“Well, shit,” I mutter. “I guess I haven’t had anything since yesterday.”
“You’re probably dehydrated. And I’m guessing you need antibiotics.”
I sigh. “Yeah. But it’s Thanksgiving. Pharmacy’s closed.”
“What about an injection? Can you get one from the clinic?”
“It can wait until tomorrow.”
She eyes me skeptically. “No, it can’t. What if I get sick, too?”
She’s right, even though I suspect she’s using herself as bait. She knows I won’t risk letting her spike a fever because it could cause a seizure.
I swallow and cringe. “I’ll get dressed and go in a minute.”
“You can’t drive yourself. You’re barely past the point of delirium, and you’re as pale as a ghost.”
“I can’t send someone else for it. I have to go myself,” I say, coughing again.
“Just let me drive this time,” she suggests. “I’m only a couple of months away from being cleared again.”
“It’s not worth the risk.”
“Yes, it is,” she holds.
“What about Rowan?”
“I told him not to come after I saw you this morning,” she admits quietly. “I couldn’t leave you like that.”
“But if I weren’t sick, you’d have left my ass behind, right?” I ask her, forcing a smile, and she smirks back at me. I lift my arm to adjust my position and realize how terrible I smell. I groan and scrunch my nose. “You could have at least given me a sponge bath while I was out. It’s not like you haven’t seen it all, anyway. And I bet it would have made for an interesting dream.”
She doesn’t seem to think it’s as funny as I hoped though. “Get dressed. The only thing I’m looking forward to giving you today is a shot,” she says, standing and averting her eyes.
I laugh softly, but she ignores me and moves to check the essential oil diffuser she must have brought in before she leaves me alone in the room.
I exhale and run my hand through my sticky hair. She’s still upset with me from before, but she stayed behind to take care of me anyway. I guess she felt like she owed it to me after the way I’ve been taking care of her.
I move slowly as I climb out of bed and slip into a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt. I can’t imagine it’s cold enough outside for a jacket, and it isn’t worth the energy to find one.
“Ready?” she asks when I stagger into the kitchen to meet her, and I nod. “Here.” She hands me a bottle of cloudy water. “Drink that first.”
I eye her skeptically. “What’s in it?”
“Electrolyte mix. It helps me stay hydrated and keeps the seizures away.”
“Right. Thanks.” I unscrew the cap and gulp down two-thirds of the bottle, stopping to catch my breath before going for the last bit. She stares me down and scrutinizes me the whole time, and I’m not sure how to feel about it. Being told what to do is new for me. But … I also like seeing this side of her. I don’t think I mind being bossed around by Daisy as much as I should.
I squeeze my eyes closed, bracing myself to swallow the last of the drink, and when they open again, her expression softens. “What’s next, Doc?” I ask her, drawing a hint of a smile from her this time.
She dangles a set of car keys in the air. “Now I get to chauffeur you around for a change.”
“Can’t we just ask my sister to take me?”
“And expose them and therefore the twins to whatever this is? Not to mention, I’d have to tell her why I can’t just drive you myself.”
“Shit. You’re right,” I concede. “Wait, I never let them know I wasn’t going to make it to dinner today. Although I’d honestly be surprised if they cared.”
She clicks her tongue. “Of course they care. I’ve been texting Loren about you since this morning, and your mom called your phone to check on you a couple of hours ago. I figured you wouldn’t mind if I answered it and gave her an update.”
