trying to figure out what to do
and how to help her. I couldn’t even get to her. Or could I? It was just a
door. It was just a room. Damn those mental barriers!
“Are you the only one
in here?” I asked.
Another deep splash.
“Yeah.”
“Right, I’m coming in.”
I turned back to Jimmy. “Do you have the ‘Out of Order’ sign for the restrooms
on that cart?”
“Sure do,” Jimmy replied.
He jumped up and dug through one of the shelves underneath. He pulled out a
white sign with red letters that hung on two chains with clasps to attach to
the metal loops on the outside of the doors.
“Thanks.” I quickly
hung up the sign and ducked underneath. I peeked under the first stall to find
Charlie’s knees on the tile. My heart sank at the sight of her in such a
vulnerable position. “Do you need help?”
“I don’t …” Another
splash. “… know.” As if in a gesture of defeat, she opened the stall from her
spot on the floor.
I hurried to her side.
I carefully combed her hair back away from her face with my fingers, as she
rested her head on her arm over the bowl. I held the bundle tightly in one
hand. With the other hand, I gently rubbed her back to help calm her. I felt her
muscles relax almost immediately.
A few seconds later,
she heaved again. She coughed when she finished. “You don’t have to do this,”
she grumbled. “You don’t have to watch me being all disgusting and
plague-ridden.”
I laughed quietly.
“It’s not that bad.”
The loud click of high
heels neared us. A familiar voice came from behind me. “I thought I heard you
in here. What are you doing in the ladies’ room?”
I peeked over my
shoulder to find my colleague, Elizabeth’s best friend, standing right outside
the stall. I was technically her boss, but if you were simply an onlooker, you
would never have been able to guess. Savannah Clary was the picture of defiance
in every way. Her tawny blonde hair draped over her shoulders. Her hands were
placed firmly on her hips, as I’d seen them so many times since I’d met her. I
almost wondered if they had somehow grown into place, there. “Savannah,” I
greeted with a curt nod.
“I was walking by and
saw the sign, but Jimmy was outside, not in here. Why would that be?”
“Because my friend
needed privacy, so I suggest you give it to her.”
“Since when do you care
what happens to anyone?”
“Do you really want to
talk about that when this poor girl is puking up everything she’s eaten today?”
As if on cue, Charlie
threw up again. “Ugh,” she said weakly. “I’m so sorry, Professor Clary. I don’t
mean to block off this bathroom.”
“Jesus,” Savannah
grumbled in disgust. “What happened to you?”
“I don’t know. It just
hit me.”
“You don’t have any
classes for a while, right?” I asked Savannah. Savannah usually kept her
classes to the afternoon. She preferred it that way. She said she got more of
the background stuff done in the mornings. Personally, I had the suspicion that
she just didn’t want to take papers home. It didn’t matter to me, as long as
she got it done and taught at least the minimum requirement of hours .
“Yeah, my first starts
at eleven.” She wrinkled her nose at Charlie. “Why?”
“Charlie, where are
your keys?”
Charlie waved her hand
toward the door. “Backpack. Front–” She curled over the bowl again.
I turned back to
Savannah. “Take Charlie’s keys and take her car home. It’s a blue civic. She
always parks in the lot right outside these doors right here. I’ll take her
home as soon as she can get to the car without making a mess.” I took my hand
off Charlie’s back and dug out my phone. I quickly texted Charlie’s address to
Savannah. Once it sent, I put it back in my pocket and put my hand back on
Charlie’s back.
“That’s not …” She took
a deep breath. I could tell she was trying to hold in the next round. “That’s
not necessary.”
“Charlie, you can’t
drive
and how to help her. I couldn’t even get to her. Or could I? It was just a
door. It was just a room. Damn those mental barriers!
“Are you the only one
in here?” I asked.
Another deep splash.
“Yeah.”
“Right, I’m coming in.”
I turned back to Jimmy. “Do you have the ‘Out of Order’ sign for the restrooms
on that cart?”
“Sure do,” Jimmy replied.
He jumped up and dug through one of the shelves underneath. He pulled out a
white sign with red letters that hung on two chains with clasps to attach to
the metal loops on the outside of the doors.
“Thanks.” I quickly
hung up the sign and ducked underneath. I peeked under the first stall to find
Charlie’s knees on the tile. My heart sank at the sight of her in such a
vulnerable position. “Do you need help?”
“I don’t …” Another
splash. “… know.” As if in a gesture of defeat, she opened the stall from her
spot on the floor.
I hurried to her side.
I carefully combed her hair back away from her face with my fingers, as she
rested her head on her arm over the bowl. I held the bundle tightly in one
hand. With the other hand, I gently rubbed her back to help calm her. I felt her
muscles relax almost immediately.
A few seconds later,
she heaved again. She coughed when she finished. “You don’t have to do this,”
she grumbled. “You don’t have to watch me being all disgusting and
plague-ridden.”
I laughed quietly.
“It’s not that bad.”
The loud click of high
heels neared us. A familiar voice came from behind me. “I thought I heard you
in here. What are you doing in the ladies’ room?”
I peeked over my
shoulder to find my colleague, Elizabeth’s best friend, standing right outside
the stall. I was technically her boss, but if you were simply an onlooker, you
would never have been able to guess. Savannah Clary was the picture of defiance
in every way. Her tawny blonde hair draped over her shoulders. Her hands were
placed firmly on her hips, as I’d seen them so many times since I’d met her. I
almost wondered if they had somehow grown into place, there. “Savannah,” I
greeted with a curt nod.
“I was walking by and
saw the sign, but Jimmy was outside, not in here. Why would that be?”
“Because my friend
needed privacy, so I suggest you give it to her.”
“Since when do you care
what happens to anyone?”
“Do you really want to
talk about that when this poor girl is puking up everything she’s eaten today?”
As if on cue, Charlie
threw up again. “Ugh,” she said weakly. “I’m so sorry, Professor Clary. I don’t
mean to block off this bathroom.”
“Jesus,” Savannah
grumbled in disgust. “What happened to you?”
“I don’t know. It just
hit me.”
“You don’t have any
classes for a while, right?” I asked Savannah. Savannah usually kept her
classes to the afternoon. She preferred it that way. She said she got more of
the background stuff done in the mornings. Personally, I had the suspicion that
she just didn’t want to take papers home. It didn’t matter to me, as long as
she got it done and taught at least the minimum requirement of hours .
“Yeah, my first starts
at eleven.” She wrinkled her nose at Charlie. “Why?”
“Charlie, where are
your keys?”
Charlie waved her hand
toward the door. “Backpack. Front–” She curled over the bowl again.
I turned back to
Savannah. “Take Charlie’s keys and take her car home. It’s a blue civic. She
always parks in the lot right outside these doors right here. I’ll take her
home as soon as she can get to the car without making a mess.” I took my hand
off Charlie’s back and dug out my phone. I quickly texted Charlie’s address to
Savannah. Once it sent, I put it back in my pocket and put my hand back on
Charlie’s back.
“That’s not …” She took
a deep breath. I could tell she was trying to hold in the next round. “That’s
not necessary.”
“Charlie, you can’t
drive
Similar Books
