He couldn’t have been more obvious about what he was after.
Isla Prescott ignored him.
Another two days passed without them seeing each other.
Before she knew it, it was Saturday.
That Saturday evening, Shane Sterling let her know he would be ho late again. Isla Prescott was already used to it, so she didn’t feel particularly disappointed.
That night, she went to bed after finishing her video editing. Around one in the morning, she was woken by a terrible feeling in her stomach, as if the bowl of rice noodles she’d had for dinner hadn’t digested at all and was now staging a rebellion, trying to force its way back up.
She got up to pour a glass of water, but the mont it hit her stomach, she threw up.
After the first ti, she felt a bit better. She flushed away the ss, cleaned the toilet, rinsed her mouth, washed her face, and lay back down to sleep.
There was a ssage from Shane Sterling on her phone, sent forty minutes ago, telling her he was ho.
Isla Prescott didn’t know if he was asleep yet and didn’t reply, afraid of disturbing his rest.
Ten minutes later, Isla Prescott threw up again. This ti, it was much more violent. She brought up stomach acid that burned her throat, making it painful to swallow.
She thought she must have emptied her stomach after that, but she was wrong. There was a third, a fourth, and a fifth ti.
By the fifth ti, she was weak and limp, feeling as dehydrated as a fish stranded on a mudflat, on the verge of death. Even walking to the bathroom to be sick again had beco a monuntal effort.
’I really don’t want to bother Shane Sterling,’ she thought, ’but he’s the only one close enough to help right now.’
After hesitating again and again, Isla Prescott finally called Shane Sterling.
He answered faster than she expected.
"Are you still awake?" Isla Prescott asked.
Shane Sterling could tell from her voice that sothing was wrong. "What is it?"
"I’m not feeling well."
A minute later, Shane Sterling was standing in front of her.
He was wearing a set of silk, monogramd Gucci pajamas. The flashy pattern could easily look gaudy and dated on the wrong person, but Shane Sterling’s tall, long-legged fra, combined with his freshly washed hair, balanced the loud, ornate design with his own refreshing, youthful aura.
"You call this ’not feeling well’? Just ’not well’?" Shane Sterling’s hand rested on her forehead, which was noticeably warr than normal. "How many tis have you thrown up?"
"Five."
Shane Sterling took a sharp, heavy breath. "Why didn’t you just wait until you were dead and then send a ssage from the great beyond?"
He was genuinely angry.
Isla Prescott didn’t dare say she was afraid of bothering him. She knew that would only make him angrier.
But she really did feel bad about troubling him.
For so reason, even though they were officially boyfriend and girlfriend and had even shared intimate kisses, she subconsciously still felt the need to maintain certain boundaries. ’It’s better not to beco a burden to him.’
She was sure her heart had moved on from her last relationship, but faced with a man even more unattainable than Silas Lockwood, she found it hard to shake off that feeling of inferiority.
"We’re going to the hospital."
Shane Sterling made the decision instantly, scooping her up and heading for the door.
Isla Prescott wasn’t used to being carried like a princess and struggled to get down. "I can walk on my own."
"If you could walk on your own, would you have called ?"
His tone was laced with sarcasm. He was still upset that she’d only called him after throwing up five tis.
Isla Prescott stopped struggling. She leaned quietly in his arms, letting him carry her out the door while he fud.
* * *
The ergency room was nearly empty late at night.
Before seeing the doctor, Isla Prescott went to the bathroom and threw up one more ti.
Shane Sterling stood by the bathroom door with wet wipes and a bottle of mineral water, anxiously peering in. By the ti she erged, pale-faced, his patience had run out.
"You’re being admitted," he said. "I’ll arrange it right now."
Isla Prescott quickly stopped his hand as he reached for his phone. "It wasn’t much this ti. I don’t think I’ll be sick again. Let’s just get checked out and see what the ER doctor says. I don’t think it’s serious enough for to be admitted."
Shane Sterling’s brow was tightly furrowed, but perhaps sensing her aversion to being hospitalized, he didn’t insist.
The doctor asked about her symptoms, ordered a blood test, and finally diagnosed her with a norovirus infection.
"Norovirus is a self-limiting illness. There’s no specific cure, so hospitals usually focus on symptomatic treatnt. While you’re still vomiting, you must avoid all food and water. Your stomach is cramping, and eating or drinking will only make you vomit more. After two hours, you can start taking oral rehydration salts to prevent dehydration. If your fever goes over 101.5, take fever reducers. Get plenty of rest. The illness typically lasts two to three days," the doctor explained, then looked at Shane Sterling, who had been holding Isla Prescott the whole ti. "Norovirus is highly contagious. The patient should self-isolate as much as possible. Family mbers should wear masks and wash their hands frequently to avoid getting infected."
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