Page 84 of Sexting the Boss
Malik’s voice cuts through it. “Lila, look at me.”
I try.
My knees unlock without permission.
He catches me before I hit the floor, his arm firm around my back, his other hand braced at my shoulder, and I hear him swearing as he calls for help.
Then everything cuts out.
When I come back, I’m staring at ceiling tiles, and there’s a cuff on my arm, and there’s an IV in my hand, and my mouth tastes dry.
A nurse stands at the foot of the bed with a tablet, she looks up when I move, and she smiles like this happens every hour.
“Hey,” she says. “Welcome back. Don’t sit up fast.”
“I wasn’t planning to,” I mutter, then I swallow, because my throat feels tight.
“You fainted in the lobby,” she continues, still calm. “You’re stable. We’re running labs. You’re getting fluids.”
“Great,” I say, because sarcasm is my comfort object.
She checks the monitor and writes something down. “How far along?”
“Seventeen weeks,” I answer, and saying it out loud makes my stomach drop again because it means time has passed and I’ve been pretending it didn’t.
She nods once. “Any bleeding, pain, shortness of breath, chest pain?”
“No,” I say. “Just dizzy.”
“Okay,” she replies. “Your friend is still here. Do you want him to come back?”
“Yes,” I say immediately.
The nurse steps out, and Malik appears a second later with his jaw clenched and his eyes sharp.
“You scared the hell out of me,” he says, and he drags the visitor chair closer like he’s claiming his spot.
“I didn’t schedule it,” I say.
“I know,” he replies, and his voice drops. “You went down, and your eyes rolled back, and I panicked.”
I manage a small smile. “You did fine.”
He exhales through his nose, then he glances at the IV. “They say you’re okay?”
“They say I’m dehydrated and my blood pressure is low,” I answer. “My body is being dramatic.”
He shakes his head. “Drink water.”
“I do.”
“No,” he says. “Drink water like you mean it.”
A doctor comes in not long after, older, tired, and direct, and her badge readsPATEL.
She introduces herself, checks my chart, and asks the same questions, then she taps the tablet twice.
“Your vitals improved with fluids,” Dr. Patel says, “but your labs show you’re dehydrated enough that I’m not comfortable sending you home today, and your potassium is low.”
