7
'Seems Like An Eternity'
Madison sat on her bathroom floor. She'd just been sick for the sixth morning in a row, and was feeling a little worse for wear. Her eyes were heavy, her head ached and she was nauseous. Thank God Casey wasn't around to hear her retching.
Once again, Casey had spent the night at John's hotel, and probably wouldn't come back till around lunchtime, only to change clothes and go back out again. Of course, Madison was happy her best friend was back with the guy she was clearly meant for, however would it kill her to be a little more... available?
Madison was going through a serious dilemma at the moment, and she needed her best friends help more than ever.
She paused.
Was over exaggerating and just being petty? Perhaps she was jealous that her friend was finally in a happy relationship, and Madison wasn't.
Either way, Madison's thought process was stopped by the fact she had to stick her head in a toilet bowl again.
- - -
"Mads! I'm back!" Casey unlocked the door to the hotel room, and came inside. The blonde was holding two shopping bags and two Starbucks frappuccinos. "And I brought coffee!"
Madison slowly came out of the bathroom and rubbed her eyes.
"What're you doing here?" She looked nervously at the coffee, knowing if she drank it, she'd want to throw up again.
"This is my hotel room too." Casey laughed, handing her the drink however Madison simply laid it down on the desk. "Are you alright? You're looking a little green."
"I'm fine, I just ate something a little funny last night." Madison lied. She quickly changed the topic. "Are those new clothes?" Madison raised an eyebrow at the rather expensive looking Levi's Casey was wearing.
"John and I went shopping yesterday." Casey replied, looking at herself in the mirror. "Why? Do they look okay?"
"Yeah, they look good." Madison replied. "So, what're you doing back here? It's still only seven thirty."
"Oh right, well I need to change my clothes." Casey began walking over to her suitcase and began pulling out clothes and throwing them on her bed. "We're driving down to San Diego today so we can go see the game tomorrow afternoon."
"That sounds fun." Madison replied, going through her friend's shopping bag to see her purchases. "So you're staying there for the night; when will you be back?"
"Well, we're actually staying a couple of nights in San Diego, so probably Tuesday or Wednesday?" Casey suggested.
Madison paused. Her appointment was on Monday.
- - -
"So I guess I'll see you Tuesday?" Casey hugged her friend.
Madison had come to John's hotel with Casey to say goodbye to her friend. After years of travelling together, two or three nights apart seemed like an eternity.
"Yeah, Tuesday." Madison smiled, giving her friend a kiss on the cheek.
By Tuesday, everything will have changed. The baby growing inside her will have gone, and...
"Have a great trip." She continued. "John, take good care of her."
"You know I wouldn't do any less." John smiled, as Casey got into the passenger seat next to her boyfriend.
Madison waved as she watched her friend drive off into the distance. Her hand fell once they were completely out of sight. She ran a hand through her hair and sat down on a nearby bench.
You're 28, and you're having the mood swings of a thirteen year old. Snap out of it.
She wrapped her arms around her aching stomach and began walking away.
- - -
"That was an awesome game." Casey grinned, as she and John walked out of the Qualcomm Stadium hand in hand.
"That last touchdown was killer." John put his arm over Casey's shoulders.
"Thanks for my jersey." Casey gave her boyfriend a kiss on the cheek and got into the passenger seat of his car.
"No problem." He replied. "Do you wanna go get something to eat? I'm starving, and I saw there's a Mexican restaurant around the corner."
"Definitely. I'm totally in the mood for burritos."
"Me too." John agreed.
Casey switched on her phone, after turning it off during the game. She had three missed calls.
"Weird." She murmured, listening to her voicemail.
'Casey Parks? This is Dr Simon Donavan from Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento. I am currently looking after Miss Madison Birde, who was referred to us an hour ago after passing out at a local gym. You are the emergency contact on her phone, and it appears that Miss Birde has suffered a miscarriage. Please call us back immediately.'
- - -
Casey froze in her seat in the car. Madison had a miscarriage?
"Baby, what's up?" John turned off the car engine and looked at Casey. She was sat with a look of disbelief on her face.
"It's Mercy General Hospital. Madison was referred earlier after passing out at the gym. She's had a miscarriage."
"A miscarriage?" John exclaimed. "I didn't even know she was pregnant."
"Neither did I." Casey mumbled.
That must've been the big news her friend was trying to tell her before. Casey couldn't believe she'd let her friend go through this on her own.
"We need to get back to Sacramento."
