First of all I just want to apologize for the delay in this chapter! I was on vacation for a few days and away from my computer! But I'm back now, so let the story commence! ^_^
'I'd rather deal with the pain than this garbage..' Sam thought, glancing down at the spit covered Vicodin pill resting in her palm. She realized she had to hide it and looked over to the left side of the couch, noticing a box of tissues on a small table. Sneaking one more glance over to make sure Carly wasn't coming, Sam bent forward and put the toast back on the plate, before reaching over and pulling out a tissue. She slowly wrapped the pill in the white paper and folded it over, concealing it from view. Sam quickly slipped the covered pill into the pocket of the gray jacket she was currently wearing. With a sigh, the blond girl looked up and saw her friend coming back.
'Good timing..' Sam thought tiredly.
"Here, I've got the towel." Carly spoke softly as she walked over carrying a hand towel and bowl.
"Is that soup?" Sam croaked out quietly, eyeing the bowl. If her friend was going to force her to eat it, she was surely going to puke....again.
"Huh? Oh no, it's a bowl of water, to wet the towel with." Carly smiled as she gently set it down on the table and sat down next to her best friend. "Why? Do you want soup?"
"No.." Sam moaned. Carly looked over at her sympathetically as she began folding up the wet towel.
"Here, put this on your head." Carly reached over and pushed the hair out of her Sam's eyes before gently placing the wet cloth on her friend's forehead.
"Mmmm..." Sam mumbled, closing her eyes as she put her hand on top of the cloth, holding it in place. She leaned her head back against the top of the couch and had to pause for a moment to adjust to the quick temperature change. At first it was a shock, but then the cool sensation started to feel wonderful.
"That feel better?" Carly asked.
"Yeah..." Sam replied quietly, pulling her hand off the towel once she realized it would stay in place if she kept her head tilted towards the ceiling. She let her arms rest lazily by her sides next to her on the couch.
"That's good." Carly smiled. "Do you need anything else? I mean, I can have Spencer turn the temperature down a bit if you're too warm, or turn it up if.."
"No...just the jacket.." Sam sighed, looking down at her arms. She was feeling pretty crappy due to the fever, and her body felt like it was festering in an ill warmth. The jacket that saved her from the horrible chills before was now keeping the sick warmth around her body.
"Oh, you want it off?" Carly asked as Sam just nodded her head slowly. "Alright, I've got it.." Carly reached over and unzipped the front. "Here, just hold your arms out..." She instructed as Sam weakly held up her arms so her friend could slip the jacket off. "There we go." Carly finished as she pulled the jacket out from behind Sam and stood up. She walked over and placed it down on a chair before walking back over to the couch and sitting next to her friend once more. "That ok?"
"Yeah..." Sam sighed once more, just staring up at the ceiling into space. Carly looked over at her sympathetically, understanding why she was acting this way. She knew her friend felt like crap, and took no offense to her unemotional responses. It was unfortunate that Sam wasn't able to understand this. 'Darn it! Why can't I get my feelings out!' The sick girl screamed in her head, tired of being this way and acting unappreciative.
"Hey Sam..." Carly gently stated as she looked over at the table, noticing the uneaten piece of bread.
"Hm?" Sam slowly turned her head towards her friend to see her holding up the piece of toast.
"C'mon, take a few bites.." Carly responded gently, holding the toast up, realizing Sam put it back down without taking a bite after she said she would eat it.
"Kay..." Sam replied once more with a sad sigh, taking the bread from her friend and reluctantly putting it to her mouth. Choking back her nausea, she took a small bite and began to chew. Carly sat patiently with her, making sure she listened this time. After Sam swallowed the small amount she took one more bite and ate it in the same fashion. Carly watched as Sam rose the piece of bread to her mouth for a third time before gently pulling it back at the last moment. "No more.." She moaned.
"Why don't you just take one last bite?" Carly offered, noticing that her friend didn't have much to eat.
"I-I can't.....feel sick..." Sam sighed, shutting her eyes.
"It's alright.." Carly replied, taking the bread from Sam's hand and placing it back down on the plate. "You don't have to." She watched as Sam let out another sad sigh, returning her eye sight to the ceiling. 'Man, she's really sick...' Carly thought as she watched her friend stare into space with a defeated look. 'I wish I could help out more...' The brunette girl thought to herself, deciding to let her friend know that she was there for her. "Sam, if you need anything at all, anything, please don't hesitate to ask.." Carly looked at her best friend cautiously, hoping that despite how foggy she was, Sam would take this offer into consideration.
"I know..." The sick girl replied, still looking into space. She knew how much her best friend was trying to help, and deeply appreciated the sentiment. But she still wasn't sure if Carly could tell how much she appreciated it. Sam decided to try her best to fight the medications woozy effects and turned her head back towards Carly. "Thanks Carls.." The blond girl gave a small smile.
"You're welcome." Carly replied as she returned the smile, relieved to see her friend show a bit of emotion. The two girls then looked over as Spencer came back into the room.
"Alrighty, got the thermometer." He stated as he walked over to the couch and sat down next to Sam. "Now let's see what's going on in there." He held up the device to her as she sighed while opening her mouth. Spencer gently placed it under her tongue and glanced down at his wristwatch to calculate the minutes. "Now don't move it until I tell you, ok?" He told Sam gently.
"Mmf.." Sam nodded her head tiredly as she placed her hand back on top of the towel on her forehead and slowly leaned over to the right and rested her head against Carly's shoulder while closing her eyes. The trio sat in silence until Spencer noticed it was time to take the thermometer out.
"Ok let's see what we have here.." He stated quietly as he reached over and gently pulled the device out of Sam's mouth. The girl made no attempt to open her eyes and simply just licked the roof of her mouth a few times once the thermometer was out. "Hmm..." Spencer stated as he glanced at the small numbers.
"Is it ok?" Carly asked softly, hoping there wasn't a problem. She glanced back down at her best friend resting on her shoulder and really hoped there was no emergency to call the doctor's office for.
"According to this her temperature is 99.2" Spencer replied, glancing at the clear device. He then looked up at Carly. "There's no need to notify the doctor right now, but we're definitely going to have to keep an eye on this fever." Spencer glanced down at Sam, lightly putting his hand on her shoulder to get her attention.
"Hm..?" Sam cracked her eyes open and glanced over at him.
"Do you hear that kiddo? We're going to watch your temperature, but if you feel any worse you tell us right away, understand?" Spencer asked gently.
"There could be a worse? Oy...." Sam moaned. "...but no need for doctor right now.." She confirmed quietly.
"Alright, but don't try to hide anything from us." Spencer gave her a small smile, knowing her personality.
"Kay...I won't..." Sam sighed "...starting now." She added under her breath so Carly and Spencer couldn't hear, remembering the Vicodin she spat out a few minutes ago.
"Good." Spencer smiled as he gave her a few pats on the shoulder before standing back up. "I'm going to go rinse out the thermometer for the next use. Now you take it easy and relax." Spencer gave a soft smile.
"Yeah.." Sam sighed. The girls watched as he got up and left the room. "Carly?" Sam moaned, lazily putting her hand against the towel on her forehead and pulling herself off her friend's shoulder.
"Yeah?"
"Can I shower?" Sam asked quietly. She realized the fever was making her sweaty and all around cruddy feeling, and after being in the hospital for a day or two, she felt it was time for a shower.
"Hm? Oh, let me check about that." Carly smiled as she got up from the couch and walked over to the counter. After rifling through a few papers, she found the instructions given to them by the doctor for her friend's recovery. "Alright.." Carly started to say as she walked back over to the couch with the piece of paper in her hand. She then sat back down next to her friend. "You can take a twenty minute shower, but nothing longer than that." She glanced over at Sam who gave a small nod of the head to show she understood. Carly then looked back at the paper. "And it says no baths." She added.
"Who wants to sit in wet dirt..?" Sam asked quietly as her best friend looked over at her.
"Guess I turned you off of those huh?" Carly asked with a smile, remembering how she told Sam that a bath meant you sat around in your own filth.
"Yeah...just a bit." Sam gave her a small smile before sighing tiredly. Any sign of emotion was hard to show.
"Sorry about that." Carly chuckled. "So, do you want me to start up the shower and get you some clothes?"
"I can get the clothes.." Sam replied quietly, taking the towel off her forehead and placing it next to the bowl. She then began to stand up.
"Ok, that's good then since the doctor said you should walk around a bit." Carly smiled until she noticed her friend had a bit of trouble when moving and winced as she held her right side.
"You alright?" Carly asked as she stood up quickly next to Sam. The blond girl sighed, feeling a bit jealous at how easily her friend could get up.
"Yeah, I'm ok..." She looked down sadly at her stomach. It was starting to ache a little bit, which probably meant that the painkillers were starting to wear off, but she still felt pretty zombie-like.
"Alright, let's get over to the elevator." Carly gave a small smile as she walked alongside Sam across the living room. The brunette girl reached over and pressed the small button, making the door let out a ding as it slid upwards. The two girls walked in and stood quietly as the door closed back down. The elevator started to ascend to the next floor while Carly glanced over at her friend. Sam was leaning against the back wall of the elevator with her eyes closed. It was obvious she was still pretty beat.
The girls had eventually made their way over to Carly's room. Sam was now currently rifling through Carly's dresser drawer, where her best friend had put all of the clothing that she brought back from her house. During this time Carly was getting everything set up in the bathroom for Sam.
'Good choices..' The blond girl thought tiredly as she realized Carly brought back a lot of comfy and simple clothing. Even a pair of jeans felt to be too much of a hassle to try and wear at this point. After a few moments, Sam finally pulled out a plain gray t-shirt and a pair of black shorts. The fever was really bringing her temperature up and she wanted a cooler outfit.
"Alright, the shower is ready." Carly replied as she walked out carrying a towel. She watched as Sam gently closed back up the drawer and turned around to face her, holding a bundle of clothes. "Here's a towel." Carly walked over and handed her friend the light purple cloth.
"Thanks.." Sam replied quietly as the two girls walked into the bathroom.
"Now I put all the shampoo and stuff on the top shelf area." Carly explained as she pulled open her shower curtain to show where it was. "That way you don't have to strain to reach it, ok?"
"Mhm." Sam nodded tiredly. Although the girl looked beat and uninterested on the outside, she was a bit humored by her best friend instructing her on how to do a simple task like taking a shower.
"Also..." Carly started to say as she pulled out the piece of paper from her back pocket and scanned the instructions. "You have to wash your incision area with warm soap and water. There's one bar of soap by the sink, and one in the shower if you need it."
"Yes mother...." Sam sighed, giving Carly a small smile.
"Hey, you better listen to these instructions!" Carly laughed as she folded up the piece of paper and slipped it back into her pocket. She was glad to see that Sam was starting to show a little more personality.
"I will.." Sam had to pause to yawn. "..don't worry." She sighed. It was fun talking to Carly, but she was starting to feel weak again, and realized that she still had to shower. Sam almost regretted asking to take one now.
"Also...will you be needing any help?" Carly asked cautiously, noticing her friend was starting to get sleepy.
"Nah, I'll be ok." Sam replied quietly.
"Alright, well, in any case, I'm going to be right out here. So if you need any help, just call."
"Like if I drop the bar of soap?" Sam chuckled quietly.
"Yes, even if you drop the bar of soap." Carly laughed. "Seriously, any help at all, don't hesitate to ask. Because I..."
"Carlyyyy..." Sam moaned. "I can do this myself."
"I know." Carly added. "But I also know that you're sick and when you mix that with your stubborn attitude, it makes for a disastrous combination." The brunette girl smirked.
"I'm not stubborn." Sam huffed.
"Yes you are." Carly smiled as her friend rolled her eyes.
"Fine I am." Sam gave in quickly. "Can I go shower now?"
"Yes, but remember, call me if you need help. I swear Sam, don't make me find you passed out in there because you felt too awkward to ask for help. Even if the situation is embarrassing, call for me because I..."
"Carly!" Sam cut her off.
"Hey, it's either me or Spencer!" Carly laughed. "And at least I've had a history of helping you out with the more embarrassing stuff."
"Oh yeah?" Sam cocked her eyebrow. "Like what?"
"Oh like that one time when were we on the school field trip to the amusement park.." Carly stated nonchalantly, pausing for effect as her best friend's eyed widened. "When you ate the spicy tacos and I had to make up an excuse to hold the bus for you while you..."
"Ah! You promised we would never speak of that again!" Sam exclaimed pitifully, remembering how humiliating that was. The situation could have been a lot worse if Carly wasn't there to make the bus driver stop from leaving. Sam would have never lived it down if she had to tell a whole bus full of Ridgeway students that the real reason for the delay was because she had to use the restroom. Carly actually had everyone get off the bus and search for her conveniently missing purse in order to save her best friend from humiliation.
"Spicy food never did agree with you." Carly chimed in softly, humored by Sam's current embarrassment.
"Bah, ok!" Sam exclaimed. "I will call you if I need help!"
"Good." Carly smiled.
"Now can I go?" Sam asked, her cheeks red.
"Yes." Carly couldn't help but chuckle. She knew she pressed a few of her friend's buttons, but it seemed to have woken her up and put her in a better mood.
"Finally!" Sam exclaimed as she walked into the bathroom and shut the door. Carly gave a small laugh as she walked over to her bed and sat down on it. She picked up the remote and clicked the TV on as she waited.
Meanwhile, back in the living room, Spencer came back out from his bathroom after cleaning the thermometer.
"Carly? Sam?" He asked, noticing the two disappeared. As he walked around towards the front of the couch, Frothy eyed the man from his position on the chair. "Where'd you guys go?" Spencer asked the empty room pathetically. As he walked by the chair, Frothy let out a small growl.
"Whoa!" Spencer jumped back away from the plump cat. "Didn't see you there bud."
"Mrrrr...." Frothy continued to growl.
"Hey, none of that now!" Spencer looked down at the cat firmly. "Sam told you to be nice to me." He waved his pointer at the animal disapprovingly and couldn't help but notice that once he said Sam's name, the cat's ears went down and he stopped growling. Spencer stared at Frothy for a few seconds before he decided to try something. "Hey, by any chance, you know where Sam went?"
"Mrowww..." Frothy lazily meowed as he stood up and stretched his back. Spencer watched as the cat jumped off the chair lightly and limped over to the elevator. Frothy sat down and turned his head around to glance back at Spencer.
"They went in the elevator?" Spencer asked as he made his way over to the door.
"Mrow.." Frothy added, his tail twitching.
"Hm, I guess they went up to Carly's room." Spencer replied before looking back down at Frothy, deciding to have a little fun. He crouched down to look the cat in the eyes. "So Lassie....did Timmy fall down a well?"
"Mreh.." Frothy huffed, as if to say "Never heard that one before.."
"Sorry." Spencer apologized to the animal for his lame joke and stood up. "Thanks for telling me where the girls went." He added with a smile as he walked over to the steps and started to go up.
"Meh.." Frothy turned around and hobbled over to his chair and jumped back up.
"Hey Carly, Sam? You guys in there?" Spencer asked as he walked through the hallway over to his sister's bedroom. He stopped in the doorway and noticed Carly was sitting on her bed watching TV.
"Yeah, right here." She smiled.
"And Sam?"
"She's in the shower right now." Carly turned around and pointed to the closed bathroom door.
"Alright." Spencer smiled, glad to see they were ok. "Oh! But did you check the..."
"Yup!" Carly replied, pulling the piece of paper out of her back pocket and holding it up. "I read everything and told Sam what to do."
"Good." Spencer smiled as he walked over to the bathroom door and lightly gave a knock.
"What now?" Sam's voice moaned from behind the door.
"Um, it's Spencer!" He called out. "Just wanted to tell you that if you need help, Carly and I are here for you."
"Ugh...." Sam let out a loud moan of irritation.
"Oops.." Spencer whispered to his sister. "I think I struck one of her nerves!" He added, noticing the annoyance in her voice.
"Don't worry." Carly laughed. "That was all me."
Alright, so Carly's doing her best to keep her friend's spirits up! Looks like it's working. =) Also, I had to add that part in about Carly and Sam at the amusement park with the spicy tacos because I'm sure everyone has had at least ONE embarrassing moment in their life like that. (I know I have! x_x) It's such a horrible feeling, isn't it? xD
