Title: Anytime
Chapter 5
Disclaimer: Don't own them!
A/N: I'm sorry it took so long to post chapter 5. School has been starting to get more hectic. You'll definitely have chapter 6 by next weekend. Also, I'm almost positive that there are only two more chapters left in the story. yay!
This is the chapter that you'll find out whats been going on with Jack. You'll find out what's going on with Eric later. ;)
Thank you to everyone who reviewed, it really means a lot to me!
Enjoy Chapter 5!
The second time Jack opened his eyes, he was no longer lying on the hard floor of his apartment surrounded by his friends, but alone in a white room. His body was stretched out on a cot with a thin sheet covering his shivering form.
He was momentarily confused, but upon further observation of his surroundings, and the fact that an IV was sticking out of his hand, he realized that he had somehow ended up in a hospital.
While Jack hated hospitals, he was thankful that the sharp pain in his head had faded. He relaxed his wearied body into the hospital cot and tried to remember how he had gotten here. It didn't take long to remember his argument with Eric.
"Please what? It's the truth. You and Shawn even came right out and said it. Eric's the screw up!"
"God, Eric we were all fighting then!"
Jack frowned upon realizing that he couldn't remember much else. He had vague images of lying awkwardly on Eric, Sean panicking, and Rachel in hysterics, but the rest of it was all a blur.
He was startled out of his thoughts as a kind-looking woman, wearing a pale pink uniform, appeared through the doorway of his room.
"Hi Jack. My name is Marie, I'm your nurse. How are you feeling?"
"Ok, I think," Jack said in a croaky voice. Marie came over to his bedside with a thermometer and gestured for him to open his mouth. After a minute or so, it beeped and she jotted something down on a clipboard.
"102.1. You still have a fever. Dr. Peterson will be with you in a few minutes to go over your test results. If you need anything, you can press the call button and a nurse on duty will assist you."
"Thank you," Jack said. Marie smiled kindly and left the room, and Jack returned to his thoughts.
If he concentrated hard enough he could remember hearing his friends moving around him.
"Jack, sweetie, open your eyes!"
"Rachel, you need to calm down! Jack is going to be fine. They should be here in 15 minutes."
"It's lucky we decided to come back so soon."
Apparently, Sean had decided to come home from class early and had brought Rachel along, he mused. 'What a surprise walking through the door that must have been', Jack thought sympathetically.
"Did he break anything when he fell?"
"No, I caught him before he hit the floor. It's going to be ok, Jack."
Jack considered himself lucky that Eric had amazing reflexes. If their situations were reversed, he was uncertain whether he would have acted quickly enough.
"Hey, look who's up. How are you feeling, buddy?"
He remembered feeling paralyzed and unable to respond. The headache had come rushing back and he had closed his eyes only half aware of the activity around him.
Pairs of arms had pulled him suddenly from the floor and he had been strapped to a bed, which Jack now realized was a stretcher. He could faintly hear Rachel's sniffles, Sean's words of comfort, and Eric's silence, which was the worst of all.
Eric had really come through for his best friend. While Jack did not find this surprising, he had been taken aback by how serious his friend was acting. It was a completely different person than the one he was used to.
The hospital door swung open for a second time, and another significantly younger woman entered in a white lab coat with a clipboard in her hands.
"Hello, Jack. I'm Dr. Peterson," the woman said in a matter-of-fact way. Dr. Peterson flipped through some papers that were attached to her clipboard and walked over to stand by his bedside.
"Could you tell me what happened?" Jack asked as she continued to read through her records.
"You lost consciousness in your apartment and were rushed to County Hospital for assistance. We contacted your parents and received permission to run some tests. We wanted to make sure that the reason you passed out was not due to a seizure or any other number of serious conditions. I'm happy to say that your test results were negative, however, you seem to have contracted an aggressive virus that's been going around. People usually experience high fevers, dehydration, and dizzy spells. From what your results show, your immune system has been weakened. This can be caused by many things. Seeing as you're a college student, my guess is that you have not been finding time in your schedule to eat properly and drink enough fluids. I don't think I would be off by saying that you haven't been getting a lot of sleep either."
"Yeah, that's exactly right," Jack nodded miserably. Dr. Peterson smiled encouragingly and continued.
"I think you understand how much of an easy target this made you. You're fever hasn't broken, but I'm confident that once the medicine we've given you through your IV gets a chance to work it's way through your system, you'll be feeling much better. I'd like to keep you overnight for observation and tomorrow we'll run blood tests and double-check that there's nothing else going on. Otherwise just rest up, drink plenty of fluids and you should be released tomorrow afternoon. Remember to take better care of yourself in the future. College students sometimes forget that there are more important things in life then school work." Dr. Peterson smiled at Jack's sheepish look.
"Thank you, Dr. Peterson."
"You're welcome. Now, if there isn't anything else you need, there are some people waiting outside that have been aching to see you." Her smile spread into a grin and she closed the door behind her.
In less than a second later, the door burst open, startling Jack, and a group of people poured into the room talking in raised voices.
TBC