Megan I was sick.
Not the kind of sickness that required an emergency room or antibiotics or a concerned doctor hovering over me with a stethoscope.
I was simply… sick.
My body—and my mind—had finally decided it had had enough.
First, I called the hospital and told them I wouldn’t be coming in—Dr.
Peterson had not been happy about that.
Then I pulled all the curtains shut, climbed back into bed and curled up.
I needed to be alone.
Even the outside world was not permitted to share my misery.
It was the first time I was calling in sick since I started working at the hospital.
I never did, not even when I was down with the flu.
I had stayed in the doctor’s quarter and worked my shifts as much as I could.
Being a doctor was showing up.
Being a doctor was not letting your personal life affect your job.
Well, not today.
My stomach was twisting every few minutes, my head throbbed louder than a construction site and when I had made the call, my throat had hurt like I had swallowed a bucket load of beach sand.
I pulled the blanket higher, and spent most of the day buried in it, settling for whatever warmth it could muster up for me.
I needed some type of peace.
A nuance of it would be okay.
Obviously, that was too much to ask.
Like they had done all night long, my mother’s words flashed light neon signs on my eyelids.
‘I’ll be in touch.’ ‘Don’t block me.’ ‘The next time I find you, it’ll be ugly.’ She had been crueler than the last time I saw her.
Crueler and more haggard than she normally looked.
And Gary, that cowardly boyfriend of hers, hadn’t even bothered to show up.
Classy, Mom.
Very classy.
I turned away from the tiny light streaming in through the crack on the curtain, and sighed when my phone vibrated.
I didn’t want to talk to anyone, didn’t want to explain anything, and I didn’t want to lie that I was okay when clearly, I wasn’t—dwelling on it somehow made it worse—and I didn’t want to be rude.
The phone vibrated again.
Ugh!
Couldn’t they leave me alone for once?
‘I’d wish all of you would leave me alone!’ I winced, remembering the words I’d said to Riley.
The jackhammer in my head pounded twice on the spot beside my temple.
I shouldn’t have done that.
I shouldn’t have been cruel to her when she had been nothing but nice to me.
She was the least person to deserve it, if at all.
But I couldn’t find the strength to call and apologize.
Not yet anyways.
Maybe later.
Definitely later.
Slowly, I drifted off into another lethargy-induced, headache-commanding, grief-filled sleep.
*** The jackhammer pounding on my temple had been replaced with a grinder, grinding furiously at my sanity.
I winced and whined, wishing the noise would stop.
It didn’t.
Wait, that was not my headache.
That was the doorbell.
It rang again.
I ignored it.
Whoever it was would eventually leave.
What if it’s your delivery?
I shook my head, whining as I pulled the blanket higher.
They’d leave whatever they’d brought outside, or with the doorman.
I had no energy to care.
But the bell didn’t stop.
Instead, the intruder switched to knocking.
I pulled the blanket over my head.
Go away!
Geez!
As if they’d heard me, the knocking stopped.
Finally, I exhaled, shifting the blanket down.
God, I was cold, and sweating.
Fever?
Maybe I should have done to the hospital, then at least I’d have gotten— Ding-dong.
I groaned.
Who was this person?
Why could they not leave me alone?
A few seconds later and the doorbell rang again.
“Seriously?” I murmured, forcing my eyes open.
Whoever was outside clearly had no intention of leaving.
This was a war of attrition they had decided to win.
Ding-dong.
Ding-dong.
Ding-dong.
“Damn it.” Groaning, I pushed the blanket away and got out of bed.
My head spun in all the directions at once, my breathing uneven.
Waiting for the room to stop moving, I swore whoever it was was going to get it from me.
Finally able to carry myself, I marched toward the door.
Wearing an old T-shirt and sweatpants, with my hair probably looking like I’d fought with a tornado and lost, I decided whoever it was was going to get this weird looking version of me.
They were the ones who asked for it.
I was not prepared for the faces I saw when I pulled the door open.
“Oh, my God.
What happened to you?” It was Avery.
And Riley.
I blinked, my anger quickly replaced by surprise.
I stared at them and they stared back.
Avery’s eyes ran from my head to my bare feet.
“Is this the home side of you?” Riley gently elbowed her in the ribs.
“Hi,” she said carefully.
“I hope you don’t mind.” I blinked again.
“What… wh-what are you doing here?” “We were worried.
So, here we are.” I looked from her to Avery.
“How did you find my house?” There was no way the hospital had given them my personal information.
The word ‘confidentiality’ existed for a reason.
Avery stepped past me.
I hadn’t even invited them in.
“That was Ren.” “Ren Maeda?” “Yep,” She smiled.
“He is good with these types of things.
Well, this was really just an insult to him, but he did it anyway.” “We called the hospital, but they said you’d called in sick.
We had to come,” Riley said, leaning heavily on her crutch.
She had a weird stance.
“Aren’t you going to invite me in as well?” Technically, I hadn’t invited Avery in.
And why was Riley asking?
Wasn’t she always so impulsive?
Why the sudden formality?
Stepping aside, I wordlessly asked her in.
As soon as I closed the door behind her, the jackhammer pounded twice against my temple.
I squeezed my eyes shut to help with the headache, letting out a silent cry.
“Wow,” Avery called, walking farther into my apartment.
“Your place is a lot better than Riley’s.
I like it.”