Disoriented and Distraught

Chapter 4: What's Going On?

When I wake up the room is empty, but I hear Nate's voice from upstairs. "Yes. No, she is still asleep," there is a pause and then, "Okay! Great! Yes, I will see you then."

I realize that my legs are asleep and that I don't know what time or day it is, so I stand up. It takes me a while to find my balance, and eventually I do. As I start walking up the stairs I realize how sick I must have been. Glowing...I must have been out of it if I remember Dr. Miller and Nate's skin glowing. I mean really how---  But the phone begins to ring interrupting my thoughts.

Nate answers it as I reach the top of the stairs, saying, "Hello Ms. Jacobs. Fine, how are you? No, she is still asleep. Of course, how is the trip going?" Nate turns around and nearly drops the phone at the sight of me. He says, "I'm sorry to cut you off Mrs. Jacobs, but I have to go. No, Jess isn't up yet," he says raising his eyebrows at me. "I wasn't paying attention to the boiling water. Yes I will let you know. Okay, you too. Good-bye." Nate hangs up the phone and stares at me. I feel as though his gaze is burning a hole through my head. Nate lets out a sigh of relief and is hugging me before I could even see him move.

"Jess," he whispers into my hair. "Jessica, Jessica, Jess...you're okay. I mean finally okay. Hell you're great! You're up and off your ass. You came upstairs! Jess..." Nate has tightened his grip on me and says, "It's been hell without you."

I giggle into his chest, and pull back just enough so I can look into his blue, reassuring, eyes. Then I remember my last thought before falling asleep and say, "What time is it? Day? Week? Month? Year!? Nate how long have I been asleep for? What have I missed?" 

"Tuesday. December 15th, 2015. 1:00 in the afternoon. Now let's get you back downstairs. I was just talking to Dr. Miller and she will be here in an hour, and you have missed nothing," Nate says guiding me to the staircase. 

******

Nate helped Dr. Miller move all of her things into the guest room. They come downstairs and Dr. Miller starts a check-up on me. She asks things like, "what is the last thing you remember?", or "how long did you stay awake each time you woke up?", or "have you been seeing strange things?" On the last one I look over to Nate for help and he nods. 

This is how I answer: "I remember Nate telling me how long it was since my mom and Esther had left, and my head was pounding.", and "I don't know. I couldn't tell.", and "Yes. I have been seeing some stuff."

Dr. Miller nods and writes down each response. She does the normal check-up stuff like checks my throat, ears, nose, knees, my spinal cord, and all those fun things. Then she politely asks me to change into a hospital robe so she can 'feel my organs'. Dr. Miller has Nate go upstairs for the check-up part, but keeps him for the question and response part. So when Nate comes back down he is surprised to see me wearing a hospital robe.

"I think," Dr. Miller whispers to Nate, "that it's time to tell her..."