At the end of class, I got up as John looked over at me and tried to catch up to me. "Laney please talk to me. Please?" Laurens asked as I glared at him and tried to walk away from him. "Delaney Eloise de Rosalie Dianna Marius de Asselin. Please let talk to me?" Laurens said loud enough for everyone to hear as everyone looked at me and I blushed dark red. I took a staggered breath and glared daggers at him. I stormed toward him as he took a step back.
"How dare you…" I said lowly as he looked at me guilty.
"Laney it was a mistake. You knew me and Alex had a past." Laurens said as I pushed him. I glared him again as he looked at me shocked as he held himself back. I turned around and stormed out as Alex tried to talk to me. I walked over to locker and pulled out my piano book and hurried to piano. I walked in and sat next to Eliza.
"You okay Laney?" Eliza asked as I shook my head.
"Eliza, how do you hold it together?" I asked softly as she put her hand on my shoulder.
"I learn it from my sister." She said as I started to play a few soft notes.
"Was I too hard on Laurens?" I asked as I continued to pluck notes.
"You had a right to be upset." Eliza said softly as I took a deep breath and felt my side sting in pain.
"Damn it." I said quietly as Eliza looked at me worried.
"What's wrong Laney?" Eliza said as I shook my head.
"My stitches are stinging really bad." I said as I let out a cry of pain.
"Delaney, honey, you alright?" Mrs. Soo asked as I nodded.
"Yeah I just got my stitches pulled a bit." I said as I got up.
"Do you mind if I go check on them?" I asked as she nodded and I got up slowly. I walked out of the class room as my stomach started to hurt. I walked to the bathroom and lifted my shirt up and started to feel my head spin. I put my hands on the counter as I heard the door open.
"Delaney, are you feeling alright?" Eliza asked as I looked at her. I tried to take a step forward as I fell to ground. "Delaney!" Eliza exclaimed as she knelt next to me.
"My head is spinning like a top…" I said woozy as she looked at me worried.
"Do you want me to get help?" She asked as shook my head no.
"I don't want him to worry." I said weakly as Eliza shook her head.
"Who?" Eliza asked as I started to feel a bit better.
"I'm fine okay." I started to stand up.
"You need to go to the nurse. Come on I'll take you." Eliza said as I shook my head no.
"I'm fine." I said as I started to take a light step.
"Do you want me to get you anything?" Eliza asked me as she helped me out of the bathroom.
"I just need some water okay?" I said as she nodded okay.
"I'll tell Mrs. Soo that you alright." Eliza said as I nodded and walked over to the water fountain. I felt another wave of sickness and dizziness hit me as I heard someone walking behind me.
"Laney?" Laurens asked as I took a long sip of water. "Laney please can we talk…" Laurens asked as I tried to walk away, I ignored his calls as my legs started to feel like Jell-O. My legs gave out as I clutched my stomach. "Laney?!" Laurens asked franticly as I looked at his face as it got darker and darker. "Laney?!" Laurens exclaimed as I felt his hand on my forehead, I tried to stand up but I felt my head spin more and more. I felt him pick me up and he took off running.
"What happened?" A woman asked as I was laid on the bed.
"She collapsed at the water fountain." Laurens said as I felt someone put a cool metal on my forehead.
"She is burning up." The woman said as I felt an ice pack on my forehead.
"Should I go get her Uncle?" Laurens asked as I started to open my eyes.
"I will go, just keep an eye on her." The woman said as I heard footsteps walking away from me.
"I'm fine…" I said as I started to sit up as I felt a wave of sickness hit me again.
"Lane please lay down." Laurens said as I shook my head.
"I am fine. I just need some water." I said as I started to stand up.
"Delaney." Laurens said as I ignored him and started to walk out sluggishly. I walked to Piano and grabbed my things as I walked to my next class slowly. I walked in just in time as I sat down in my desk.
"Delaney, you okay?" Angelica asked me as I nodded and listened as Laurens walked in late.
"Mr. Laurens glad you have decided to join us. Now turned to your assigned reading and work on your questions." Mr. Seabury said as I pulled out my textbook and started to read as I peered up and saw Laurens whispering to Alex. Alex nodded and looked at me worried. I looked down and started to write my questions out as my vison blurred. I stood up slowly and asked to go get water. I grabbed my water bottle and started to walk out. I filled it up and started to drink as much water I can as I heard someone behind me.
"Delaney…" Alex said quietly as I took in more water. "Lane come on please talk to me…" Alex said softly as I turned to face him.
"I'm sorry…" I said quietly as Alex looked at me shocked.
"Laney it was my fault… Laurens and I had a moment but I swear nothing physical happened." Alex said as I started to feel sick again. "Laney are you okay?" Alex asked he touched my arm lightly. I looked at him and started to fade away. I started to fall as I felt Alex catch me. "Laney?" Alex asked scared as he helped me stand up.
"I feel sick…" I said as I felt my stomach churning. I tried to pull away but I felt to the ground.
"Here." Alex said as he helped me sit against the wall. I closed my eyes as I felt people next to me. "Laney?" Laurens said as I started to freeze up at his touch as he tried to keep my head up and straight as Alex ran for the nurse.
"Laurens… I'm sorry…" I said weakly as I felt my head lull to the side. I woke up in a hospital bed, with a IV in my arm and Uncle George, Alex and Aunt Martha talking to the doctor.
"Delaney has Hypernatremia. It is a high level of salt in her blood stream, most likely from being in the sea. It could have traveled through her incision and ended in her bloodstream or she could drunken large quantizes of it. She is lucky though, the onset symptoms are normal and we have her on a IV with fluids, Delaney should be fine in a few hours." The doctor said as Uncle George nodded.
"Thank you." He said as I watched the doctor leave.
"Hi…" I said quietly as Uncle George turn to face me.
"Laney, how are you feeling?" Uncle George asked as I shrugged my shoulders.
"I feel a lot better now." I said as Alex sat next to me.
"I'm really tired of hospitals." I said trying to cut the tension.
"We all are too." Uncle George said as Aunt Martha smiled at me.
"Laney, do you think you we can leave you here with Alexander. I have work to still do and your Aunt has things to run at her store." Uncle George said as I nodded.
"Yeah, if that is fine with Alex." I said as Alex nodded.
"I will see you later okay. Behave yourself understand me Delaney Eloise?" Uncle George said as I nodded.
"Yes sir." I said as he pecked me on the forehead.
"I will be by later okay." Uncle George said as they walked out.
"Laney do you think we can talk about what happened?" Alex asked as soon as the door closed.
"Please can we not rub salt in the wound right now." I said as Alex shook his head no.
"I know but Laney, Laurens and I only had an intense moment." Alex said as I looked at him.
"Alex, I know you told me already and I just don't know if I could ever trust you and Laurens again." I said as Laurens walked in.
"Laney…" Laurens said as I closed my eyes.
"Alex can John and I have a moment alone?" I asked as Alex nodded and got up, left, leaving me and Laurens alone together.
"So you don't trust me." Laurens said as I nodded.
"Laurens, you and my brother had an intense moment with him and I had to hear it from Thomas Jefferson of all people. And to have you tell me that nothing happened and that I knew that he and you had a relationship in the past. That just rubbed salt into my wound." I said getting upset as Laurens shook his head.
"Laney, I'm sorry… I know that there is nothing I can do to change what happened. I know that I should have told you myself but Jefferson caught wind of it somehow. Please if you don't take me back then all I ask is that you trust me again." Laurens said pleading with me as I looked at him. "John Jerimiah Laurens. You are a special kind of stupid." I said as I squeezed his hand.
"What are you talking about?" Laurens asked confused.
"What makes you think I won't take you back?" I asked as he looked at me surprised and excited.
"I thought that you hated my guts after today?" Laurens asked as I smiled at him and kissed his knuckles.
"Like I told you before. Darling we are everything." I said as he smiled at me widely and kissed my lips softly.
"Alright, Alright. Stop kissing my sister." Alex said as he stood in the doorway. "I'm glad you two made up. Now can we please stop the touching?" Alex asked over dramatic as Laurens climbed in next to me as I scooted over to make room for him.
"Alex it isn't anything bad." I said as I chuckled.
"Whatever you say." Alex said as I rolled my eyes.
"Don't be so salty, I already have enough salt already." I said as everyone broke out into laughter.
"Don't be so salty, I already have enough salt already." I said as everyone broke out into laughter. We laughed and talked for a few more hours as the door began to open. Laurens scurried out of my bed and fell to the floor as I started to laugh till I had tears running down my face.
"Laurens what are you doing on the floor?" Angelica asked as her and the rest of our friends walk in. Laurens stood up with the help of Alex as he let out a sigh of relief.
"I thought you were Mr. Washington." Laurens said as Angelica smirked and started to laugh.
"Were you two doing acts of the flesh?" Laf asked as I laughed and blushed as Laurens shook his head no and thumped him on the head as everyone started to find a place to sit. Peggy and Eliza sat in the two chairs that were in the room while Laf and Hercules squeezed together in the sleeper chair. Herc won and knocked Laf onto the floor. Laf huffed over dramatically as Alex and I laughed at him. Alex sat on the floor next to Laf as Angelica and Laurens sat on my bed.
"You know we should rehearse to past time." Herc said as I perked up.
"You are right." I said as we all got a note and started to sing. We sang random notes. I laughed Laf and the other guys started to beat box. I heard someone walk in as I saw Uncle George and Aunt Martha with the doctor.
"Well you are up and clearly feeling better." Aunt Martha asked as I nodded.
"Music makes everything feel better. Do I get to go home?" I asked as the doctor nodded.
"Yes you may if you like." The doc said as I started to dance around in my seat.
"Let's get you IV out okay." Uncle George said as I nurse walked in after the doctor left. I got my IV pulled out as Eliza and Angelica ushered the guys out of the room as they helped me out of bed. I put my clothes back on under my hospital gown. I got ready to go as Eliza helped me pin back my hair.
"Let's get going before things turn sour." Angelic said as I shook my head laughing.
"You mean salty?" I asked between giggles as we all broke out laughing. We walked out of the hospital and headed home. I walked with Laurens as he intertwined our fingers. "Do you mind if John gives me a ride?" I asked Aunt Martha as she looked at Uncle George as he nodded.
"Yes you may." Aunt Martha said as I hugged her and kissed her cheek and Uncle George's. I walked with Laurens to his Nova and opened the door.
"Thank you." I said as I got into his car.
"Anything for you beautiful." Laurens said as I started to look through his playlist and hit play.
"Did you have to hit me, where I'm weak? Baby, I couldn't breathe And rub it in so deep, salt in the wound like you're laughing right at me." I sang as Laurens smiled at me and we drove away from the hospital.