He finished and started climbing down. “How fast will this help?” he asked the man and woman.

“Pretty fast,” the man said. “She should be feeling better soon.”

The man took off the blood pressure cuff and smiled at me. “Emma? I’m Jacob. This is my wife, Briana. We’re emergency medicine physicians. I’m going to give you some Zofran and some fluids, okay?”

I nodded.

Jacob started prepping the IV and Briana pulled out a stethoscope and listened to my stomach. Checking for bowel sounds, I knew, looking for blockages. She finished and put the stethoscope around her neck. “Probably norovirus. A real nasty strain going around.”

“Could be Taco Bell,” Jacob said, giving his wife a playful eyebrow.

She gasped and gave him an amused look. “Well, now you have to take me there for dinner. See what you’ve done?”

He chuckled.

“Thanks for coming,” Justin said from the foot of the bed, looking concerned.

Briana wrapped my arm with a tourniquet. “No problem. We got Benny and Jane to watch Ava. We’ll probably turn it into a date night.”

Justin chewed on the side of his thumb while she put my IV in, and I registered that he was really worried. Like, really really worried.

I started to feel better within half an hour. As soon as the nausea was under control, Briana gave me some Motrin for the headache. We had to do two bags of saline before the doctors were satisfied with my condition.

“Push fluids,” Jacob said, packing up the duffel bag. “Food is less important than getting her hydrated. Tea, anything with electrolytes. Lots of rest.”

“I’ll call tomorrow to check in,” Briana said. “Or call me if you have any other concerns, but I think she’s looking good.” She turned to me. “Justin says you’re a nurse at Royaume. Come say hi to me the next time you’re there. We can go get lunch.”

“Thank you,” I said, huskily. “I don’t know what I would have done if you didn’t come.”

She nodded at Justin. “Thank him. You’re better because he came.”

She turned to go and paused. “Hey, do you know who your landlord is, by chance?”

“Neil?”

“That guy’s an asshole. Just so you know.”

I pulled my face back. “How long have you worked with him?” I asked.

“Too long, but that’s not what I’m talking about. He used to date my best friend. For seven years. The guy’s a dick. Just be careful.”

I squeezed my eyes shut and blew out a tired breath. My brain was too dried up to think about this right now.

“Anyway, it was nice meeting you,” she said, going on. “My husband’s going to take me to get a chalupa.”

Jacob smiled at his wife and put a hand around her waist as they walked out of the room.

“I’ll be right back,” Justin said, heading to follow them.

“Justin, you should go.” My voice was raspy. “I’m fine now, and norovirus is super contagious.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” There was something final in his voice. “I’ll be back in half an hour. Just get some rest.”

I did. The second they were gone, I fell asleep out of sheer exhaustion. When I woke up, Justin was next to the bed with a bowl of soup and a Gatorade.

“I ordered food and groceries to the house so it was waiting when I dropped them off,” he said. “I figured chicken noodle would be best, but I also got beef barley, minestrone, and this chickpea vegetable one they said was good. I got crackers and applesauce and some bananas too and I’m making you some tea.”

He set the food on the nightstand while I scooted up gingerly to sit against the headboard, my sore stomach yelping.

“Where are the kids?” I asked.

“Sarah went to Josie’s family’s cabin for the week. Leigh took Alex and Chelsea to the ranch. I also got Imodium, Pepto, and some Kaopectate,” he said. “Do you like honey in your tea?”

He waited for my answer with the sweetest, most concerned expression. He was so worried about me. It was in every line of his face.

I had to look awful. I hadn’t brushed my hair and I’d been barfing for two days straight. I probably smelled terrible too, but I was too weak and exhausted to do anything about it.

But I was glad he was here. Not just because I’d needed help, but because I wanted to see him. His presence comforted me the way Maddy did, or Mom when she was taking care of me and not the other way around.

It was so rare that anyone took care of me.

It was rare I allowed it.

“Honey?” he asked again.

“Yes, thank you.”

I ate the soup and drank the tea and fell asleep again. When I woke up, it was getting dark outside.

I got up wrapped in a blanket and wandered into the hallway. Justin was on the sofa on his laptop. Probably getting some work done. When he saw me, he put his computer on the coffee table. “Hey, you’re up.”

“Yeah.” I nodded over my shoulder. “I just need to use the bathroom.”

“Can I get you anything?”

I shook my head. “No. What time is it?”

He looked at his watch. “Seven fifteen. You were asleep for a few hours.”

“You changed your clothes,” I said.

He looked down at his white T-shirt. “I ran home and got my stuff.”

I nodded again, too tired for more words.

I used the bathroom, happy I was hydrated enough to need to. Justin had cleaned. The room smelled faintly of bleach.

I decided to take a shower. My legs were wobbly, but I felt gross and slightly self-conscious with Justin here. When I looked in the mirror, it was worse than I thought. I looked like absolute hell. I was pale, I had deep black circles under my eyes. I was getting undressed and I lost my balance and fell a little into the wall. A second later Justin knocked on the door. “Are you all right in there? I heard a thump.”