Chapter Thirteen

Hours later, the sound of her mother calling her name, Jayme woke from her sleep and was instantly nauseated. Running past her mother at the bedroom door, Jayme barely made it to the toilet before vomiting again. Standing in the bathroom door behind her was Paige.
“Jayme, are you alright?” Paige asked.
“No, I’ve been sick like this all day.”
“Here, let me get you a cold, wet washcloth…” Paige said and went to the cupboard.
“My stomach hurts really bad and I’ve got diarrhea.”
“Oh no, I’m sorry you’re not feeling well. And Rex came over to see you, I can send him away.” Paige said as she placed the wet rag on Jayme’s forehead.
“No, send him up…” Jayme said.
“Are you sure?” Paige asked.
“Yes.” Jayme confirmed.
“Ok…” Paige said and turned to go down the steps.
Moments later, Rex found her sitting on the bathroom floor, leaning with her head against the tub. “Jayme?” Rex said, kneeling down beside her. “You’re sick?” He felt her for fever. “You’re burning up.”
“I’ve been sick all day.” Jayme said in a weak voice.
“I think you should go to the hospital.” Rex suggested.
“I don’t know if there’s much they can do. It’s probably viral.” Jayme assumed.
“But we don’t know that… come on…” Rex said and slipped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her toward him.
Jayme felt incredibly weak as she stood to her feet. And she knew Rex was right, she probably should be going to the hospital. Especially in her delicate state. Rex helped Jayme down the stairs and to the foyer where she slipped her coat over her shoulders.
Out the door, Rex helped Jayme to his truck, opening the door and helping her climb in. Then he shut the door and ran around to the drivers side. He wasted no time leaving the driveway and heading toward the closest hospital.
Leaving his truck parked before the emergency entrance, Rex helped Jayme inside. Leaving her at the nurses station, he returned to his truck to move it. Walking back into the emergency room entrance, Rex found Jayme sitting in a chair beside the large window overlooking a well groomed garden.
She was holding a large basin as she was feeling the need to vomit. But she didn’t sit there long before they opened the door and called her back. As Jayme stood up and walked toward the nurse, she turned around and looked at Rex. “You’re not coming?”
Jumping out of the chair, he walked toward her. “Yeah, if you don’t mind me tagging along…”
“Come on.” Jayme said with a slight smile.
Leading them to an enclosed room, the nurse shut the door then sat before the computer and began asking Jayme questions. Jayme answered them to the best of her knowledge, admitting she was between jobs and her insurance would run out at the end of the month. The nurse checked her vitals and noted her fever and rapid pulse.
The nurse was thorough, asking Jayme about her symptoms, past history, medications, and where she was in her pregnancy. Jayme informed the nurse that she was approximately thirty two weeks and that she still had to establish an obstetrician here, in Hillman. Jayme gave her the name and address of her current/past obstetrician and that she had been having regular prenatal visits. Jayme informed her that there are no known pregnancy complications.
Before the doctor entered the room, Jayme felt the overpowering urge to vomit but nothing came up. She just kept dry-heaving. Not only did her stomach hurt from the cramping pain but now it was sore from vomiting. Standing beside her, holding her hair back, Rex tried to support Jayme. He felt bad that she was feeling bad.
Seeing the door swing open, a man about Jayme’s age walked in and introduced himself. “Hello, I’m doctor Sheltron. What seems to be the problem here?”
“I’ve been vomiting all day. Diarrhea. Ugh.” Jayme said, covering her mouth.
“You woke up feeling this way?” Dr. Sheltron asked.
“Well, no. I woke up this morning and I was fine. I ate some breakfast, eggs, bacon and toast. I started cleaning the house and just gradually went down hill from there. Since noon, I’ve been vomiting with diarrhea. I slept for a few hours but woke up feeling worse. Now I’m here.”
“Do you have any other symptoms, other than nausea, vomiting, fever, diarrhea, or just feeling ill?” Dr. Sheltron asked.
“My stomach hurts very bad, I’ve been having incredibly bad sharp pains right here…” Jayme rubbed her stomach area, just above her uterus.
“I’m going to run some tests…” The doctor said. “See just what’s going on. Just hang tight for a few.”
Leaving the room, the doctor closed the door. As Rex stroked Jayme’s hair back, she looked up at him. “I’m sorry, Rex, for being ill. I really wanted to see you tonight, but not like this.”
“Please don’t be sorry, it’s not your fault. You didn’t intentionally make yourself sick. It happens.”
“My resistence is down because of my pregnancy.”
“Makes sense.” Rex agreed.
Jayme and Rex waited. Approximately ten minutes later, a woman came in with a cart. Immediately, Jayme knew she would draw blood and which vials she would use. Being a nurse, Jayme already had the idea that she had somehow contracted food poisoning.
Merely thirty minutes later, the doctor returned to the room. “You have food poisoning.” He said bluntly. “It probably wouldn’t have gone away because it’s bacterial so it’s good that you came in. You need antibiotics.”
“I was kinda assuming that it was some sort of food poisoning.” Jayme said.
“What about your pregnancy, have you been feeling the baby move?”
“Yes.” Jayme answered.
“I want to do an ultrasound just to check things out, is that alright?”
“Yes.” Jayme agreed.
“Ok. I’ll get them to be ready as soon as possible.” Dr. Sheltron said before walking out the door.
Jayme and Rex waited merely fifteen minutes before a man in scrubs came to her room. Introducing himself as just Randy, he unlocked her wheels and explained that he was taking her to the Ultrasound room. Jayme asked Randy if Rex could attend and Randy agreed to allow him.
Rex was intrigued as it was the first time he had attended an ultrasound. The baby’s heart beat was strong and loud from the speaker. Taking pictures at different angles, the tech was quiet, concentrating on his job. When he was finished, he didn’t give them any information other than he would give the test results to the doctor. Then he wheeled Jayme back down the hallways and back to her room.
It was merely ten minutes before the doctor came back in the room, holding the ultrasound pictures. Holding them up to the light, he looked them over. “I really don’t see any problems. Everything looks good to me. They are right where they should be as far as growth. Things are still progressing nicely. So, give us a few to get your papers ready and we’ll get you out of here.”
“Thank you, Dr. Sheltron.” Jayme said.
“You’re welcome.” He said with a smile before walking out the door.
Waiting another fifteen minutes, the nurse came in and handed her a cup of a milky colored liquid for her to drink, then explained the instructions to her then asked Jayme to sign. The milky substance was a strong anti-nausea medicine.
Leaving the hospital, Rex took Jayme to the local pharmacy to get her prescriptions for antibiotics filled. Still not feeling well, Jayme sat in the truck while Rex took the prescription in along with her insurance information to have it filled. To Jayme, it seemed like an hour she waited for him to return to the truck but in reality, it was merely ten minutes.
The anti nausea medicine given at the hospital was starting to work. She felt better although her stomach was still cramping. And she was incredibly weak. Rex returned to the truck and immediately started her on antibiotics when he handed her one pill and a bottle of water.
“I don’t know if you’ll hold this down, but you should at least try.” Rex said.
Jayme took the pill and slipped it into her mouth then took the open bottle of water from Rex and swallowed it. “I do feel somewhat better.” Jayme said and handed the bottle back to Rex.
“Good.” Rex said, putting the cap on the bottle. Then he left the parking lot and drove her straight home.
Pulling in the driveway, Rex shut off the truck and came around the front to help Jayme out of the truck and into the house. Paige and Simon were both still up and waiting for Jayme to return. Meeting them at the front door, Paige slid her arm around Jayme and smiled at Rex. “I can get her to bed…” Paige said.
Watching until they were to the stairs, Simon turned to Rex. “What did they say?”
While Rex and Simon talked downstairs, Paige helped Jayme to change into her pajamas and get her in bed. “What did the doctor say?” Paige asked.
“I have food poisoning. It’s bacterial so I have antibiotics to take for ten days.” Jayme said.
“Food poisoning? How did you get food poisoning?” Paige asked.
“I think it was the eggs and sausage from the microwave.” Jayme said.
“Oh, maybe.” Paige said.
“I’m kinda feeling better but I’m so tired and weak…” Jayme said and laid her head on the pillow. “Please tell Rex I said good night and I’ll look forward to seeing him tomorrow.”
“Ok, I’ll let him know…” Paige said as she pulled the blankets up over Jayme. “Good night.”
“Good night.” Jayme returned.