"Just stay there..." Zak says, laying beside me on the cold marble floor. "Breath slowly, you're okay, I'm here."
I blink slowly, trying to remember what has happened, but from the ache in my muscles and the headache that's throbbing away, it would seem that I've had a seizure. The big one we had been waiting for.
Time is not a factor when I'm having them, for me I am unaware of what's going on around me and how long I am in them for. It's lucky I have Zak on hand because anything after the 5 minutes mark, requires a hospital visit.
"My head.." I murmur.
"Does it hurt?"
I nod.
"You didn't fall and hit it. I got to you before you hit the ground. I think it's probably the tension and the convulsions."
Looking at him, I see he's taken hold of my hand and held it between his, it's a sign of comfort, but I wouldn't have known throughout the seizure, only now..
"Go.." I tell him, wiggling my hand out from his grasp. "Shower or clothes."
The water droplet littering his chest already tell me what I know, that I interrupted his shower, he was quick off the mark, considering the alert he gets is to his phone.
"I'm fine." He insists, retaking my hand, with complete disregard that he's led on the cold floor, after having a hot shower, in just a towel because of me.
"Imma get up." I tell him.
"No.."
But stubborn is my middle name and I soon pull myself up and look around the hotel room at a new height. Somehow it looks a little different down here.. Weird.
I get a couple of seconds to take it in before Zak is beside me and scooping me up off the floor and carrying me into the bedroom. Sliding me back into the sheets when I give a hearty yawn. "You're gonna need a sleep." He says, knowingly.
"Hmm."
Tucking the bedding around me, he fusses with my pillow before kissing my forehead. "Just get some rest, I'm going to text the guys."
Today we were suppose to be going Karting, however this has put a spanner in the works for me, but that didn't mean Zak could go.
"You go. I'm fine."
"I'd rather stay with you."
"And I would rather you had fun than watch me sleep. Go, have fun, I will text you when I wake up."
He looks torn, but eventually nods. "I'll finish my shower."
Leaving the bedroom, I cast an eye to the door, before I see his phone on the bedside table. My eyes stay locked onto it for a few seconds, before I reach out for it. Hovering my hand over the device, I get a ping of guilt for not trusting him. I do, with my life, he has proven that before, but the obsession with his phone in the last few months is noticeable. He practically hides it, which makes me think he's up to something..
I move my hand away, determined not to invade his privacy no matter what the situation. If it concerned me, he would tell me, right?
Curling onto my side, I close my eyes and wait for sleep to hop into my mind. As I wait, I hear the shower stop, the moving round the room as Zak comes into change, the spray of his cologne as well as the smell, before he dips the bed to give me kiss. Then he is gone.
Sleep follows soon after.
********
When I finally resurfaced, I'm groggy and I spend a few minutes sat on the end of the bed, watching the room tilt. If I got up now, I would hit the floor without doubt, so I stay seated until the motion passes.
Opening the bedroom door, I step into the lounge intent on finding my phone and letting Zak know I'm okay, when I spot a figure sat on the couch.
"No." I say, as Zak smiles seeing me. "You're not suppose to be here."
"I wasn't. I did leave."
"But you're back."
"I am, I knew you'd be hungry when you woke up." He gestures to the table set out and filled with food. "Want to eat here or in the bed?"
I scrunch my face "Crumbs."
He smiles and hops up off the couch, to come to my side. His arm snakes around my waist, pulling me into his warm chest. "I sent the guys karting. I couldn't have fun knowing you're back here."
"But it was for you too.."
"I know, sweetheart."
We both take a seat at the table, and the most I can do is sit there and keep my eyes open, let alone pick food and eat it. Normally a sleep combats the tiredness after a seizure, but for some reason it hasn't, at all.
"How long was I asleep for?"
Zak looks at his watch "3 hours... You look like you're ready to go back."
"I don't feel any better for it."
He frowns, moving the chair around the table to look to look at me, even taking my face and turning it to face him. I don't know what he is looking for, maybe signs of tiredness, if he wants one, I'll move my arm and let my face hit the table, that's how drained I feel right now.
"Nope." He says, letting me go and standing up. I look up to see his hands come down and slip under my arms pulling me up with ease.
"What are you doing?" I complain as he walks me back to the bedroom.
"You're going back. I'm coming with you."
"But the food."
"Is all cold food. It will be fine. Lay down." He tells me when I sit on the bed.
I can't deny that the pillow is calling for me, so I do as he says, I get back into bed and lay there as he sheds his clothes and climbs in. I nuzzle into the crook of his neck and let him pull my leg over his and arrange my arm to drape over his body and hand to go over his heart.
"You sleep deeper with me. I need to get a sleep in before lockdown anyway."
I nod weakly understanding him, before I yawn quietly. Sure enough, when I drop off this time, it's deeper and darker than before. Only confirming Zak's observation, I sleep better with him.
When I wake, again, I realise it is dark outside and the once unclothed Zak is now led beside me, watching as I wake up completely.
"Welcome back."
"Lockdown."
"It's fine." He says knowing that I am reminding him that he needs to go. "The guys have been setting up. Don't worry, they suggested it too. They say thanks for the day out."
I smile slightly "You should have gone too. Enjoyed yourself."
"My priority was and is you. Everything else can wait."
"I love you."
He smiles, his eyes always sparkle hearing me say it. Which is why I say it often, but not enough for him to think it means nothing anymore. People are flippant with the words that I hold dear to my heart. It took me so long to say it, that even now, it feels a little foreign.
"I love you too. How are you feeling now?"
"Better. More energised and refreshed."
"Good."
Zak hangs around for a little longer, before I end up shoving him out the hotel room. I tell him my plans are to watch a film, eat and probably sleep some more, all of which he approves of. But I don't exactly stick to the plan. Instead, I climb into bed with the laptop and try to get some work done.
I also moon over Zak when I find he has left me a shirt out that smells of him. "Who said a man of darkness could never be romantic?" I ask myself swapping my top for his and inhaling it.
*****
Hearing a thud within the hotel room, my eyes spring apart and I go into self defence mode quick, by shooting across the room, armed with pencil, ready to stab whoever comes in. The wardrobe is a perfect hiding spot, but instead of climbing inside, which is usually someone's first hiding space, I hide beside it, meaning I can drive the pencil through someone's hand the moment they open the doors out.
My heart is racing when the bedroom door opens and I'm about to unleash hell on the intruder, when I notice the floor is wet. Looking down, I find myself slipping in blood, which has been splashed across the floor.
"Oh god. Oh god!"
"Elle!"
I jolt awake by the firm voice and find Zak sat in the edge of the bed, his hand in my cheek. "It's just me.. You were having a nightmare."
I look around the room before nodding. "Why are you back so soon?"
"It's about 4am.. You hungry?"
"Am I hungry at 4am?" I ask him.
He nods "I got us burgers."
I look at him as he wiggles the take out bag. "When you wake me up at 4am, just start with 'I got burgers' okay?"
He grins "That's my girl. Sit up then. I got loads by the way. I forgot what I was ordering until Billy started laughing at me. Hope you're hungry."
So here's the thing, Zak's level of hungry and overspending is completely different than mine. If I buy extra of something, I've overspent. But this man, right here, trim and lean with muscular arm, when he overspends and over buys, he gets 5 burgers, chips, ice cream and onion rings...
"Did you have a drink?"
"I got about 8..." He says making me cock a brow. "And I don't even like Soda. I can see why Billy was laughing so much now."
"What on earth are you gonna do with all this?" I ask him as we set out our food and look at the rest.
"I know.." Bagging the rest up, he gives me a kiss on the head. "I'll be right back."
He's only gone for a few minutes, making me question him about what he has done with it all.
"The guys next door had it. They just came back from a night out. They appreciated it. One tried to kiss me.." He says amused before unwrapping his burger and tucking in.
"I hope you told him that you're taken. I'm in no state to fight at the moment."
"You don't have to worry about that, my tastes are eloquent."
I cast an eye in his direction. "Eloquent, huh?"
He gives me a wink before tearing a bite out the burger almost ravaging it.
"How did lockdown go?" I ask picking up a chip and eating it.
With a speeded up chew and swallow, Zak answers "Tough. It's going to be a long journey for him. But it has to be done."
"Right."
"I mean, people think that one exorcism is gonna cure it. But it's multiple cleanses and exorcisms. The demon can reattach itself if it's not done properly."
I nod, biting my burger and chewing in thought. As Zak delves into detains of the lockdown, I can't help but beam with pride at how animated he becomes. Sat Indian style opposite me, at 4am, telling me everything he has just experienced.
"What?" He asks, leaning onto his hand amused.
"You, are too cute when you talk about work." I tell him.
I don't tell him that I'm absolutely besotted with him and everything he does. I don't need him walking around with a God complex, even if I think he's one.
"Not many women have said that. It's usually workaholic and everything negative. I've never had the support and encouragement for my line of work, like you give me."
"Well they were clearly wrong for you."
"Since meeting you, I can definitely see that." He says honestly.
"Good answer... But I have a question, regarding the guy who needed the exorcism or cleansing.."
"Go on."
"What happens now? Does the bishop that you flew in continue the cleansing?"
"Usually, Bishop Bryan will go to the church and speak with the priest there. They will do a hand over for the cleansing to continue and to help clear them of the bad energy."
I nod. "Okay that was the only question I have."
"Now eat up." Zak says, leaning across the bed and picking up my seizure log.
We then spend the next ten minutes going through the events of today and filling out all the information before crashing in bed with full stomachs.
"Your nightmare.." Zak begins laying on my lap as I sit in bed ready to read my book.
"What about it?" I ask.
"It doesn't have anything to do with that witches house, does it?"
I pause in thought, because since entering the house, I've been plagued with nightmares. There's been no dream regarding witches that I can remember, so it's hard to pin down if they are related. They are simply, bad dreams.. Okay really bad dreams.
"I've had a few.. Nothing major." I tell him.
"Cleansing you tomorrow." He mumbles before dropping off to sleep.
I wore protection to the house, I had one of Zak's blessed rosary, surely the power in that house isn't that...
Powerful, is it?
~~~~~~~~~
Author note:
Considered this whole chapter a sleepy chapter. But on review, I realised it shows the aftermath of a seizure and how much it can debilitate you after.
As well as Zak's commitment to Elle's condition & Elle's support in his Job. So.. That's that. Not too sleepy after all.
For newer readers, disclosures for my stories are in my bio.
I don't have any connection to the crew, travel channel, show or people affiliated with them. ✌🏼