Loud coughing had Theo turning around quickly.
“I’ll text the address to you,” he said, already heading down the hallway with his phone out.
“Alright,” I said, as I walked myself out and headed to my truck.
By the time I loaded up and started my truck, Theo had sent her address. I stopped at the market to buy some more necessities like Gatorade, tissues and cough drops. It started as a simple trip, but I left the market with ten bags and eight of them were just for Iris.
The drive to Iris’ apartment was quick, she didn’t live too far from the ranch. The apartments were cuter and more cottage-like than the apartments I was used to in the city. Parking next to her truck, I grabbed everything. She had decorated the front door with lights, plants and a mat that said “Dogs welcome—People tolerated unless you brought tacos or margaritas.”
I laughed as I knocked on the door. I was about to knock again when Iris opened the door wrapped in a blanket, looking awful.
“Shit, Petal, are you ok?” I asked, stepping inside as she turned around.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice raspy.
“Colt wasn’t back and Theo didn’t want to leave Nova and Sol, so he sent me,” I said, following her to her living room where it looked like she’d been laying.
I placed the bags I had brought on the floor in front of her coffee table.
“Jesus, what did he send?” she coughed.
“Just soup and medicine, but I stopped for more stuff,” I said, looking for her medicine.
“Nash, you didn’t have to,” she said softly.
“I know,” I said, putting the soup and medicine on the table. “Are you hungry?”
“Not really. My appetite has been nonexistent,” she said, leaning back on the sofa, shivering.
“Well, your medicine says you should eat something with it,” I said, as I read the directions. “Think you can handle something small, like yogurt or maybe crackers?”
She shook her head, closing her eyes, wrapping herself tighter in the blanket.
“Maybe some broth?”
Iris sat up coughing violently. “Fuck,” she cried out.
“Shit, are you ok?” I sat down next to her unsure of what the hell to do.
Iris continued to cough, turning red from the force of her cough.
“Fuck, I brought cough medicine,” I said, grabbing one bag searching frantically for the cough syrup.
“Nash, you shouldn’t even be in here,” she said in between catching her breath and coughing.
“You shouldn’t be alone,” I said, grabbing the other bags looking for the cough syrup.
“I’m a big girl,” she said softly.
“That doesn’t mean you have to do this alone,” I said, getting frustrated.
I couldn't find the damn cough medicine I know I had just bought.
“I think I’m just gonna take a nap,” Iris said, already closing her eyes and leaning back.
“Iris, wait let me give you some medicine,” I said, finally finding the cough medicine and opening the box.
After I read the directions, ready to give her the right dosage, she passed out. I sighed, wanting to wake her up, but thinking she probably needed the sleep. Her cheeks were red, her breathing was a little labored and worry ate at me as I laid a hand on her forehead. She was hot.
