bounce back

87

nothing like celebrating the new year by throwing up in the toilet.

"how you feeling babe?"

"like fucking shit." i said.

he set a yellow gatorade on the bathroom counter for me.

january 2nd and its day 2 that ive felt like crap but today is so much worse.

"you want to take a shower?" he asked, pointing towards it.

"yeah just-" i said before puking again into the toilet.

jack flushed it for me before wetting a wash cloth and wiping my face with it.

"i think that was all of it." i said.

he pulled to me to my feet and hugged me and kissed my forehead, "jack, i dont want to get you sick."

"i can have the team doctor come by and check you out?" he offered.

"i think my bodies tired from holidays and everything."

"baby, youre sick."

"im fine."

he held my weak body against his.

"why dont you take a shower? i think youre running a fever baby." he said, feeling my forehead.

one thing we didn't get when we moved into the house was medicine for sickness & a thermometer.

"i just want to lay down."

"let me wash your hair." he said.

he went and turned on the shower.

"jack, i dont want too." i said.

"babe, you need a shower, it will be quick." he said.

i gave in and it was a quick shower.

he washed my hair and body and even my face.

dressed in clean clothes that jack picked out for me, a UNC hoodie & a pair of his sweats, i walked across the hall to the guest bedroom.

"livy?" he asked.

"yeah?"

"where you going?"

"sleeping in here, i dont want to get you sick."

he started looking around the room, "where did i say that you had to stay in the other room?"

"baby im sick, it might be contagious and you leave on a road trip tomorrow."

"i dont care. you're sick, im taking care of you." he said.

he picked me up and carried me to the bedroom, ive got no more fight left in me, laying me down in bed & tucket me in.

my waterbottle was filled and sitting on my nightstand.

i stared at it realizing it was the same waterbottle that way got me when i was in the hospital.

the custom made light blue hydroflask with pink painted peonies on it was supposed to be my christmas gift but once way heard that i had a chance of no recovery, he flew to massachusetts with it. thinking it would be the last present that id receive.

"liv?" jack said.

"yeah." i said, looking up at him.

"are you okay? that look you had staring at your water bottle." he said. "oh my god, that look, i know that look-are you okay?"

"what look?" i tried playing it off.

he sat in the bed by me, his hand on my side.

"its the same look you had what you came home from the hospital. i remember that look. i remember it all to well."

"im okay, i just-its nothing."

he shook his head telling me no, "baby, dont lie to me."

"i was just thinking about how this waterbottles been with me for so many life changes yet ive had it for like 2 years. its nothing, i swear. what were you saying?" i asked.

"okay. you know im always here to talk to, right?"

"yes." i nodded.

"okay. im ordering some stuff from the store to get delivered today, ill let you look at it and decide what else we need because we were not prepared for this."

i added a few things to the order and handed him his phone back.

he leaned forward and kissed my head.

"get me sick." he said, laying on me.

"no." i pushed him away.

"i dont want to leave you at home sick baby."

"ill be fine. i can take care of myself." i said.

"i dont want to leave you here sick." he repeated.

"jacky, i can call maddie if i need anything. go pack."

"i know you can, but id feel a lot better if i was here. i can always join the team-"

"get up, get up, get up." i urged him.

he stood up and i hurried into the bathroom, not even shutting the door.

"im sorry." i said, after puking again.

his hand rubbed my back and his other hand flushed the toilet.

"this is bad jack."

i brushed my teeth for the 5th time today.

jack might want to add toothpaste to the order.

i walked back out to the bedroom and got in bed.

jack tucked me in again, "warm enough?"

"yeah." i mumbled.

he got in bed next to me, letting me sleep in his arms.

-

jack woke up running a fever so now were both in bed, sick.

hes not throwing up like i am, but everything else seems to be the same.

after his team doctor came by, we both have flu.

"still feel nauseous?" jack asked.

its 9am and we have yet to move from the bed beside going to the master bathroom.

"yeah." i said, my eyes closed as he watched highlights from last nights games.

"do you think youre pregnant?"

"no jack, i think i have the flu." i said back.

"is it a possibility?"

"no." i stated. "were safe and we agreed that after the wedding. i know you got baby fever from way but no."

"youre going to be an aunt." he said.

"jack." i warned, not in the mood for his comedy right now.

"i love you." he said, pulling me closer to him.

"i love you too."