I'll keep you safe

Chapter 112

It was lunchtime. Rachel was in her office when Eddie walked into the room.

She couldn't deny it; she'd gotten worse throughout the morning. She'd only been sick once, and she'd managed to do it at break time, away from Eddie, Linda and everyone else. The dizziness and fatigue was something she wasn't hiding so well.

Eddie could tell her energy was slowly being drained. He intended to keep her sat down for the entirety of their lunch break. It was only 45 minutes, but it was better than nothing.

"Are you ok?" he asked as he approached her

Rachel nodded tiredly, rubbing her temples.

"Why don't you go home, Rach? Linda knows you're not feeling well. She's seen you now; you've given her a tour of the school and spent some time with her. I can take over for the rest of the day" he suggested

Rachel shook her head, causing Eddie to sigh.

"Rach, please? I'm worried about you!" he huffed

"I'm fine, Eddie. I promise" she mumbled

Eddie scoffed. He didn't believe that for one second! But there was no arguing with her. He knew he wouldn't win.

"Did Earl behave in class this morning?" she asked, changing the subject

"He was great! Linda was really impressed with him" he nodded

"Well, that's one less thing to worry about" she sighed

Eddie nodded again

"I'm going down to the canteen, Rach, do you want anything?"

She shook her head. The smell of the food coming from the canteen was what had caused her to be sick at break time. The thought of eating anything repulsed her.

"What about some water?" Eddie suggested, determined to get her to have something

Rachel nodded at that. She could just about handle water.

"I might go outside and get some fresh air" she told him, standing up from her chair

She immediately regretted that action. The second she stood up, a wave of dizziness washed over her. She closed her eyes, putting a hand to her head as the room began to spin violently.

Eddie dashed over to her, sitting her back down in the chair.

This time, sitting down didn't help. Her legs were shaking. She felt so dizzy and lightheaded. Her vision was blurring in and out of focus, so much so that there were two Eddie's kneeling down in front of her.

"I think I'm going to pass out in a minute" she warned him

Eddie leapt into action, recalling his First Aid training.

He gently placed his hands on her knees to get her attention.

"Alright, Rach. It's ok. Bring your head to your knees and take some deep breaths" he instructed

Rachel shook her head in protest. She knew that was the guidance given to anyone who felt faint. She'd coached students through the simple technique countless times. But, in this moment, it felt like it was only going to make things worse. If she were to do that now, she would end up vomiting all over her shoes- and maybe Eddie too.

"Come on, Rach" Eddie encourage gently

"I'll be sick" she whimpered

"You won't be, I promise. Just try it" he reassured

Reluctantly, she agreed, lowering her head down so it was resting between her knees. She took some deep breaths. To her surprise, it did help, and she didn't vomit. The room eventually stopped spinning, and the nausea melted away.