His Harvard Girl

Chapter Twenty

"Allergies?"

"None."

"Been overseas lately?"

"No."

"Eaten anything you wouldn't normally?"

"No, nothing."

The exchange between Elle and the campus doctor had been going on for several minutes. He'd taken her blood pressure, checked her eyes, inspected her ears, and listened to her heart beat. All of the usual checks came back completely normal.

"When did you last vomit?"

Elle thought for a moment. It had only been half an hour ago. Forty minutes, tops. We'd decided she needed to at least see a doctor, although I'd suggested hospital for a quicker evaluation. Pleasantly, the after-hours campus doctor had been extremely fast getting to the college to give Elle a check-up.

"Thirty minutes ago, maybe," Elle said. "Yeah, not long."

He nodded his head. "Do you feel it coming on?"

"Sometimes," she replied, and looked at me for comfort. We were still in her dorm room, the doctor having been completely committed to the whole "home-visit" thing. I squeezed Elle's hand supportively.

"And is there pain?"

Elle nodded very slowly. "Sharp and stabbing usually. But that happens all the time, not just when the vomiting comes on. Please, do you know what it could be? It's only been a week or so, but it's been driving me crazy."

I bowed my head. How could I have not noticed Elle had been feeling this way for over a week? Had I just been completely unobservant or was Elle purposely keeping it from me?

The doctor frowned. "Nothing is jumping out at me," he said. "Your symptoms are wide spread and general. How would you rate the stomach pain?"

"Uncomfortable, mostly. Definitely bearable. So it doesn't sound alarming?"

The doctor shook his head. He flicked his eyes between the two of us. "Only the fact it's lasted as long as it has. Okay, I'm going to give you a referral for a clinic not far from here. Go as soon as you can tomorrow. Home doctors are a bit limited in tests, so you'll be better off there."

"Do you think she will be okay for the night? I don't want to overreact, but I'm concerned," I added in.

The doctor met my eyes and offered a warm smile. I knew what that meant. It could wait until tomorrow.

"First thing in the morning," he said to Elle as he scribbled on a general referral paper. "Say Ian sent you. They'll make room for you. First thing, okay?"

He handed Elle the paper.

She nodded positively. "Sure. Thank you."

The doctor composed himself before starting for the door. "No trouble," he said. "Good luck."

The door closed behind him quickly. I looked over at Elle, whose eyes were rimmed with tears. She held the referral in one hand, it almost crumpled by her balled up fist.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

I took the paper from her hand and lay it gently on the bedside table. She tried to form a smile, but her bottom lip only trembled.

"I...I just feel a bit deflated," she said. "I was hoping for answers. Instead I just feel sad and like I'm about to throw up."

She looked at me expectantly. Did she think I was going to move away in fear of her vomiting? No way. I loved her too much to let her feel alone in this.

"We can just go straight to the hospital," I said. "It's safest. How's the pain?"

"It's fine," she said. "I don't want to clog up the emergency department. I can wait until morning, Noah. I'll be okay."

Reluctantly, I agreed. The best I could do for now was keep her comfortable.

I tucked her into bed and kissed her lightly on the forehead, giving her cheek a quick a soft touch with my hand as I did so.

Then I went to the common room and warmed a heat pack, laying it gently on her stomach when I returned. I opened her laptop and placed it at the end of her bed, her favourite TV show streaming on Netflix.

Then, I turned out the light and cuddled up beside her, determined not to let her out of my sight until she'd been to the clinic.

Elle's hair tickled my skin as I ran my fingers through it. She nestled into me, her eyes closing with time. Soon enough, she was fast asleep, snoring ever so quietly.

I leaned down to the end of the bed and closed the laptop, placing it on the floor out of harm's way.

But that's when Elle woke, and the vomiting started.

I was terrified as I realised it wasn't going to stop.