AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"I have been trying to get ahold of you all day, Adrianna," my father bellowed through the speaker. I pulled the phone away from my ear. I'd missed a bunch of his calls this afternoon.
After I’d arrived home, I showered and then heated up something to eat so I could take my medicine with food. I'd skipped eating regular meals today since I didn't have much of an appetite. I'd only had half a protein bar and I gathered that could be the reason why I was so anxious and edgy. My hands couldn't stop shaking, my heart beat faster than normal, and I was a little nauseous.
"Couldn't you have sent a text at least? I was starting to worry. I almost called Konstantin."
I pressed the phone to my shoulder with my ear while I sat on a barstool. "I'm sorry, Dad. I was so busy with practice that I didn't have much time in between. I have a lot on my mind right now."
"I understand that, sweetheart, but we made a deal. I need to be able to reach you." He sighed, and I apologized again for worrying him. "I got your appointments scheduled for the day after tomorrow. Will that work for you?"
I swallowed a spoonful of bone broth. I loved this stuff since it was easy on my stomach. "Yes. I'll let Kova know tomorrow that I won't be in. Did you mention that if I need any tests done they’ll have to be done the same day and to make arrangements for that?"
I hoped I hadn't come across as a diva, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
"Yes. Everything is taken care of."
My shoulders relaxed. "Perfect. Thank you so much for doing that for me. I was worried the receptionist would give me the go-around and make me come back for each issue if I’d called myself. I just don't have the time for that right now."
"It pays to know people in higher places. Anything for my daughter. I'll text you the info and times. Please keep me updated."
I smiled and thanked him again. After saying goodbye, I placed my phone down and forced myself to drink the rest of the broth. Between the acidic feeling high up in my stomach, and the awful metallic taste in my mouth, I knew eating was a must, even if I wasn't hungry. The broth usually helped settle that uneasy feeling.
I walked into the kitchen and reached into the refrigerator to pull out the carton of eggs, butter, bacon, shredded cheese, an onion, and some garlic. Then I grabbed an avocado and a lime I had in a bowl sitting on the counter. I had a feeling the medicines were messing with me and that I needed to create some kind of barrier to coat my stomach before I took them. The broth had helped a little, but I thought actually eating might do the trick.
I pulled out a plastic bag of whole wheat English muffins from the freezer. I hadn't had one in so long and decided I would make a breakfast sandwich for dinner, and an extra one for tomorrow morning.
I scrambled the eggs while standing barefoot in the kitchen, freezing from the icy tile under my feet. Goose bumps trickled down my arms. Quickly, I walked to my room and grabbed a sweater. I wasn't usually this cold and now I wondered if the chills had to do with some other underlying illness I may have now.
I was going to turn into a hypochondriac at this rate.
As the eggs cooked, I took out the necessary pills for the evening and placed them on the counter, then I took out the ones for the morning as well and placed them in a separate little bowl.
I was anxious about my appointment. With my Achilles injury, all I had to do was get out of bed the wrong way and I could pretty much snap it completely, but at least that was fixable. I had control of it, in a sense. But with the chronic illnesses I now faced, and all the family history I’d recently discovered, I had zero control over my body, and that terrified me. I wasn't in control of my thoughts anymore. They grabbed the reins and controlled me. Keeping my focus and emotions in place had been harder than I thought, and I was fighting blindly to take it back.
I wanted to call Avery and talk to her. I needed an outlet, and we'd always been each other's shoulder to lean on. No doubt she'd listen to me now—it was just who she was—but I still felt selfish for how I’d treated her when she’d wanted to come clean. I'd refused to allow her to and had shut her out for so long, yet here I was wanting to vent to her when I hadn’t been there for her. She didn't deserve that. She didn't deserve to bear the burden of my thoughts and fears when I selfishly hadn’t been there to hold hers.
I shook my head, disgusted with myself. I was a terrible person and regretted how I'd treated her. If I could go back and change how I’d behaved, I would.
Fifteen minutes later, I sat on a barstool with an egg and cheese sandwich piled high with bacon, slowly sautéed onions and garlic, and smashed avocado and lime. I took a bite and moaned. Thank goodness no one was around to hear the sounds coming out of me.
I took a few more bites, then I palmed my medicine and swallowed the handful of pills. I took another bite. And another. Halfway through I was full and wrapped what was left in foil.
I turned everything off and climbed into bed with my sweater still on. I was still too cold to take it off.
Exhaustion hit faster than I expected, my eyes heavy and trying to close. I yawned, pulling the blanket up to my chin and rolled onto my side. Now that I was sitting still for the first time today, my joints and muscles started to coil up and tighten. I swallowed, praying for sleep to take over so I didn't have to endure the pain I knew was about to hit any minute once my body had a chance to relax.
I bolted upright and ran to the bathroom in the dark. Before I could stop it, projectile vomit flew from my mouth and splattered on the floor just as I reached the toilet. Crashing to my knees, my hair fell around my face, shielding me in even more darkness. The putrid smell assaulted my senses as more bile climbed up the back of my throat. Blindly, I crawled to flip on the light switch. Oh God. My stomach twisted with knots as my body rejected more of what I'd eaten for dinner into the ceramic bowl.
I closed my eyes and tried not to breathe in the smell, knowing it would only make it worse. Little beads of sweat bubbled on my upper lip when more vomit came up. Leaning over, I grabbed the edge of the seat as I spewed, the tips of my hair falling inside the rim. My eyes widened. Tears were free falling from vomiting so hard and I panicked at how thoroughly grossed out I was at seeing my hair mixed in there.
After what felt like ten minutes of throwing up that ended with dry heaving, I was crouched on my knees holding my cramping stomach. Heat spread throughout my lower back and I winced in pain. Using the wall, I stood, wobbling on my knees and walked toward the shower. I pulled off my sweater, then grabbed my shirt and used it to wipe my mouth and face before discarding it to the floor along with the rest of my clothes.
I stepped under the spray and sighed from the heat of the scalding water when another surge of pain attacked my back. I cried out and braced myself, placing one hand to the tiles and the other on my back. I took deep breaths, panting heavily as I cursed everything I knew and prayed for the pain to stop.
Curled up in a ball, I was back in my bed with relentless shivering. I glanced at the clock and blinked. It was 3 a.m. Two more hours before the alarm
would go off.
Tomorrow would be rough, but I'd endure it. I clenched my eyes shut. Tears seeped from the corners and I wept in silent agony as I fell asleep to the sound of my muffled cries and the throbbing pain beating on my back.
