"Alright everyone, go get changed, we're running today!"
Cue entire class groaning. I took PE to stay fit, I had expected a bit of running to be involved but last week we were told that we had to run a friggin half marathon. Now every second lesson consisted of nothing but pure, nonstop running and it was properly beginning to feel like torture.
And today I was really detesting the idea because I was absolutely exhausted and was definitely not in the mood. I'd been up late for the last few nights studying for the science test that I had done that morning and now that it was finally done and out of the way I just wanted to sit back and relax, not run countless times around the block. I also had a bit of a stomachache, I realised as I changed into my usual running gear, probably from the shit breakfast I'd had that morning. It wasn't really shit, it was great, but I didn't think I was used to hot food like that so early in the morning and it wasn't sitting right. Dad had known that I was stressing about the test so he'd gotten up early to make a full on breakfast. It was the whole works, bacon, toast, eggs, sausages.
I wished I hadn't eaten so much.
I walked with Georgia, one of my best friends, out to the starting point. We talked on the way, but it mainly consisted of me complaining and her reassuring me that I'd be fine and that it'd be over in an hour anyway.
The teacher caught us all just standing there and angrily blew his whistle, kicking us all into gear. The whistle gave me such a fright I would've fallen on my face if one of the other boys hadn't pushed me back up as he ran past.
Georgia was long gone by the time I caught myself. When we found out we had to do a half marathon I knew right away that I was going to be a bit of a loner during the training because Georgia could run insanely well. She was always in front of the pack, steady footfalls and rhythmic breathing while the rest of us just kind of blobbed along until we were told we could stop. I'd tried keeping up with her but her pace was too quick and I'm pretty sure I almost killed myself. I'm really not that bad, I'm usually in the frontish group, but Georgia's on a whole different level.
So I ran pretty much by myself.
By the end of the first lap I was already feeling pretty fucked which was unusual. Normally I could at least last three before feeling like my legs were going to give out. Today though I was falling way behind from my usual group and the longer I ran for the worse I began to feel.
First it was just the normal blood pounding in the ears, although it happened a lot earlier than it would usually. That I could deal with. I was used to it. But then I started feeling kind of light-headed and airy, right before my stomach seized up and I had to stop in case I was about to be sick.
Nothing happened and as my breathing started to slow I began feeling better. I was only half way around anyway, I had to get back to the start before I could tell the teacher how I was feeling, so I decided that I might as well just run because it would be quicker.
It was only a minute or so when I started feeling sick again. I was seriously regretting breakfast, and the hot sun beaming its stupid suffocating rays on me wasn't helping either.
I stopped again and leaned over my knees. I wasn't doing any more running, that was for sure.
"Hey Jackson, you're almost there! This is the last one!" I heard Georgia's cheery voice just behind me. And for fucks sake, she didn't even sound breathless.
I shot her a forced smile as she ran by.
Only a few steps ahead she paused and turned around, tightening her pony tail.
"Are you okay? You don't usually stop like this." She frowned as she walked back over to me.
"I overdid breakfast. . ." I groaned as I straightened back up with a grimace. My stomach still wasn't very happy at all and my legs felt like jelly. Not to mention how hot it was, my face probably represented a ripe tomato.
"Come on then, I'll jog back with you."
"Walk? Please?"
Georgia rolled her eyes playfully, "fine, let's go then."
I made it back to the changing rooms in one piece thankfully. I got back into my heavy uniform with reluctance and headed out to meet Georgia. I hoped I'd start feeling better soon, I didn't want to spend the rest of the day wanting to chop my legs of and fall asleep standing up.
"You're so red Jack." Georgia giggled and pulled out her phone. I knocked her hand away, knowing how much Kade would enjoy it.
We were walking to our next class when some chick bumped my shoulder and almost knocked me over. She wasn't big at all but I was just so shaky and just kind of weak all over that her little push almost made me fall.
"Hey, are you still feeling off Jack? Maybe you should go see the nurse or something. Running doesn't usually leave you like this." Georgia frowned as she helped me get my balance back.
"I don't know." I rubbed my eyes tiredly. A lie down didn't sound like a bad idea, and I'd done my science test, I wouldn't be missing anything.
"Ugh maybe you're right." I nodded, "I feel dreadful."
"Now that the redness if going away you look it too, maybe you're coming down with something." Georgia patted my shoulder, "I'll walk you to the nurse's office."
"I'm fine on my own George, you'll miss class." I shook my head but she was quick to argue, "yeah because I'm going to be so upset to miss English. Just let me come Jack, you'll be doing me a favor." She smiled.
We walked back the way we'd just come in the direction of the nurse's office as the rest of the students slowly filed out of the hallways. By the time we got there there was nobody else around and it was dead silent.
I opened the door and shuffled inside.
"Hello, I'll be there in just a sec!" A lady called from the other room. She must've heard the door open. I sat down on one of the seats along the wall and leaned my head back against it, wrapping my arms around my bubbling stomach. Georgia plopped down beside me and I shot her a look, "go to class George, you'll get in trouble."
"This nurse is really nice Jack, she'll call and say that I'm here with you." Georgia smiled, "I'd rather stay."
I sighed and took my phone out of my bag to text Dad. I didn't really want to go home, but I figured I let him know what was going so it wouldn't be a surprise later on if it did happen.
"Hi, I'm Ms Harley, what can I do for you kids today?" A woman with her brown hair piled in a bun on the top of her head rounded the corner, smiling brightly.
I stood up with a swallow. It felt rude to just sit there but when I was upright I quickly became aware of just how tired I felt. My legs still felt like jelly and when I looked down at them I saw that they were visibly quaking. Georgia quickly stood beside me and rested her hand on my back, asking if I was alright.
"I'm just really tired," I murmured, running my hand through my hair and taking a deep breath.
"We just did a run for class. He doesn't usually get like this afterwards and we thought it would best if he saw you," Georgia explained to Ms Harley as the woman came closer to take my bag off my shoulder.
"Course Darl, we'll take him just through here and we'll see what I can do." Ms Harley nodded with a kind smile as she and Georgia lead me into the other room. It smelt strongly of disinfectant and there was another kid in there with major puke-face so I could guess why Ms Harley had been preoccupied when we first got there.
The nurse smiled and gestured for me to sit.
"So what's the matter Darl, did you over do it?" She asked.
I shook my head, "I, uh, I struggled more. Kept getting lightheaded and feeling like I was about to be sick."
"And you still feel like that now that your heart rate has slowed?" She pulled a thermometer out of the cabinet.
"Pretty much," I replied awkwardly.
"You mind?" She held held up the thermometer. It was one of those ones they use at the doctors, that go in your ear.
"Go ahead" I shrugged carelessly.
A few minutes passed and she had a reading from the device that apparently said I had a fever. She explained that she thought that it was probably why I was having a hard time running and why I kept feeling lightheaded.
"What class are you two supposed to be in?" She asked.
Georgia told her and just like Georgia had said she would, Ms Harley went off to excuse us out of English. She really was nice, way nicer than the last nurse.
"Why did you even come to school if you had a fever?" Georgia curled up on the end of the bed while I laid down.
"I didn't know. . ." I moaned. I held a pillow over my head to block out the light in the hopes that I'd just be able to fall asleep. It was the best place for a nap, at school in the nurses office with pukey kid still lingering in the corner, but I just wanted to close my eyes and I didn't really care where I was.
"I can feel you watching me," I murmured to Georgia, my voice muffled by the pillow.
"Well I'm worried, I have the right to watch you," she scoffed with a light pat on my leg, "but I'll try look away if it's making you uncomfortable."
"It's not, I just. . ." I pulled the pillow off my face. I guess I kinda felt like I hadn't really let Georgia see me when I was totally wrecked like this. Plus I was embarrassed because even though Ms Harley said I was feverish while I was running it still felt like she was gonna laugh at me for being shit. Georgia's nothing like that, it's just me getting at myself, but I couldn't help it.
"I just feel like utter crap. I probably look like it too," I huffed, wincing as my stomach cramped.
Georgia laughed, "you look pale, exhausted, and sick. Oh well, I'll survive the sight of you."
I groaned and rolled my eyes and Ms Harley came back, her heels clicking on the floor.
"So I'm gonna have you take some fever medication Darl and then maybe have a rest for a bit before we see if we need to call home okay?" She smiled expectantly, waiting for an answer.
I nodded and sat up to take whatever she was gonna give me. Damn it, my hands were shaking now too.
"You can stay until the end of the first break Sweet," Ms Harley said to Georgia, "and then you're gonna have to go back to class."
"That's fine, that gives us an hour Jacko." Georgia grinned at me, "we can have some girl time."
"Nap time," I corrected, "and I'm not a girl."
Whatever medication Ms Harley had me take knocked me out fairly quickly. I don't know what the hell the stuff was but pretty much the second I laid back down I fell straight asleep as if I wasn't feeling like I'd just been dragged through a sewer pipe.
Georgia was beside me now, rather than at the end of the bed and I swore I felt her even lie down next to me before I passed out. I didn't mind, it was starting to get bloody cold with only my T-shirt and pants anyway.
However when I woke and she was there in between me and the floor where my stomach contents were trying to escape to it became a bit of an issue for me. I sat up almost drunkenly with a harsh swallow as the nausea strengthened even more. My whole body was throbbing as I got up and stumbled over to where I'd noticed the bathroom sign earlier. There was one toilet inside, and within three minutes it was filled with my puke as I gasped and panted over the bowl.
"Aw Jackson, are you okay hun?" Ms Harley asked pityingly as she came in and handed me some loo paper to clean myself up. I nodded with a painful swallow, my throat burning from whatever just barrelled up it. I still felt pretty crappy, there was denying that, but despite just puking my guts up everything felt about the same.
"You done in here? There are bowls out there if you need them later but I'm going to call home for you." Ms Harley gently took my arm and lifted me onto my feet after I flushed to toilet and nodded again. Georgia was standing in the doorway, watching me worriedly. Before I knew I looked like shit but after that little episode I had to be looking a hundred times worse.
I guess I was a bit self conscious around her, that's all.
"You should probably be getting back to class Darling," Ms Harley said to Georgia apologetically, "I'm not very good with angry phone calls."
"I'm not very good with angry teachers." Georgia laughed in agreement as I sat back down on the bed. She picked her bag up off the floor and grinned at me sympathetically, "feel better really soon okay? I'm not going to survive too long on my own with Kade."
I chuckled dryly and nodded, "I'll try, see ya later George."
"Bye Jack." Georgia smiled again and headed out.
"Pretty one isn't she? I'm dead jealous of her hair." Ms Harley shot me one of those looks Mum always gave when I mentioned Georgia. I chose to ignore her and instead laid back down.
Twenty minutes later Dad was there shaking me awake and telling me all sorts of garbage that I was too asleep to understand.
"Shut up, and would you quit touching me everywhere?" I grumbled as he tried to help me sit up, "I'm quite capable ya know?"
Dad laughed, "well apparently you're not that sick after all then."
"Oh I am." I grimaced and grabbed my gut, already feeling what was about to happen, "pass me that, like pronto."
Ms Harley moved a lot quicker than Dad. He just looked confused as she picked the bowl up and sat it down on my lap.
One single breath and I threw up as if on command. Judging by the stinging in my nose it had come out of those holes to, which was just great. Sarcasm at its finest right there.
"That was insane timing." Dad jumped forward to hold the bowl for me. I was pretty sure that was it for now though. I coughed a few times and wiped my mouth.
Ms Harley took the bowl away. I couldn't help but feel bad for her. Ugh, I could never be a school nurse. The things she must have to deal with on the daily.
"Are you good to go Jacko? Is there anything we gotta do before I kidnap you?" Dad scooped my bag off the floor.
"I don't think so," I rasped out.
"Alrighty then, up you get." He swung my bag onto his bag and gestured for me to stand.
Apparently it wasn't that easy as the second I was on my feet the lightheadedness from earlier was back and everything went kind of fuzzy.
"Hey, Jackson? Are you okay? What's the matter?" Dad's face was way to close to mine for comfort. He had a hold on my arms so I knew I wasn't swaying or anything but it felt like I was.
"Feeling f-faint," I slurred, words not mushing together quite right. I thought it was a pretty decent effort considering, but I still kind of sounded like I was on the piss.
He sat me back down unsurely, "Ms Harley! Is that your name? Can you come here before my son passes out on me?"
"Dad, st-stop yelling. . ." I moaned. Now that I was down it was clearing and it would be a much faster process if he shut up just for two minutes.
"What happened today? Why are you so sick?" Dad asked, touching my forehead to gage fever.
"Did I hear my name?" Ms Harley came back finally, heels fast.
"He stood and almost fainted," Dad exclaimed.
"He said earlier he was getting light-headed like that." Ms Harley nodded and then went on to explain the effects of running like I had combined with fever. It had exhausted me. I'd slept though, so I didn't realise it would still be that bad.
"Head rush from laying and sitting for too long probably just made that experience ten times worse for you Jackson, when you want to, try stand again," Ms Harley told me.
I nodded and got right to it. No pointing waiting around. Just like she said, it didn't even feel half as bad as it did the last time. No scary moments, just a weird feeling and a churn in my gut.
"Thanks Ms." I forced a smile to the nurse as Dad lead me towards the door.
"My pleasure Darl, tell that Georgia I say hi!" Ms Harley grinned with a slight wave.
Dad shut the door behind us.
"Georgia was with you?"
"She had to go back to class."
"She wasn't just trying to get away from you?"
"Probably."
***Extension***
I got into the passenger seat of Dad's car slowly, holding on to the top of the car as I lowered himself down. Dad stood there, waiting to close the door.
Rubbing my eyes blearily, I nodded at him.
"Don't forget your belt Jack," he said. The door closed as I pulled the belt over my lap. The pressure it put on my still uneasy stomach wasn't comfortable at all so I held it away slightly with my hands, shifting about until I found a position that worked.
"Are you alright with stopping at a pharmacy? I want to make sure we're topped up," Dad said in a low voice. He glanced over at me as the car pulled out of the car-park and out into the street.
I nodded, because if I shook my head he'd ask more questions and I couldn't be bothered answering them.
"I'll be fast, let me know if anything's wrong."
I nodded again and let my eyes close like they so desperately wanted to. When the car stopped they opened again involuntarily and Dad patted my knee as the engine died, "you want to wait in the car?"
"Yeah," I whispered. He left me, locking the car behind him. The inside of the car burned as hot as a sauna, even with my window down. Sweat quickly collected in about every possible place and I hated to admit it to myself, but the queasy feeling was looming closer again.
"Alright Jack, let's get ya home," Dad said as he got back into the car.
We rounded the corner onto our street and I'd been trying to ignore the acidic lump in my throat for the past five minutes. It had gotten to much, I couldn't swallow it back any more, "I don't feel g-good Dad. . ."
He glanced at me and inhaled a sharp breath, "you've gone pale again."
I choked on a breath, "think I'm gonna throw up."
I knew how it would go if I vomited in Dad's car. He'd pretend he didn't care, tell me that it didn't matter, but it would matter because he loved his car to pieces. We were hardly ten houses away, maybe I could hold off until we were at least on the driveway.
Dad turned to park up in front of the house. He hurriedly undid mine and his belts as I drunkenly opened my door, one hand clasped firmly over my trembling lips.
"You're okay, come on, let's get inside," Dad rushed as one arm circled around my waist. A warning cough burst from my mouth as Dad ushered me into the house and over the kitchen sink.
I only had time to whimper before everything came up again, as if my stomach was filled to the brim. This time my throat burned and went dead dry, making me splutter uncontrollably.
"Here Bud, nice and slow."
Dad forced a plastic cup filled halfway with water into my shaking hands. Nice and slow my arse, I was choking!
After drowning back a few gulps it eased off and I could breathe freely. I raised a hand to my forehead and shuddered through as deep of a breath I could manage.
"Don't wanna stand anymore," I murmured as I placed the cup down on the bench.
"Are you feeling faint again?" Dad asked, one hand on my back.
"My legs are g-gonna g-give out," I stuttered. There was literally zero muscle connection, I could hardly tense my legs at all. It wasn't going to be long until they dropped me onto the floor if I didn't sit.
"You good to get up the stairs to your room? We can stay down here on the couch if you want."
I nodded and swapped sides of the kitchen. Hanging off the edge of the bench, I kept myself steady all the way around to the other side. The tap turned on as I trudged through the gap between the kitchen at the living room, holding my sore stomach. Not only was it cramping and aching, the muscles were hurting too.
The couch had never been very comfortable. I'd complained about it for a few months when we'd gotten it but obviously nothing was done about it because I was whinging. Usually I sat on the chair by the ranch slider. I couldn't stretch out on that though so I took the couch.
The itchiness I remembered was still there but I couldn't bring myself to care very much. It was something to sleep on, the cushions were fluffy, and there was a throw blanket on the end that I dragged down and buried myself up in.
"I've got a bowl Bud, so that you don't have to get up. It's right here," Dad said. His voice interrupted my nearly sleep and I lazily opened my eyes to see him placing a bowl on the floor next to me.
"Whoa, you really don't look good. Your mum's gonna fuss over you when she gets home," he said, smiling sympathetically. I swallowed and continued to stare at him blankly.
"Let me check your temperature and then you can sleep."
Obediently, I opened my mouth and let him insert the thermometer. The cool device under my tongue nearly made me gag but thankfully I managed to keep it in, minus the horrid taste at the back of my mouth.
Dad took it out a minute or so later and peered at the numbers briefly before glancing back at me, sad and pathetic on the stupid itchy couch.
"What did the nurse measure you as?"
"She just said I had a fever. . ." I murmured. It took a conscious effort to keep my eyelids open.
Dad sighed and clicked his tongue, "okay, well you definitely still do. It's not gonna kill you though, I guess."
He shifted my legs and sat down at the end of the couch, placing my legs back on down on top of him Still cold even under the blanket, I grunted and swapped ends so that I could rest my head on his lap.
"Tell me if you need anything."
I was too far gone to reply.
All through the night I was up puking my guts up and I didn't think it could possibly get any worse until I woke up and the sun was out, bright and blinding through the bathroom window.
I didn't even open my eyes for a solid ten minutes of being awake, instead I just laid there on the floor, bundled in duvets, cursing my stinging throat. The rawness made swallowing practically unbearable and when I had to sit up to lean over the toilet for what had to be at least the twentieth time it hurt like hell.
The door flung open, it hit the wall with a crack that made the floor shake beneath me. Maybe that was just my body.
My stomach had nothing else to give after vomiting that one time so I just stared at Dad tearfully, unable to move. So far, I'd been okay. I hadn't made a total baby out of myself yet, but in that moment I wanted to cry.
"Hey, hey," Dad shushed as he crouched down beside me and handed me a piece of tissue to wipe around my damp lips, "are you feeling that bad?"
"My throat hurts," I tried to say. My voice was a whisper so gruff it was hardly recognisable. Dad touched his palms to my face gently and huffed, flushing the contents of the toilet away.
"I'm gonna book you an appointment at the doctors. It's late, Mum's gone to work and Mara's already at school, we might have to wait a while but you need to see someone," he said as he adjusted the blanket around my shoulders. His eyes went wide with worry as he tried to help me up only for me to collapse into him like a rag-doll.
"Jus' stiff," I slurred, "and lightheaded. . ."
"Take a moment," Dad said. He held my shoulders for a couple of seconds while my vision focused and the heat slowly drew away.
"I think my fever's getting high again," I whimpered as Dad lead me out to the couch where everything was still set up from yesterday.
"You're boiling," Dad agreed.
I sat down and tucked away into the corner of the couch to hopefully sleep the entire day away. I wanted nothing to do with it.
It would've worked if Dad hadn't woken me up later to take me to the doctors. The whole trip passed in a blur that I could hardly remember, I was half asleep the entire time. The doctor did a couple of tests and stuff, I threw up in his sink when he tried to shove something down my throat, and then we came home with a bag of prescribed medications and a few containers supplied by the clinic for the car ride home.
"This is for the strep, careful," Dad said from beside me. He handed me the liquid antibiotic and I tipped it into my mouth. It hurt bad going down and Dad rubbed my back calmingly when I began whimpering again, "couple more. Here, that'll help with the nausea."
Down the hatch.
"Fever reducer."
Now my throat was really killing.
"Last one, if you hadn't managed to catch strep as well as this virus this would be a lot easier," Dad sighed, wincing in sympathy pain as I downed the last tablet, coughing afterwards.
"You're telling me," I rasped. I squeezed Dad's leg when sharp shiver shook through me, "hmmm. . ."
"You should have something to eat, and some more water. . ." He said apologetically.
"I'm too tired," I groaned. The fever was making everything ten times worse. At the doctors it was 103.7, the highest it had gotten yet. I couldn't even keep my eyes open.
"Okay, when you wake up then?"
"Maybe."
"Mum will force you later."
I grunted and rolled over, "leave me alone."
"I would never, come here." Dad smiled and gestured to his empty lap. I crawled over and curled up into the same position as I had yesterday afternoon, head resting on his lap. Because of the fever all the blankets and duvets were on the floor and I wasn't allowed to touch them, Dad was the only heat I had access to.
Dad began humming something and before I knew it I was out cold, hoping to anyone who was listening that I'd wake up feeling at least a tiny bit better.
***
This extension was requested by larrybieberdreams, thank you for giving this new system a try Love! I hope you liked it!