No Exceptions(Adopted by Jack Barakat)

Chapter Seven: First Day Of A New Life

The next morning I woke up feeling like crap. It wasn't really surprising I didn't feel very well when I went to bed the night before. My nose was running, my throat hurt, my stomach was churning and I had a headache. I rolled over and glanced at the clock. It was ten in the morning. Deciding I had no real reason to get out of bed since it was the first day of summer vacation and I felt like crap, I rolled over and fell asleep again.
  I woke sometime later because someone was knocking on the door. I groaned and the door opened a crack. Jack poked his head in.
"Is there anything alive in here?" He asked. I groaned again and pulled the blanket over my head. I heard him walk over to the bed and then he grabbed the edge of the blanket and pulled it away from my face.
"Come on, Sleeping Beauty, I know it's summer vacation, but you should get up." I rolled over to look at him and then sneezed in his face by accident. He pulled back in shock and started frantically wiping his face with back of his hand. I started laughing, but it very quickly turned into coughing. The coughing made me more nauseous.
"That was really gross. Are you okay?" I shook my head and sniffed.
"I feel like-" I cut myself off coughing.
"Well this sucks. You're first day off from school and you're first day living with me and your sick." He pouted, "I had plans for today. Do you need anything?"
"Tissues." He nodded then placed his hand against my forehead and then my cheek.
"I'll be right back." He stood and started for the door. "I might have some cold medicine in the bathroom." More to himself than to me. I coughed again for a few seconds and then closed my eyes. Due to the bathroom being on the other side of my bedroom I could hear Jack rummaging around. Doors and drawers slamming. A wave of nausea washed over me and I threw the blanket off and ran for the bathroom. I made it just in time to lose everything I'd eaten the night before. When I finished and flushed the toilet I heard a quiet 'fuck' from behind me. Tears began to slide down my cheeks. I choked back a sob and started coughing again. Jack gently picked me up and took me back to my bed.
"I'm gonna run to the store real quick, okay? I'll be back in twenty minutes tops." I nodded and he kissed the top of my head. "I'll bring you tissues before I leave though." He left and quickly returned with a box of tissues then he kissed my head again and left. I curled up under my blanket and tried not to cry. I dozed off, but woke when I heard the door open. There was a small thud followed by a loud 'shit' and then footsteps. There was a knock on my door and when I groaned in response it opened and Jack came in.
"So I got Gatorade and crackers as well as NyQuil and some ice cream because it's good and I thought if you have a sore throat it would be easy to eat."
"Thanks." I said as he sat a bottle of Gatorade and a stack of crackers on the nightstand followed by the bottle of NyQuil and the little plastic dose cup.
"No problem. Let me know if you need anything else?" I nodded and felt bile rising in my throat. I got up and ran to the bathroom. I didn't quite make it to the toilet though and ended up puking on the bathroom floor. I started to cry again.
"I'm sorry." I got out between sobs.
"It's okay. I'll clean it up." I wiped my nose on the back of my hand before I stood and then shakily washed my hands and rinsed my mouth. "Go back to bed, baby girl." I nodded and wrapped my arms around myself before shuffling past him and going to get back in bed. I accidentally stepped on Rory's tail when I walked in my room because I didn't see him. He hissed, I mumbled an apology and then climbed in bed. A few minutes later Jack came in carrying a large red bowl.
"I brought this so that you don't have to keep running to the bathroom." I made eye contact with him so he knew I was paying attention, but I didn't say anything. "I guess I'll let you rest for a bit then." He shoved his hands into his pockets and turned to leave. I let out a whine and he turned to look at me.
"Don't go." I mumbled. He smiled softly and then came and sat down beside me on the bed. I put blankets over both of us. He grabbed the bottle of NyQuil and poured out a dose for me. I took the cup and made a disgusted face as I stared at the green liquid inside before downing it like a shot. I handed him the cup back. When he'd put it down he threw an arm around my shoulders. I rested my head on his chest and sighed. Almost instantly I sat back up and lunged over Jack for the tissues. Once I'd settled again Jack pulled his phone out of his pocket. We spent the next half hour watching music videos and vines. He showed me some of his favorite songs and videos. I fell asleep again due to the NyQuil. When I woke he was still beside me watching videos on his phone. I sneezed which shocked him. He let a very unmanly shriek and dropped his phone on the floor. I giggled and then started coughing. When I had composed myself I glanced at the clock. It was four in the afternoon.
"Hey. How are feeling?" Jack asked glancing down at me.
"Better-ish." I mumbled and then lunged for the tissues again as I felt snot running out of my nose. Gross I know.
"If you want I can get my laptop and we can watch a movie." I nodded and he got up and left. I grabbed the stack of crackers off the nightstand and started nibbling on one. Jack came back and we spent the next half hour trying to find something to watch. Finally he chose a movie neither of us had ever seen called An American Tale. After that we watched Moana. I threw up twice while we were watching An American Tale and once while we were watching Moana. Then I fell asleep.
   I was sick for the next four days, although my cough lingered for the next week and a half. When I was finally feeling almost human Jack got sick. He was sick for an entire week. We bonded a lot during those two weeks we were sick. We spent many hours curled up together in my bed or his watching movies while sipping Gatorade and eating crackers. Being sick sucks big time, but I will admit I enjoyed going a week without wearing a bra.
   It was the end of May before either of us were well enough to want to leave the house and I hadn't gotten around to unpacking at that point either. Between being sick and taking care of Jack I had forgotten. But it didn't matter.