“No, I hardly ate anything, so I doubt I have anything else in me. I’ll be fine.”
“Okay. Call me if you need anything.”
“I will.”
I closed the door most of the way, not wanting to close it entirely in case she called out for help, and then I went to the living room and sat down in front of the television.
I pulled out the room service menu and called down to get myself some food, ordering some ginger ale for her in case she wanted something to settle her stomach.
“Do you have any Dramamine in the shop in the lobby?” I asked the front desk clerk. “My fiancée is sick and needs some.”
“I’ll check, but I’m pretty sure there’s something.”
“Thanks,” I said and sat back, watching the news while I waited for my supper.
The clerk called me back in five mi
nutes. “There’s some Dramamine chewable tabs I could put on your bill. One of the bellhops could it bring upstairs, if you’d like.”
“Thanks,” I said. “Please do. I appreciate the help.”
“You’re welcome.”
While I waited for my food to arrive, the bellhop arrived with the Dramamine. I gave him a nice tip and brought the tablets and some water in to Alexa.
“Here’s some Dramamine,” I said and sat on the side of the bed. “Take some. It might make you feel better.”
“Okay,” she said and sat up. She took one of the pink tabs and made a face when she looked at it. “What flavor is it?”
“It says wild cherry.”
She took in a breath and put the tablet in her mouth, chewing slowly. She swallowed it down with a mouthful of water, an expression of disgust on her face.
Then, she lay down again and pulled the covers up around her.
“Let me know if you need anything,” I said and stroked her hair.
“Okay…” she said. “Maybe a new stomach?”
“Sorry, Miss. That’s beyond my pay grade,” I replied, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek. “You’ll feel better in the morning. These bugs only last for twenty-four hours.”
“Thank God,” she murmured.
I closed the drapes and left her alone. She would feel better in the morning and hopefully, the medication would make her feel somewhat better sooner, although if you had a bug, you had to just give in and let nature take its course.
So, I had a solitary evening, eating my food alone in front of the television, watching news and sports until it was time for bed. When I did finally go to our bedroom, Alexa was asleep and apparently, had no more episodes of vomiting.
That was good. It meant the worst was over and she would be feeling better in the morning. I went to bed, making sure not to wake her up when I crept under the covers. As I lay in the bed on my back, I listened to the sounds of the hotel room, the air conditioning, and the sound of Alexa sleeping.
We had a lot on our plates in the next few months and I fell to sleep thinking of it all: moving into our new apartment, planning our wedding, Alexa’s PhD courses, her seminar, and for me, developing Astra Investments as a new business.
In the morning, I woke to find myself alone in bed, and the sound of the toilet flushing in the bathroom. Alexa was up. I hoped she was feeling better.
When she came back into the bedroom, she plopped back down on the bed.
“How are you?” I asked, rolling over to put my arm around her. “Stomach better.”
She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. “Just dry-heaved.”