Chapter 42 The Examination
Daylan's POV
The morning was quiet. The only sounds were the occasional hum of the refrigerator and the soft rustling of the curtains. I got up quietly so as to not wake Brie up, and made my way to the kitchen, hoping to start the day with some coffee. As I filled the pot with water and scooped in the coffee grounds, the aroma began to fill the kitchen.
Suddenly, I heard a faint noise from the bedroom. It was Brie. I quickly turned off the coffee maker and rushed down the hallway and into the bedroom to her side. She was sitting up in bed, her face pale and her eyes filled with discomfort.
"Daylan," she whispered, her voice weak. "I feel so nauseous."
I sat down beside her, placing a hand on her forehead. She was clammy, but there was no fever. "I'm here. It's okay. Just breathe."
She nodded, but within moments, she climbed off the bed and was rushing to the bathroom, clutching her stomach and her other hand covering her mouth. That is when I realized that the coffee aroma had traveled to the bedroom. With a sigh, I stood up and followed her, my heart heavy with concern. I watched helplessly as she leaned over the toilet, retching violently. The sight and sound of her suffering tore at me as I stood in the doorway, my arms folded.
After what felt like an eternity, she sat back on her heels, her face even paler than before. I moved towards her and helped her up, and guided her to the basin as she brushed her teeth. Once done, I led her to the bedroom.
"Thanks," she murmured as she got into bed.
"We need to get you checked out properly," I said softly, and I sat beside her. "This isn't normal. I'm worried about you."
She nodded weakly, too exhausted to argue. I stood up and quickly gathered my things and called one of my nurses to let her know we would be coming in. I wanted to be sure that whatever was happening to Brie wasn't something more serious.
At the hospital, I led Brie to my examination room, the familiarity of the place a small comfort amidst the worry. I helped her onto the examination bed, adjusting the pillow to make her as comfortable as possible.
"Alright," I said, trying to keep my voice calm and reassuring. "I'm going to run some tests, okay? We will figure out what is going on."
She nodded, her eyes closing as she leaned back against the pillows. "Okay."
I started with the basics, checking her vital signs. Her blood pressure was a bit low, but her pulse was steady. I took her temperature, which was normal. But these were just the surface-level indicators. I needed to dig deeper.
"How are you feeling right now?" I asked as I prepared to draw some blood.
"Still nauseous," she said softly. "And really tired."
I nodded, slipping the needle into her vein with practiced ease. "We will run some blood tests to see if there's an underlying issue. In the meantime, I will give you something to help with the nausea."
As I drew the blood, I couldn't shake the feeling of dread. Brie had always been strong, but this was different. She was so vulnerable right now, and it killed me to see her like this.
Once I had enough blood samples, I labeled them and handed them off to a nurse that I had called earlier for testing. Then, I turned my attention back to Brie. "I'm going to do a physical examination now, okay? Just to rule out any obvious issues."
She nodded, her eyes still closed. I gently pressed on her abdomen, checking for any signs of pain or discomfort. She winced slightly when I touched her lower stomach.
"Does it hurt here?" I asked, concerned.
"A little," she admitted. "It's more of a dull ache than anything else."
I took the folder and pen, making a note of it, my mind racing through possible diagnoses. It could be a stomach flu, but given her medical history, I couldn't rule out other possibilities.
"Alright," I said, finishing the examination. "I'm going to give you some medication to help with the nausea, it seems that the medication I gave you at the apartment didn't help. We will wait for the blood test results to come back, which will take three days at least, and then we will have a better idea of what's going on."
She nodded, looking up at me with those tired, trusting eyes. "Thank you."
I squeezed her hand gently. "We will get to the bottom of this, I promise."
Back at her apartment, I stayed by her side, making sure she was as comfortable as possible. I had given her the medication again, and it seemed to help a little, but she was still far from well. I couldn't bear to leave her alone, not when she was in this state.
The second night was even harder. Brie woke up several times, rushing to the bathroom to vomit. Each time, I was there, holding her hair back and murmuring words of comfort. It was heartbreaking to see her like this, and I felt so helpless.
In the early hours of the morning, I finally managed to get her to rest. I sat on the edge of her bed, watching her sleep. She looked so fragile, so different from the strong woman I knew.
I couldn't help but think about our past, the moments we had shared, and the decisions we had made. My feelings for her had never truly faded, and being here with her now, caring for her, only made those feelings stronger.
As the sun began to rise, I knew I needed to get back to the hospital to check up on my patients, but I didn't want to leave her here all by herself, but hopefully her friends or Tabitha could keep an eye on her. I left a note for Brie, letting her know where I was going and that I would be back straight after work.