. He told him.
I tried to ignore the stab of disappointment I felt that Vince himself hadn’t gotten in touch even though he knew how bad I was doing. I’d never given him my number, true, but he could have asked Laurie. Or Gabe.
Sorry for not having written you last night, I wrote, adding the barfing emoji as an explanation.
No worries. Vince already told me that you all are getting along much better now.
I blinked. Read it again. Waited for a winking emoji or a GIF, but nothing. Vince had told her that we were getting along much better? After kissing two times and falling over each other in the water, that’s what he told her? Wow.
By the way, he sends his regards.
And get well soon.
Wooow. It just got better and better.
Thanks, I wrote, somewhat deflated, and put my phone to the side. In the end, I decided dozing off was probably the best option.