Cardinal Rule

Rocephin & Rohypnol

"Jake?  I know it's late, but I need your help.  My stomach hurts so bad that I can barely breathe and I think I need to go to the hospital.  And I'm not hungover so it's not that.  Joey and Dex are finally having their moment and I can't be the reason that it's ruined.  Can you come get me?"

Lexi Knox is not a weak person, so hearing her weakly ramble on when Jake picked up the phone knocked him for a loop.  He made sure the girls knew he was only two hours away in Pensacola when they planned their spring break trip to Panama City, and he couldn't be more thankful for the short distance at that very moment. 

"Of course, Lou.  I'll be there in an hour," he soothed over the phone.

"It's a two hour drive, Jake."

"I'll be there in an hour, sweetheart.  Sit tight and get some rest, I'll stay on the phone with you until I get there, ok?"  His truck engine revving was loud in the background of the call, followed shortly after by the sound of the door slamming shut. 

"It's almost midnight, Jake.  Be careful, ok?" She huffs, knowing better than to try and argue with the stubborn man.

Lexi finally settles into a position that relieves the pain just a little.  Curled around a pillow, she sighs and tries to stay still as she waits for her aviator in a shining truck to arrive.

"Can somebody please point me in the direction of room 214 since all your dumbasses are blocking the numbers??  My girl is sick and she needs me!" Jake mumbled the last sentence, harshly shouldering past a guy with his hand clearly under a girl's swimsuit as they made out in the hallway.  He was suddenly beyond thankful he didn't have a traditional spring break like this thanks to the academy.

"Ohmigod!  You're THE Jake??  Lexi and Joey's Jake?!" A bleached blonde screeched as she stumbled into his line of sight.

"Uhhh, I guess?  Can you tell me where they are?" Jake scratched at his jaw in an attempt to contain his irritation.

"I think Joey's is in Dex's room? They went to dinner...uhhh earlier? Lexi said she wasn't feeling good so she went to bed.  Poor Kentucky girl can't hold her liquor like she claimed," she slurred. "It's two doors down from the stairs, they said something about wanting to be able to get out easily.  Weirdos."

Jake grinned to himself, proud of the girls for remembering at least one of the things he'd taught them about being safe this week.  "Thanks for the help."

He finds the room and taps the keycard against the reader, thankful Lexi had called down to the front desk and asked them to provide Jake with a key.  When he opens the door, his heart breaks a little.  Curled into a tight ball in the middle of the bed, he finds a shivering Lexi. 

"Oh, sweetheart.  What happened?" Jake coos as he strokes her forehead. 

She's surely running a fever, her skin is scorching hot as Jake gently lifts her into his arms.  Lexi whimpers at the slight movement and she buries herself deeper into his chest, cuddling into the warmth that Jake always radiates.  Jake pauses briefly to grab her purse, then quickly makes his way into the hall and towards his truck. 

He considers taking the stairs to make the exit quicker, but decides against it, not wanting to jostle Lexi more than he needs to.  The elevator is a safer bet, a smoother ride, even if it means he has to kick drunk coeds out of his way. 

After tucking Lexi into the backseat and wrapping the blanket he brought with him around her, Jake finds the closest hospital in the map app and takes off in that direction. 

While in the truck, Jake called his mama for advice after Lexi had dozed off.  As a retired ER nurse, she was fairly certain Lexi had appendicitis and was on the verge of a complete rupture.  She gave Jake the right words to say to get Lexi back as quickly as possible, wanting to avoid her being brushed off as another drunk college girl suffering from alcohol poisoning on spring break.