I didn’t bother replying, it was pointless. He was angry, and until he calmed down there was no use trying to get through to him. I didn’t want to leave and I wasn’t going to. I refused to make a mess of today. It wasn’t just mine or his Christmas, it was everyone’s and I wasn’t about to let him shit on it just because he couldn’t rein himself in.
I managed to walk past the lounge without drawing attention to myself. I was going to sort myself out and then carry on with the day. The kids must’ve been dying to open their presents.
I’d almost made it to the bedroom before I heard the retching from the toilet. I can’t explain it, it was one of those times where my heart stopped and started and a cold sweat made me shiver. I already knew who it was before I even knocked.
“Just a second.”
I tried opening the door but it was locked from the inside. “Jenna, let me in.”
“I’m okay.” I could hear the nasal quality of her voice like she was crying. I knocked a little harder. “Open the door.”
It was all quiet for a moment. No shuffling. Nothing. I was just about to knock again when the lock clicked and a very pale Jenna appeared through the crack of the opening door. Her hair was stuck to her face and her eyes were rimmed red.
It hit me just like that. The buzz of jumping in and taking control kicked in.
“I’m fine, it’s ju—”
“You’re not fine.” I grabbed her hand and took her into the en-suite in Jamie’s room. I fetched my hospital bag from the dressing room before I sat her down on the loo and looked her over. I already had my suspicions, but I didn’t want to say anything unless I was sure. I was a little surprised that Richard hadn’t picked up on it to be honest.
“Alright, this is what we’re going to do. I’m going to take your blood pressure and then you’re going to pee in this cup.” I grabbed Jamie’s glass from the vanity.
Karma was a pissy cup on that particular occasion.
“I’ve got a bug, that’s all, Quincy. I’ve felt it coming on for days.”
“Trust me, it’s better to be safe than sorry.” The look on her face changed from one second to the next. Her expression went from worried to panicked. “I’m going to ask you some questions and I’m going to need you to answer them honestly. Do you understand?”
She nodded once before she started retching again. I grabbed the bin from the corner and took out the bag that had a few cotton buds and flossing string before I handed it to her.
“I’m going to check your feet and your ankles whilst you settle back down.” I crouched down in front of her and pulled up the hem of her jeans before I removed her socks. “Apart from the nausea, have you felt anything else out of the ordinary for you?” I asked as I had a good feel of her ankles.
“Not really.”
“When did your ankles start getting puffy?” Many doctors didn’t like using non-medical terms even when talking to non-medical persons, but I always felt like it put them at ease. Medical terms had that harshness and brusqueness about them that made just a simple bump sound like you were about to die. “Any headaches?”
“The swelling comes and goes. I notice it in my hands more, my ankles aren’t exactly skinny enough for me to tell all the way from up here.” She shrugged. “As for the headaches? I dunno, with the stress of the wedding and everything else, I guess I’ve had a few.”
I took the Sphygmomanometer from my bag along with the tube containing the urine test strips.
“How bad?” I took her hand and rolled up her sleeve all the way past her elbow before I wrapped the blood pressure cuff around her arm and put on my stethoscope. “Be honest.”
“Ummm…migraine bad? Is everything ok?”
I smiled at her as I carried on listening to the knocking in her brachial artery and waiting for it to disappear. “It will be.”
She relaxed a little. With my spare hand I reached into the small pocket of my bag and grabbed a pen. Scribbling her blood pressure on the back of my hand. “I’m going to need you to pee in that cup for me now. Are you okay to do it on your own or do you need help?”
“I can manage.” She handed me the empty bin as she got up slowly from the toilet.
“I’ll be just out there, call me if you need a hand.” I closed the door behind me as she murmured her thanks.
I sat on the bed as I waited for her to let me know she was done. She was taking forever. I could hear her turn the tap on and off. I was ready to go in there and squeeze her bladder until it gave me what I needed.
“Quincy?” The sound of Jamie’s voice startled me from my thoughts. “What are you doing?” He looked at me like I’d gone certifiably mad.
I stepped away from the door, I hadn’t even noticed that I’d been standing there, and turned to look at him. “Thinking.”
“I’m sorry I flew off the handle. I shouldn’t have snapped at you. I was rude and you deserve better than that. Please don’t leave.”