I Don't Bite

Chapter 9: Moms, Boys and Headaches

My headache did not go away the second time I woke up, but mom was still there watching me sleep with tired eyes.

"Good morning." She smiled and rested her hand on my cheek. Pain jabbed at the back of my head, but I wound my arms around mom's neck and squeezed her.

"Long time no see," I laughed, the faint scent of antiseptic and lavender lingering around her.

"Sorry about that, kiddo." She rubbed her thumb against my cheek. "It's been wild lately. All of the patients have such low blood counts and hazy memories and a rash either on their necks or wrists, sometimes on their backs, but no fever and nothing else. A day or two and then they're completely fine." She yawned and wrapped her arm around me. "It's the strangest thing."

"Really?" I asked. "What ages?"

"Mostly the homeless, it seems. Maybe a new drug or..." She shook her head. "Not enough access to clean water?" She sighed and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. "Just wash your hands. Don't share anything with your classmates." The bags under mom's eyes were darker than normal. She was always a little tired, but she looked like she could sleep for another day.

"What shall we do today?" She stifled a yawn and started to get up. I grabbed her arm and pulled her back down.

"You're still tired."

"I can sleep later. I'm not on call today." She brushed her fingers over my cheek and hopped out of bed. "So, let's have the day together."

"Are you sure?" I followed her out of the room. More pain pressed at my ankle as she strode ahead with the confident steps of a person that fought death every day and had a good chance of winning again. "We can sleep longer if you want."

"I'll just go to bed early, Violet, don't worry about me." She practically bounced down the steps, her oversized t-shirt swishing around her. "Now, what should we have for breakfast?" She went straight for her espresso machine and grabbed two cups down from the cabinet.

"One or two shots?" Mom popped open the lid and started to make her cup first.

"Two." I pressed my hands against the countertop and pulled myself up to perch on the edge.

"That sounds like a good idea." She turned the machine on and expertly made the espresso. She frothed the milk, added three sugar cubes to my cup and none to hers and placed the steaming cup into my hand.

I took a long hot sip and sighed. "Thank you."

"Of course, baby." She pulled herself up onto the counter beside me and stifled another yawn.

"Other than the weird outbreak, how is work?"

Mom had always been a workaholic, at least since she's gotten away from dad and didn't have to play homemaker anymore. As much as I loved to see her all the time, the role didn't fit her. Watching her come home with a life saved and with something new and exciting to tell me about made it okay. If she was happy and had her own life to live, especially once I went off to college, then I could share her.

"Rock climbing?"

Mom hugged her cup to her chest. "That'll be fun. I'll book us a session."

"I can do it." I reached for my phone, but my pocket was empty. "My phone is upstairs still, I think." I set my cup down and hopped off the counter, purposefully landing on my good ankle, and tried not to limp as I passed mom. But her eyes were closed, and she was enjoying her moment of peace.

The back of my head throbbed with each step as I hurried up to my room. My bedside table only had my lamp and charger cord. I flipped my blankets down and lifted my pillows and swiped my arm under the bed. When was the last time I had my phone? I never forget it anywhere but Ryan's house and even that hasn't happened in a while.