"Are you sure you guys are gonna be okay?"
I smile reassuringly at Jess as the driver puts her bags into the taxi trunk. She is going on a special trip to a hospital in Chicago with her honors anatomy class for the first week of spring break.
"We're sure. Right Sam?"
"Right." He nods.
Truthfully I am not too excited about Jessica leaving. I have been living with her and Sam for almost six months and this is the first time I'm going to have to spend the night without her.
"Okay." She smiles, "Now give me a great big hug before I leave."
I giggle as she opens her arms and I step into them, wrapping my arms around her tightly. She rubs a hand up and down my back soothingly before pulling back and placing her hands on my shoulders.
"I'm a call away. Any time you need me just pick up the phone. You got it June bug?"
"Got it."
She nods happily, tucking a strand of my honey blonde locks behind my ears before walking to Sam.
"I'll call you when my flight gets in."
"Okay." He smiles, placing a soft peck on her lips.
"Love you." She smiles, walking back towards the cab and opening the door.
"Love you too."
Sam and I stand outside of the apartment and wave to Jess as the cab pulls away. A large sigh escapes my mouth as the car disappears into the distance.
"How about Chinese food for dinner? We can try that new place you've been asking about."
Sam gives my shoulder a nudge and I can tell he is trying to cheer me up. I smile at his effort and turn towards him, looking up at his extremely tall form.
"And can we rent a movie?" I smile, testing how much he is going to give me.
He knows the game I am playing, but just laughs as he begins to walk me back in.
"Sure. But I get to pick the movie."
---
"How's your food?" Sam asks, eating his sweet and sour chicken as we watch our movie on the couch.
"It's so good. The Mongolian Beef is fantastic." I say, savoring every bite of the food.
He chuckles at me as I eat, but what can I say? I'm a teenager, I like food.
"Is Jess gonna call soon?"
I try to act like I don't care, but I am desperately waiting for her call. She has only been gone for two hours and I already miss her. I have no idea how I am going to get through the next few days.
"Her plane should land in an hour or so. And she probably won't call us until she gets to her hotel."
"Right." I nod, "Well if I fall asleep before she calls make sure you wake me up."
He looks to me with a soft smile. I suspect that he knows how much I'm missing Jess, but he doesn't say it to me.
"You bet."
"Thanks."
Sam and I finish eating and by the end of our movie Jess calls. She really just has time to say goodnight because she and the rest of the students have to go to a dinner.
"Call me tomorrow, okay?"
"You bet June bug. Now get to bed, you have school tomorrow."
"Ugh. Fine." I laugh.
"Goodnight."
"Night." I smile, hanging up the phone on the coffee table.
I get up and turn to Sam who is sitting at the desk in the living room. Leave it to Sam to find work to do over his Spring break.
"I'm going to bed because I actually have school tomorrow." I smile sarcastically, wishing I could start spring break at the same time that Sam and Jess are.
Sam chuckles as he turns around towards me, "Goodnight."
I walk into my bedroom which is much smaller than my old room, but big enough to fit my bed, a dresser, and a small desk. The clothes in my top drawer are all pajamas and underwear, so I open it up and put on a pair of peach and pink boxer shorts and a white tee shirt.
Ever since I left my old home I haven't been able to sleep well, but it always helps me to have the television on quietly as I go to bed. So I walk to my TV and press the power button and open up my DVD player, placing in a Gilmore Girls disk. After pressing play I turn off my lamp and get under my covers, curling up into the fluffy blue pillow.
I close my eyes and listen to the episode quietly in the background. It used to take me at least two episodes to fall asleep, but by the time the time it cuts to the shows intro I am dozing off.
---
I wake up with a sour feeling in my stomach and the sensation to belch, but the severe sleepiness barely acknowledges the sense and I turn onto my back, successfully going back to sleep.
Then in what feels like hours later, but is only minutes, I get the same feeling. And again I try and brush it off. I am much too tired to pay attention.
However the third time it comes on quick, and before I know it I have my head thrown over the side of my bed as bile makes its way out of my throat. Tears fall down my face in fear and pain, not knowing exactly what is happening. Five seconds ago I was a sleep and now I've got foul smelling vomit making its way onto my blue shag rug in a very painful affair.
It comes so fast that I can't move. I want it to stop, but it isn't an option. I want to cry out for help, but there is only room for one thing to come out of my mouth at a time.
Finally I get some room for air and I take the time to my advantage. I jump from my bed, stepping around my mess on the floor, and bolt as fast as I can. I make it out of my room and run through the living room, knocking something large and heavy off the coffee table in the process.
With my hand to my mouth I bite my lip in pain. Whatever I hit must have left a good bruise on my shin. But once I enter the bathroom in the same hurried pace I forget about my leg. Quickly my body drops to the floor, clutching the toilet bowl with my hands and letting more of the retched bile out of my mouth.
"Jenny?!"
I hear Sam yell and I know he heard my mad dash. I want to alert him of where I am, but I can't make any words out.
"Jenny!" His voice is worried, but it is also closer.
My stomach continues lurching painfully and my heart feels like it is being squeezed to death. Every square inch of my body is in pain and I would give anything to stop it!
"Oh, Jenny." I hear and can tell immediately that Sam is at the bathroom door.
I let out a helpless cry through my heaving and he drops down on his knees to my side. I grasp behind me with my head still down and grab onto to one of his hands tightly. He places his other hand on my back as it wretches in pain and more vomit burns my throat. His hand rubs up and down my back sympathetically until I throw up all that is left in my stomach. And when I am done I am too tired to let him know. All I can do is rest my head on the toilet seat in exhaustion.
"You all done?" Sam asks kindheartedly as he continues to stroke my back tenderly.
"Um hmm." I mutter lazily through my lips while barely moving my head and keeping my eyes shut tight. The sour feeling is still in my stomach, but the strong urge to ralph is gone which makes it much better.
"Do you want to go back to bed?"
He moves over so he can see my face and puts a large amount of hair behind my ear so he can see my eyes.
"I vomited…" I try hard to speak as clearly as possible, "on my floor."
He sighs and I can see him try to figure out what to do in his head through my semi opened eyes.
"Well how about you stay in mine and Jessica's room. Come on. I'll put on a movie for you."
I just nod my head against the bowl in response and he immediately pulls me back carefully from the toilet. He gently lifts me up and holds me like a small child, with my arms wrapped around his neck and my legs dangling at his hips. My face rests on top of his shoulder and my eyes close at the immediate comfort.
As I start to drift to sleep I feel him place me down on his bed.
"Ughh." I mutter, rolling to get comfortable.
"No, wait kiddo." He lifts me up to a sitting position, "You need some fresh clothes. Okay?"
When he says this I finally pry my eyes open and look down to see my shirt soiled with my gross and disgusting vomit.
"I'll be right back, okay?" Sam grabs the small waste basket from the corner of their room and hands places it on my lap, getting me to look him in the eye, "If you have to puke, do it in here."
He turns around and leaves quickly. I grasp the bowl for comfort, but I don't feel the urge to use it. However I do have the strong urge to use a toothbrush. Unfortunately for me I barely have the energy to pick up a toothbrush.
Soon Sam walks back in and he has a new shirt for me, a damp washcloth, and a thermometer.
"I'm just gonna wash off your face." He informs me before wiping the puke off of my mouth and cheeks.
Sam also blotches it around my forehead to wipe away some of the sweat that lies around my hairline. My arms are hanging limp at my side and I feel as if I could fall asleep at any moment.
"Can you lift your arms up for me Bug?"
I look up at him helplessly, not sure if lifting my arms above my head is a possibility. He understands my situation and grabs my hands, placing them on his shoulders gently.
He lifts my shirt up and pulls it over my head, and I am too tired to care. As soon as my arms are free from the sleeves I let them fall back to my sides like they weigh a hundred pounds each.
"Here you go." Sam says soothingly as he places the new shirt over my head and pulls my arms through the appropriate holes, knowing that I can't do it myself.
Sam places his hands under my arms and lifts me up, laying me onto the bed with my head on the pillow.
"What DVD do you want on Jenny?" Sam asks, trying to make me feel better as he covers me with a quilt at the end of their bed.
"Gilmore Girls." I mutter.
When I used to get sick my mom would always let me lie in her bed and she would stay up all night watching Gilmore Girls with me. She knew how much better it made me feel.
Sam gets out one of the DVDs and places it in the DVD player. He presses play and watches me as it begins. My eyes are drooping shut, but the sick feeling in my stomach won't allow me to fall asleep easily.
"Jenny." I hear and snap my head up to see Sam sitting on the bed, looking at me with kind eyes. "I'm gonna go clean up, but if you feel like your going to be sick the waste basket is right here."
Sam holds the basket up for me and places it on the side table, next to the bed. I nod to him thankfully and he runs a soothing hand over my head before getting up and leaving the room. After he is gone I use the basket only once before falling into an agitated slumber.
---
When I wake up the sun is shining through Sam and Jessica's bedroom window. I immediately feel the sour feeling in my stomach and am reminded of last night's events. As I look around the room I see the blankets in disarray and their waste basket on the ground beside me, filled with the mess from me dry heaving all night.
I don't feel like I have to vomit, but I still feel like shit.
I hug the quilt around my body and stand up from the bed, slowly walking out of the bedroom. Entering the living room I turn to see Sam sitting on the couch, watching some old sitcom.
I walk over to him, letting my feet carry my tired body, "Morning."
His head snaps up at me surprised, "What are you doing out of bed?"
"I don't know. I was bored."
He sighs, walking over to me and wrapping the blanket around me tighter, "You should get back to bed."
"But it's boring in there. Can I stay and watch TV with you? Please."
I look up at him pleadingly and it doesn't take long for him to give in to my request. He smiles down at me and I can tell he feels for me.
"Sure. Come on."
Sam helps me lie down on the couch and places another blanket over me. He sits down on the edge of the couch and picks up the thermometer off the coffee table and turns to me.
"I'm just going to check your temperature again. Okay?"
I nod my head and allow him to place the thermometer under my tongue. I watch the television as we wait, but I can see Sam glancing at me occasionally with worry. It finally beeps and Sam retrieves it from my mouth.
He glances at it and his face is sketched with concern, "102.4"
"That's not to bad, is it?" I ask nervously.
He looks back up at me before getting off the couch quickly and walking to the bathroom, "It's not good. We should really get it down."
Sam comes back into the living room with a bottle of Ibprophin and a small paper cup filled with water.
"Take these, kiddo. They'll help."
I nod and swallow them like he tells me to. The pills go down with small resistance, but I look back up at him with a small smile.
"Sammy, Can I have some Ginger Ale?"
I realize I sound some what babyish with the juvenile tone I used, but my mom always would give me flat Ginger Ale when I was sick. She said it would make me feel better.
"Of course." Sam smiles, giving my hair a soothing stroke before walking into the kitchen.
He pours it in the kitchen and brings it out to me on the couch. I immediately begin to coat my dry throat with the cool liquid.
"Slow down." Sam tells me, "You don't want to upset your stomach."
I obliged and drink it all slowly. Then I lay back onto the couch with my blankets wrapped around me tightly and securely. After one episode of the sitcom that is on the TV I doze off into a dead slumber.
---
"Ughhhh."
I moan as I grab my stomach in pain. I think of bashing my head against the table to end the pain, but I don't even have he energy to roll over on my side.
"Sam…"
"Sammm…" I whine louder.
Sam comes running into the living room, "What? What is it?"
"It hurts. Make it stop." I whimper with my eyes squeezed shut tight in agony.
Before I know it he is kneeling in front of the couch and placing his hand to my forehead, checking the temperature.
"You're burning up." His eyes widen and he quickly grabs the thermometer, placing it under my tongue.
"Nooo…" I moan, not enjoying something pointy being shoved in my mouth.
"Just hold it in there for a second Bug."
After a small amount of fighting, I oblige, mostly because I don't have the strength to fight. Sam waits for it to beep nervously, pacing back and forth in front of the couch. The device lets out its high pitched beep and I wince as it gives me an immediate headache.
Sam quickly pulls it out quickly.
"Shit!" He places it down and picks me up off of the couch, quickly wrapping me in his arms.
"Wh…What's going on?" I ask deliriously.
"Jenny, you've got a fever of 105. We need to get that down. Fast."
I feel my body being released from his grasp and look down to see me sitting down on the toilet lid.
"Wh…Ahh!"
I jump and let out a small shriek as a sudden coolness touches my face. I place my hands up in defense and realize that I have a grip on Sam's arms and one of his hands holds a wet washcloth.
"It's okay Jenn. I'm just cooling you down. It's okay."
He stokes my hair soothingly until I loosen my grip on his forearms. Then he goes back to patting my skin gently with the washcloth.
"There you go." He soothes, "There you go."
---
"How is it?" I ask wearily.
"102.5"
"Well that's better." I smile wearily to Sam who sits with me on his and Jessica's bed, slurping the last bit of soup broth into my mouth.
"It still needs to go down. So just take it easy, okay?"
"Gotcha."
Sam takes the empty bowl from my hands and places it on the side table, "How are you feeling?"
"Better than it was before. But my stomach is still queasy."
"Do you need anything else?"
"Can I have some more Ginger Ale?"
He smiles, getting off of the bed and grabbing the bowl from the side table, "I'll be right back."
"And Sam!" I call to him, just in time for him to turn around to me at the doorframe.
"Yeah, Jenny."
"Can we go back into the living room and watch TV? The screen is bigger."
He chuckles slightly before answering, "Sure June bug."
---
My eyes shoot open and I bolt into a sitting position.
Oh shit !
Sam jumps up from his sleep as my hands go to my mouth and I jump up from the couch, tripping over the coffee table and landing in pain on the floor. I can't wait any longer and I expel my insides as my hands hold me up.
I vomit only three times, but my eyes fill with tears as Sam comes to my side, checking to make sure I'm okay.
"Shit. What happened?"
Tears stream down my face as I speak through hiccups, "I hurt my knee."
Sam lifts me up and brings me to the couch so I sit back as he inspects my knee, which lost some skin on the coffee table and is covered with blood. However once I let out a loud sob he looks back up at me.
"What is it Bug? Your stomach?"
I nod my head through my tears. My body is running on empty and I just don't have the energy to hold myself together anymore. My stomach feels like it has turned over on itself and I just can't do it.
"I want Jessica." I cry tiredly.
Sam places a hand on my cheek and looks at me with sympathy, "I know, Jenn. She'll be back soon. I promise."
"I…I…" I struggle to find my breath as my hands grasp my stomach, "I want my mom."
Sam gets caught off guard and his grip on my cheek loosens, letting his hand drop to my shoulder. He chokes on his own words, not knowing what to say. My cries become more desperate and he does the only thing he can do. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me into his embrace.
"I need her." I sob.
"I know, Jenny. I know."
He runs his hand over my back gingerly until my sobs calm and I rest quietly on his shoulder. Then he places one arm under my legs and lifts me up. My hands grasp his shirt tighter at the disturbance.
"It's okay. I'm right here."
I rest my head on his chest as my tears stain his shirt. He carries me into the bedroom with ease and sits with me on his lap.
"Can I take a look at your knee?"
His voice is soothing as he lifts my head up so I can look him in the eye. He wipes away a tear from my check as I nod my head through my tears.
Sam places me down on the bed so I am sitting against the backboard of the bed with my knees pointed up. He opens their side drawer and pulls out a small first aid kit that is the size of a cell phone before turning back to my wound.
"It's not too bad. Just looks it." He tries to cheer me up.
"It stings."
"I know. But I'll fix it up for you. Okay?"
"Okay."
He gives me a smile and he soon begins to open the first aid kit and fix my knee, allowing me to relax slightly in the comfort of being safe.
---
Later that night I sit on Sam and Jessica's bed with the phone in my hand, talking to Jessica on the phone.
"Bye Jess. Love you too."
I hang up the phone with a smile and turn to Sam who is coming back with a freshly cleaned waste basket, "She said that she is going to be home on Friday."
"I heard." He grins at the large smirk on my face.
Sam places the basket down next to my side of the bed and places a hand to my forehead, checking to see if my fever has gone down at all.
"Hey Sam?"
"Yep"
"I'm sorry that I freaked out on you yesterday. I just…when I'm sick my mom would always do all these little things to make me feel better, just stupid little stuff. But it always made me feel better."
"You don't have to apologize." He smiles, sitting down on the edge of the bed, "I know how you feel. Losing a mom is one of the hardest things in the world."
I nod my head until the words that he spoke actually make it to my brain. Did he just say that his mom is dead? Sam never really talks about his family, but a dead mother is something that someone would usually mention.
"You…Your mom died?"
"I was six months old. So it's not exactly the same as what you're dealing with. But trust me, after spending nearly my whole life without a mom I know how important they are."
I lay back into the couch with a huff, "They are important. How did you manage to grow up so normal without a mom?"
"Well I had my Dad. But mostly it was my brother, Dean. He made sure that I was a good kid, even if my childhood was a lot different than everyone else's childhood."
I could tell as he spoke it brought back memories. However based on his expression I can't tell if they are good or bad.
"But isn't it different for a girl? I mean, I'm a thirteen year old girl. Without a mom I could turn into the creepy old cat lady that never leaves her apartment and smells like fish."
Sam chuckles at my thought, "You have Jessica. Do you really think she is going to let that happen?"
"I guess not." I chuckle with him.
Suddenly my face goes sour and he takes notice, grabbing the waste basket and holding it in front of me as I keel over it, expelling my insides into the waste basket. He places his other hand on my back, rubbing it gently as it heaves in waves.
The nausea passes as quick as it came, leaving me coughing as my throat itches with irritation. I push the bile filled bucket away from my face and Sam takes the hint, putting it on the ground and helping me sit back up in the bed.
"I'm getting pretty sick of this." I breathe out in a raspy voice, clutching my sore stomach.
"It'll be over soon."
Sam takes a tissue and wipes my mouth with it until I am clean and he puts it into the waste basket with the rest of the mess.
"I'm going to go clean this out. You should rest."
He goes to grab the basket and get up, but I reach out, clutching his hand.
"Wait! Don't leave." I call, and Sam turns back around to me immediately as I speak with a sad pout, "Please stay."
Sam looks down at the puke bucket, but I give his arm a tug and he nods, placing the bucket down and walking around the bed. He sits down next to me, placing a hand around my shoulder as I roll against his side tiredly.
"How about we watch The Office?"
I nod my head and he presses the play button on the remote, turning the television on. I only get through half an episode when I start to give into the temptation of sleep in his warm embrace. I snuggle deeper into his chest and he runs his hand soothingly over my arm, lulling me into a quiet sleep. And at the moment before my eyes shut I get a feeling that has been scarce in the past months, I feel at home.
A/N: I've been working on this for a very very long time so I hope you all enjoyed it. The title of this story is the title of a song by The Temper Trap and the song really inspired me while writing this.
I'd like to dedicate this to everyone that reviews my stories. You guys have no idea how much your responses mean to me! Love you all! X O X O.