Page 83 of Save Me
Although I trust Dr Rogers more than most of my friends, I know I need to tread carefully. Besides a few select people, which strangely enough, now includes Casey, I won’t say anything that might threaten Beth’s position. The old guy only has to mention something to a colleague and that could be it. Game over!
“Her grandfather died recently, her best friend is having to suddenly move away, and she’s got a really abusive…” I breathe in deeply before I say the next word because it makes me feel physically sick and tastes like acid in my mouth, “boyfriend.”
“Ah-ha,” he says without expression as he continues to take her heart pressure and listen to her chest. “I would say she’s got the flu,” he says decisively, “she was most likely susceptible to it due to how rundown she is. She’ll need taking care of. I can leave some paracetamol to help keep her temperature down, but other than that, it’s rest and lots of it. As for her depression, I would highly recommend she see her own physician as soon as she is better.”
All I can do is nod as he packs everything away into his bag, looking confident in his assessment, which eases me a little.
“If she’s not better within a week, call again, but otherwise, flu is flu,” he says with a shrug and a small smile. “It was nice to see the both of you again. Give my regards to your parents and your uncle, for me.”
Casey leads him out after we shake hands, and I take a minute to look over Beth before trying to decide what to do next. The last thing I want to do is leave her to Oliver, but who do I trust enough to take my place?
“Leo is already on the phone to who, I’m guessing, is Oliver,” Casey informs me, now looking very anxious and taking this all a lot more seriously than when she had first arrived. “You have to go!”
“No way!” I argue. “You heard; she needs taking care of. I can’t leave her now!”
“I am not standing back and letting some lunatic freak with a power trip kill you! I’ll stay with her until this Oliver gets here and then…” She pauses, knowing I’m not going to like what she is about to say. “Well, I’m afraid you’ll have to let him deal with it.”
I growl in frustration and begin to pace across the room, running my hand anxiously through my hair.
“No! I’m not letting you stay here; I don’t want you anywhere near him!”
“Ok, well, then, I’ll tell Leo and he’ll have to watch her.” I look at her like she’s batshit crazy if she thinks I’m going to trust Lug outside with her. “Well, what then?”
“Bodhi!” I reply, clicking my fingers at the same time as cursing myself for not thinking of him first. I’m already calling him before Casey has a chance to ask what the hell Bodhi has to do with everything. Fortunately, it’s flat calm today, so he actually answers his phone. After a quick rundown of events, he’s on his way before I’ve even had a chance to hang up. Casey tells me to go, reassuring me that she will stay until Bodhi turns up, then get the hell out of here too. I still hate this, but it’s the only way to keep everyone safe…for now.
Beth
My head feels fuzzy with a strange kind of heat when I finally wake up, like walking into a warm room from the freezing cold outside. I also feel completely exhausted, even though I’ve been asleep for I don’t know how long. In fact, it takes me a good five minutes before I manage to lift myself onto my elbows to take in my surroundings.
Bodhi is huddled in the corner of my room, which is weird. Not only that, but he’s watching a reality TV show with a lot of naked people and what sounds like British accents. Whatever it is has him chuckling to himself while he nurses a mug of something warm inside of his hands. In fact, it’s so disorientating, I blink a few times to check if I’m awake or still in the land of nod. That is until Annie bursts through the door with a plate of more sandwiches and a beaming smile on her face.
“Look who’s awake!” She grins. “Hey, honey, good sleep?”
“Er, mmm, I…”
God, it’s even stranger to try and talk. It feels like a strange concoction of dehydration and cotton wool being forced inside of my mouth. Pressing my fingertips to my throat, and coughing a few times to clear it, I eventually sit up to try and communicate in a way that doesn’t sound like I’ve chained smoked for the past ten years.
“I feel crap!” I finally manage to push out. “Where’s Xander?”
“School, probably.” Bodhi shrugs, then leans down to kiss me on the cheek. “Your mom called; she’ll be back in a few days. She wanted to come back sooner, but I told her that Annie and I would have it covered until then.”
“What happened to Oliver?” I ask, suddenly feeling panicked, or relieved, I’m not entirely sure. My brain can’t function well enough yet to tell which one at the moment. Bodhi tips his head back and laughs.
“He was already packing your things up to move you back to his place, but then Annie showed up and told him to do one!” He pulls Annie into his side with a look of immense pride. “Said I was your guardian until the beginning of April and that we were having none of his bullshit until then. Dude.Was.Pissed!”
He laughs again, and I have to smile, even though it makes my head hurt.
“So, flu, huh?” Annie says once Bodhi stops laughing. “Can’t say I’ve ever had it before. I wonder where you got it from?”
“Could have been anywhere, I guess,” I reply as I shrug nonchalantly and gratefully take a sip of the water she offers.
“Well, we’ve already phoned the school to say you won’t be in this week,” Annie informs me, reminding us that she’s the only real, responsible adult in the room. As if proving that point, I pout because no school means no Xander either. She simply pats my head like you would a naughty puppy. “But Uncle Bodhi and I will keep you company until your mom’s home. Can I get you anything?”
I stupidly shake my head, only to immediately wince when the pain radiates across my skull again.
“Actually, just lots of water and maybe some painkillers, please?”
“Sure thing, hun!”