It was four a clock in the afternoon and the house was deathly silent. It was weird and I wasn't sure whether I liked it or not. Usually everyone was home by four, Mara would be chatting her head off about something that happened at school that day and my parents would be arguing over what to cook for dinner. Instead I was sitting all alone on the couch, wondering if it was going to be this quiet the entire time.
I pursed my lips and tapped my foot, bored. I'd gotten back from school hardly ten minutes ago and already I was struggling to entertain myself. I was supposed to be studying, that's why I fought so much with Mum and Dad about going to Mara's silly gymnastics competitions halfway across the country. But studying was so. . . I wasn't keen, now that the time had actually come. The test wasn't until the end of the week anyway, it was only Monday. I'd give myself tonight and then get cracking tomorrow, hopefully.
I sighed and turned the TV on until it got late enough to start putting together something for dinner. Two minute noddles were on the menu, two cups of them. Halfway through the second cup my phone started ringing. I glanced over at it and rolled my eyes. It was just Dad again. I was too stubborn to answer his calls, or mums texts.
There'd been a big argument yesterday morning when I was supposed to being leaving with everyone to Mara's competition, the one I didn't even know about until Mum was in my room dragging me out of bed and telling me to pack a bag. Needless to say, I wasn't happy. I wasn't interested in going at all, despite the time I'd get out of school. I really did have a physics test Friday, but I more used it as an excuse to not go.
Mum and Dad were yelling, I was yelling, and then they decided I was sixteen years old and mature enough to stay home by myself for the week. It was more of a desperate choice, I think that if they weren't so mad they never would have left me. They didn't trust me that much
And now they wouldn't quit trying to check in on me.
This time the ringing didn't stop. Every time my phone went to voicemail it would starting ringing again moments later.
I couldn't stand it so I finally answered, yelled a quick and exasperated, 'I'm fine!' And then hung up.
That night when I went to bed I forgot to set an alarm and slept in until 8:30, far too used to being woken by mum in the mornings. Yesterday I'd slept in too, but not this late. I was mumbling to myself and rushing around for just five minutes before I was out the door and on my bike on the way to school, a piece of toast in one hand. By the time I got to school I was all sweating, gross, and breathing like I'd just run a marathon.
Somehow though, I made it to class a split second before the bell rang.
Georgia and Kade both raised eyebrows at me as I fell into my seat with a huff, tossing my bag onto the floor.
"How was your second night on your own Jack?" Kade asked cautiously.
"Boring," I replied bluntly, "really boring. And I slept in again."
"I would love to be by myself at home," Georgia said, smiling dreamily. If I had seven siblings like she did I'd probably appreciate the quiet more too.
The teacher shushed everyone and started the lesson, slipping into that same monotone all teachers did.
The day went by incredibly slowly and with ever minute that passed I grew more and more tired. I still hasn't cooled down from biking to school and for some reason lunch was difficult to stomach. Georgia took me aside and told me I was acting funny and she wouldn't stop asking me if I was alright. I thought I was, until I got on my bike to go home.
I felt funny, hot, tired, and kind of sick to my stomach. When I finally did get home I sat on the couch for only five minutes, trying to figure out what was going on, until a familiar lurch in my tummy sent me barrelling to the bathroom with a palm clapped over my mouth.
There was no holding it back and everything I'd eaten quite literally poured out of me with every sickening wave of nausea. I groaned as my phone started ringing from the place I'd left it on the coffee table.
I'd bet every dollar I had that I was Dad, again.
I plopped down onto my arse and waited for it to stop while I got my breath back.
I'd always been a bit clingy when I sick. It wasn't something I could control, or that I really wanted to, but I just really liked to be close to other people when I wasn't feeling well. I knew right away that I'd caught either a bug or the flu. This wasn't just some freak occurrence and nobody got food poisoning from two minute noodles. I felt even more alone now that I knew I was going to have to look after myself.
Well, I didn't really. If I gave in and called Mum and Dad and told them that I'd gotten sick one of them would come home in a snap of my fingers. But I was going to holding my ground. They left me here.
Even without Mum and Dad around I followed my usual sick routine. Well, I tried my best. After picking myself up off the floor I flushed the toilet and blearily brushed my teeth. I'd been off all day, but after actually throwing up everywhere I felt a thousand times worse and it was hard to imagine that I'd actually gone throughout my entire day with this feeling lingering just around the corner. How did I not realise?
I grabbed all the blankets off Mum and Dads bed as well as Mara's and made a fluffy nest on my own bed, my muscles screaming after just lifting the covers. My legs were burning from biking around and they twanged painfully as I clambered onto my bed. My stomach growled loudly and I winced at the tightening sensation around my middle.
There were many things I'd forgotten and as things started happening I felt like face palming multiple times. Over time my stomach started churning and cramping even more painfully and I realised I hadn't bothered looking around for some medication. Then I threw up again, straight into the non-existent bucket I'd forgotten to put beside my bed.
No water, no thermometer, no nothing.
Also, no motivation to actually go find everything else I needed so let's just say it was a very long night.
Morning came slowly, I hadn't had an inch of sleep and I was almost sad enough to just ring mum and plead her to come home. The only reason I didn't was because it was early and I still hadn't retrieved my phone from the lounge, on the other side of the house.
I felt like total shit. I hadn't moved since yesterday when I'd gotten into bed in the first place, which meant I'd swallowed down multiple vomit fests and was practically laying in a pool of my own sweat.
With the sleeve of my shirt I wiped the sweat from my face and groaned loudly into the pillows surrounding me. This was going so badly. Mum and Dad were going to come home on Saturday and find me dried out like a prune in this very bed. Already my face was swollen from dehydration so badly I could hardly open my eyes. My lips had totally dried out there was a wild tornado wrecking havoc in my stomach.
I needed a drink. My parents and I hadn't split on good terms but now I had the chance to prove I could be independent, even in the worst circumstances. I couldn't just throw away the opportunity, if I navigated this right it meant I wouldn't have to ever go to another one of Mara's completions
There was a cramp in my leg so violent I swore I saw the muscle moving under my skin as I sat up for the first time in ten hours. Damn, I needed to pee so bad. I hadn't even noticed the urge until I'd started moving about.
My first mission was to the bathroom. I held on to the wall as I took a leak and then filled up a glass of water. Dehydrated and thirstier than I'd been in a long time I skulled it all back like a complete idiot, only to throw it all back up within seconds. My chest ached and my throat burned as I spluttered helplessly over the toilet for the next ten minutes.
Although I felt like dying after being sick, I had a drink afterwards, much more slowly, and it gave me some energy back. Not a lot, but my headache eased tremendously and I felt less spacey on my feet.
Time for medication. I could do this. All I had to do was find the stuff.
Mum always dealt with it, pills and liquids had always just appeared so I didn't really know where to even start looking. I made sure they weren't hidden in the bathroom and then went around the house checking all the other cupboards, a blanket trailing behind me like a cape. I was holding it close over my shoulder but it wasn't having the desired affect on the harsh tremors rattling through my body. Goosebumps still stood tall on my bare arms and the hair were standing even taller.
It was a short moment of triumph when I finally found the box of medicine and vitamins. I'd been wandering around the house for s good twenty minutes and my stomach decided it'd had enough off the water I'd drunken so I had to take a quick diversion to retch it up over the kitchen sink.
My phone started ringing as I shot back a few pills with some more water. Seeing that I was actually on my feet and nearing functional I decided to go answer it, might as well let Dad know how things are going.
"Hey Dad, so I'm dying but don't worry, I'm look-"
"It's Georgia, not your Dad Jackson. You better just be being dramatic, if you die I'll only have Kade to entertain me and I'd probably end up killing him too."
My mouth fell open in shock and I stumbled over a few croaky words, shaking my head, "sorry, I thought you were- I'm not actually dying- why? Sorry, why are you calling me?"
"You weren't at school and you're at home by yourself. I figured you needed a wake up call, that you'd slept in again. But you sound funny, are you okay?"
I sat down heavily and rested my forehead in my free hand. Even I could feel how hot I was.
"Yeah, I'm getting there. I got sick last night," I said, hating the whingey tone my voice took on.
A short pause.
"Why didn't you answer my other calls? I've been calling all morning," Georgia quizzed. She was speaking slowly, as if there was something she was withholding from me.
"I haven't moved a lot. . ." I rasped, sorry to admit it. Why had I acted so pathetic all night? What am I, five?
"Well, you didn't answer, and I got worried. I'm kind of- well, look outside your kitchen window."
I heaved myself to my feet and stumbled over to peer through the glass, my heart beginning to pound in anticipation, surely she hadn't actually. . .
Nope, she had. Georgia stood there, leaning on the mailbox and waving at me with her phone still held to her ear.
"Hey," she mumbled, sounding embarrassed. I on the other hand was totally humiliated. I had no choice but to invite her inside now and she was going to see exactly how incapable I was. There was literally a crusty puddle of sick at the head of my bed. The house was a bomb-site post me rummaging through all the cupboards and I probably looked like a pile of shit.
"Georgia. . ." I groaned, dragging myself over to the front door. I wearily swung it open, one arm wrapped protectively around my stomach. The cool air hit me like a slap to the face and I shivered hard as I beckoned for her to come closer.
"You really came all the way here, just left school, because you were worried about me?" I said, disbelieving. I pulled my hodge up in an attempt to hide the worst of my horrid appearance but Georgia looked empathetic all the same so it mustn't have had a lot of coverage,
She shrugged, "I guess I did. And now I'm here, I may as well come in and help you out."
"You, what?" I sniffled, unable to stop her as she easily slipped past me into the house. She closed the door and ran her hands up and down my freezing arms, "well why not? I'm good with sick, I have seven siblings remember? Plus, you look miserable and I've already ditched school, might as well make it worthwhile."
Having someone touch me was like having the switch turned inside of me, the one that made me crave more. Georgia was warm as I sagged against her shorter, slender frame.
"Whoa," she chuckled.
"I'm really glad you came," I slurred, in total bliss just from the human contact. All morning I'd been struggling to stay on my feet but now I could stand there forever.
"So am I, I think you really would have died if I hadn't. You look dreadful. So does the place. How sick are you?"
Georgia took my hand and lead me over to the couch to sit down.
"Very," I groaned, pulling a cushion over my gurgling stomach.
Georgia hands landed on my face and once again I simply slumped at the touch, butting into her and actually smiling too.
She was frowning though, staring straight into my eyes with a concerned look, "you're super warm Jack."
"I haven't checked my uh, the, uh-"
"You temp? Do you have a thermometer around?" Georgia chirped.
"I think it's in that box." I yawned, pointing at the box of medications and stuff I'd left on the bench.
Georgia came back with it but looked mightily confused by the bulky thing in her hand, "yeah, this is too fancy for me? Is this one of those ear ones they use at the doctors?"
I nodded wearily, "are their different ones?"
Georgia snorted and fiddled with it for a moment before hesitantly raising it up towards my right ear, "do you want to do it, or do I just-"
"Just do it, I don't mind," I murmured. My stomach was rolling around again and I knew it would be safer to keep talking to a minimum in case I choked and threw up everywhere.
Georgia smiled at me reassuringly and then very awkwardly she took my temperature. We both had been holding our breaths it seemed as she held the device in place, because when it finally beep and the gap between our bodies finally expanded I wasn't the only one to let out all the air that had collected in my chest.
She sighed down at the tiny screen, "it's actually not as bad as I thought it would be, but you're definitely feverish. 38.9."
I nodded and pretended that I knew what the numbers meant.
Georgia observed me for a moment and then patted my knee, "I think you should go have a bath or something."
"That sounds incredible," I moaned. Why hadn't I thought of that earlier? My muscles were in desperate need of some hot water.
With a broad smile Georgia helped me to stand and then spun me in the direction of the bathroom, "go, I'll wait out here. Just call out if you start feeling any worse and I'll come help out."
"Thanks George," I croaked. A sticky sweat broke out all up my spine and I started for the bathroom, knowing that I was going to be using the toilet again before I could even think about the bath. I tried to move quickly, but not so desperately that Georgia would catch on to what was about to happen. I didn't want her to see me puking, she already had to deal with looking at me in this state.
I figured that if I could turn on the tap and let the water run she wouldn't have the slightest idea.
Apparently I gave her less credit than she deserved because she was on to me right from the get go.
"Let's just speed up a little Jacko, come on," she encouraged from right by my side when I gagged a few feet away from the bathrooms entrance. She took hold of my waist and pushed me gently inside where I instantly buckled over the toilet. I really didn't want her to see but she'd touched me and now instinctively my body refused to let her go. I squeezed her hand as I threw up.
It wasn't a lot, but it burned and I felt like I could hardly even move by the time the episode had finished and I was able to breath without dry heaving or coughing.
"Here, just slowly. . ." Georgia warned as she handed me a cup of water, as if she'd seen how badly it had gone the first time I'd tried.
I sipped at it a couple of times and wiped the dampness away from my eyes, my face blushing bright red and hot.
"Sorry if I squeezed too hard," I blurted, gesturing at her hand as I hauled myself up to perch on the edge of the tub. Georgia shoved the plug in and turned on the water with a dismissive shrug, "you didn't Jack, it's okay."
The bath filled up quickly and Georgia left me to it as I began peeling off my sweat-soaked shirt.
"Just call out Jack, I'll be right there," she reminded as she closed the bathroom door.
I smiled lightly as I undressed the rest of the way and lowered myself into the warm water. At first I felt played because it was nowhere near as hot as I'd have liked it to be but the longer I sat there the more I heated up and after just fifteen minutes I had to get our anyway because it was becoming suffocating and I'd sprouted a thumping headache thanks to the steam.
Luckily no more spewing occurred as I wrapped my towel around my waist and stared down at my clothes. There was no way I could put the same ones back on, and I hadn't really had time to grab another set.
I sighed and slowly headed off for my room to dig up a fresh set.
Seeing Georgia in there making my bed almost made me hit the roof. I didn't expect her to be there, and I never expected her to actually clean up after me. She didn't have to at all, I felt guilty and sheepish about it even before I noticed that last nights spew had been mopped up.
"Oh George, don't tell me you. . ."
"I did, and it was quite disgusting. It's not your fault though. Are you feeling any better after that?"
She looked up from her meticulous sheet folding and blinked at the small knot holding my towel up before looking away again.
Self consciously I grabbed onto the towel, suddenly paranoid it was going to fall off. How embarrassing would that be?
"I swapped out the muscle pain for a headache, but I'm not as cold," I answered truthfully, opening up my top draw for a pair of underwear. When I spun back around I smiled, seeing that Georgia hadn't just made the bed, she'd remade my nest with all the blankets.
She grinned, "it seemed too well designed to destroy."
Georgia left me alone to get dressed and then returned with some crackers of the pantry on a plate with a couple of apple slices. She placed it in my hands and ushered me towards the bed, where she'd put a steel bowl in the centre of the bed. I didn't have the heart to tell her that it was actually Dad's main baking bowl after everything she'd done so I just went with it and creakily climbed into bed, holding my weak stomach wearily.
Without any hesitance Georgia got right in beside me and turned on the TV. Half of her body was on top of mine but I wasn't complaining.
"I know you're probably not hungry but you should try a little," she said, gesturing at the plate I'd already discarded and forgotten about. The she grabbed a bottle of water and some pills out of seemingly nowhere and wagged them in front of my face too, "and you can take some more stuff now too. Drink when you can."
"You're way too good at this," I grumbled, swallowing a swig of water. It didn't settle very pleasantly, I really wasn't keen to eat anything.
Georgia turned the TV volume down to low after noticing my wincing and rubbing at my throbbing temples, "there are some things that I'm good at."
I scoffed, "yeah, everything."
"I'm not," Georgia rolled her eyes.
I took another dose of fever reducer and stomach relaxer, along with some pain killers and then relaxed into the mound of fluffy pillows behind me.
Georgia picked up a thin cracker with a pout, "you're feeling so bad that you can't even handle a cracker?"
I moaned, "please don't force me."
"I can't force you." Georgia chuckled, brandishing it beneath my nostrils as if she could tempt me with the mild smell of salt and flour, "but I can beg you. You'll have some energy if you eat something, and you'll fall asleep easier."
I really did start thinking about it but my stomach must've realised and it starting flipping around again, warning me not to put anything solid inside it.
I shook my head and swallowed harshly against the rising nausea, I'd already been sick in front of Georgia once, twice was not part of the game plan.
Georgia sighed and took a large bite of the cracker herself, "I can the the noises your tummy is making, I'm not surprised you don't feel like eating anything. I don't blame you for refusing."
Even seeing her eat was enough to make me reach for the bowl and heave hard. Nothing came up and I really didn't want it to. I'd just taken a whole bunch of medicine, if I couldn't keep it down it wasn't going to do anything.
"Alright, it's all good, breathe through it best you can," Georgia coached. Her fingers went lightly over my back once, as of hesitant, and then they went harder with her palm joining in on a comforting rubbing motion up and down my spine.
I heaved again, still nothing.
The bowl in my hands trembled and shook in synchronisation with my hands so Georgia grabbed onto it to steady it better, "just try to relax. . ."
Somehow, I got through the nausea without actually throwing up this time around, probably because I had nothing left to get out, but the sick feeling just drizzled away and I was able to snuggle back up into my nest without too much stress. Dry heaving was still painful, and tiring, but I'd choose it over actually bringing up stomach contents any day.
"Thank you for coming George," I whispered, feeling my eyes closing,
"Course, I'm glad I did. I hate to think what you'd have done to yourself if I'd stayed at school all day," she replied with a quiet laugh.
I laughed too and then fell asleep, probably kind of freaking her out at the sudden change from consciousness to unconsciousness. I just couldn't stay awake any longer.
Later on I woke up and Georgia was still laying there beside me, fiddling around on her phone. There was another phone on top of miner legs, mine.
Groggily I reached out to see if Dad had tried to call again. Georgia smiled, "you're alive! You slept for like six hours."
"Did I?" I rasped. After sleeping my poor voice was even more gone. My phone was surprisingly clear.
"I answered a call from your Dad at about lunchtime," Georgia stated, making my eyes widen.
"You didn't tell him that I'm-"
"Yeah Jack, of course I told him. I have to go home tonight and there's no way you're going to be okay here on your own all night. He said he would get on the road right away, he's probably only about twenty minutes away now."
"I would so be okay, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myse-" this time I had to cut myself off to cough up a stream of stomach acid into the bowl Georgia managed to get in front of my face just in time.
"I know you are Jack," she said, lowering the bowl, "but you're pretty sick. Anyone would need help in this condition. You can hardly stand up on your own."
"I can so!" I protested, wiping my mouth shakily. I tossed my legs over the side of the bed and jumped up, only to be hit by a wave of dizziness so intense I almost threw up again. Georgia grabbed onto my wavering arm and yanked me back into bed before I could really do any damage, "you can, fine. Benefit of the doubt. You're totally right. But I'm not comfortable leaving you here alone. I won't do it."
I opened and closed my mouth a couple of times, "well, why don't you just stay then?"
"Mum needs me at home Jackson, but if that weren't the case I definitely would," Georgia replied. I noticed the how close we were to each other.
I felt strange in a way that different to the strange I'd felt leaning over the toilet or trying to stand up.
I didn't even have time to properly think the feeling through before the garage door began to open obnoxiously and Georgia leapt away from me with a surprised squeak. I moaned, Dad had gotten home earlier than expected.
"Stay in bed, I'll go explain to him what's going on," Georgia stated, a little flushed in the face.
I sighed as she left the room. Before all I'd wanted was for Mum and Dad to come home and look after me, but now I would be more than happy if they stayed away as long as Georgia never left.
There's another longer one. I felt a bit weird writing it, since none of the lads are really even involved at all. I don't know, I feel like I actually did alright with the writing and everything but it was just a weird one to put together. I got there I suppose, it just not exactly what I had in mind.
I'm going to stop requests here for now. I think there's a few empty slots right at the end still but I'm gonna figure out those later, I have some ideas of my own and i wouldn't mind doing another contest or something to decide whose request are written at the very end. Could be fun, I reckon!
The next request is for: masteroftimeandbooks.
And it's going to be about hallucinations which I have no clue on what can trigger them so if you know, please inform me!