The Apartment

Cramps

That night I barely talked to Jackie, much less made eye contact with him. I couldn't believe I had completely ruined what we might have had. It haunted me as I fell asleep that night thinking about how different things could have turned out.

I wake up around one in the morning with a horrible sensation in my hip area, burning and twisting from the inside. The sheets around me are soaked in my sweat and I struggle to gain a rhythm to my ragged breathing.

To hell with periods! I've always had really bad cramps, often resulting in nausea if I don't immediately take Advil. I can get overheated and my irregular breathing sometimes triggers a panic attack of sorts. One time I even ended up naked and hyperventilating, laying on the cool tiles of our bathroom in my childhood home. All this to say, I need some Advil ASAP.

I slide out of bed, haunching over and panting in my thin white shirt that reaches mid-thigh on me. It's some oversized thing I bought in the men's section to sleep in, but it is now sticking to my back with sweat as I stumble to the bathroom.

Upon entering I start rifling through the drawers, looking for Advil as it slowly dawns on me that I have no idea where they keep it.

A bought of nausea hits me like a brick, and I gag, racing over to the toilet to puke. I gasp audibly and repeatedly, trying to get ahold of my breathing as my body takes control and seemingly fights me from the inside. I whimper pathetically as silent tears streak down my face from the pain in my stomach.

I wipe my mouth off on toilet paper and flush when the bathroom door creeks open and a familiar voice inquires, "Ray?"

I hunch over on my knees, hugging my stomach as I pant through the pain and fight off the bile threatening to rise up my throat.

A large hand settles against my trembling frame, rubbing up and down my back in soothing circles. "What's wrong?" Jackie's deep, smooth voice floats through the roaring in my ears. He lifts my hair off of my neck, allowing the cooler air to bite against my slick hot skin.

"Cramps," I say in a weak, breathless voice. That's all I manage to get out before a low groan escapes me and I curl in on myself, sliding to lean on the wall next to the toilet.

"Oh," Jackie says in blunt surprise. "Do you uh... need a second alone?"

I whimper and nod my head, but quickly find myself unable to look away when Jackie pulls off his fresh black T-shirt and hands it to me.

"Try and get changed into a fresh shirt too. I'll be back in a second."

I reach into the cupboard where Iz thankfully stashed some pads once Jackie leaves the bathroom, taking care of all that business. Then I peel my gross white shirt off to exchange it for Jackie's black one, trying to ignore my shaking hands as I run a damp towel over myself to clean up the sweat. The material of his shirt sighs against my skin when I pull it over my head, surrounded by Jackie's distinct smell that makes me feel safe and somehow evens out my breathing, forcing my mind to calm down. I manage to brush my teeth, looking away from my tear-stained face and flushed cheeks and lips.

A knock on the door breaks me out of my trance, and I gasp as another wave of pain washes through me and moan, pressing my face against the cool towel and squatting and twisting my hips in weird ways to deal with the uncontrollable cramps. "Come in."

Jackie opens the door and hurries over to me, running his hand over my back again as I lean on the counter with my elbows and writhe my body in excruciating pain. There's only so much a hot guy's shirt can do to calm a girl down.

"I started some hot water to make some tea and there's Advil in the kitchen. Think you can make it there?"

I grit my teeth and try to walk, but the wave of pain is intense and I can hardly concentrate on how my legs are moving when my middle hurts so much. Without comment Jackie wraps an arm around my waist and bends down to ease the other under my knees, lifting me into his arms. I'm in too much pain to be ashamed as I curl my face into his still bare chest and welcome the comfort of another human being. It can make such a difference to know you're not alone.