Skipping down the stairs, you grabbed your wallet and your phone along with your keys. Slipping on some cute sneakers, you headed out of the door to try and catch your work shift for the day. The sun had quickly dropped and the light of day turned into darkness, as quickly as you left for home you found yourself walking back through the front door.

“Hey! I’m….” You called into the emptied house, stopping mid sentence, the lonely presence echoed through the apartment, “Home…”

Sighing softly, you closed the door behind you and slipped off your shoes knowing that the one person you were looking forward to seeing was on a plane crossing an ocean. Shuffling across the hardwood floors, you flipped on a few dim lights in the kitchen. Wondering around the island, you pulled open the freezer and pulled out a meal that looked appealing.

The frozen cardboard chilled your fingertips as you pulled open the cardboard casing. Your eyes wondered over the instructions as you unwrapped the food per the instructions before slipping the food into the microwave. Pressing the buttons for the appointed time, you set the instructions on the counter before heading up to the bedroom.

Kicking off your jeans, you folded them and placed them back in the stack. ing your boyfriend’s shirt, you tossed it in the hamper before pulling one of his old t shirts from the hanger. Discarding your tank top, the soft cotton brushed over your skin as you pulled on a pair of your favorite night shorts. Grabbing a blanket on your way out, you headed down the stairs and tossed the blanket on the couch and started up the Netflix for the night.

Hearing the buzzing of the microwave, you turned your head and headed back into the kitchen once you heard the chime. Opening the door, you quickly took the food out and rested it on the counter top. Pulling back the covering, steam rose from the food as you grabbed your utensil of choice and stirred around the food. Checking to make sure that the food was cooked all the way through, you grabbed a drink from the refrigerator and made your way over to the couch with your dinner in hand.

Turning on a side table lamp, you scrolled through the recommended movies. Finding one that you wanted to watch, you pulled the movie to full screen as you brought your dinner closer to you.

Munching on your dinner and watching the movie, it was nice for a little alone time yet you still missed your cuddling buddy. With your plate finished and pushed off onto the coffee table and your emptied glass next to it. The movie slowly winded down, curled against the pillows and blankets on the couch, your eyes slowly closed and drifted off to the place where your heart desired.

Every passing day seemed to morph into the days before, nothing new or exciting at work and nothing to look forward to at night. Rereading your conversations with you boyfriend from time to time kept your spirits up and put a smile on your face after the hard, long shifts at work.

Brushing your bare legs across the soft blankets, your finger lightly brushed over the desktop mouse on your laptop while your eyes aimlessly explored random articles on the internet as you tried to tick the lonely hours away.

Your phone lit up with life beside your laptop, your eyes flickering over to the new light that brightened the dark bedroom. Bringing over your phone in front of your face, you slowly swiped your thumb across the screen, just thinking it was a junk email or a mass text from old friends or a schedule change for work.

However a familiar name titled the new message. Tapping on the message, it opened your Snapchat account, clicking on the unopened picture a smile curled on your lips when you saw your boyfriend with a one lined message.

Hey beautiful girl

Running your hand through your hair, you snapped a simple picture and typed back a one liner message too.
How’s work going, handsome?

Sending you a picture of his head cradled in his head, laying on his side
It is going well…. 

Noticing his tired eyes and the three dots behind his words didn’t convince you that everything was going well.
Is something wrong?

It took him a moment to send a black picture with three words, a simple sentence that caused your heart to ache.
I miss you

I miss you too

Snapping pictures and sending them back to one another, you tried hard not to talk about work knowing that it was his day off. Eventually switching to just chatting, the hours flew by quicker than you had imagined.

Can I ask you to take a picture for me?

The slightly odd request caused you to smile as your thumbs positioned themselves on the screen.

Anything sweetie

Can I have a picture of your lips?

His request was cute and sweet as you smiled and puckered your lips, getting the lighting right, you smiled and snapped the picture your hair framing your face.

Thanks beautiful

You watched him type a moment before sending another message.

Is it weird that I kissed your lips on my screen?

No! That is adorable! You squealed, kicking your legs out of excitement as you saw him send you another picture, this time of his lips.

Kissing his lips on the screen, you giggled as he was a perfect pick up for the rough week that you had. Playfully talking with one another, he checked in with you making sure that you were sleeping (in the bed) and eating as he talked about his work week, talking about yours in turn.

Turning your head to look out the window, the bright morning rays cut through the light curtains as he typed another message for you.

You should probably head to bed, I don’t want you falling asleep on the job.

But I don’t want to say goodbye… You pouted, your fingers typing slowly since you didn’t want this night to end.

It isn’t goodbye it is a talk to you later :)

Promise?

Promise. xo

Typing out lyrics for you, you read the lovely poetry before your eyes closed with sleep. Thoughts of your boyfriend next to you, holding you close to his warm body happily pulled you deeper into sleep. Hugging your pillow tightly, you slept the few short hours until your alarm sounded for you to get ready for your shift.

The next week went by quickly amounting to two weeks by yourself. Coming home late and spending some lonely nights with friends, you began to acclimate yourself back to the single life activities you had before spending all of your time with your best friend.

Walking back through the tall front door one night, slipping your keys into the large bowl in your entry, you slipped off your wedges while placing your wallet next to your keys. Shuffling across the hardwood floor, you swallowed harshly as a slight pain caused your body to arch instep. Finding it a little odd, you pulled out your water bottle and drank the whole bottle trying to quench your parched throat. With your throat being slightly raw, you slipped a lozenge into your mouth after you prepared yourself some soup for dinner.

Thinking back on your day, you wondered if you were falling ill again but with your long shift and talking for hours on end with your girlfriends you brushed off the feeling just thinking that you had overworked your voice that day and with the broth and some sleep you would be good as new the next day or the day after.

Climbing the stairs, you changed into some cut off sweat pants and a tank top before slipping under the covers. Flicking on a bedside lamp, you pulled a book out and read a chapter or two before settling down in the cloud like covers. Closing your eyes, your body felt tired yet restless, shifting your body from side to side you tried to find a comfortable position. Finally finding one, you closed your eyes and drifted off into a light sleep until the heat from your sheets began to warm you up. Tossing the covers off of you, you lifted your cool hand and ran it over your heated face.

Turning over and pulling the chain on your bedside lamp, you shielded your eyes as you grabbed your phone, thumbing through your phone slowly, you could feel that you had a fever but tried to convince yourself that you were fine and you just needed a drink. Sitting up slowly, the room quickly began to spin and make you nauseous, pressing your hands into the mattress, you closed your eyes and took deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth.

In that moment when you tried to swallow, you quickly turned over the edge of your bed and watched the clear liquid spill from your lips. Forcing yourself to close your lips, you gulped harshly as your fingers quickly gripped the sheets while intense pain shot through your body. A whine left your lips as you laid back down among the covers of your bed. Googling your symptoms, you knew that the worst results would pull up and to take it with a grain of salt, yet every time you swallowed the pain shot through your body and began to multiply in intensity.

Reading an article, you tried to open your mouth with little success, finding your jaw beginning to lock and the pain getting more intense. You knew you couldn’t take any pain medication for the way that you were swallowing would be far too painful. Rolling around on the covers for a few hours, you finally narrowed down your diagnosis from a few weeks ago to the symptoms you were having.

Tapping your thumb a few times across the glass, you pulled up a conversation and began to type. Half of yourself wanted the message to bounce or not to be read for a while, while the other half of yourself needed someone to talk and to comfort you.

I need you…

You sent the three words followed by three dots, your boyfriend would know that you were in trouble if he was awake and if he could read the message that you had sent him.

What’s wrong sweetie?

I don’t feel good… it’s like my throat is closing up and I can’t swallow and it is getting hard to breathe

Worse than last time?

Thinking a moment, you imagined how it was two weeks ago when you had the first episode.

Yes

The single word sent your heart into the pit of your stomach as tears slowly swelled in your eyes, the tightening of your throat due to your emotions caused you more pain. Taking in deep breaths, you suppressed your tears so that you could breath and not feel any pain.

Go to the doctor please… I don’t want it to get as bad as it did last time…

But what if it isn’t anything?

What do you want to do?

You sat on the edge of your bed, your mind churning and trying to figure out what you wanted to do.

If it doesn’t get better by morning I will go into the doctor

Okay, please keep in informed. Do you need me to stay up with you?

The kind words from the one you loved caused your heart to flutter.

I don’t want to keep you away from work…

You’re more important, besides I’m stationed in the office today

Maybe if you could stay up with me for a moment until I fall back asleep…?

Anything you want~

The two of you talked about random things and reminiscing over memories to try and keep your mind off of the pain that was slowly stabbing your throat. Slowly letting your eyes closed, the energy drained from your body, sleeping for only an hour, you woke up as you tried to swallow in pain.

Propping yourself up with pillows, you tried to minimize the choking hazard that your saliva might have on you. Checking on your messages, a few messages were sent from your boyfriend but with the messages long expired, you scrolled back through the notes before you tried to fall back asleep.

Long, sleepless hours you spent in pain and tossing between the covers. Watching the sun slowly rise, relief happily swept over you as you tried to move around the apartment. Assessing yourself, you knew that you would have to bring yourself into the doctor’s office. Exchanging your sweat pants for jeans, you pulled on a zip up sweatshirt over your tank top and tied your hair over one of your shoulder.

How are you feeling?

Not good…
I’m going to head into the doctor…

Let me know what they say, I wish I was there with you…

You got your keys and wallet along with your phone. Slipping on some flip flops, you shuffled out the front door and headed out to your car. Turning the key in the ignition, you knocked your head back against the head rest as you slowly drove to the closest hospital.