Thank you Kathy and ddanne! Keep reading. Glad you're like liking the story.

Tossing and turning in bed that night, a severe pain in her stomach caused Jill to shoot upright with a gasp. Even after taking a few deep breaths, the pain still hadn't subsided. It was nearly four AM and all she wanted to do was lie back down in bed.

As she did, the pain still felt torturous to her insides. The more she moved back and forth, the more uncomfortable she felt. So much that she turned on the lamp to the right of the bed. The soft glow filling the room as she tested if she could stand.

Despite trying to be as quiet as she could, a few cries of pain escaped her lips as she made her way down the hall. A new wave of nausea swept over her as soon as she had closed the door behind her. Her breathing was rapid and her knees gave out as she slid down the wall.

She shivered as she pulled down one of the heavy towels hanging on the rack to the side of her. Covering the front part of her body helped slightly; with the mixture of a cold tile floor and whatever was plaguing her, she no longer had the energy to move and that spelled trouble. There was no way she was going to let her family see her like this.

"I have to get up." Jill told herself, now leaning her head against the wall. She braced herself so she was on her knees. However, the pressure in her stomach was enough for her to drag herself to the toilet and empty whatever was left in her stomach.

As she wiped her mouth with a piece of toilet paper, she had just barely flushed before there was a soft knock at the door. "Jill? Is everything okay?" Her brother Andrew inquired from behind the door.

"Yeah, I'm good. Go back to sleep."

Letting the back of her neck rest against the edge of the tub, she hardly heard him enter. "You always were stubborn." He mentioned, disappearing from the room, coming back with her phone in hand. He scrolled through her contacts, then put the phone to his ear.

"Jill?" Hank inquired, his voice filled with sleep.

"Hank, it's Andrew."

"Andrew, is everything alright with Mason?"

"He's fine. It's Jill I'm actually worried about. I found her sitting on the bathroom floor."

"The bathroom floor?" Hank motioned in alarm. "Andrew, did Jill pass out?"

Overhearing the conversation, Jill shook her head back and forth with a breathless response. "I didn't pass out, Hank."

"That's good. Do me a favor and don't let her move until I get there. I'm on my way." Andrew nodded, then hung up the phone.
"He's coming, isn't he?"

"Yes, he's coming." He smirked, although a little sadly. "Told me not to let you move until he got here."
She sighed, hissing in pain as she sat up more against the tub. "Not like sitting on the floor is the most comfortable position in the world."

"Jill." Hank softly shook her shoulder., then turned to Andrew when she didn't respond. "How long has she been like this?"

"She was fine up until you came."

Digging in his bag, Hank pulled out the thermometer and waved it over her forehead. "102.1" His frown deepened at the rise in her temperature. "Do you know if she took anything for her fever?"

Andrew shook his head. "Jill has always been good at hiding when she's sick. We basically came home, she went upstairs and never came back down. When I went to check up on her, she was already asleep."

"Has she been sleeping a lot lately?"

"Ever since she got here."

"Drinking or eating a lot?"

"Less actually." Andrew gazed at him with a panicked expression. "Are you thinking Jill brought something home from Africa?"

"It's possible, but probably not likely. When I was talking to her earlier, she had a low-grade fever and it looked like her stomach was bothering her." He reassured, crouching down and tapping on her abdomen to check for fluid buildup and pain.

Jill jolted in response, then opened her eyes to see who the offender was that had woken her up. "Hank?"

"Hey, you're awake."

She looked at him, then over at Andrew. "Tell me I didn't just wake up in a nightmare."

Hank smiled at her sarcastic remark. "I think you may have kidney stones, but I would like to take you to the hospital and run some tests-make sure we know exactly what we're dealing with." Taking his pressure cuff out, he wrapped it around her arm.

"Hank said you had a fever of 102.1. You're going to that hospital, even if I have to carry you." Andrew insisted, now sitting on the ledge of the bathtub.

"Andrew may have a good point." Hank agreed after a few moments. "Your blood pressure is elevated, most likely due to the pain you're in."
Gazing at Hank, she gave him a reluctant nod. "Fine, but no drugs. They make me feel loopy."

"Knock knock." Hank greeted as he walked into her hospital room later that morning. "I was just coming to check up on you and see how you're feeling."

"Honestly, I didn't think I would ever see the inside of Hamptons Heritage so soon."

"Life has a way of surprising you." He looked around the room. "Aren't you missing a few people?"

"After what happened with the car accident in Boris' car, I told my family that they did not need to come this time. That and my parents are practically unreachable because they're on a cruise."

Hank chuckled slightly at her sense of humor. "And your parents? Brothers? How are they taking the news?"

"Not well. Andrew wanted to stay here all night, Ernie wanted to postpone his honeymoon and Lyle was prepared to come-as well as all of their wives."

"Sounds like you have a lot of people that care about you."

"I love them, I do. What I don't need is for them to come running every time something happens." Pushing back a piece of hair behind her ear, the IV line made a clinking sound as it hit against the metal pole.

"Well, the good news is that you should be able to be released tomorrow morning."

"And what's the bad news?"

"Neither of us want you flying back to Africa until after we get your results back." He pulled up a chair next to her bed. "Since you had kidney stones-"

"It's possible that I could get them again."

Hank gave her a firm nod. "Dr. Redliner and I want to make sure that we know exactly what we're dealing with before you go halfway across the world again."

"Fantastic. I'm sure my boss will love that." She paused, reflecting on what she had just said. "Speaking of bosses, how's the new hospital administrator treating you?"

"Honestly? I haven't had the chance to meet her yet." His smile widened as he leaned forward in his seat. "But I will let you know when I find out."

Shifting in bed, she gave him a tired but curious smile. "So who else knows that I'm here?"

"Just me, Dr. Redliner and a couple of nurses." Eyebrows pulling together, he looked slightly confused.

"Why?"

"Well, with my extended stay, I was hoping that we could get everyone together."

"With just having kidney stones, I was more hoping that you would take it easy for a few days."

"I understand you want me to take it easy, Hank. But that's kind of easier said than done." She drew in a deep breath, looking around the room.

"Being here is more like a vacation than a prison."

"That bad, huh?"

"Yeah. I have a feeling that when I get back, my family won't want to leave me alone." Blowing out an irritated sigh, she gazed towards the limited view outside the window. Especially now that I'm going to be staying a little longer in the Hamptons, I might as well enjoy the quiet while it lasts."

"Right. Have you thought about moving out of your brother's place to somewhere else?"

"Like to a hotel?" Looking up at the ceiling, she smirked. "Yeah, that could work."

"I meant with me."

Her green eyes narrowed on his. As soon as his words had sunk in, she was shaking her head. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea."
"At least promise me you'll think about it."

"I can't say that it doesn't sound good. It's just the last time I was at your place, I had just gotten into a car accident-" Suddenly changing her train of thought, she added. "But I will definitely think about it."