Bad Girl•l.h•

Chapter Eight

I groan and shift positions, curling around the heating pad. The heat was helping the pain a little, but not enough. I reach out to my bed side table and take a sip of water, then setting the bottle back on the table.

Pain flashes through my spine and I whimper out, rolling onto my other side and curling around the heat once agin. My whole core was freezing, goosebumps all over my skin no matter how hard I try to rub them away. It's only been twenty minutes since Dylan and Elliot left my room. Aunt Mae deemed my health 'something to be carefully watched.' It's been an hour since I last threw up, and they left, hoping I would get some sleep. My eyes begin drifting shut and I hear a knock on the door.

"Come in," I call out, hoping my raspy voice could be heard. The passed two days have been hell, my whole body was in pain and my stomach would refuse food before it touched my tongue.

My back was to the door but I could hear the chatter from the door way. "Kid? Your friends are here. You know, the cute ones."

"I know who they are, Auntie Mae. Let them in."

Four sets of feet stampede through my room and I feel a body dip the bed behind me. Calum, Mikey, and Luke come into my vision and plop down on the beenie bag chairs by my window.

Ashton presses his wrist to my temple and gasps. "Kid, your forehead is on fire!"

I groan at his loud voice and Mikey shushes him. I snuggle further around the heating pad. Ashton lifts my pillows and slips into their place, putting my head on his thigh. He runs his fingers through my hair and we sit in silence.

A pain shoots down my spine and I let out a large cry. Mikey jumps up and runs out of my room while Calum throws my sheets off me and Luke throws open my window. Calum wipes the sweat off my forehead as I sob in pain. My eyes screw shut and I clutch tightly on Ashton's thigh.

I hear Mikey telling something to Auntie Mae and a gasp come from right beside me. "Boys! Do you see that!"

My stomach begins churning and I gag on the back of my throat. I feel cold plastic slide under my chin, Ashton helping me sit up. I dry heave a few times before anything comes up. Ashton holds my hair back with one hand, rubbing my back gently with his other.

"Calum, go find Dylan or Elliot to start my car. Mikey, go find the phone and a phone book. Should be on the counter by the fridge. Luke, when she's done, rinse that out if you don't mind and get your car ready." I hear Aunt Mae instruct the boys.

I pull my head out of the garbage pail and bring the back of my hand to my mouth. I see a tissue in front of my face and grab that, wiping my mouth and nose. I give a weak smile to Ashton. "Thanks Ashy."

He nods at me and rushes out of my room with the pail in front of him. I sit back into Ashton's chest gently, resting my head in the nape of his neck. "Feeling a little better?"

I shake my head no. "My whole back feels like I've been shivering non-stop. It's all tense and stuff. I think I landed on it funny when I fell down the stairs last night, I thought I saw it bruised around where my bra sits. Can you check?"

I sit forward and let Ashton lift the back of my sports bra. He sits in back in place and I turn to him. He says nothing and pulls me back into his chest. I relax into him again and begin shivering. He pulls the blanket up over us and begins tickling the base of my spine. I hear a pair of feet come in and I shift myself so I'm looking at the door. I'm greeted by Calum and Elliot.

Elliot walks over to the bed and kneels down beside it. "How you feeling, Kid? Scale of Lindsay Lohan to Beyonce."

I purse my lips. "Somewhere between Amanda Bynes break down and 2009 Britney Spears."

"That's rough. Let me guess. You want your Kiss shirt from Christmas at dad's sisters, and the sweat pants from mom's last dance competition." He smiles, standing.

I turn my lips upward. "And the-"

"Blue sweatshirt that matches the pants, got ya."

He pulls them from my laundry basket of clothes I hadn't put away yet. He grabs a clean sports bra that has a clasp at the back, and my boy short underwear. Calum and Elliot leave the room so I can change. I sit up from Ashton's chest and pout my lip.

"Can you find Lana to help me?"

He nods and slides out from under me. He exits the room and a heart beat later, Lana waltzes in the room. She takes the new sports bra, handing it to him. She carefully slides the one I'm wearing over my head and holds the new one out in front of me. I slide my arms through the straps and she does it up loosely.

Lana finished helping me and just as I lay back down into my pillows with a large yawn, Aunt Mae comes in the room with Ashton trailing behind. "Good, you're all dressed. Let's go hon, the emergency room is waiting for us now."

I groan and sit up. "Why are we going to the hospital?"

"To make sure you're okay." She replies quietly. I carefully shuffle to the end of the bed and stand slowly. My legs give out and I stumble into the bed again.

I feel Ashton place his arm around my waist. "I'll carry you. Ok?"

I nod and wrap my arms around his neck. "Luke, I'm sleepy."

"Sleep then," he chuckles underneath me. "But Kid, I'm Ash, not Luke."

A/N: Yay. New update. Edited it, booyeah.

Song: Stand By Me by Ben E. King. I chose this because not only what my little blurb is in the next chapter, but because Kid is very sick and everyone is there for her, and she needs someone.