Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
MELINDA
Daisy’s seemed louder and brighter before, either that or maybe I had begun to suffer from migraines, which would be a first.
After morning breakfast, I ended up heading over to Daisy’s with Megan for my shift.
I needed to refocus.
Alex was taking all my attention away from trying to clear the debt and actually working. Daisy didn’t mind me not doing as many shifts as I used to. She was loving the fact that I was having a life.
I walked into the kitchen and rubbed my head. “Chef, do you have any paracetamol?”
“In the locker. You know which one is mine, so just take it,” he said.
“Thanks Dave, love you!” I called out.
I headed into the staff area opening his locker and popped two tablets into my hand before heading back into the diner and pouring myself a glass of lemonade and took two of the tablets.
“Melinda, could I have a word in my office?” I looked to see Daisy appearing at the door.
I nodded and headed to the office with her. I sat in the chair, rubbing my temples and sighing.
I could handle most things but headache or an ear-ache turned me into the world’s biggest baby. I was okay admitting that, too.
“What’s up?”
“Are you okay?”
I looked at Daisy in confusion. “Fine, why?”
“Melinda, you’re looking awfully thin. Have you been eating?”
“More than usual,” I said honestly. “If you had asked me this back in August, I would have said no. Is something wrong? Am I not doing a good job?”
“Melinda, this chat has nothing to do with your work. I am worried about your health. You look like you’re losing a lot of weight. This has nothing to do with the Prince, does it?”
I looked down at myself, I didn’t think I looked awfully thin, clothes seemed to still be fitting the same.
“No, Alex isn’t making me do anything I don’t want to do.
He loves me the way I am. I’ve been a little sick but nothing major.
The hospital took blood tests, but I haven’t heard anything, so I assumed no news is good news. ”
“What did you take the tablets for today?”
“Headache. I think I’m suffering from migraines,” I said with a shrug. “Look Daisy, I appreciate the concern more than you know, but I promise I’m good. I’m healthy as far as I know.”
“How’s the debt repayment going?” She asked softly.
I had broken down to Daisy a year ago when I first discovered the debt that mum had wracked up in my name.
If I was going to claim it was fraud, it would’ve meant that I’d have to go to the police and the chance of my mum getting arrested was very high.
As much as it pissed me off, the whole situation I loved her.
I wouldn’t want to see anything bad happen to her.
You only had one mum and as questionable as mine was, I loved her.
“Still a good few grand left. Every pay here helps, I’ll get there. ”
“Melinda I wish you would let me help you.” Daisy sighed.
“Daisy, I appreciate it, but I can’t just take money from you. It wouldn’t feel right,” I told her. “You already do enough by giving me this job.”
“You say me giving you money doesn’t feel right, but you using the hard-earned money to get rid of the debt doesn’t feel right either,” she said, shaking her head. “You should make your mum pay for it.”
“Accept their guilt money? No thanks.” I scoffed.
Did I have too much pride? Probably.
Did I care? No.
“I’ll be fine Daisy. Thanks.”
Daisy nodded, not saying anything else.
I left the office heading back into the diner and focused on working.
A few hours later, my shift finally finished.
I headed straight home. I walked into the house and slumped on the sofa.
I was way too tired.
My headache didn’t go away and tablets weren’t doing anything to help. I squinted as it started to blur. I blinked a few times trying to focus my eyes. It wasn’t helping the room was getting blurrier. My heart started to beat faster.
Why wasn’t it getting clearer?
“Mum!” I yelled. I screamed, blinking faster and faster. “Mum!”
I heard footsteps running down the stairs and I felt the breeze as she ran into the room. “Melinda, what’s wrong?”
I blinked even more. My mum was blurry. “I can’t see.” I could feel the tears starting to fall down my cheeks.
“Blink a few times, honey. Nice and slow,” she ordered.
I had no idea how she was so calm right now. I couldn’t fucking see. I was breathing heavily and could feel my leg bouncing.
“Calm down,” she snapped.
“I am!” I screamed.
I heard my mum sigh as I cried harder.
“Baby Boo, I need you to breathe. Nice and slow, you’re safe here. I know you’re worried. You need to try and calm down.”
Baby Boo.
God, it had been so long since I heard my mum call me that.
I did as she said, breathing nice and slow. “Mummy, why can’t I see?”
“Tell me what you can see.”
“Everything is blurry, but bright,” I said. “I’ve had really bad headaches all day. Daisy said she thinks I’m too thin.”
“I kind of agree with Daisy, and I know you’ve been eating more than you used to Baby Boo,” mum said softly. “This is what we’re going to do. I’m going to get you in the car, and we are going to the closest A&E department. We are not leaving until we have answers.”
“We already tried that when I passed out,” I mumbled.
“I don’t care. If I have to go full mama bear, I will,” mum said. “You’re going to keep those eyes closed and try not to panic. I know it’s scary, but we will get through it.”
I nodded, and she grabbed my hand pulling me off the sofa. She led me out of the house and towards the car.
Every instinct made me want to open my eyes, but for a change, I listened to my mum. I had a little bit of faith that she wouldn’t let me walk into a door or trip over. I heard the door open, “Bend and sit. You’re in the front seat.”
I did as she asked. I reached around for my seatbelt, clicking it in place. I heard the other side of the car open and she climbed in starting the car. “It’ll be ok, right?”
“Baby Boo, I know we’ve had our differences the last year, but let me tell you no matter what I am your mother. I will fight whoever I need to,” she said. “I’m not leaving until I know what is wrong with you. They did a blood test a week ago, and we heard nothing. I want answers.”
The car started moving.
I sighed. “Mum, why don’t you like Alex? Even from the first meeting you were very standoffish.”
“Oh baby boo, it’s complicated. It comes down to that I don’t want to see you hurt. You don’t belong in his world, and pretty soon, he’ll toss you aside.”
“He loves me, mum,” I whispered. “And I love him.”
“Baby Boo, sometimes love isn’t enough,” she said.
I opened my eyes slightly and shut them immediately as it was still blurry.
I didn’t want to believe my mum. I felt like right now Alex and I could get through anything.
“I’d like to believe it is,” I admitted.
“Did he take care of you when you had sex?” She asked.
I choked on air and coughed, slapping my chest a few times. “Mum!”
“What? We’re both adults. Also, I tried asking him. He was respectful of his answers,” she mused.
“You did what?” I asked in disbelief.
“Yeah, did he not tell you?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“So, did he?”
“Yes, mum. He was the perfect gentleman,” I said. “He made it special. I felt loved and cared for.”
“Were you safe?” She asked.
I pursed my lips as I tried to think of that night, “I think so. I’m like seventy percent sure we were safe.”
I heard mum sigh. “God, I hope so.”
I didn’t say anything else because my sex life was not something I wanted to keep discussing with her.
It didn’t take long before we arrived at the hospital, and she got me out of the car, leading me into A&E.
She sat me down before walking off to the reception desk.
I opened my eyes, blinking a few times trying to adjust to the brightness.
The blur was getting a little less. I could at least make out shapes of people and things.
I would be okay. I had to be.
It was just migraines. With some medicine and relaxation, I should be okay. I looked to see what I hoped was the outline of my mother walking towards me. She sat down next to me. “We’ll be seen soon.”
I heard my phone ding and pulled it out of my pocket handing it to mum. “Can you read it?”
“Megan says, ‘why did she choose law? Lectures suck ass, and so does the work,’” she said. I heard another ding, and mum snorted with laughter. “‘Maybe I should quit and become a stripper. Ugh, saying that I’m too lazy and that sounds far too people-y.’”
I smiled, letting out a little laugh.
“Do you want me to tell her you’re at the hospital?” Mum asked.
“No, I don’t want anyone to know until we know,” I admitted. “That includes Alex. Just don’t reply yet. I will figure something out later. Maybe pretend I fell asleep early.”
“How are your eyes? Are they still completely blurry?”
“Erm, they’re a little better. It kind of feels like I need glasses, but obviously we know my last eye test was fine, but it’s a minus four,” I said.
I laid my head down on my mum’s shoulder, and she stroked my hair.
I couldn’t help but smile. It felt like I was a baby again. Much easier and simpler times, that was for sure.
I lost track of time as we waited, but my mum never stopped playing with my hair. I loved it.
“Melinda Brown?” Someone finally called.
I stood up with mum as she led us through the hospital until we got to the hospital room. She let me sit down on the chair. “So, what can I help you with today, Miss Brown?”
“I’ve had a horrendous headache all day, and then, my vision went blurry,” I said.
“This is our second hospital trip. The last time my daughter passed out, they said they took some blood. We never heard anything,” mum said. “I am not allowing my daughter to be fobbed off again.”
“Let me look up and see if anything has been added in your file,” she said.
I told her my date of birth as she tapped away at the computer not saying anything but focusing on the computer her brows furrowing as she read every now and then and that did not fill me with confidence at all. “Nobody gave you a follow up about your blood test results?”
“No. Why what’s wrong with me?” I asked wide eyed.
“Your blood came back a little abnormal, and they’ve asked you to be referred to a specialist for another blood test to test for certain things,” she explained. “So, let’s do another blood test, and I’ll put a rush on it. Hopefully, it won’t be too long until you get results.”
“What is she to do in the meantime if her vision keeps going blurry?”
“Relax and don’t panic.”
I rolled my eyes.
That was shitty advice.
As if I couldn’t help panic when I couldn’t see.
Would it be a case of I could lose my sight permanently? I didn’t want to go blind. Things around me started to come into focus once more. I looked at my mum who was biting her nails and bouncing her leg. She was worried.
I reached for her hand, squeezing it tightly.
“It will be okay.”
I had no idea if my mum was saying it to convince me or her, either one it wasn’t working.
I tried to think back to when I was last feeling shitty. I just assumed it was a lack of tiredness or not eating properly.
What if it was something more?
What if I had ignored important signs?
What if they were going to tell me I was going to die in like three to five business days.
Okay that was a little dramatic but, had I ignored my health just because I wanted to be stubborn.