Troubled love

Chapter 8: "I'll help"

-“Camilla, wake up” She shook me lightly and I opened my eyes.

-“What?” I mumbled

-“You’ve been sleeping for four hours, you need to eat something and drink water” I groaned and tried to stand up but I was dizzy.

-“I can’t stand up” I told her and she helped me sit up on the bed, she brought me a glass of water and ibuprofen. I took the pill and dropped my head back, she brought a trashcan next to me and one of these tables that go on the bed. She brought a plate of pasta and what looked like tea.

-“It’s plain pasta with a bit of olive oil and, chamomile, eat slowly” I wasn’t really hungry but I started eating anyway. She brought me a bottle of water as well. I ate almost half of it and drank the chamomile and some water. She brought a thermometer and gave it to me.

-“Uhm, I don’t really know how to put this”

-“You don’t know how to put the thermometer?” She smiled

-“No”

-“I’ll help you” She lifted my hoodie and t-shirt, up and positioned the thermometer under my armpit, we waited two minutes and then she pulled it out.
“Yep, you’ve got a fever and it’s quite high” She brought a cold wet towel and placed it on my head. My stomach started aching and again, and this time it was almost unbearable. I started crying and she noticed.

-“Shhhh, don’t cry, it’s going to be okay” She hugged me. “A friend of mine is a doctor, I'll give her a call” she changed the towel on my head. After around half an hour the bell rang and she got up to open.

She walked in with her friend.

-“Hi I’m Alex” She introduced herself

-“Nice to meet you, I’m Cam”

-“So, tell me what symptoms you’ve been having”

-“I’ll leave you two alone” Ms. Miller said and left.

-«I’ve been having a stomach ache and a fever, I’m dizzy and I’ve been throwing up.»

-«How long have you been sick?»

-«Friday night»

-«Well, there’s a stomach bug going around this time of the year and it seems to be just that, however if you don’t get better in the next two or three days you’ll need to go to the hospital. Drink a lot of water and try to eat as much as you can, take ibuprofen or Tylenol but not an empty stomach and rest.» «It’s important that you stay hydrated»

-«ok, anything else?»

-«Not for now, Dee has my number so if you need anything else give me a call» She smiled. Ms. Miller knocked on the door.

-«Come in» Alex said

-«Is everything ok?» she asked worried

-«Yes, but if she doesn’t get any better in two to three days you’ll have to visit the hospital.»

-«Thanks Alex» She smiled and hugged her

-«No problem Dee, and if you need anything give me a call»

-«Sure»

-«Byeee»

-«Byeeee» Ms. Miller said and I chuckled.

-«So Dee huh?» She gave me a death stare

-«You are not allowed to call me that» she was dead serious.

-«I’m sorry, I was just joking» I said and looked down, I didn’t mean to make her mad. She turned to leave.

-«If you need anything give me a shout» Her tone was cold just like when we were in school. I got up and followed her.

-«Ms. Miller»

-«Camilla, go lay down»

-«Ms. Miller, I’m sorry if I angered you, I didn’t mean to» I hated that she was mad at me. She let out a heavy breath and looked at me, she didn’t seem mad, she seemed sad.

-«I’m not angry Camilla, and you didn’t do anything wrong»

-«Is everything ok?»

-«Yes, everything is fine, now go lay back down» she gave me a small smile and I nodded. Something was bothering her but she wasn’t going to tell me, why would she, we barely know each other.

I went back in the room and laid on the bed, I was bored so I sat at my phone scrolling through tik tok. I felt my eyelids getting heavy, I put my phone on the bedside table next to me and got comfortable, I fell asleep almost immediately.

I woke up in the middle of the night and I was sweating like crazy, I got up and rushed to the bathroom, I felt like throwing up. I kneeled over the toilet and gagged but nothing came out. The door opened and Ms. Miller walked in.

-“Cam, are you Ok?” She said in a sleepy but worried tone, I shook my head no and she kneeled beside me. Her hair were messy and she was wearing pajamas. She rubbed circles on my bag and I leaned my head on her shoulder, she gave me a side hug, it was weird seeing her so caring and kind. I closed my eyes and let my body relax.
“Don’t fall asleep here, let’s get you to the bedroom” She helped me up.

-“I don’t feel well” I whined.

-“I know, but it will get better, just try to distract your mind with something” I let my head fall to the pillow. “So, are you an only child?” she asked

-“Yes”

-“Must be nice, not having to share your things and having all the attention”

-“It’s lonely, I’m alone most of the time, except when I’m at school, plus I have no one to talk to”

-“I haven’t thought of it that way”

-“Yeah, most people don’t , so I assume you have siblings?”

-“Yes I have a younger brother”

-“Oh, how old is he?”

-“He’s your age” She smiled

-“Do the two of you look alike?”

-“Yep sometimes they think we are twins”

-“Too bad I’m not into men, I’d date him” I looked at her and smirked “If only there was a female version of him…” I paused and she frowned

-“Cam” she warned me

-“I meant my age, I don’t date old women Ms. Miller” I teased her and she pretended to be offended.

-“How dare you call me old”

-“Aren’t you?” I teased her some more and she fake pouted

-“No, 25 is not old” I raised my eyebrows “Stop it, I’m not old” she whined and I laughed.

-“You should go back to sleep, you have school tomorrow” I told her and she smirked

-“But I don’t want to go” She said in a whiney baby voice

-“But you are the teacher Ms. Miller” We both laughed and she looked at me smiling.

-“Who would have guessed that the school’s troublemaker would be so fun to talk to”

-“I’m not as bad as they make me out to be”

-“Yeah I doubt that, I haven’t forgotten about the prank you pulled on me the first day.”

-“I apologized for that, plus I wouldn’t have done if I knew you were the new teacher” She raised her eyebrows “Really, I don’t prank young female teachers” I laughed and she nudged my arm

-“Stop it Camilla”

-“Oh no we are back to full name basis” I laughed some more and she rolled her eyes. “Now that I remembered, your friend called you Dee, where does it come from?”

-“I’m not telling you my first name”

-“Why not?” I pouted

-“Because, I’m still your teacher and you are still my student and I don’t want you calling me by my first name”

-“Oh my God you are my teacher? I completely forgot”

-“Ok, I’ve had enough” She said playfully. “How are you feeling?”

-“My stomach still hurts but I’m better”

-“Would you mind if I went back to sleep?”

-“No, it’s fine, I’ll try to go back to sleep as well”

-“Can I ask you one more question before I go?
”
-“Sure”

-“Do your parents ever contact you?”

-“Yes, my dad sends me a text once or twice a week to see if I’m alive, plus he can see my credit card purchases”

-“And your mum?”

-“I don’t want to talk about it” I said frowning and she nodded.

-“I’m sorry, good night Cam”

-“Good night Ms.”

I looked at the time and it was 5.42, I kept the poor woman up all night. I tried to go back to sleep but couldn’t. I laid in bed and forced myself to sleep, I fell asleep around 7.

-“Cam wake up” “Cam” “Camilla” I heard her but I didn’t have the strength to move or respond. “Camilla wake up” she shook me.

-“Stooop” I mumbled

-“Cam it’s 3 in the afternoon, you need to get out of bed”

-“I don’t want to” I whined and she pulled the covers off me. “Heyy that was mean” My hoodie had rolled up in my sleep and my stomach was exposed, I quickly pulled it down.

-“Come on get up, you need to move a little and drink water” I groaned and got up, I went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth, I fixed my hair and went to the kitchen, she had already cooked and served food.

I sat at the table and she put a plate with plain rice and bread in front of me and a plate of rice with chicken and a red sauce for her. She sat next to me and she started eating, but I didn’t feel like eating. She stopped and looked at me.

-"You need to eat”

-“You are right” I forced myself to eat, with every bite I felt even more nauseated. After eating a few bites I dropped the fork. “I can’t do it, I’m sorry” Tears rolled down my cheek, I felt awful.

-“Perhaps we should go to hospital, you don’t seem to get better”

-“I think we should”

-“Alright let’s go” She got up and we got to her car.

We went to the hospital and waited at the lobby for about half an hour, a doctor called us and he examined me, he took a blood sample and told me that I’ll have the results in two to three hours, they assigned me a room and connected me with iv fluids. Ms. Miller sat with me the entire time and held my hand for comfort when they drew the blood.

She was looking at me with worry as we waited for the results. A few hours later the doctor came.

-“As we suspected it’s a stomach flu, it’s nothing to worry about and you should be just fine in a day or two, although it’s recommended that you stay for the night, since you are connected to iv fluids, everything will be covered from your insurance”

-“Okay then”

Ms. Miller sat with me for a while and then left, she would come back tomorrow.

The next day she came to pick me up and since I was better she dropped me off at my house. I took the rest of the week off from school to completely recover.