Stumble - (Stardew Valley)

9 - Sitting Duck

[please read the A/N at the end of this chapter when you get to it, it has a very important disclaimer about this story that i felt was necessary after this part. i'm also gonna take down the A/N chapter that i posted before this one, it basically explained that i've been taking a break because i recently got diagnosed with a chronic condition and it's been really stressful. hope you guys are alright that i took a break. now go read this chapter!! it's kinda filler but next chapter's gonna be sweet]

There was a burning sensation in my nostrils. My hand flew to my face and felt a tube with two holes going into my nose. I yanked it out, relief setting in. My nose wasn't hurting anymore, that's all that mattered.

"Polly?" I heard a deep, raspy voice to my left. My head rolled over to face it.

"Polly, what the hell happened?" a blurry figure spoke with the same voice. The figure had messy dark brown hair and stubble on their face. As my vision returned, familiar green eyes materialized onto the person in front of me.

"Shane, hi," I croaked. Shane smiled, tears in his eyes.

"I found you unconscious in your house and brought you to the clinic. Harvey should be here in a few minutes," he came over to my bedside and knelt down beside me.

"Why were you in my house, creep?" I spat. I was kidding around, but I wasn't sure if it came across that way.

"I wanted to ask you something, so I came back to your house after walking you home. You didn't respond to my knocking so I... let myself in. That's when I found you," he explained.

"How did I get here?" I asked.

"I had carry you all the way from your farm. I mean, how else was I supposed to get you here? At least you're pretty... light," a grim look surfaced on Shane's face.

"No I'm not," I groaned.

"She's awake," I heard another voice speaking from my right and I turned to look. Harvey came through the doorway and over to my bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Like crap," I retorted. Shane got up and sat back in the chair by my bed.

"Do you have any idea why you might have lost consciousness?" Harvey pulled out a clipboard and I glanced at Shane. He stared at the tile floor, a glazed look in his eyes.

"No," I lied. I knew exactly why, it was the same reason I was hospitalized in high school. Only this time, I could lie my way out of it and no one could stop me. No one lived with me, no one had proof of what I was doing. But did I actually want to lie?

"Alright, can you walk me through today really quickly?" Harvey flipped a page on his clipboard, pen in hand.

"Sure, I started by getting dressed and brushing my teeth, then I did some work on the farm like watering and preparing crops for shipment. I played with my dog for a while, then I went over to Leah's house that afternoon. I went to Marnie's Ranch to pick up Shane for the festival, we went there, then he walked me home. Then I fainted."

"Did you eat?" Harvey looked up from the clipboard and lowered his glasses. I glanced at Shane for a moment, his eyes still glued to the ground. His lips were pursed. I hesitated for a second.

"Yeah," I lied.

"I doubt it," Shane grumbled.

"Judging by your BMI and mental health history," Harvey pursed his lips and let out a sigh, "I think you might lying, Polly. Now tell me honestly, when was the last time you ate? I need to know for your own medical safety."