“Thank you.”

“Let’s get you upstairs and in bed.

Lie down for a while and see if your stomach settles.”

“Okay.”

Jules follows me upstairs. I don’t feel too bad, just intensely nauseous. I hate throwing up.

My phone pings in my pocket as I climb on the bed. It’s a text from Luke.

About to take off. No one recognized me. I miss you already, beautiful.

I smile and hit reply.

I miss you too. Be safe. I want you home in one piece, please.

And, I have to barf again. I run for my bathroom, and stay there for the next thirty minutes. Jules is hovering with wet rags and water, and makes me shove a towel under my knees.

“I think we should go to the E.R.”

“No, I’m fine.” I wretch some more.

“Yes, I can see that you’re in top form,” Jules replies dryly.

“Don’t be a bitch.”

“Nat, I’m worried. You can’t stop throwing up.”

“I don’t have anything left to throw up.”

“Yet you’re still dry-heaving. This isn’t normal, even for the flu. You don’t have a fever.”

My abs are starting to ache as I continue to heave over the toilet.

“Nat, don’t make me call my mother.”

“She’ll side with me,” I reply.

“Fine, I’ll call Luke.”

“No, he can’t do anything from L.A.

anyway.”

More heaving. God, there’s nothing left in me! What is wrong with me?

“Okay, Nat… get in the goddamn car.

Here’s a bucket.” Jules shoves a big plastic bowl under my face and helps me to my feet. “An hour of uncontrollable barfing is too much. You’re probably dehydrated.”

She helps me into the car and takes me to a nearby hospital emergency room.

Surprisingly, it’s fairly quiet and I’m processed through triage and into a room quickly. I’m thankful that Jules is with me

to

give

them

my

personal

information; I can’t stop heaving long enough to form a sentence.

I manage to give a urine sample and change into a hospital gown.

“Natalie, I’m Mo. I’ll be your nurse today. Put this pill under your tongue.

It’s called Zofran, and it’ll help the nausea.” I gratefully accept the medicine from the kind, petite nurse and take a deep breath.

“Let’s get another set of vitals.” Mo smiles and takes my temperature, blood pressure and heart rate.

“Everything is normal. That’s a good sign. Dr. Anderson will be here in a few moments.”

“Thank you.” Jules pulls a chair up next to me and my phone starts to ring.

It’s Luke.

“Hello?”

“Hey, baby, I’m at the hotel.

Everything okay?”

“Yes, everything’s fine. I’m just hanging out with Jules.” Jules’ eyes go round and she mouths “What the fuck are you doing?” at me. I brush her off.

“Okay, good. I’m heading back out to my first meeting. I’ll text you when I can.”

“Alright, have a good meeting. I love you.”

“I love you too.” I hear the smile in his voice as he hangs up.

“Natalie…”

“Stop. He can’t do anything from L.A. There’s no need to worry him.

He’ll be home tomorrow anyway.”

“He should know that you’re in the emergency room.” God, she’s stubborn.

“That pill they gave me is helping with the puking. They’ll probably just send me home.”

“Knock, knock.” A small blonde woman pokes her head through the door.

“I’m Dr. Anderson. I hear you’re not feeling well, Natalie.”

“I’ve been throwing up for about the last hour and a half.”

“Has it been steady, or does it come and go?”

“Steady. Couldn’t breathe until the nurse gave me that anti-nausea pill.”

“Any other symptoms like diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain?” She is jotting down notes in my chart as we talk.

“No, just the vomiting. I was a little nauseous early this morning, but I thought it was just nerves. Then the vomiting started.”

“Okay, well, it sounds like we’ve got that stabilized.” She pushes on the skin on my hands and looks in my mouth and nose. “You’re pretty well dehydrated, so I want to start an I.V. and get some fluids going, we’ll take some blood and run your urine and see what we see, okay?” She smiles down at me kindly.

“Okay. Will I be able to go home today?”

“Most likely. Let’s get some test results and I’ll be back in a little while.”

“See?” I say to Jules after the doctor leaves. “I’ve probably just got the flu.”

Nurse Mo bustles back into the room and starts my I.V.

“Oh, no, I’m outta here!” Jules jumps up and runs out of the room. I smirk at Mo.

“She hates needles the way most of us hate spiders.”

Mo laughs, draws some blood and bustles back out again, leaving me with Jules.

“How are you feeling?” she asks.

“Better. Still a tiny bit queasy, but I don’t feel like I’m going to throw up anymore.”

“Good. You were starting to scare me.”