Hospital

Elias POV

A beeping sound slowly pulled me from the darkness. My eyelids felt impossibly heavy, like they were being pressed down.

I tried to move my fingers first, then slowly forced my eyes open. The bright white ceiling of a hospital room came into focus.

The smell of antiseptic and clean linen filled my nose, mixed with the faint scent of rain still clinging to my memories.

I was lying on a hospital bed, an IV drip attached to the back of my hand. The thin tube disappeared upward into a clear bag hanging on a metal stand. My body felt weak, heavy, and strangely sensitive.

Emily was sitting right beside the bed in a plastic chair, her eyes red and swollen from crying. The moment she noticed my eyes open, she leaned forward quickly, relief washing over her face.

“Elias… thank God,” she whispered, her voice cracking. She reached out and gently patted my arm, careful not to disturb the IV line. “You’re awake. How do you feel?”

I swallowed, my throat dry and painful. “Like… I got hit by a truck. Everything hurts. And I’m so cold…”

Emily immediately reached for a cup of warm water on the bedside table. She helped me sit up slightly, supporting my back with one hand while holding the cup to my lips with the other.

“Small sips,” she instructed softly. “The doctor said you were badly dehydrated. You scared me so much, Elias. When you passed out in the car, I thought… I thought I was going to lose you.”

I took a few careful sips, the warm water soothing my raw throat. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to worry you. Everything just… crashed down on me at once.”

Emily set the cup down and held my hand tightly, her thumb rubbing gentle circles on the back of it. “You don’t have to apologize. Just promise me you won’t do that again. No more walking in the rain. No more talking about anything calling you. I can’t lose you, okay?”

Before I could respond, the door opened.

An older doctor walked in, accompanied by two young resident nurses. One nurse carried a blood pressure monitor, and the other held a tablet for notes.

“Good evening, Mr. Elias,” the doctor said kindly, glancing at the chart in his hands. “I’m Dr. Harlan. Glad to see you awake. How are you feeling right now?”

“Tired,” I admitted. “Very tired. And nauseous. My body feels… strange.”

Dr. Harlan nodded and gestured to the nurses. “Let’s get some vitals first.”

One nurse wrapped the blood pressure cuff around my arm while the other checked my pulse and temperature. The cuff tightened around with a familiar squeeze.

“Blood pressure is a bit low,” the nurse reported. “98 over 62.”

Dr. Harlan checked the chart again. “You were caught in the rain quite badly earlier. How long were you out there exactly?”

I thought back, my mind still foggy. “Maybe twenty or thirty minutes… I wasn’t really paying attention. I just kept walking.”

The doctor took my temperature himself. “Still running a low-grade fever — 37.8°C. Being soaked and under extreme stress can trigger this, but these symptoms don’t fully match a simple cold. Have you experienced dizziness lately? Unusual fatigue? Any breast tenderness or sensitivity in your chest?”

I blinked, surprised by the question. “Yeah… actually. I’ve been extremely tired for weeks now. I thought it was just work stress. And my chest has felt weird and sensitive sometimes, but I’m a guy, so…”

I trailed off, feeling embarrassed. Emily squeezed my hand tighter under the blanket, offering support even during this embarrassing moment.

The nurse chuckles a little before composing them after the doctor sent an eye to them.

Dr. Harlan remained calm and professional. “I understand this might feel strange to hear, but we need to rule out other causes. Rain and cold can cause nausea and cramps, but to be safe, I’d like to run some basic bloodwork and an ultrasound. Standard procedure with this combination of symptoms, regardless of gender.”

Emily spoke up immediately, her voice confused. “Do whatever tests you need, doctor. I’m staying right here with him. Whatever it is, we’ll face it together.”

Dr. Harlan nodded. “We’ll warm you up properly and continue rehydrating you first. Then we’ll proceed. Most likely it’s a viral infection made worse by exhaustion and emotional stress. But if it’s something else… We’ll deal with it together. Alright, Mr. Elias?”

I gave a weak nod, too drained to argue.

The nurses finished taking my vitals, adjusted the IV drip, and left the room with the doctor, promising to return soon for more tests.

Once the door closed, Emily turned back to me, still holding my hand.

“You’re going to be okay,” she said softly but firmly. “No matter what the results say. I’ve got your back. You’re not alone in this.”

I squeezed her hand back, but deep down, a strange, unexplained fear settled in my chest. Something felt wrong.

I pray the checkups are negative… or else I’m definitely screwed.