I want to protest. I want them to stay another night or a week or forever. But I understand. We all have lives to get on with.Plus, my head hurts.
We ride back to the apartment in relative silence and I fight the urge to fall asleep but I really would rather tuck into a warm blanket at home. And I need ice for my head and wrist before I do that.
“Hey, stay awake.” Arden says, gripping my hand over the center console. “You might have a concussion.”
“I don’t have a concussion.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I would know if I had a concussion.”
Arden glances at me worryingly but looks back at the road. He’s being crazy, there’s no way I have a concussion from one bump on the head. I turn my head to look at the scenery but the rapidly passing trees start to make me dizzy.Motion sickness.Even though I’ve never had motion sickness in my life.
When we get to the apartment, Margot and Sydney grab their things and I stand by the counter waiting for them. Arden immediately goes to get some ice from the freezer and I’m totally not using the counter to stay standing, that would be crazy.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Danika? You haven’t said a word in fifteen minutes. That has to be a record for you.”
“Ha ha. Funny.” I pull Margot in for a hug, ignoring the way my head spins. Arden comes up behind me and gently places a bag of ice wrapped in cloth on the top of my head. He grabs his sister into a hug and I hold the ice in one hand and hug Sydney in the other.
“Don’t be a stranger, okay? I’m sorry I’ve been busy. I’ll be better,” I tell her but she’s already shaking her head.
“Don’t worry about it, seriously. I’ll call you, okay?”
I nod and again the motion makes my head spin but I hold it together, waving my good byes. The second the door closes, I sag against Arden. He catches me but he’s immediately on red-alert.
“That’s it.” He grabs his keys from the counter. “We’re going to the ER.”
“No, no, no.”
“Danika, you’re about to pass out.”
“I’m not going to the ER.
He sighs, running his hand through his hair. “Why not?”
“Because bad things happen in the ER.”
“Dani, you’re in medical school. You can’t be afraid of the emergency room and be a doctor at the same time.”
“I’m not afraid of it. I just…it brings back bad memories. That’s all.”
Arden is quiet for a minute. No doubt contemplating forcing me to go or not.
“I’ll call my TA and ask her for advice, okay? But really, it’s not a big deal. I just need to sleep it off.”
Arden hands me my phone so I can make the call right in front of him. All I want to do is lay down but I know he won’t let me until he gets the answers he wants.
Giving Charlie a call, she answers on the first ring and I quickly explain the situation and my symptoms. She asks me a few clarifying questions and I answer honestly. Within a few minutes I’m off the phone, handing it back to Arden to hold.
“She said I probably have a mild concussion—” He opens his mouth but I put my hand up to stop his speech. “So I should rest, not look at any bright lights for a while and no intense exercise. And to have someone check on me every once in a while for the first twenty-four to forty-eight hours.”
He moves my hand off his mouth but keeps hold of it. “Done. Anything else?”
“Lots of water and to eat when I’m hungry but not to force it. Arden, I’m fine. I just need to lay down.”
He’s looking at me like I’m made of glass. Like any wrong move would break me. Like me breaking would break him.
Finally he nods, seeming to trust that I know how to handle myself and puts his arm around my waist to help guide me to my room. Except…