So, I really really love writing Spoby so I decided to write thie little piece. Just a little two-shot.
It was her second semester at Georgetown, and Spencer had been feeling gross for the past few days. She wasn't really sure why, but it was the middle of winter so illness was flying around the dorms like planes at an airport.
At first, she figured that it was just exhaustion. Then, when she was a little nauseous for the better part of a day, she thought it was just stress. She had barely been sleeping or eating for the past few days as she tried to get ready for her midterms.
Toby was coming up to pick her up to take her back to Rosewood for a few days because she was on fall break as soon as she finished her last midterm on Friday.
The Thursday night before he came to get her, her nose was stuffed up and there was a constant tickle in her throat, causing her to cough.
On Friday morning, she woke up feeling absolutely terrible. She could barely swallow and her whole body hurt. Her nose was stuffed up but also running like a fountain , she kept coughing, and she could barely open her right eye because it was so swollen and junky.
She ended up throwing up before leaving for her midterm.
She barely made it through the exam, racing out of the room to throw up as soon a she turned her test in. She made her way back to her dorm room, her body protesting every step she took.
When she got back to her room, she collapsed into her bed, not even managing to get her boots off before she fell asleep.
Deep down, she knew she probably had strep throat because this is how it usually felt when she caught it; however, with the cough and congestion she had going on, she was wondering if maybe it was the flu, and with her eye, she thought it might be pink eye too. Either way, she was too tired to worry about any of it until she got some sleep.
She woke up three hours later when her roommate Ava came in, noticing that this time, both her eyes were swollen and hard to open.
"Are you alright?" Ava asked, looking at her as the sick girl rubbed her eyes to get them open.
Spencer shook her head, groaning as she tried to see through her swollen eyelids, coughing a little as she grabbed a tissue off her nightstand.
"Caught a midterm bug?" her roommate said sympathetically.
"Something like that," Spencer said, reaching down and pulling off her shoes before crawling under her blankets, suddenly freezing, "I think its strep or the flu or pink eye. I can barely swallow right now, I'm so congested, and my eyes are super swollen."
"Do you need anything?" her roommate asked, "Want me to drive you to the clinic?"
Before Spencer could answer, her phone buzzed. It was Toby. He was there and in the lobby waiting for her.
"Actually, could you go let Toby up?" Spencer asked pathetically, "I'll get him to take me."
"Sure," Ava said, grabbing her keys as she headed out.
Less than five minutes later, Ava came back with Toby right behind her.
"Hey," he said, going over to her bed, "What's going on?"
Spencer just groaned a little bit, not really moving, "I think I have strep or the flu or pink eye."
"I'm going to head out for break," Ava said, grabbing her bag, "I'll see you when we get back. Feel better Spence."
"Thanks," Spencer croaked out, barely able to move.
"You are burning up," Toby said, putting a hand on Spencer's forehead.
"I've been so tired," she said, "Then this morning I woke up and I could barely swallow or breathe or open my eye. I've thrown up a few times."
"Let me take you to the doctor before I take you home," Toby said, rubbing her back.
"I am so so sore," Spencer said, closing her eyes.
"I know," Toby said, kissing her forehead, "But you aren't going to feel any better without antibiotics if it's strep or pink eye."
She nodded, knowing he was right.
"Come on," Toby said, putting a pair of moccasins in front of her as she got out of bed, "Do you have your bag packed?"
"I didn't have time," she said quietly.
"Alright," he said, helping her up, "I'll drop you off at the clinic and come back here to get your stuff so you can start feeling better."
She nodded, slipping on her shoes before they headed out the door. Toby helped Spencer into his truck, handing her the blanket he always kept in it.
"Sorry I'm sick," she said weakly, looking at him as he started the truck, "I'm ruining our time together."
"Don't be sorry," he said, putting a hand on her thigh, "You can't help it. Once you get checked out, we'll head back to Rosewood. You can sleep the whole way."
"That actually sounds like heaven," she said, offering him a small smile.
"Good," he said, "You know I don't mind taking care of you as long as it means I get to spend time with you."
She smiled at him again as he pulled into the parking lot of the campus clinic.
"Thanks Toby," she said, opening the door to get out.
She headed into the clinic as he pulled out. She felt so terrible. She had been sick plenty of times before, but with the exhaustion of mid-terms added into how she was feeling, this was downright miserable. She could not wait to be back in Rosewood to sleep this off.
"Hi," the nurse at the desk said as she walked in, "What can I do for you?"
"I think I have strep," Spencer rasped out, wincing as her throat burned, "Or maybe the flu or pink eye."
"That's not fun," the nurse said sympathetically, "Have you been in before?"
"Yeah," Spencer said, "Hastings, Spencer J."
"Alright," the nurse said, heading back to grab her file.
Spencer shivered as she stood there waiting. She was the only one in the clinic at the moment so she was hoping it would be fast.
"Here's your file," the nurse said, coming back, "Still on the same insurance?"
Spencer nodded, handing the woman her insurance card.
"Alright," the nurse said, "Let's get you back into a room. The doctor isn't too busy right now so you should be seen quickly."
The nurse took her back, getting her weight and height. Spencer cringed when she saw her weight had gone down almost fifteen pounds since she was here the second week of school with a sinus infection.
She was guided back to a room.
"I'm going to get a temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate," the nurse said, "I'm also going to grab strep and flu tests so we can get the cultures started."
Spencer nodded, sitting down on the exam table.
"You have a nice fever going," the nurse sad, looking at the thermometer, "103.2."
Spencer barely moved as she took her blood pressure and heart rate.
"For the flu test, I am going to stick this swab up your nose," the nurse explained, "Then for the strep test, this one goes down your throat."
"Can I have a bucket?" Spencer asked, "I always throw up when I have strep and the test always makes me throw up."
"Of course," the nurse said, opening the cabinet and handing her a blue emesis bag.
She did the flu test first which was hard because Spencer was so congested and her sinuses were very swollen. Tears pricked Spencer's eyes during the test.
As the nurse prepped for the strep test, Spencer picked up the bag. The nurse put the swab down her throat, Spencer trying not to gag before the test was out. As soon as the swab was out of her mouth, Spencer picked up the bag, throwing up into the bag.
When she was done, the nurse took the bag, leaving the room with it and both tests.
"The doctor will be in in just a minute," she said, closing the door behind her.
Spencer laid down on the exam table, closing her eyes. A few minutes later, she heard a knock on the door.
"Hello Miss Hastings," the doctor raid coming in, "What's going on today?"
"I've been really tired and a little nauseous for the past few days," Spencer rasped out, "I thought it was just midterms and stuff, but this morning I woke up and I could barely swallow or breathe or open either of my eyes. I threw up a few times which normally happens when I have strep."
"Alright," the doctor said, nodding as he wrote everything down.
"Alright," the doctor said, "Let me do a quick exam."
Spencer nodded a little bit as the doctor pulled his otoscope off the wall, turning it on before asking her to open her mouth.
"That looks like strep," the doctor said, nodding as he had her turn her head up so he could look in nose, "And you have quite a bit of swelling in your nose as well."
He then looked in her eyes, the light burning her eyes which were very swollen and sore by this point. He looked in her ears, scribbling notes down as he did so.
"Let me listen to you chest," he said, warming up his stethoscope before he put it on her skin. He listened for a few minutes, Spencer coughing a little as she tried to take breaths.
"Alright," he said, sitting down on his stool, "So I want to get the results back on those tests which we should have very shorty, but I believe you do have strep and what sounds like the beginnings of pneumonia. I would not be surprised if you had the flu too based on the fever and congestion. You defiantly have pink eye too and your ears are pretty red and full of fluid which indicates a double ear infection. You are very sick Miss Hastings. However, with some antibiotics and drops, most of this should clear up pretty quickly. You need to come back at the end of break so I can check your lungs again. If your breathing gets worse before then, go to the emergency room."
Just then, the nurse knocked on the door.
"Both the strep and flu tests came back positive," she said, "You must be feeling really terrible. Hope you feel better."
Spencer nodded as the nurse left.
"So I'm going to call you in a prescription for an oral antibiotic for the strep, an inhaler to help with your breathing, and some eye and ear drops to help with the pink eye and ear infections. Unfortunately, I can't really give you anything for the flu. It should clear up in five to seven days."
Spencer nodded, getting off the table.
"You can take Tylenol, Advil, or Motrin for the aches and fever," the doctor said as he led her out of the exam room, "I'll go call the pharmacy right now. Feel better Miss Hastings."
"Thank you," Spencer said, walking out.
She signed her paperwork and walked outside where Toby was sitting in the parking lot in his car.
"So?" he said, getting out and helping her into the truck.
"Strep, flu, pink eye, the start of pneumonia, and a double ear infection," she said, leaning back in her seat.
"I'm sorry Babe," he said, "No wonder you are feeling so awful."
"The doctor called in my prescriptions to the Walgreens down the street," she said, "Can you go in and get it for me? I don't want to move."
"Of course," he said, "I grabbed your pillow and blanket so you can just sleep the rest of the way back to Rosewood and the rest of the day if you want. You have clearly run yourself down Spence."
Spencer could barely move so when they got to the Walgreens, Toby grabbed her pillow from the seat between them, putting it behind her head before covering her shivering form in a blanket.
"Do you want me to get you anything while I'm in there?" he asked quietly, kissing her forehead.
"Can you get me something to drink?" Spencer asked, tiredly, knowing she was getting dehydrated with the fever and all the vomiting she had been doing.
"Of course," he said, "I'll be back as soon as your medicine is done."
She nodded, closing her eyes as he got out of the truck. He went into the Walgreens, first going to the pharmacy.
They told him the medicines would be ready in about ten minutes so he went around the rest of the store. He found some heat packs that he knew would feel good on her swollen eyes. He also grabbed a bunch of vegetable soups because he knew she loved it when she was sick. He also got a few bottles of grape Gatorade and some apple juice for her before heading over to the medicine aisle. He grabbed cough and throat drops and a bottle of Advil along with a box of tissues before going back to the pharmacy. He got all of her prescriptions before heading back out to the truck.
She was still sound asleep. He decided to go to the little deli down the street to grab some soup so she could take her medicine.
He drove to it, running in and thanking his lucky stars that they had her absolute favorite soup, butternut squash. He got a small container, knowing she would not be hungry before ordering himself a sandwich and heading back to the truck.
"Spence," he said, rubbing her shoulder gently, "You need to wake up for me please babe."
She groaned, trying to get her eyes open. She ended up having to use her fingers to get her left eye to open.
"I got you some soup," he said, handing her the bowl and spoon, "You need to eat something so you can take your medicine."
She nodded, taking a bit.
"I can't taste anything," she said sadly, really not feeling like eating anything.
"I'm sorry," he said, frowning, "Eat as much as you can. You can't take this stuff on an empty stomach though."
She nodded, taking another bite, wincing as it went down her sore throat. She ate about half of what he gave her before putting it in the cup holder.
"Medicine time," he said, finishing his sandwich and taking out the bag of medicine.
"Take these first," he said, handing her two Advil along with an open bottle of Gatorade. She took the pills one at a time, her throat too swollen to take more than that.
He then handed her an antibiotic pill which she could barely get down.
"Eyes or ears next?" he asked, holding up both bottles.
"Eyes," she said, laying down so he could her the drops in.
He pulled the top off the eye drops, handing her a tissue before he put the drops in her eyes. She let the drops sit for a minute before wiping her eyes. She then rolled on her side, letting him put drops in one ear. He rubbed her back gently after he did while she waited for the drops to work. She then rolled over and he put the drops in the other ear.
He then helped her get two puffs on her inhaler because she barely had the strength to hold the pump.
Once she had all her meds, she got back in her own seat, curling up with her blanket as he started the truck. She was out of by the time they left the parking lot.
He headed back to Rosewood, which was about a four-hour drive, keeping an eye on Spencer as he drove.
She was ridiculously uncomfortable and he ended up having to pull over when she started having a nightmare.
It had been less than a year since the dollhouse, and even though she had been in intense therapy every day for the first three months of school and twice a week since, she was still having a hard time with nightmares sometimes. He had tried to be there for her whenever she needed him.
He pulled off on the side of the road, gently waking her up as she started to scream. He held her as she cried, knowing she was in pain and there wasn't really anything he could do.
"Are you alright?" he asked as the tears stopped.
She shrugged as he handed her a tissue to wipe her eyes.
"Want me to rub your back so you can fall asleep?" he asked, kissing her forehead.
She nodded, closing her swollen eyes.
He moved her to lay back on her pillow, starting rubbing her back in the pattern that always calmed her down.
Soon enough, she was back to sleep and he was back on the road.
There was the first part. I'll probably get the other chapter up sometime this weekend or early next week. Let me know if you have any prompts for Spoby stories.