Secrets Can Kill

Chapter 4: Morning Blues

Alison was roused from her sleep by a death grip clenching her hand. She looked over after rubbing her eyes to see Emily sweating heavily. She went to touch her head, but there was no need since Emily was basically a heater just radiating it throughout her personal space.

"Spence!" Alison whispered and received no answer. "Spence!" Again no answer was received. Alison decided to grab a pillow and throw it at her, which made her wake from her slumber with a shake.

"Wha..." she said incoherently.

"Wake up! Emily is burning up!" Alison shouted in a whisper. Once the words reached her ears, Spencer was up Alison a mild pain reliever and changing the saline drip bag. Almost immediately Emily calmed down and released Alison's hand that was now throbbing after the circulation had been cut.

"She should be good for a few hours, go back to sleep, we're going to need it," Spencer said and laid back in her former position before drifting off to sleep and Alison a little while after. The next morning she was the first one to wake up and looked over to see Emily squirming but still asleep thankfully. She went downstairs to make coffee for everyone especially Spencer, who would be irritable without it. Once she returned they were all up with the exception of Emily.

"It's a good thing she's sleep so long, the less pain she feels the better," Spencer comments feeling the same question among us. At 10 am Emily woke up looking pale and skinnier than usual.

"Mhhmm," she said with tears coming to her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Alison says rushing to her.

"It hurts," she cries and all the girls surround her.

"What hurts?" Spencer demands.

"My shoulder," she says clutching it.

"Okay, what's the pain level on 1-10?" Spencer asks.

"A good 11," she says through clenched teeth.

"I'm going to give you some naproxen to help," Spencer says and goes to get the needle. She injects it into the IV and Emily cries for a few more minutes with Alison rubbing her hair.

"Better?" Hanna asks.

"Yeah," Emily sighs feeling the pain reduce. She slips back into sleep and we all sit around before deciding to order pizza. We watched television and waited for Emily to wake again. It was honestly hard seeing their friend so fragile, but they knew if they stuck together, she would pill throw. Their wish was granted when Emily stirred and opened her eyes. She was sweating heavily and black rings formed under eyes.

"Spence," she called out and Spencer was at her side.

"What do you need?" she asked her.

"A bin," she answered faintly clutching her head. Spencer went to the bathroom to get a trashcan and returned putting it at the bed. Emily rolled onto the floor and sat on her knees releasing the entirety of her stomach contents while Spencer held her hair back.

"Let it out sweetie," Spencer rubbed her back until Emily sat up with tears. Aria went downstairs and came back with a cup of water and Emily happily took it.
"Are you hungry?" Alison asked and Emily nodded no.

"Emily you have to eat," Spencer reassured her.

"I'm really not hungry, I think I'll just throw it up," she replies.

"I know the feeling, but eating helps to keep your strength up," Spencer says and Emily sighs and takes the pizza. She only gets to a few bites before she's back throwing up in the bin and the girls look on sympathetically. Emily gets back in the bed and falls asleep without a word but silent tears coming down her face.

"Get ready for hell tomorrow," Spencer says.

"Why do you say that?" Hanna asks.

"This was just day 1, her body was in shock, but now it knows what she's trying to do," Spencer replied and sighed. They all resumed eating and watching television, but not really paying attention because of the big elephant in the room. They retired to their sleep and Alison was back at Emily's bedside with a cool wet cloth to wipe away the sweat, but she woke Emily up.

"Stop," Emily said hoarsely.

"You're sweating and burning up," Alison reasons.

"It's too cold, I'm freezing," she says shivering making Alison confused because her body temperature was telling a different story. Instead of arguing, she pull the blankets up around Emily and still heard the girls shivering as she slipped between consciousness and unconsciousness. She fell asleep easily and was pulled awake in the middle of the night to rustling. She saw Emily pulling off her clothes.

"What are you doing Em?" she asked.

"Too hot," she replied out of breath. Trying to find a way to take off her shirt, but the IV got in the way, so she ripped it and surprised Alison with her strength since she's only half awake. Once she settles back on the bed she keeps tossing and turning and moaning.

"What's wrong?" Alison asked.

"I can't get comfortable, I'm sore," she says with tears returning to her eyes. Alison grabbed Emily's head and put it on her chest and started to rub her arms and humming to relax her. To her surprise Emily stopped fighting and was gently rocked back to sleep. Alison put her clothes back on, feeling a draft in the room. Alison went back to their previous position and fell asleep. Spencer awoke to that scene with a smile, thankful that Emily had someone who could do what no one could for her since her parents sent her to rehab. The girls woke up in a similar fashion, only to Spencer's overly strong coffee which had them gagging. Their attention turned to Emily who had roused awake on high alert.

"Get them off!" she yelled over and over snatching the IV out.

"Get what off sweetie?" Spencer asked.

"There's bugs everywhere," Emily said scratching her skin.

"There's no bugs, there's no bugs," Spencer cooed trying to get closer to Emily.

"They're everywhere!" Emily cried and it broke all their hearts.

"I swear there's no bugs it's just your imagination," Spencer tried to calm her down.

"My imagination," Emily repeated seeming to calm down and Emily touched her and she felt her entire body go on fire.

"Don't come any closer!" she yelled at the girls.

"Why?" Alison asked with tears.

"I'm on fire! I'm on fire!" she repeated.

"There's no fire," Aria said softly.

"I'm on fire," she cried taking off her shirt and pants.

"No Emily! There's no fire I promise. It's just your imagination," Spencer said.

"I-I can't breath," Emily panted trying to take breaths, but her body wouldn't allow it.

"Breath with me," Spencer said taking deep breaths and Emily tried but doubled over in pain.

"It hurts," Emily yelled and found herself on her knees crawling and clutching her chest.

"Try for me sweetie, come on big breathes," Spencer cooed and Emily tried with all her strength. "That's it just follow me".

"It hurts so much," Emily cried and Spencer grabbed her head and but her against her stomach. She sat up while Emily laid in a fetal position against her sobbing in obvious pain. By that point she was sweating heavily and the girls went to turn on the shower. Spencer pulled her up since she was weak and half carried her to the shower. Alison undressed her and helped Spencer put her in the shower while Aria and Hanna stood outside. Spencer joined them seconds later knowing that only Alison would be allowed to wash her. Fifteen minutes later Emily came out wrapped in a towel. Alison helped her into clothes before calling the girls back in. She lay down and Spencer hooked her back up and gave her a sedative to help her sleep and calm the nausea. She smiled the first smile in days and went to sleep while the other girls gave out a sigh that they'd just gotten through the second morning.