Forever Is Not Enough

Shopping was EXHAUSTING! Sandy arrived back home, laden with bags and Luke's red hot credit card. Never had she spent so much in her entire life. In truth she'd probably only spent a fraction of what other women spend, but she'd been frightened to spend too much and incur the wrath of their accountants!

Flopping onto the sofa, surrounded by her hard won trophies, she leaned her head back and rubbed her temples. The sore head that had started over a week ago and intermittently come and gone since, was back with a vengeance. She sighed and stood up to get some paracetamol. As she did so, she realised this must be a full blown migraine, she felt like she was going to vomit. No, wait - she WAS!

Rushing to the bathroom, she lost her lunch in a wave of pain. Sitting on the floor, regaining her breath, she clutched at her head and moaned. It had been a long time since she had a headache this severe. Crawling on all fours, she reached the sink and hauled herself up. Looking in the mirror, she winced. God she looked like death warmed up. Opening the bathroom cabinet behind it, she raked until she found the migraine tablets she kept for just such an occasion. Without thinking she popped a couple then it occurred to her that she should have checked they were still in date. Oops! Quickly scanning the battered pack, they were in date, but only just. With a sigh of relief, she dampened a washcloth and took it through to the bedroom.

Closing the curtains, she got into bed and laid the washcloth on her forehead. The coolness helped, and she pulled her phone across from where she'd plonked it on the bedside table.

"Hi. Home now but won't be in tomorrow. Migraine. Have taken my meds. Don't worry - have ONLY taken my meds ;-). Phone you tomorrow night when I'm human again. Sxxx"

For the first time ever, she sent her "sick text" twice, once to Luke and once to Tom. After all, she reasoned, they both needed to know she was at death's door for the next 24hours. Maybe one of them would turn up with grapes and a cool hand for her fevered brow. With a pained smile, she closed her eyes to an image of the one she'd REALLY prefer to come and nurse her. She may be sick, but oh boy, she wasn't dead.

Luke and Tom were together when their phones pinged in unison. Pulling them out, they read then looked at each other and smiled. "So you're on the list of people who care then it would seem?" Luke winked at Tom as they compared notes.

"So it would seem eh? Does she get these often?" he asked, concerned. The thought of her being ill and alone unsettled him.

"No, not really. Once in a while and usually after eating a lot of chocolate. " Luke smiled and Tom frowned.

"I've never seen her eat it at all?"

"Exactly!"

"Oh!" he nodded "of course. Do you think she needs anything?" he put down the papers he'd been reading.

"Nah, usually she just sleeps it off. I'm sure she wouldn't object to you going over and sleeping it off with her but..." he shrugged with an evil smile and Tom laughed loudly.

"No, I don't think that's a good idea. If she's saying she has a headache before I've even got there...." Tom winked and stood up. "But if that's the time, I'd better be going. Bobs will need a walk. He's been with the sitter again today but I really should take him myself. He'll be forgetting what I look like shortly!"

"Ok, see you in the morning. We'll need to run over the panel and screening schedules - I'm supposed to be getting them overnight. I know we're still a month away, but we need to get organised. Especially if we're introducing a certain someone as part of the team." He smiled and stood up to show Tom to the door.

"She's not bad you know, hard work but..." Luke laughed evilly and held up his hands in defence "If she was I think I might have killed her years ago!"

"You, my friend, need someone to step up and relieve you of your duties. I think I know just the man. He's honest, reliable, trustworthy, handsome and very , very modest!" Tom winked.

"Sounds like a God amongst Men! Do we know anyone like that?"

"Nah, will I do instead?"

Luke stood for a second, as if in thought. "Can't think of anyone I'd rather have as Cousin In Law!" he patted Toms shoulder.

"Steady!" Tom was a little taken aback at Luke's forthright answer, not because he didn't agree, but because it gave voice to the secret he'd been harbouring. Even from himself. "Well, maybe not right away..... "

As they parted, Luke turned to Tom and said "In all seriousness, she really has fallen for you in a big way. Please don't hurt her? I know you would never intentionally do it, but please don't let her get trampled."

"I won't man, I promise. I'll protect her with everything I have. Now, get some rest, we got lots to do! See you in the morning."

They hugged and Tom left, whistling softly as he walked. Life was on the up and up. Career was flourishing, personal life was flourishing, he'd never felt so excited to be alive. Nothing and no-one could spoil it.

Sandy sat in the bathroom, having thrown up yet again. Her head felt like it was being cleaved in two with a crowbar. As she held the mobile phone in her hand, she swithered. Phone Luke to come and hold her hand? Phone Tom to just come and hold her? Or phone a Vet to come and put her down. She decided on the Vet.

Sadly none were into human euthanasia so she made do with an ambulance. By the time they arrived, she was a pathetic moaning little wreck on the hall floor. The crew had her stretchered and away in minutes, an anti-emetic injection making it a far more pleasant experience than it might have been.

A&E was packed. Full of the usual drunk fallers, DIY disasters, skateboarding kids with broken wrists and people who were convinced that, if they actually DID have Bubonic Plague, sitting coughing over the entire waiting room was perfectly acceptable.

Sandy was triaged in and past all this within minutes. By now she was an incoherent mess. She tried to converse, tried to give them the basics, but all that came out was babbling nonsense. As the Trauma Doctor assessed her, she looked at him with frightened eyes. Getting more and more frustrated, she cried loudly like a wounded animal. What was happening to her? Was she having a stroke? Was she actually dying? She wished she could ask him, but now her mouth just wouldn't work at all.

Now, she wasn't just scared. She was terrified. She wanted her boys, both of them, and she wanted them now.