She yawned as she headed for the bathroom to change, still thinking of her date and deciding she didn't want to go out with this Brad guy again. The two of them just didn't click.
All thoughts of her night stopped dead as she opened the door to the sight of her long time roommate and best friend, Jack Tripper, lying against the wall next to the toilet. She was at his side in an instant.
At first, she thought maybe he just had too much to drink and had passed out. She was slightly worried, but more annoyed, as she often considered Jack her brother, one she protected and watched over. She vowed to chew him out good in the morning if this was a case of being drunk.
"Jack? If you're drunk, Jack, I'm going to beat you all the way back to your bedroom! Wake up." She tapped the unconcious young man slightly on his reddened cheek with no result. The small hand then moved to his forehead and she instantly forgot all irritation when she felt the heat radiating from her friend.
"Jack. Come on, sweetie, I need you to wake up". Again, she tapped the hot cheek and picked her beloved friend's head up and placed it in her lap, weaving the fine locks of hair through her hand. She bent down to his ear and tried again, speaking gently. "Jack? Open your eyes and look at me. Jack, honey, wake up."
Panic set in, Without looking up she screamed for help from her other roommate, who just happened to be a nurse "Terri! Please Hurry!". The already high pitched voice becoming even more so as fear overcame her.
Seconds later, Terri emerged from the bedroom the two girls shared, her mind still cloudy from sleep.
"Janet? Where are you? What's wrong".
"I'm in the bathroom, hurry Terri, something's wrong with Jack."
Hearing the fear in Janet's voice, Terri was instantly fully awake and beside her two roommates. She found Janet on the floor of the bathroom w with Jack's head in her lap, shaking him softly and pleading with him to wake up.
"Oh my God Janet, what's going on?" instantly falling to the floor next to the duo.
"I don't know, Terri, I don't know!" Tears were now falling freely down the small, delicate face. "I just got home and came to change before I went to bed, and he was in here, and I can't get him to wake up. Jack!" She shakes him again, willing him to open those blue eyes and grin at her, so he could tell her it was all a joke.
Terri gently stops Janet's attempt to shake their friend awake and puts her hand on the steaming forehead, pushing back the soft chestnut colored hair as she does so.
Her voice is suddenly calm and serious, the tone she has learned to use to calm the family members of her patients. From experience,
she can tell without the use of a thermometer that Jack's temperature is dangerously high.
"Janet, we need to calm down, okay? He is burning up and we have to cool him or he could suffer brain damage." At this, Janet lets out a small whimper and a weak nod of the head.
Terri watched, satisfied that she has gotten through.
"Okay, first...". stopping as she noticed that Janet is again looking forlornly at the man that she knows is like a brother to her. "Janet!"
She grasps at the thin shoulder of her friend. "Janet, I know you're scared but we have to help him. You need to call an ambulance.
And on your way back, can you find the thermometer?"
The dark haired figure nods, with one more look at the man on the floor and then goes for the phone, her hands shaking as she picks up the receiver.
Meanwhile, Terri has grabbed a towel from the rack above her and placed it under Jack's head. She gently removed his shirt and blue jeans, only leaving his boxer shorts. She takes quick note of how thin her roommate has gotten and remembers how tired he has been the last couple weeks, sleeping often and excusing himself from meals, saying he must have a stocmach bug. She silently curses herself for not noticing he was really sick.
Turning on the cold water at the faucet,
she soaked three washclothes and placed two of them on jack's forehead and neck, using the third to drip the cold water onto the overheated face, neck and body. By the time Janet returned, Terri was again setting on the floor with Jack's head in her lap,
speaking to him softly, hoping to revive him, but so far having no effect.
Handing Terri the thermometer, Janet immediately falls into place on the floor beside Jack. "They said there was a huge crash on the other side of town and it may take 15 to 20 minutes to get an ambulance here." Her tears fall onto Jack's already damp hair as she gently strokes his head. She watches as Terri places the thermomoter under his arm, swallowing more fear as she notices he doesn't react when the cold metal touches his scorching skin. A panicked sob escapes her as she sees the raw fear cross Terri's face after she sees the reading.
"How high is it, Terri"
Terri doesn't immediately answer the question , instead she stands upruptly. "I'm going to fill the tub with cold water and we need to put him in it. We need help, can you call Larry? It's 105.5 and we have to stop it".
Minutes later Larry is bursting through the door and into the bathroom. He easily lifts Jack and places him in the tub of cool water, supporting his head so that it doesn't go under.
Jack suddenly tenses and gasps, causing Larry to almost lose the light grip on his head.
"Jack, calm down buddy, I've got you." Larry stuggled to keep his friend from hurting himself in the hard ceramic tub, while Jack began to thrash and fight. He is awake now, but the fever has left him delerious, paniced and unfocused.
He feels the small hands that suddenly clamp over his own, but does not register them as belonging to Janet. Instead of feeling safe and secure in the knowledge that his friends are there to help him, he feels threatened. Feels as though he is being hurt.
Those same delicate hands go to his face, only alarming him more and he weakly reaches up to push them back.
Janet moves her own hands from Jack's and brings them to his face, turning his head until his bloodshot, terrified eyes meet her own.
"Jack...Jack, look at me Honey. It's Janet. You have to calm down, you're going to hurt yourself. Larry's got you and he's not going to let you go under, but you have to be still, Jack. Please."
The words are distorted and unfamilar in Jack's fevered mind, and he only screams and tries once again to free himself from the hands that are holding him down.