Liza’s POV
My eyes were glazed at the time when I opened them. I exhaled dryly after the release of a slight moan. It was the wake of morning, and I felt as though I moved slowly and somewhat heavy. I was certain that something was wrong the moment my eyes blinked open. The room tilted to one corner while I sat upright, and I felt nauseous. By the time I push myself up, my hands are shaking.
I tried to stand, and it turned out to be a bad idea. The nausea was getting real, and I couldn’t get myself together to rise.
The tiles on the floor seemed so slippery, and I felt as though I floated on water. My head seemed to spin, which affected my vision. I grabbed the edge of the lamp stand and began to pant, breathing through my nostrils like I’d run a marathon.
“Calm down, Liza,” I said in a low whisper. “Don’t panic. Everything is going to be fine if you just relax.” But I couldn’t relax. The pressure that boiled inside me rose in a rush, and I couldn’t get myself to concentrate due to the anxiety I felt.
I was drenched with sweat, and it all seemed kind of familiar, like it was something I had experienced before. I bent over with my hands placed atop my knees. The dizziness increased each time I closed my eyes, so I kept them open.
“Liza?” Roman’s voice shot through my ears, and I tried to stand upright.
“Are you alright ?” He asked. The crease on his forehead and the way he raised his hand towards me were enough proof that he didn’t know what had happened. I don’t even know the moment he rose from the bed. Tension covered his tightened jaw when he walked towards me.
“Come, Liza,” he said, “you don’t look all right.”
“What the hell are you talking about? I’m fine, baby.” It took hundreds of muscles for me to force a smile and eventually sigh.
Roman’s hands were glued to my arms; the exhaustion seemed evident now because he tried to keep me standing upright.
“I don’t think you’re fine, Liza. You look pale and tired. Come…sit back down on the bed.”
“You really don’t need to do this, Roman.”
“I know, just sit, Liza. It’s not the right time for you to be stubborn.” My exhale exposed me, but I didn’t want to look weak in front of him.
“Come on, Liza, take a seat on the bed,” he said, and then I felt something like a sting on my body, which made me feel cold. The air passed over us, and I felt the cold. My skin had begun to get sweaty, and the weakness settled in my stomach for a while.
“I’m fine,” I said through a cracked voice.
Roman sighed and stood in silence as though he didn’t want to argue with me. Unknown to me, his hands reached to the lower end of my back, and he lifted me in a subtle caution and moved me back to the bed. I felt the way my head sank into the pillow right before I closed my eyes. My head still spun, and I listened to the thud of my heartbeat at a fast tempo.
Then everything went silent.
I felt my body move to the side, and the way Roman called my name with urgency made me scared. Like something worse had happened to me, and I was on the brink of death. His hand held on to my back while I sat, and then I closed my eyes.
“Look at me, Liza!” I couldn’t open my eyes or move a muscle.
“Shit!” He cursed beneath his breath. “Damnit!” And then his voice rose higher and higher while he called out for Alina.
The door opened with a bang a few moments later, and I suspected that it was Alina who walked in. I tried to open my eyes, but I couldn’t. This made me fear that I was paralyzed, until I felt a cold finger open up my eyes, and they remained open for a short while.
Alina’s facial expression was clouded by concern. She took a quick look at me and widened my eyes with her fingers for a few seconds. Once she let go, they closed.
Her hands began to move around my body.
“What happened?” she asked Roman. I didn’t hear him say anything for a short while, yet I managed to get my eyes opened to see the look on his face.
“I don’t know,” he said.
“So you mean to tell me that nothing transpired between you and your wife before all this?”
“Nothing much happened,” he said, and Alina gave him a side eye of disbelief. “I swear. It all just kind of happened. I saw her struggle to stand, and she bent over. She looked exhausted, and then I told her to lie back down on the bed. She refused to listen, and I insisted, but she kept saying that she was fine. So, I moved her gently to the bed, and I feared she was getting unconscious. I swear I…”
“You are supposed to keep her calm, not argue with her,” Alina cut Roman short of his words, and I remained silent.
“Her blood pressure is high, and she’s also highly stressed,” Alina continued. I told you she needed her rest. Anything that would stress Liza is of no good to her. Even the slightest arguments can raise her stress level. Ensure you both don’t get into any arguments. Also, any sudden emotional disruption could lead to something worse. So avoid it as well.”
