Page 29 of Dark Time

I let it fall to the floor and sat Emily on a chair. I’d snagged her bag too, and though I felt like I was invading her privacy, I dug around in her purse until I found her driver’s license and insurance card. Emily was quiet the whole time I filled the forms out and leaned against me until I got up to take the papers to the hateful cow who had given them to me.

“She’ll need to stop hiding under that coat when the nurse calls her back, sir.”

I blinked at the woman, so angry I wanted to strangle her, but I didn’t say anything. I swear I heard her say “druggies” as I turned away. I turned right back around.

“Pardon?” I asked, my eyebrows somewhere around my hairline.

“Nothing, sir. You can sit down now.”

I stared at her and wondered why the staff in hospitals always acted like they were doing you a favor that you weren’t going to pay out your nose for, all while treating you as if you were a scum of the earth. I hated the whole atmosphere and the attitudes that made you feel powerless from the moment you stepped into the place.

I let it go because Emily needed help, and quickly.

Luckily, it was quiet at that time in the morning, and a nurse came out to get

Emily for triage. Emily kept the jacket over her head, but she found the strength to walk into the private office. I went with her and explained how I’d found her this morning as the nurse took Emily’s vitals. Emily perked up enough to explain how she’d gone to the couch because she couldn’t sleep, had made some hot chocolate, and then the nausea had hit.

The nurse asked Emily a slew of health questions, none I knew the answers to, some I did. Emily answered what I couldn’t and denied ever having a migraine before, or being on medication for it. When the nurse asked that, a lot started to make sense.

By the time Emily was in a room and a doctor had come in, she’d started to fall to sleep. The doctor was a cheerful woman who soon had nurses and staff running around and doing their jobs. A few hours later, the same doctor, a plump redhead with a happy demeanor came in to give us news that we thought was good.

“Emily, you’re having a migraine, I do believe. The hot chocolate made it even worse, I’m afraid. We’ll give you a few shots that will help the pain, relieve the nausea, and I’ll send you home with a few prescriptions. If the pain gets worse, you need to come in to see us; otherwise, you need to set up an appointment with you general practitioner and have this evaluated, alright?”

“Yes, thank you, doctor.” Emily had her head beneath the hospital sheet still, but she was well enough to answer the doctor so that was good.

I felt relieved. Migraines were a common enough thing, but we’d have to find out why she was having them. I smiled at that thought. We would have to find out. She wouldn’t go through this alone. I was already thinking of us as a team. Not long ago I’d have cringed at the idea of a ‘we’, but it didn’t bother me at all. In fact, I felt happy about it.

A nurse soon came in and administered three drugs to Emily. She explained to Emily what the medicines were, and that Emily needed to spend the rest of the day in bed, asleep if she could manage it.

“I’ll take care of her, don’t you worry,” I assured the nurse.

We had to wait for the nurses to be sure Emily wouldn’t have an adverse reaction to the medicines, and then she was finally released. She was well enough to walk out without her jacket over her head this time. As we left, I saw the woman who had initially greeted us, and I made note of her name. I’d have a word or two with someone about her and her attitude later today.

I helped Emily get into the car then took her home. She was still quiet, but I knew that was exhaustion. She’d already said the pain was gone now.

When I helped her into bed, she hugged my neck and thanked me.

“There’s no need to thank me, Emily. You needed help, and I’m glad I could give it.”

“That was the worst pain I’ve ever experienced in my life. The nausea. Fuck, I hope I never have another one.”

“From what I read on my phone while we waited, you may never have another one, ever again. We’ll keep our fingers crossed, shall we?”

“Thank you.”

“I’m going to pick up your medicines, get a few things at the store, and then I’ll be back, alright? You get some sleep while I’m gone, and I’ll be back before you know it.”

I heard her mumble a reply, and she was asleep before I even left the room. Sleep was the best cure, so I left the house quietly. I thought I might have trouble getting her medicines, but the pharmacist knew me by now and only asked me to sign for her pills after I showed my ID. I didn’t complain and went on to the grocery store. I bought a few things: some kind of gourmet chicken soup in a tub, some crackers, ginger ale, and a few other things she might want once she woke up.

I didn’t know what else to do for her, other than provide the things she might ask for when she woke up. She was still asleep when I made it back to the penthouse, so I put the groceries away, and headed to the home office I’d set up. I needed to make a few phone calls and get that out of the way.

Emily was still asleep at dinnertime, so I made myself a sandwich and waited for her to wake up. I’d never seen a human being in that much pain. Some people might scoff, oh she had a migraine, so scary, but they haven’t seen the way it hit her. She’d said she’d vomited several times, the poor thing. She’d fall asleep, wake up, throw up, then go back to sleep.

I’d had headaches that made my stomach turn, but not that bad. It must have been excruciating. And when she wouldn’t let the light near her eyes, I knew how bad it really hurt. I wanted to wake her up to take the medicine, but thought that might do more harm than good. If she was asleep, she didn’t need the medicine.

I didn’t have a lot that I wanted to do, so I went into the living room to surf around Netflix. I found a series that looked interesting and did something I’ve never done before. I binged out on that series like a boy who’d just discovered masturbation and had a week to spend alone.

I didn’t think I’d ever spent that much time doing nothing, and by the time Emily woke up at ten pm, I was sure I needed to find more free time. I chuckled as I got up and went to check on her. I’d paused the series several times to go check on her, and every time an episode ended I’d gone in. Now, I went in and found her awake but in darkness.