Chapter 4
I lay there in bed for several more hours, not sleeping, just thinking.
I kept glancing over at the pictures from Hawaii and that made it hard not to
think about that night, as horrible as it had been, now it was etched into my
mind forever...
-- Flashback -- Sometime around 3:00 in the morning I was jolted awake
by a sharp pain ripping through my abdomen. My entire body felt like it was on
fire. I couldn't move, I couldn't roll over, I couldn't even cry out in pain. I
remember laying there shaking violently from the agonizing pain, wanting to
scream, waiting for what felt like an eternity to catch my breath. When I was
finally able to speak I was only strong enough to gasp out into the darkness
for Nick to wake up. He stirred a little and then bolted upright in the bed.
I could see him grasping around at the pillows and the sheets on the
bed, still clearly confused as to what had woken him up. By that time I had
curled up into the fetal position on the other side of the bed, sweat pouring
from every gland in my body, overcome by the gutwrenching pain. I watched as he
felt around again for a few moments before I finally reached out and touched
his arm.
Barely looking up and still very obviously confused he ran his hands
across his pillow case again and asked, "Why is everything wet?"
I hadn't truly realized it until that moment just how much I had been
sweating. My hair and pillow were soaked along with half of his pillow and a
good portion of the sheet that covered the bed. I couldn't gather my strength
enough to try and explain what was happening and honestly I didn't even know
myself. I just remember reaching my hand out again and grabbing him on the arm,
hard. And then I remember saying in an almost agonizing cry "NICK! Please
just HELP ME!!"
Until then he hadn't known anything was wrong, but at hearing those
words, hearing me cry out in the darkness for him to help me, he literally
leapt out of the bed. He had flipped the light on and was at my side in just a
matter of seconds.
"Oh my God baby, what's wrong? You're soaking wet. Where does it
hurt?" He was asking questions faster than I could possibly answer them.
He stared down at me laying there curled up in a ball, tears streaming
down my face, clutching my stomach. He didn't have to ask anymore questions,
that was all it took for him to jump into action. He ran into the bathroom and
emerged a few moments later with a damp towel to sop up some of the sweat. As
he was helping me move from my side of the bed to his side which was still dry
I heard him gasp. I had no idea why he had and that scared me a little. He
finished situating me against the pillow and quickly vanished back into the
bathroom, returning moments later, this time with a cool towel that he placed
on my forehead. He sat on the bed beside me, picked up the phone and began
dialing. I wanted to ask him what he was doing, who in the world he was calling
at 3:00 in the morning, but I didn't have the energy. I heard him say to the
unsuspecting caller on the other line, "Yeah hey, it's Gracie, she's on
fire... uh, I think it's her stomach... please... okay see you in a
minute." And with those words he hung up the phone.
By the time he'd placed the phone back on its holder the pain was
starting to ease up a bit. It was like a horrible leg cramp that was starting
to pass. I was shivering horribly though and still couldn't figure out what the
hell was going on with me. Nick leaned over and removed the cloth from my
forehead telling me over and over again to "just hang in there." I
looked up into his eyes, those same concerned and beautiful blue eyes I'd seen
the day before in the airport bathroom and fell in love all over again. My
teeth were chattering, my head was throbbing now and I needed to use the
bathroom like crazy, but I would have laid there in that moment, looking up
into his eyes as he rubbed his cool hands on my cheeks forever.
The moment ended quickly though with a knock on the door. Nick brushed
my cheek softly and went to answer as the knocks grew louder and more frequent.
Brian and Leighanne shuffled in looking half awake and quite confused followed
only seconds later by a sleepy Kevin and Kristin. I felt horrible. Not only physically,
but because the pain was subsiding quickly now and clearly it was I who caused
all of them to jump out of their cozy beds in the dead of night and for what?
They didn't seem to care though as Brian rushed quickly to my side and took my
hand.
"Where does it hurt G?" He felt my forehead and of course
Kevin came over and felt it too. This didn't really bother me too much, I mean
I was used to Brian being a concerned big brother, and Kevin, well Kevin always
worried. But it was the way the way they'd pulled their hands away quickly and
looked at one another afterwards that gave me concern. It was as if they'd
touched a hot iron and were checking to see if it'd had the same effect on the
other person.
I told them that I thought I was okay now, just very weak and that I
must have had a muscle spasm or cramp in my stomach. I told them that my head
was killing me and I would like to go back to sleep so they should go back to
their rooms and all would be okay. They looked concerned but turned to their
wives who motioned towards the door that they should just go on and let me be,
that Nick would call if they were needed. Before they went though I called the
girls over. I still needed to pee very badly and honestly I felt too weak to
make it to the bathroom myself and I wasn't prepared to share that experience
with any of the guys, even my fiance just yet.
As they were helping me up and into the bathroom I began to feel
extremely dizzy and chilled and the pain began to return to my stomach. As I
sat down to relieve my aching bladder if felt the room begin to close in around
me. I leaned forward placing my head between my knees so as not to pass out
and... nothing happened. I couldn't pee at all, even though I so badly needed
to. I massaged my aching stomach and managed to squeeze out a few painful drops
and was shocked to look down into the toilet and see bright red blood. It
scared me. I was getting dizzier with each passing second and again I wanted to
scream but couldn't. I could hear the buzz of conversation outside the door and
I wished someone, anyone would just come in and check on me. Another sharp pain
surged through my abdomen and this time I lost it. I lurched forward and
gasped, the room growing darker around me, I grabbed blindly for the trashcan and
wretched into it unable to vomit anymore than I could urinate. I felt like my
entire body was shutting down on me. The chatter outside the door stopped
abruptly and there was a knock, followed by a voice saying "Sweetie, it's
us, we're coming in."
The door shot open and before I could say a word Leighanne and Kristin
were at my side.
***
