Embers [Completed]

{Sickness}

When the food comes, Alice gets it. The poor man is left dazzled by her, and I'm sure he is still there after the closes.

My appetite isn't great, much like Bella. We pick at the food without really thinking, and I notice her watching Alice and Jasper carefully.

After a while, she pushes the plate away. "Alice, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," she replies, eyes wide and innocent.

I lose track of their conversation as an overwhelming feeling of nausea hits me like a brick.

My eyes droop as my body temperature rises, my stomach broiling acidically. Weakness spreads as a spike of nausea climbs my esophagus.

Somehow, through the murk, I manage to push myself away from the table and half run to the bathroom. My sweaty palms grasp the toilet seat as I fall to my knees.

Before the first retch, my hair is pulled back and a comforting hand rubs soothingly cold circles on my back.

Then my stomach lurches, and my throats burns with lactic acid.

"You're okay, you're okay," Jasper whispers, and I can hear the frown in his voice.

Another lurch, and tears gather in my eyes. The taste flooding my mouth is enough to make me vomit again.

I throw up a total of four times; the last being nothing but bile; burning my throat even worse.

All my strength has been sapped, and I collapse to the side of the toilet. I'm gathered up in strong arms and held close to a fragrant smelling chest.

"It's alright, it's over."

I'm shivering now, and I hear Jasper curse.

"Let's get you through so you can get under some blankets," he says.

But as he moves, my stomach churns, making me groan and scrunch my face up. "No, no, just...sit with me for a few minutes."

"But you're freezing," he says.

"Jordan, I'm so sorry, I forgot!" Bella cries, appearing in the doorway.

Jasper snaps his eyes to her. "What do you mean?"

She kneels by me, pressing a hand to my sweaty forehead. "Ever since we were little, the Phoenix heat made her really physically sick at a certain time of year."

"This time of year?"

"No. It must be the sudden transition from the Forks weather to Phoenix, that used to do it as well." Her voice fills with remorse.

"It's okay, Bella. I've dealt with it before," I say carefully, not wanting to jolt my body.

"That doesn't mean you should have to," she says.

"Is there anything that helped it?" Jasper asks urgently.

Bella is silent for a moment. "No. She usually just dealt with it, like she said. Jordan's always been like that."

"Darlin', do you remember anything that helped?"

"I used to just sleep through it," I say, and am surprised at the weakness in my own voice.

My stomach senses him move before my brain, and I pray not to throw up on him.

I'm placed on a soft surface, presumably a bed, and a blanket is pulley over me. But I push it back to my legs, knowing what happens when I get too warm.

"Just try to sleep, sweetheart," Jasper says.

My mouth tries to form a sentence, but I can't find it. Everything is descending into soft murkiness.