know it.
Three days later, I know it isn’t just an ordinary stomach bug.
If anything, I feel far worse than I did three days ago. I’ve barely eaten because I can’t keep anything down, and just the smell of food makes me feel nauseous. I’m barely managing to drink water, and I don’t think the medication is doing me any good. The hot flashes of fever haven’t gone away, and all my muscles ache badly. I’ve pretty much lived on the couch simply because I can’t bear to move very far.
I don’t want to, but I know I need to see a doctor at this point. Coughing weakly, my throat sore and burning from all the vomiting I’ve done, I dial the number of my doctor and listen to it ring.
I yawn widely even though I only woke up half an hour ago from yet another unscheduled nap. I’m just so tired all of a sudden.
“Hello, Bertram Medical Center,” a pleasant female voice says after three rings. “How can I help you?”
“Hi, I want to make an appointment with Doctor Palofsky,” I say.
“Of course,” the woman responds. I hear keys typing. “She has a free appointment on Monday, is that okay?”
Monday is several days away.
“Do you have anything sooner with anyone else?” I ask, desperate enough to find out what’s going on that I’m willing to see another doctor.
“I’m afraid not,” the woman says apologetically. “We’ve been very busy.”
“Okay,” I say with a sigh. “Book me in for Monday.”
I give her my details and hang up, rubbing a hand down my face tiredly. Waiting until Monday is not the best, but there’s nothing else I can do.
Hopefully, by then I will feel better anyway.
Chapter Twenty
Jason
I tap my pen against the desk, staring at my work. I can’t focus on it. The words swim in front of my eyes until I realize that I’ve read the same sentence four times.
“Damn it,” I mutter, pushing the file away with a sigh.
Despite every attempt otherwise, my thoughts keep centering on Opal. And not for the same reasons as before. She called in sick to work again this morning, sounding just as bad as she did three days ago.
I hope, by now, that she’s at least booked to see a doctor because being this sick for so long can’t be good for her. Obviously whatever medicine she’s taking isn’t good enough, and she needs something stronger.
She can take care of herself, I remind myself, but I just can’t stop worrying about her. Every thought is occupied by whether she’s eating properly, whether she’s seen a doctor yet, whether it is just a virus or something more…
I run a hand through my hair in agitation. I’m literally getting nowhere, either with work or with my concern. My thoughts are just going around in circles, and I’m not going to be able to rest until I know she’s okay.
I glance at my phone. I’ve contemplated, more than once, calling and checking up on her. Out of professional courtesy of course; I need to know when she’ll be back at work.
But I have the sneaking suspicion that she’ll see straight through me, and she won’t appreciate me calling to check up on her. She’s lived on her own for a long time, and I’m probably the last person she wants around her while she feels ill.
Though… I prop my chin on my hand. Maybe that’s not entirely true anymore.
I’ve noticed how our relationship seems to keep getting better. Opal is far more comfortable around me, bantering and laughing with me. It’s as though she’s starting to see me as a friend, or at least someone that she doesn’t mind hanging out with.
I cut the thought short. That’s just here in the workplace. Just because she’s friendly here, it doesn’t mean she wants to hang out with me outside of work. I need to stop my stupid heart from reading too much into all these little things.
I draw in a deep breath and dive back into my work. I just need to keep my mind off Opal. I’m sure she’ll be back tomorrow.
A few hours later, I drop my pen in disgust with myself. I couldn’t say exactly how much work I’ve managed to get done so far today, but it was definitely far less than I should have.
This is getting ridiculous. Every time something happens with Opal, my work suffers. Hiring her has done enough good for the company that it outweighs the problems, but I’m frustrated with