Asking For It - Allyson Lindt Page 0,50

Was I taking any medications? Any allergies? When was the last time I ate? That was easy. Days ago. Unless coffee counted.

“...leave when we... answers.” Owen? He was shouting, but I couldn’t make out all the words. Owen shouted?

“...deserve answers... what you did... Fuck you both.” That was Anne. She sounded pissed.

“I’ll help you find the door.” Luke’s voice was more distinct. Or carried better. Or I was becoming more aware.

The pain shooting through the back of my neck said the latter was definitely the case.

“No.” Kingston’s reply was easy to make out. I could picture him stubborn and squaring off against Luke’s six-foot-two of imposing former Marine. I wasn’t surprised Kingston didn’t back down.

“Sirs, please.”

I didn’t know that voice.

“Tell Lyn,” Owen called.

“No.” And that was Sadie.

Was the entire world here? For me? What had I done? I didn’t want this attention. I wanted to curl up in a ball and vanish.

A beeping noise sounded next to my ear. Great, now what?

A nurse appeared by my side almost immediately, looked at something near me, then at me. “It’s a blood oxygen monitor. I need you to take a deep breath.”

“Why am I here?”

“Take a deep breath.” She was sterner this time.

I complied, mostly to get this part over with.

“Now exhale slowly, and repeat,” she said.

I didn’t have the patience for this, but after several excruciatingly slow inhales and exhales, the beeping stopped.

“I’m Joy. What do you remember?”

“I’m not sure. It’s all jumbled.”

Joy nodded. “A sign of exhaustion. Keep breathing. Your friend told 911 that you passed out. In the ambulance, you told the EMT you hadn’t eaten or slept since Monday.”

“I was delirious. I didn’t mean that.” Crap, I didn’t want to be stuck here. I started to sit. The alarm went off again.

Joy nudged me back gently. “Your blood tests show low potassium and some other nutrients, and you’re dehydrated, so I suspect at least some of it’s true. Keep breathing, or I’ll have to put you on oxygen.”

I made a show of taking and letting out several deep breaths.

“Good.” She smiled. “Your friends don’t know what happened—privacy laws—and I can’t let them all in here at once. Who do you want to see?”

“Can I see two of them? Sadie and Anne. Purple hair, and blonde?”

“All right.”

A moment later, Anne and Sadie appeared in my doorway, and then I was wrapped in hugs.

“We were so worried.” Anne squeezed me tighter. “You’re okay, aren’t you?”

I was going to cry again, at their concern, and I didn’t want to. Aside from that I was okay. “I’m fine. How did you know...?”

Sadie made herself comfortable next to me on the bed. “Kingston slid into my DM’s. Said he didn’t know how to get hold of any of your friends. I waited until I was here, and knew you were safe, and could look him in the eye before I told him what I thought of him.”

“The yelling in the hallway?” I put some pieces together.

Anne nodded. “Luke is out there standing guard. What happened?”

“Long story. I had to see them about something, I was more tired than I thought...” Shit. The shop. “I need to get home. There’s baking to do. Other work.”

“The doctor’s not ready to discharge you,” Joy said from the doorway.

Sadie leaned into me. She did a decent job of making pinning me down look like a hug. “I already called Violet,” she said. “The café will have to go without pastries for a day. It’ll be okay.”

“No. I can’t. I—”

“Stop.” Anne’s voice was sharp. “You can. You will. If you’re good, maybe we and the doctor will let you do a little work on Monday.”

Sadie pulled out her phone. “Now, call your mom. Tell her you’re all right.”

“You told my mother?” Another person worrying about me who didn’t have to.

Sadie pressed the phone to my ear. “You’re in the hospital. Of course I told her.”

“Hello?” Mama sounded concerned.

And now my heart was cracking at her voice. Did exhaustion make someone cry about everything? “Hey, Mama.”

“Jaelyn. How are you? What’s wrong? Your friend told me you were in trouble. I’m trying to book a flight out there now.”’

As much as I wanted to see my parents, I didn’t want them paying last-minute flight prices. “I’m okay. I promise. I’ll get the doctor to tell you so, too, if you need to hear it.”

We chatted for a few more minutes, and I promised her I’d eat and sleep more, and convinced her not to change their vacation schedule for this.