So, I started doing a little more work on this story and decided that I needed to do some editing and make some changed to the order of the chapters. I think it reads better now. Hope you like this edited version of chapter 1.
It started at a sleep over their junior year. A had been hounding them all week and the girls had decided to take a night to just spend together. Emily had been really tired going into the night, but she figured it was just stress from A and swimming.
They had knocked out around 1, but Emily woke up at 3 with a stomachache. She thought it might be her period, but she had never had cramps this bad before. She tried to go back to sleep, but her stomach became increasingly upset.
She got up and went to the bathroom, feeling her stomach flip over as she walked. She got there not a minute too soon and found herself with her head in the toilet, trying to keep her long hair out of her face. After a minute of throwing up, she felt her stomach calm a bit and leaned back against the wall, panting.
Her stomach was still churning and she honestly didn't think she could leave the bathroom. She pulled herself off the floor and rinsed her mouth before grabbing a towel from under the sink, putting her head down on the floor. Her stomach was cramping so badly that she couldn't sleep, but she tried to just rest.
Six more round of vomit ensued before any of the other girls even knew she was sick. It was Hanna who found her around six, lying on the floor shivering.
"Oh my gosh," the blonde said as she opened the door to the bathroom, "Em, are you alright?"
Emily shook her head before leaning back over the toilet to throw up again. Hanna grabbed her hair, rubbing the swimmer's sweaty back as she threw up. Once she was done, Emily leaned back, closing her eyes.
"What is going on?" Hanna asked, grabbing a cloth from below the sink and running it under the cool tap, handing it to Emily.
"Thanks," Emily said, taking the cloth and wiping off her face.
"How long have you been in here?" Hanna asked, sitting down next to Emily and rubbing her back.
"I've been up since three," Emily said, leaning on Hanna, "I've thrown up six or seven times. I know the stomach flu is going around, and I think I got it finally."
"I'm sorry Em," Hanna said, "Can I do anything?"
"I need to go home," Emily said, shivering a little, "I can't stay at the Hastings' this sick."
"Do you want me to drive you home?" Hanna asked.
"If you could just get me my phone," Emily asked, "I'll text my mom. She's an early riser."
"Alright," Hanna said, getting up and returning a minute later with both Emily's phone and a very concerned Spencer.
"Oh Em," Spencer said, frowning at her friend, "Want me to grab you a ginger ale or something?"
"No thanks Spence," Emily said, accepting her phone, "I don't think I can hold anything down. If this is the bug the school has been passing around, it's awful for 36-48 hours. Paige had it at the beginning of the week and was so sick, and a few girls ended up in the emergency room because they couldn't hold anything down."
"I'm sorry Emily," Spencer said, frowning, "Is there anything I can do?"
"Don't worry about it," Emily said, "Could you get my blanket and bag so I can go as soon as my mom gets here. She said she'll be here in five minutes."
"Of course," Spencer said, disappearing again.
Emily groaned and leaned over the toilet again as Hanna resumed her position from earlier. By the time Emily had stopped heaving and caught her breath, her mom had texted saying she was out front. Hanna and Spencer lead the sick girl out of the house, into her mother's arms.
"Oh Emily," her mom said as soon as she saw her, "Let's get you home baby girl. Thank you girls."
"No problem," Spencer said as Mrs. Fields helped Emily into the car.
"Feel better Em," Hanna called as the car drove away.
Mrs. Fields took Emily home, tucking her into bed.
"Do you want me to take the day off?" Pam asked as she smoothed Emily's hair after she put a bottle of water and ginger ale on her nightstand.
"I'll be fine," Emily said, "I'm probably just going to sleep and throw up all day."
"If you need anything, call me," Mrs. Fields said, putting a trashcan next to her bed before heading out of her daughter's room.
A few hours after Pam left, Paige had decided to stop by and see what her lovely girlfriend was up to only to find her curled up in the bathroom in nothing but a sweaty t-shirt and underwear, looking paler than Paige had ever seen.
"Oh Em," Paige said, coming into the bathroom, "When you told me you were so tired yesterday, I should have known you were coming down with this."
Emily just gave her a pitiful moan and leaned over the toilet, throwing up again. Paige knelt down and rubbed her back as Emily dry heaved, having emptied her stomach after throwing up for over twelve hours.
"Come here," Paige said after Emily finished, bringing the sweaty girl to her chest.
Emily moaned again, curling into Paige.
"I know," Paige said, rubbing her back gently.
Paige had been the first one of the team to catch this terrible stomach bug that was going around the school, having come down with it about five days ago. Emily had tried to help her, but the team was traveling overnight for a meet so Emily ended up only being with Paige at the tail end of the illness.
Since, most of the team had come down with it and practice had even been canceled the day before because so many of them were sick.
"Where's your mom?" Paige asked Emily quietly, running her fingers through the dark haired girl's sweaty hair.
"Work," Emily rasped out, not having the energy to form sentences.
Emily closed her eyes as Paige continued stroking her hair. "You're burning up," Paige said, not liking how warm her girlfriend was, "Do you have a thermometer anywhere?"
"Cabinet," Emily said as Paige carefully moving Emily off her lap as the sick girl groaned.
"I'm sorry," Paige said, opening the medicine cabinet and grabbing the thermometer out, going back to a shivering Emily.
"Open your mouth," Paige said, sitting down next to her.
Emily did, allowing Paige to slip the thermometer under her tongue. After only a few seconds, however, Emily spit the thermometer out and leaned over the toilet, throwing up yet again. Paige rubbed her back again, holding the sick girl up as her own strength seemed to be leaving her.
After Emily finished, Paige took her back into her lap, holding her as she slipped the thermometer back into her mouth. This time, Emily kept it in the whole time.
"102.4" Paige said, reading the temperature, "You're really sick Em."
Emily just nodded a little, shivering in Paige's lap.
"Do you want a blanket?" Paige asked, feeling the shivering from Emily.
Emily shrugged, cuddling into Paige. Not wanting to disturb the sick girl, Paige decided to just hold her for a while. After another four hours of throwing up every twenty to thirty minutes, Emily finally fell asleep and Paige decided to carry her to bed. She had carried Emily before, but this time, she felt lighter and Paige knew this illness was taking a lot out of Emily. Paige put her in bed, covering her shivering form with a few blankets.
She planned to get into bed with Emily, but she needed to do a few things first. She grabbed a trashcan and put it next to Emily's bed before going to the kitchen and grabbing a bottle of water and some Gatorade for Emily when she felt like drinking something. She also grabbed a wet washcloth and brought it back to Emily's room, placing the cloth on her forehead to help with the fever.
Emily groaned a little but didn't wake up. Paige then climbed into bed and pulled Emily close to her, knowing Emily craved physical contact when she wasn't feeling her best. Paige had spent many hours holding Emily after long practices when she was sore or during other illnesses.
They stayed like that for a while until Emily woke up, leaning over the bed and dry heaving again. Paige held her up until the dark haired girl was done.
"Come here," Paige said, pulling Emily close to her and rubbing her back.
"I feel so bad," Emily said, snuggling into Paige.
"I know," Paige said, "If this keeps up tomorrow, you're gonna need to go to the hospital. How about something to drink?"
Emily nodded a little.
"Just take a small sip," Paige said, uncapping the Gatorade and holding it to Emily's pale lips.
"Thanks," Emily said after taking a small sip.
"If that stays down, you can have a little more later."
Emily nodded, closing her eyes.
"Your phone kept going off while you were sleeping," Paige said, running her hands though Emily's hair.
Emily opened her eyes, grabbing her phone.
"It's just the girls," Emily said, "It looks like Spence and Aria both are sick and Han said if we need anything to let her know."
Paige nodded as Emily put her phone away and closed her eyes again.
"Get some sleep Em," Paige said as the two of them curled up together, both falling asleep.
Emily woke up sick again about twenty minutes later, throwing up what little amount of Gatorade she had managed to get down.
"I feel so gross," Emily said after she finished throwing up.
"How about a warm bath?" Paige asked, rubbing her back, "It might help."
Emily nodded and Paige got up, going to start a bath for her. When Paige came back, Emily sat up in bed, letting Paige help her up.
Once they were in the bathroom, Emily undressed and slipped into the warm water feeling her sore muscles relax a little after spending so long on the floor.
"Can I get you anything?" Paige asked as Emily closed her eyes.
"Maybe a little more to drink," Emily said, "I know I couldn't hold it down before but I don't want to go to the hospital."
"Alright," Paige said, going into the bedroom and grabbing some Gatorade.
"Here you go babe," Paige said, handing Emily the bottle.
"Thanks," she said, taking it with shaking hands and sipping it a little before handing it back to Paige.
Paige helped Emily wash her hair before Emily got cold and wanted out. Paige helped her get dressed in a long sleeved t-shirt and some shorts before helping her back into bed. Paige braided Emily's long hair before the sick girl fell asleep again. About twenty minutes after Emily fell asleep, Mrs. Fields came home to find Paige rubbing Emily's back gently.
"Hey Paige," Pam said, "How is she? I really didn't want to leave, but I had a meeting I just couldn't get out of."
"She's still pretty sick," Paige said, "Her fever is really high and she has only held down a sip of Gatorade."
"The fever is just normal Emily," Pam said, putting a hand on her forehead, "She had febrile seizures as a child because they were so high. It'll be fine though. Thank you for helping her today."
"If you don't mind," Paige said, "I'd like to stay."
"Of course not," Pam said, "I know how much you help Emmy when she's not feeling well. Let me know if you need anything. I'll whip up some homemade soup for her and I'll have dinner ready in a little bit if you want something."
"Thank you so much Mrs. Fields," Paige said.
Just then, Emily woke up and started dry heaving again. Paige rubbed her back gently while she was sick.
"Oh Emmy," her mom said when she collapsed back onto Paige.
"Hey Mom," Emily said as Pam wiped her mouth with a wet rag.
"You might need to go to the hospital," Pam said, noticing how sick her daughter looked.
"I'll be fine Mom," Emily said, licking her dry lips.
"If this keeps up tomorrow, I'm taking you in," Pam said, "Holler if you need anything."
Emily sighed as her mom left and Paige wrapped her arms around her again.
"When does this end?" Emily asked, wrapping her arms around her stomach.
"I couldn't hold anything down for 36 hours," Paige said, grimacing as she thought about those awful days, "And I couldn't really eat much for two days after that. Honestly, today's the first day I've felt like eating anything except crackers and soup."
"Great," Emily said, groaning, "I don't have time for that."
"The entire team is going to be on rehab next week," Paige said, "Everyone has been so sick that coach isn't going to be able to push us as hard. She already canceled the meet for next week because so many people are sick."
Emily just grumbled a little before falling asleep again. Paige went downstairs and helped Pam with dinner. Once they had eaten, Paige went back upstairs and climbed back into bed with Emily. It was a long night with Emily up every thirty minutes to an hour to dry heave, holding down what equated to two mouthfuls of Gatorade during the times in between.
By the next morning, Emily was barely able to stay awake and her fever was still really high.
"Em," Paige said after the last bout of vomiting, "I think I need to take you to the ER. You are so sick."
"I'm fine," Emily said, closing her eyes, "Just let me get a little sleep."
"Fine," Paige said as she curled up with Emily because Emily nodded, knowing that if this kept up, she was going to keep getting worse.
Emily woke up again a half hour later, throwing up the small amount of water Paige had convinced her to drink earlier. She managed to not wake Paige up and once her stomach stopped flipping over, she curled back up and went to sleep. The next time Emily woke up sick again, Paige woke up too.
"Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Paige asked as she held a shaking Emily in her arms.
"I'll be alright," Emily said, leaning against Paige.
"You're really warm," Paige said, stroking Emily's forehead.
"Mmhmm," Emily mumbled, closing her eyes.
Once Emily fell back to sleep, Paige got up to go to the bathroom and find herself something to eat. She found a note from Pam on the kitchen table, saying that she went to work and would check in later. Paige grabbed a protein bar from the pantry and got a banana from the counter, eating quickly before heading back to check on Emily.
Once she saw that the sick girl was still sleeping, Paige grabbed her phone and went to call her mom.
"Hey Paige," Mrs. McCullers said, picking up quickly, "How's Emily doing?"
Paige had texted her parents the night before asking if she could stay with Emily because she was sick. Her parents agreed after Paige sent them a picture of Emily, and they saw how terrible she looked.
"She's really sick still," Paige said, "She's thrown up every thirty minutes all night and her fever is really high."
"You might need to take her to the hospital," Mrs. McCullers said, "Check to see if she's still sweaty and if not, that means she's really dehydrated and needs to be seen. Is her mom there?"
"No," Paige said, fear starting to creep in, "She has work."
"Well, if you need help, let me know," Mrs. McCullers said, "She'll be fine Paige. Don't worry too much. Get yourself ready and take her in. She'll be just fine."
"Thanks Mom," Paige said, "I'll talk to you later."
"Talk to you later," her mom said, "Let me know if you need anything."
Paige went into Emily's room where the girl was awake and dry heaving again.
"Come here," Paige said, cradling Emily in her arms.
She put a hand on Emily's forehead, feeling the heat but lack of moisture.
"Are you still sweaty?" Paige asked gently, holding Emily.
"No," Emily said, noticing for the first time how hot yet dry she was.
"You need to go to the hospital Baby," Paige said, "I'm going to go get a quick shower and get ready, then we'll go alright?"
"Ok," Emily said, closing her eyes, knowing she probably did need to see someone.
Paige grabbed some of the clothes she had left at Emily's house at some point, going to shower quickly. Once she was showered and ready, she went back to Emily's room.
"Come on Em," Paige said, grabbing a pair of sweats and a t-shirt out of Emily's drawer.
Emily tried her best to help Paige get her dressed, but she was so weak that she ended up just leaning on Paige for most of the time.
"Let's go," Paige said once Emily was dressed, "You'll feel better soon."
So there it was! I just want to say thank you to everyone who had been so supportive of this story already! More to come soon!