I Should Go

I was on my way to the rink. It was just another practice, or it was supposed to be. I was almost there, a few minutes away, when my head started hurting again. It was worse than the headaches I had received over the past few days. It felt like someone took a power drill to the inside of my skull. I nearly ran a stop sign at the intersection of Walnut street and Wood street because I was so distracted by the pounding. I slammed on the brakes and flew forward.

The car driving by honked at my negligence, but continued on, unharmed. I groaned as I heard everything on my console fall to the car floor. I considered leaving it all, but then my phone vibrated, and I knew it had to be Ellie. I reached down and picked up my cell.

It's fine. We'll talk when you get back. Have a good practice. I know you'll do great!

I smiled down at the glowing screen and began typing out a response. I glanced up from my phone for a second to check for cars. None were coming, so I rolled across the street and looked back to my cell. I literally looked down for a millisecond, but it was a millisecond too long. A speeding car came out of nowhere and nicked the back end of my SUV.

My car went spinning across the street and I slammed on the brakes as fast as I could. Eventually, when the swirling abruptly stopped, my head, which was still rapidly moving, hit the driver's side window. I moaned and sat back in my seat, trying to let my head relax. It was throbbing, worse than a few moments ago. I massaged my temples and glanced around. People were getting out of their cars to see what happened.

I sluggishly slid from my car, expecting the worst. my car wasn't bad, a quick trip to the shop should make it as good as new. Then I remembered, someone else was involved in the accident. I glanced over at the other car. It was pretty dinged up, but I couldn't see the person inside. I quickly made my way over to his car and opened the driver's door. He looked up at me, dazed and confused. "Are you okay?"

The guy gaped up at me, pointing. "You... you won't' believe this... but you look just like Jonathan Toews..." I gave a small smirk as I leaned on the car. He frowned and rubbed his head as he got out. "I think I hit my head too hard."

"No, I'm Jon... I'm sorry about your car... I'll pay for a new one if you need it... Are you okay?" I stuttered. My speech was worsening and worsening the more time I spent speaking.

The guy looked at me, putting a hand on my shoulder. "You already asked that... Are you okay?"

Things started going a little blurry, and I needed to lean on the car for more and more support. "I'm..." I began. I heard a bunch of voices and soon, I saw a group of three or four people walking towards me and the other guy. "I...." I slid down to a sitting position and tried to get the head ache under control. It's just a headache. It's just a headache. It's just- why do all these people have triplets? The faces were mushing together. Their voices and shouts faded and soon everything went black.

The last thing I heard was "Call 9-1-1 I think it's...." and then it was all gone. I was gone.

The next thing I remember was a faint, repetitive beeping. It was slow and steady, and it got louder as I gradually came to. My eyes fluttered open and I glanced around, absorbing my surroundings. I'm in a hospital? I don't remember how I got here... I was comfortably lying in a hospital bed, a news report silently streaming on the television up in the top corner of the room.

I woke up and found her asleep, head and arms resting on the foot of my bed. I frowned; I couldn't see her face, but I could tell just by her posture that she was beyond stressed. It was the same physical appearance she had developed the last time I ended up in the hospital...

I yawned as quietly as possible and stretched my arms. I immediately felt sore. Why does everything hurt so much? I didn't feel this bad before... before.... before what? What happened? Wait, why am I like this? My eyes eventually adjusted to the lights, but my head still throbbed with sensitivity. I reached to massage my temple but was restricted by a bandage. I felt around my head and found that the bandage wrapped around my whole head. I heaved a sigh. This is bad...

Ellie stirred at the sound of my breath, which I thought was quiet enough not to disturb her. I cursed myself under my breath as she sluggishly picked her head up. She stretched, rubbing her eyes as she sat up. When she opened them, they were pink and puffy. She's been crying... Her jaw dropped at the sight of me awake.

I bit my lip and glanced down, feeling ashamed and somewhat vulnerable. I hate it when she cries. Of course, as if she read my mind, Elle started crying. She sniffled and wiped away the tears before they could trail down her face. "You'd think I'd be used to it by now..." she joked, letting out a stiff laugh. I pursed my lips and reached a hand toward her. She took it and gripped it tightly. "You think you could go a month without ending up here?"

"I guess not... Are you okay?" I questioned.

Elizabeth tightened her lips, making them a thin line. "I will be when you stop scaring the shit out of me. You think you can do that? For like-" She started getting upset. I could understand that; if your significant other was continually admitted to the hospital with a life-threatening injury, wouldn't you be a bit peeved.

I dragged her in for a hug and whispered, "Please stop." I couldn't even focus on whatever she was rambling about. Everything hurt, and I just wanted to be close to someone, especially her. "I'm sorry just... let's just sit."

"This isn't over." she grumbled, eventually returning the hug.

I nodded and squeezed her tighter, no matter how much my muscles rejected the idea. "I know. I know..." I gave the top of her head a peck. "Don't hate me." I tried with a smile. Even if I don't know what I did...

She laughed and slowly backed out of the hug, tears gone. "Shut up." she grumbled, standing up. She dragged a chair from the side of the room and placed it next to my bed. "How are you feeling?" she questioned, leaning forward in the chair.

I groaned and looked down at my now folded hands. "Everything hurts... and I have a headache.... and I... I can't remember what happened."

Elizabeth was shocked and scared at the news; her eyes bulged, but I think for my sake, she was trying not to let it show, so she kept her lips in their neutral position. "Oh... well... I-the doctor should know about this. He also has something to tell you-"

"Where am I?" I asked. She got up to go into the hall, looking for the doctor, I assumed. She froze at the question. Wait, let me rephrase. "I mean, what part of the hospital?" I didn't forgot that much...

She poked her head out of the room and waved someone over. "The ICU..." she sighed. I frowned and clenched my teeth. I knew what was coming when she said that. I had the same symptoms, and I ended up in the same place; I just needed a similar cause to prove my worst nightmare true.

Stay Calm. You don't know that.

My heart wasn't listening, however. I started getting anxious because even though I worked so hard to get better and get back on the ice, this stupid thing was back to haunt me.. And judging by the pain I was enduring, it had returned ten fold. The heart monitor was beeping faster and faster the more I thought about it. It rang in my ears, reminding me how pissed I was every time I tried to relax.

"Elizabeth. What happened to me?" I questioned, more excitedly this time. For the first time in a while, my face was conveying emotion. I let go of any restraint and showed a face of pure fear.

She opened her mouth to say something, but she only sputtered out incomprehensible garble. Before I could repeat my inquiry, the doctor walked in... the same one from my last trip to the ICU.

"Hey Jon. How are you feeling?" he wondered as he inched into the room, a team of nurses following closely behind. I was getting more anxious at the sight of more people coming in my room.

One nurse was checking my IV, another my bandage, and another the rest of the monitors I was hooked up to. I closed my eyes and pretended none of them were there, hoping this would work to keep me sane. When I opened my eyes, I had successfully tuned them out, ignoring them all, except for the doctor.

"Jon?" I looked to him. Dr. Lieberman snapped his fingers a few times to make sure he had my attention, but I just swatted his hands away. "Oh! I see you're paying attention now." he chortled, scribbling something down on his clipboard. I rolled my eyes, but he didn't notice. "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty shitty. What happened to me?" I wondered curtly. Around this time, the nurses were making their way out.

Dr. L opened his mouth to say something, but instead, he looked to Elizabeth. "He can't remember how he got here..." she stated. Really? Was that necessary? I glared at her, but she only pouted back, softening my anger. "He remembers me though! And hockey and stuff, right?" she tried with a small, hopeful smirk. I nodded.

The doctor jotted more notes and clicked his pen before dropping it into his coat pocket. He placed the clipboard at the end of the bed and walked over to me. Dr. L pulled out a flashlight and held a finger in front of me. He shined the light and moved his finger around; I followed it attentively, but I was more concerned with what happened... considering nobody would tell me anything!

He pulled up a rolling chair and sat down. "You can't remember anything?" I shook my head. The doctor furrowed his brows and thought for a moment. "What is the last thing you remember?"

I searched in my memory to think. Yesterday was the game... I fought with Kaner and then apologized... Found out Kaner and Logan are sleeping together... Drove home, argued with Elle, made up, and went to bed... Woke up... Made Elizabeth breakfast... Then we fought and I stormed out and got in my car and then... I texted her and... and-and!

"Shit." I grumbled, wiping my face with my hands. "I got into a car accident." Ellie heaved a quiet sigh of relief. Like she was the one with the messed up brain.

The doctor gave a sad little smirk and nodded. "A nasty one at that, but I'm guessing you figured that out. That's good. How's your head?"

I grimaced and explained, "It hurts... Everything else does too. I'm sore all over."

"That's because of the crash." he insisted.

I nodded. "What about the other driver?"

"He's fine. Went home a few hours ago." he continued. I looked at the window, hoping it could give me some idea of what time it was. The blinds were closed... of course. "It's the early afternoon." Dr. L said, understanding my curiosity.

I gave a nod. "So...? What do you think? What's wrong with my head..." I groaned, even though I had a pretty good idea myself.

The doctor gave me a skeptical look. "Jonathan... you've been through this before. You know I can't make any diagnos-" I gave him a pitiful look, hoping he would sympathize. Dr. Lieberman sighed and dropped his head. "You have a few cuts and bruises on your arms, legs, torso... As for your head... I'm fairly certain it's a concussion, but we still have many tests to run and-"

I zoned out. My stomach dropped. Not again. It's true. It's happening. Actually, it happened, I guess. Fuck me. Why. Why? WHY ME?!

"Doc!" Elizabeth hollered. Both him and I whirled around and stared at Elle. I forgot she was there for a second. "Can... can you give Jon and I a minute alone please?" She looked to me with a sad smile before glaring back at the doctor. Following orders, he gave a quick nod and made his way out. Once the door swung close behind him, Elizabeth kneeled next to my bed and cooed, "It's okay. Everything will be fine."

"I already missed the first few games of the season! I don't want to miss more." I glared down at the end of my bed. Great. Now, I'm stuck here for at least a week, and even once I get out, I won't be able to workout or touch the ice again for at least a month, maybe more. I have no idea. This fucking sucks. Why. Seriously.

"Jon?" she whispered faintly. I looked up at her grave face. She put a hand to my cheek and I held it there. "You'll be fine. Don't do this." she ordered.

I smirked. "Do what?" I wondered. She knows me too well at this point.

She gave me a small smile back. "Overthink this." I feigned ignorance and tilted my head to the side. Elle rolled her eyes. "I can see it in your face. You're thinking about when you can get back on the ice, how long it'll take, whether you can actually play again." I tightened my lips from their previously more relaxed state and glanced down at my hands, dropping my hand from hers. "You will." I glanced up again. "I know you will."

I don't know how she does it. There's something in her eyes. It's their honesty, blatant honesty. They always give her away, especially when she's lying. At this moment, just for a second, I saw that special something appear again in her eyes. They proved that she wholeheartedly believed I could get back to my career-my life. It was all I needed to calm down and relax.
Again, I don't know how she does it, but she does, and it makes all the difference.

"You hear me?" she asked, pearly whites making their happy appearance yet again. "Jon-?" I cut her off with a soft kiss, pulling her in for a hug afterward. She giggled, "I'm taking that as a yes?"

I chuckled. "Most definitely."

I was right; I was stuck there for about a week. And it sucked. The food sucked. Other than going to get tests done, I wasn't allowed to leave my room, which sucked. And the only person that visited me was Elle and Logan, which was nice, but still kind of sucked. I wanted to see the guys, but I knew that wouldn't happen. Not at least until I was out of the hospital. Them seeing their captain lying up in a hospital probably wasn't the most reassuring sight to see for the games to come.

On my last day in the hospital, the coach stopped by to see how I was doing.

"I don't want anymore." I insisted glaring down at the green beans on my tray. Elle pushed a forkful of the lumpy greens in my face and I promptly turned away, letting out a huff as I did so.

"Jon! Are you five! Come on, how do you expect to heal faster if you won't eat the healthy foods!" she groaned, dropping the fork back to the tray with a clang. I crossed my arms over my chest in protest. "It's your last day, so we might as well make the best of it, right?"

I turned and glared at her. I was so sick of those dumb four walls, my maturity had been reduced to that of a child, but I didn't very much care. If I didn't get out of there soon, I was going to throw a tantrum. I opened my mouth to let out a sassy remark when the door creaked. We both glanced up to see Coach Quenneville standing in the doorway with a half smile on his face.

I sat up a bit straighter and uncrossed my arms. "Coach... Hi."

"I Mr. Q." Elizabeth greeted, standing up and pulling on a fake smile. She extended her hand towards coach, who took her hand and shook it, giving a small smile in return. "How are you?"

"I'm alright, thank you, Elizabeth. And yourself?" he wondered. She shrugged and let out a sigh, hugging her arms tightly. "Stressed?" he chuckled. She laughed and nodded in response. "Why don't you go grab some coffee or something. I'll hang back with the Captain over here... I
was hoping to have a little chat with him."

Ellie glanced back at me, looking for confirmation, or maybe denial, for the order. Yeah, as if I could say no to my coach and have her stick around even if I wanted to. Instead, I nodded for the door, leaving her feeling dejected. Defeated, she kept her smile tight on her face and quietly left the room.

Coach sat in the chair next to my bed and leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "How you feeling, Jon?"

I shrugged. "I don't know... I haven't really been able to do much except sit. It's hard to know if it'll worsen when I start moving around more."

"Well, as of now, do you feel dizzy? Headaches? Sensitivity to light? Any of that stuff coming back again?"

I frowned and nodded. "All of it. It's just as bad as before." He winced and anxiously cracked his knuckles. Neither of us said anything for a while. Eventually, I had to ask. "Coach, what if-"

"Everyone is behind you, you know that, right?" he interrupted. I tightened my lips and stared up at the ceiling. "The hospital, your teammates, your friends. You'll be fine, don't think otherwise."

I shook my head. "You don't understand! It's-" I was ready to argue, but then I realized that we were both getting really loud and my head started throbbing. I rethought things and continued on. "Coach, I don't know if I'll be able to come back-"

"Stop. Since when did you become such a pessimist? This isn't the same guy that helped lead his team to the cup," he shot, standing up from his seat. I sighed, glaring up at my coach. "Don't back out on me now." I clenched my jaw. Like... what the fuck does he want me to do about it?

"I'm not backing out." I growled. "I would never. But if I can't-"

He chuckled, "Now you're using 'can't'. You seriously must have gotten knocked hard." I rolled my eyes, not amused. "Just focus on getting better, take it one step at a time."

I nodded, giving up the fight. He doesn't get it. Nobody does. "I will."

He ran a hand through his grey-white hair and left it hovering over his neck. "Jon... you gotta be honest with me. Were you feeling one hundred percent before the accident?" I didn't look at him. "Jonathan." he hissed.

I jerked up and looked at him. "I was fine, until now." I lied.

Coach nodded and reached forward, patting me on the back. "I'm sorry... You'll kick this. I promise. When you leave here, just go home, hang out with some friends, and get your mind off of it. I'll talk to the staff about therapy and tests and stuff, when to start but... for now... just relax, okay? Don't stress yourself out."

I took in a deep breath and nodded. "I'll try."

He nodded and reached down to give me a handshake. I shook his hand and then watched as he made his way to the door. I don't know why I was being so disrespectful and moody, especially around my coach... okay, maybe I do know.. I was sick and tired of being in that hospital and being stuck with my own depressing thoughts, and Coach was an easy target... okay, maybe not easy, but he was a target.

Just before he closed the door behind him, he stopped and turned around. "Oh, by the way, the guys made you a card." Coach reached in his coat pocket and pulled out a piece of folded construction paper and tossed it at me. It landed at the foot of the bed and I stared at it for a moment as the coach walked out.

I reached forward towards the red paper and picked it up.

On the front it read: To Captain Serious

I opened the inside to find a bunch of signatures and miniature messages from the guys surrounding one bolded phrase in the middle. The main phrase said: We could use a Captain... The little signatures around it said "Get better." "You'll be fine, champ." and other generic get well sayings. However, there were a few that just made me laugh.

For example:

"Stop taking all the attention, asshole." -Patrick Sharp

"Isn't one concussion enough, big guy?" -Viktor Stalberg

And of course, my very favorite: "Don't expect me to fucking take care of you just because you're usually my designated driver on the weekends. Get your own damn aspirin, bitch. P.S. I'll keep the ice warm for you." -Kaner

It was a nice reminder of why I had to try my best to get back on the ice. I had guys that needed me.... or at least cared about me... or at least wanted me to stop hogging all the spotlight. Anyways, it helped me remember not to focus on the shitty stuff like how much my headaches hurt, and how I still couldn't remember the accident, and how I was silently wondering if I would ever play again...

Instead, it was more important to think about getting back on the ice. Not worrying about the how. Just going out there and doing it.

It was around three in the afternoon when we got home. I felt ridiculous on the drive because I was wearing sunglasses on a cloudy November day. Still, my eyes threatened to leave my head in protest and leave me with a splitting headache if I didn't put something over them. The elevator up to our apartment made me dizzy. I walked down the wrong hall once we got off.

It's safe to say, I'm definitely in no condition to play hockey.

"Alright, and there you go." Elle was guiding me by my arm, gripping me as if I might tip over at any second. "And sit." she pushed me back into a seat on the couch. I chuckled as I sat down, placing my glasses next to me on the cushion. "What?" she questioned, getting a pillow and stuffing it behind my back. She grabbed the stool on the other side of the living room and quickly propped my feet up.

"I have a concussion, I'm not dying. I can do things for myself for the most part." I laughed.

She rolled her eyes. "That's not why I dragged you in here and made sure you were comfortable." She crossed her arms over her chest with a know-it-all grin spread across her face.

I crossed my arms over my own chest and gave her a smirk back. "Alright, Ms. Smarty-Pants. Why did you bring me in her so carefully?" I wondered, rubbing my sad attempt at a beard, which had thickened and become more unruly due to my time spent in the hospital and my inability to trim it whilst being there; it was more of a chin-strap really, and although it was November, I had considered shaving it off, since I technically wasn't playing hockey for the time being. No one was really going to see my face or my beard for a while.

Anyways, Ellie smirked and raised a hand. "Because..." she began. Elizabeth snapped her fingers, and just like that, everything changed.

A hoard of guys whispered, "Surprise!" in unison. And when I say whisper, I mean whisper. I glanced around, scared shitless, as guys sprang up from behind the couch and behind the kitchen counter and behind our television and other items about our apartment. I stood up and got a better look at the men.. and woman, I should say.

It was a bunch of guys from the team, and Logan. Nick, Kaner, Hjalmarsson, Stalberg, Sharp, Carcillo, Seabrook, and Keith were all standing around me. I couldn't help but gape at everyone. "Oh my god...." I mumbled. They all started laughing, as quietly as possible, probably trying to spare my head. "What the hell are you guys doing here?" I asked, still kind of shocked.

"Wow, and I thought your face couldn't get any more serious." Sharp chirped from behind me. He walked around the couch and gave me a tight hug. "Get the card, attention hogger?"

I playfully punched him in the sides before he backed out of the hug. "Yeah, thanks guys, real thoughtful." I chuckled, running a hand through my hair. "Shouldn't you guys be practicing or something?"

They ignored my persistent questioning and just lined up to greet me with tight hugs and lighthearted insults. "Glad you're up and moving." Dan said happily with a smirk.

"Thanks." I smiled, hugging one of the last of the guys here. I turned to see Logan still waiting. I shot her an evil smirk, because all I could think of was her and Kaner in his apartment. She glared at me, arms crossed over her chest. "Hey there Mrs. K-"

She lurched forward, throwing herself at me, and more importantly, knocking the breath out of me. "Don't say a fucking word. Nick doesn't know anything." she hissed through gritted teeth.

I chuckled only to feel her grip me tighten, emphasizing her words a little more. "For now." I joked backing out of it. "Glad you're so happy to see me."

Logan rolled her eyes. "I'm just glad you're not dead." She lightly slapped my chest before walking and joining Elizabeth on the opposite side of the room.

Last but not least was Kaner, who didn't look so happy to see me. The other guys were getting out the cake and snacks and drinks, which I didn't know we had, so I was basically alone with Kaner in the living room. We could easily hear everyone shuffling in the kitchen. "Hey..." I sighed. I didn't know where we stood. I left his apartment, less than happy, and I didn't exactly get to finish the conversation at the rink due to the accident.

"Hey..." he replied. He took a hard gulp, staring at me for a while. "So you got the card?" he started awkwardly.

I chortled, remembering his message. "Yeah, and don't worry, I won't ask you for any help. Elizabeth has been great anyways... but I'll be back to being your designated driver in no time."

He gave a small smile, but didn't laugh. "Yeah, great." I nodded and cracked my knuckles. "So... how do you feel?"

"Shitty... how about you?" I wondered.

"Shitty."

"Why?" I pressed, taking a step forward.

He glared at me. "You were in a fucking hospital for a week."

"I know."

"Well... I've been missing my best friend and it sucks."

I frowned. "I know... not a great start to trying to fix this, right?" I laughed. He wasn't laughing, or smiling... just glaring. "Look, I was in and out of consciousness, they had me running all these tests... There was no time for calling anybody and you weren't allowed to come see me so... I'm sorry but that's the way it is." We sounded like an old married couple. I don’t think I’d ever had to explain myself to a guy before Kaner...

"I thought you would try and avoid the whole concussion thing after last time." he teased, still a little bitter.

I shook my head. "My bad, I go looking for concussions I guess. It's not like I wanted it to happen-"

"Well you could have told me you were alive! Not going insane! Something. Like...." I threw my hands in the air. What did he want me to do? I have a concussion, not like I can do very much without being burdened with a stupid headache. "I know it's not your fault... it's just scary, okay? You're young, you shouldn't be worrying about your life while you're in your twenties." You're telling me.

So I found the root of the problem: Kaner's afraid of death, and it doesn't help when his best friend is constantly put into life or death situations. I walked across the room and gave him a hug, which doesn't happen often, by the way... "Fuck you. Stop being all sentimental." I joked.

He squeezed me back. "As soon as you stop being a jackass and ending up in the hospital, you dumbass."

"Cake, bitches!" Stalberg called from the kitchen. We chuckled, backed out of the hug, and joined everyone in the kitchen for some celebratory cake.

"I love you." I sighed as I started cleaning up the paper plates that littered the coffee table. "Seriously." I took all the icing encrusted plates and shoved them into the garbage bag, swiping a few empty plastic cups off the counter as I went.

Ellie skipped in from the kitchen and gave me a peck on the cheek before she took the bag from me and put it into the trash can. "I know." she giggled. She walked back over to me and draped her arms around my neck. "And you owe me."

I leaned down and gave her a long kiss. "Big time." I agreed. I chuckled. "And how you got them all to be that quiet, I'll never know..."

She shrugged. "I have my ways." Elizabeth grinned and raised an eyebrow. "So... what do you want to do now?" she smirked and batted her long eyelashes.

For once, I couldn't imagine doing any of... that. "Sleeping." I chortled. Elizabeth frowned. I frowned too. "I'm sorry... I just... I'm really beat and... all I want to do is sleep right now. Or at least lie down."

She shook her head and grabbed my hand gently. "It's alright. You're the boss... for as long as you have this concussion." Elle guided me back to our bedroom and, after changing, we hopped into bed and just snuggled next to one another until we both fell asleep, which was nice. I hadn't realized how much I missed that feeling, feeling her hands wrapped around me, listening to her breathing, holding the curve over her stomach as it joined her hip. I hadn't realized how much I legitimately missed my Chief.

I yawned and stretched, reaching to my right only to find the other side of the bed empty. I blinked my eyes open and glared at the ruffled sheets that once were inhabited. I lifted my head and glanced around the room when I smelled the strong scent of a cheese omelette. My eyes finally came to rest on the door, only to find Ellie standing in the doorway with a large tray of food, including the omelette I smelled.

"Morning, sleepy head." she teased. I grinned and let my head fall back onto the pillow. "Or, should I say afternoon."

My head shot up again. "What time is it?" I questioned incredulously. She only laughed as she moved towards the bed with the tray. I reached over for the clock on the bedside table. Two o'clock. Nice. I put the clock back down and groaned. "You're kidding." I never wake up after her.

She sat on the edge of the bed and slid the tray onto my lap. "The doctor said it would be a while before you could sleep normally." I sat up straighter and looked down at my breakfast. Omelette, toast, orange juice, and, more importantly, the television remote. I snatched at the tray, thrilled to be eating breakfast that didn't smell like the hospital. She laughed and gently set the tray down in front of me as I started dishing up a slice of toast with some omelette on it. "I guess I don't have to tell you to eat up."

I chuckled and stopped stuffing my face for a moment, making sure to swallow. She slowly laid back down on the bed, careful not to shake the tray of food. "I think this is the first time you woke up before me." I stated. She turned to me and gave a small smirk, accompanied by a shrug. Upon closer inspection, I noticed she was wearing a jacket as if she was ready to go out. I raised an eyebrow. "Where you going?"

She sat up and ran a hand through her hair. "Going to the store. Our fridge has nothing but leftover cake, expired milk, beer, ham and boneless buffalo wings from when we went to Applebee's last week." I nodded and took a sip of my orange juice. "I used up the last of the good food on your breakfast." I gave a nod of appreciation and ate a mouthful of omelette. "Want anything specific from the store?"

I shrugged. "The usual...." The usual being fruits, vegetables, protein powder, milk, lunch meat, bread, and other staple products. She nodded and stood up. "When will you be back?" I mumbled, scarfing down the last of my breakfast.

She leaned down and gave me a peck on the cheek. "Half an hour maybe?" she speculated. She held her hand in front of me in the shape of a fist. I reached my hand out, palm up, and watched her drop two disgusting looking pills into my hand. I scrunched up my eyebrows and frowned up at her. "Take them, they're supposed to help with headaches, nausea... most of the side effects of the concussion."

I winced at the word. I hate hearing it. The term alone gave me headaches... "Fine." I placed the pills on the bedside table, wanting to push it off as long as possible. They just smelled weird. If anything, they made me feel sicker, whatever they were.

Elizabeth put her hands on her hips and stomped her feet. "Jonathan Bryan! Take them now! It's best to take them right after you get some food in your system. They'll work faster." she commanded.

Damnit. Where did this bossy side come from? I had never seen her so concerned about something as trivial as taking pills. I rolled my eyes and picked up the pills. "Fine, drill sergeant Bennett." I teased. She scowled as I plopped the pills in my mouth and took a swig of orange juice. "Happy?" I questioned, orange juice still flooding my mouth.

She smirked and gave me kiss on the forehead. "Yes. Stay in bed, okay? I'll be back soon. Don't be afraid to call me if something happens, okay?"

I nodded as she jogged out of the room, grabbing her purse on her way. I stared out of the bedroom door, watching as she walked down the hall, towards the front door. I waited patiently until I heard the definitive slam of the front door before making my next move.

Once I was sure she was gone, I hastily spit the orange juice and the two fishy-smelling pills back into my cup. "Blech!" I groaned, blotting my mouth with a napkin. I stood up and walked into the kitchen, washing my plate and hiding the evidence of my deceit.

The kitchen and the living room were too bright for my liking, so I retreated back into my bedroom, where the blinds were tightly shut, probably thanks to Elizabeth. She really knows how to take care of people. I'm lucky.

I turned on the television and started flipping through the channels. No. No. Hell no. Boring. The fuck? No. Yes-wait, no. Nothing was on. Unfortunately, before I could even find a decent channel to watch, I started feeling funny. My stomach was growling, but not because of hunger. I can't quite explain.

I ignored it, and continued searching for the right channel. I switched to an episode of The View when the feeling got worse. I thought a shower might help, so I stood up, and headed to the bathroom. As soon as my feet hit the carpet and I was up straight, I felt dizzy. I took hold of the bed post and tried to balance myself.

I started feeling heavy too, like I couldn't support myself. My legs were shaking and I felt as though I was about to collapse. I tried my best to move towards the bathroom. It felt as though my clothes were soaked with water and it was as if they were weighing me down. I collapsed as soon as I made it into the bathroom.

I laid there for a second, hoping the sensation would go away and I could get up again. I wasn't lucky enough for that. Every time I tried to pick up my head, which was throbbing, the room spun. I gave in and stayed on the ground for a minute or so, when my stomach worsened.

This time, I knew it wasn't just an upset stomach thing, but in fact, nausea. I shot up upon realizing this. My head spun, and it was hard to stay up, but then I started vomiting and I couldn't
help it. I pushed myself to make it to the toilet.

Not to get graphic, but it's safe to say my breakfast was gone. There was a mess on the once pristine, white tile. Soon, I wasn't throwing up food, but bile. I couldn't stand it, and I wanted it to end, but it lasted for about fifteen minutes before I knew I was done.

I laid back down on the clean part of the tile and tried to regain my composure. What next... what next. Shit. Well, if Elle comes home and finds me like this, one, she'll know I didn't take my medicine, two, she'll be grossed out and annoyed, and three, she'll have more leverage in terms of being right.

So, despite the strong urge to stay on the ground and rest there for the day, I got up, cleaned up my mess, brushed my teeth, and took a quick shower. Then, doing what I should have done originally, I took the pills and laid back down in bed, curling up with a pillow and wrapping myself in the comforter. Also, the television was too loud, and I was oddly exhausted, even after an eleven hour slumber, so I tried my best to take a quick nap.

"Hey, honey." she whispered in my ear. My eyes fluttered open and I found Elizabeth crouching next to the bed, eye level with me. "You okay?" she wondered, putting her hand on my forehead.

"I love you." was all I said. I will listen to anything and everything this girl has to say from now on. Just seeing her face made me feel better, but she still knew how to take care of me. "I love you so much." I wrapped my arms around her and dragged her into bed next to me.

She laughed and gave me a peck. "You feeling okay?" Ellie asked.

No. "Yeah, just missed you."

"I was gone for an hour." she scoffed, squeezing me back. "Anything happen while I was gone?" Ellie raised an eyebrow as she eyed me.

This is when my expressions, or lack thereof, I should say, came in handy. "Nope... not really."