SUE

Chapter 2 / Fear

For half an hour they turned Odyssey upside-down. Jason would not rest until those blue eyes were looking into his, and that little hand was safely locked in his. And he was determined that both of those things would happen.

"Sue!" they both yelled again.

"I'm…right…here," Sue called, coughing in between words.

Jason and Connie found Sue, freezing cold, behind a bush.

"Sue! Oh, Sue, don't do that to us again," Connie chided gently, hugging the girl she hardly knew but had learned to love.

Sue leaned her head on Connie's chest and closed her eyes. Connie looked helplessly at Jason.

Jason picked up Sue and carried her to the car. Sometime on the way home, she opened her blue eyes and set them on Jason while he gazed back at her. Slowly she put her hot hand in his. And somehow, Jason was sure that she would be all right.

…

Jason slept fitfully that night. Sometime around eleven pm, he thought he heard heavy breathing and it sounded like a girl. Connie had stayed in the guest bedroom that night since the weather was so bad, and at first he thought it was her. Then he remembered Sue was staying in another room too, so he got up and wandered into the second guest room.

"Sue, are you all right?" he whispered.

Receiving no reply, he went over to the bed and took her hand, intending to ask the same question again. But instead, fear and shock stabbed his heart.

"Sue!" he cried out loud, not bothering to whisper.

"Jason?" came the muffled reply, accompanied by a few coughs.

Jason yanked back the part of the blanket that was covering her head and repeated, "Are you all right?"

Sue shrugged. "I—I guess so." She pulled the covers around her shoulders. "But I'm really cold." She coughed twice.

Jason put his hand on her forehead and cheek. "I think you've got a fever or something," he managed, his voice choked with fear. The "something" could be a lot worse than a fever.

He quickly ran to get the thermometer.

"Sue!" he cried, his fingers clasping tightly onto the thermometer. They dripped with sweat. "You—you've got a fever of 105!"

"I'm…sick?" Sue asked, shivering.

"You bet you're sick!" He grabbed her bag and tossed it to her. "Get dressed," he ordered.

"Why?" shivered Sue, coughing.

"I'm taking you to the hospital," Jason said, trying to hide his worry. "You're very sick. Now hurry and get dressed."

Sue opened her mouth to protest but Jason had left the room.

Connie stumbled sleepily out of the guest bedroom and into Sue's room.

"What's going on?" she yawned.

"Talk to Jason, Connie," Sue implored between coughs. "He says I'm sick and he's going to take me to the hospital."

Connie felt the young girl's face in alarm. "You are sick, Sue," she gasped. "I'll go get dressed so I can go with you."

Jason heard that.

"You need sleep, Connie," he objected. "Let me take Sue alone."

"How high is her fever?" Connie asked worriedly, ignoring his protest.

"105," Jason said, biting his lip.

"No," Connie announced. "I am going with you, Jason Whittaker. And if you really knew me, you'd know that I am very stubborn."

This was no time to laugh. Jason shook his head and agreed, "OK, Connie. Go get dressed."

…

Connie and Jason sat in the hospital waiting room anticipating a doctor's arrival.

"Jason?" Dr. Abigail inquired softly.

"Yes, doctor, how is she?" Jason asked.

"She's got pneumonia. It's pretty bad."

"Oh, Jason!" Connie cried.

"When you say pretty bad—how bad?" Jason asked, shaking.

"Not fatal," the physician said quickly. "She is asking for you now."

Jason stood up on his unsteady legs. "Thank you, doctor," he breathed, hastening to Sue's room with Connie at his heels.

"Jason?" Sue whispered, glancing around the room.

"I'm right here, Sue," Jason said, taking her hot hand.

"I don't feel too good," Sue told him, coughing. "Can we go to your house now?"

"Not yet," he told her.

"Why not?" she shivered.

"You have to stay here for a little while longer. You're very sick," Jason said.

Sue sighed. "Jason, I'm cold."

"I'll go ask the doctor for another blanket," offered Jason.

He left the room and was back again with the blanket, only to find Sue asleep.

Jason chuckled. "I guess I should put this over her for when she wakes up again."

"Jason," Connie said softly, "let's go back to the waiting room."

"You can go back if you want," Jason told her. "I'm staying with Sue."

"But she's asleep," Connie protested.

"I want to be here when she wakes up," argued Jason.

"All right," Connie relented, "I'll stay too."

Sue groaned and opened her blue eyes. "J-Jason?" she whispered, coughing multiple times.

"Yes, Sue," Jason said.

"What time is it?"

Jason glanced at his watch. "Three in the morning."

"Why don't you go back to bed?" Sue said.

"I'm alright to stay right here with you," said Jason. "I'm not tired anymore. So you just go right back to sleep."

"Jason?" she asked again.

"Yes?"

"I—I'm sorry I caused so much trouble," she said, a few tears sliding down her face. "If—if I hadn't come here, you wouldn't be here worrying about me."

"You didn't cause any trouble," he consoled, taking a tissue and wiping her wet cheeks. "Now you go to sleep so you can get better."

Sue nodded.

And in an instant she was asleep.

"It amazes me how that little girl can go to sleep so fast," Connie said.

"I wish I could," Jason added longingly.

"Jason," Connie noted, "you don't look too good."

"I'm fine," Jason stated, trying to conceal his sleepiness.

"You really should get some sleep," Connie insisted.

"I'm…fine…really, Connie…" Jason argued, but his tiredness overtook him and he collapsed.

"Jason!" Connie gasped. "Help! Doctor! Jason's fainted!"

~TBC~