There was a thick lump in my throat. Like I couldn’t swallow, or breath. It was extremely hot, but I thought it was just Lori sleeping against me. I opened my eyes, but I still couldn’t see anything.

“Lori…” I tried to say her name but nothing came out. Nothing more than a groan of pain. My head was pounding, my muscles were weak and heavy. Shit, was I sick? I felt fine earlier, more than fine…maybe it would pass. I closed my eyes and tried to go back to sleep. The discomfort was too much. Then there was just darkness.

“Dillon.” I barely felt her shake my arm.

I felt her hand against my forehead.

“Dillon, wake up.” She tried to move me, shaking my shoulders.

“Lo…” I groaned. I felt like shit. Complete, absolute shit.

“Dillon, if you don’t open your eyes I’m taking you to the hospital. You don’t look good at all.” Fear laced her voice. I tried to open my eyes, really tried. But nothing. I knew what was going on but I couldn’t fully wake up. Her soft hands were hot on my face as she studied me.

“Okay, I’m taking you.” She left quickly. I heard the patter of her feet moving around. Then she struggled to put a shirt on me. I was no help; she was doing all the work. She stuck some shoes on my feet.

“You’re so heavy.” Her arms slunk under my shoulders and she dragged me up. I could at least stand on my own, a little bit. It was all a blur until she dropped me into the car.

“Did you eat something bad?” The car was moving now. I shook my head.

I tried to open my eyes again. I could see outside now. It was almost dark, I turned to Lori, she didn’t even move the seat up before she started driving. She was obviously worried about me. I was worried about me.

We got to the emergency room and she went inside to get help before trying to lift me herself. I remember being wheeled into the room. Being poked and prodded. But most of all I remember Lori holding my hand the whole time. It was probably the only thing keeping me from passing out. I just felt so weak, and tired, and nauseous. Oh yeah, I threw up a few times. Quite more than a few. Then I was just asleep again.

“Dillon!” Now I was awake. I opened my eyes. Now I could see perfectly. And I felt a bit less like shit.

“Hey Cheesecake.” I smiled softly. My voice wasn’t as strong as I wanted it to be.

“I thought you were…you look awful.” She teased. I laughed a bit.

She was sitting next to me. I was stretched out in the hospital bed in the same clothes I came in. It wasn’t serious enough for me to be gowned, that was good.

“I feel awful. What the hell happened?” I rubbed my face.

“The doctor explained it better. But it was pretty much like a twenty-four-hour cold or something. I’ll actually go get him.” She stood up. I really saw her then. She obviously got dressed in a hurry. Her socks didn’t match, she was in her fuzzy house shoes and she didn’t wear a bra under her Clemson t-shirt. Fuck. I couldn’t get a hard on before the doctor came in.

She was back a few moments later. I recognized the doctor—Dr. Meddle. I shadowed him my sophomore year when I was considering emergency medicine.

“Dillon, I’ve seen you at better times.” He shook my hand. Dr. Meddle was a pretty young guy. I didn’t know much about him, never cared to find out I suppose.

“Yeah, I’ve had better times. How soon can I get out of here?” I asked him as he checked me out.

“Once this drip is finished and your fever is gone. Do you remember eating anything that might make you sick?” I shook my head. I looked at Lori. Worry covered her face. she always got these cute little wrinkle lines in her forehead when she was worried. But it was her eyes that shocked me; there were red lines around them, telling me she had been crying. Shit.

“Not that I can think of…Lori and I ate the same thing today so she would be sick too if that was it.” She nodded. He furrowed his brow as he wrote in his files.

“I see. It could just be a natural reaction in your body to new stress. But if it’s the common cold, we’ve given you medication to help too and you’ll take that for a few days.”

“But he was really sick, it could just be a cold?” Lori asked.

“Yeah, some fevers are worse than others. Or maybe Dillon is just an unhealthy cow.” He joked. We all laughed.

“You should be out of here in a few hours. I’ll come back then to discharge you.”

“Okay, sounds good.” He left us alone.

I relaxed against the pillow and sighed heavily. I was tired, but I felt like I had been asleep so long I just wanted to stay up.

“You were crying?” I held out my hand to her. She took it in both her soft hands.

“It was really scary, that’s all.”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry…maybe the sex was just so good I fell ill.” She laughed with me. There was nothing awkward about it either.

“Maybe. Do you feel any better?”

“Yeah. Just tired. Guess I can skip class tomorrow.” Even though I was getting out later, I doubted I would feel well enough to go to class.

“Are you sure you didn’t eat something bad?” She asked. I stared down into her big blue eyes.

“Yeah. And we ate the same thing so you would be sick too. You sure you aren’t sick?”

“Positive. I feel great.” she stared down at her hands around mine. blush started to creep across her skin, I knew what she was referring to.

“Do you?” I whispered. I sued my other hand to cup her chin, forcing her to look at me.

“Yeah.” I tucked a hair behind her ear and drew my hand away.

“Do you feel any different?” She exhaled slowly.

“Sore,” she laughed once, “but I guess it’s like a birthday—I don’t feel much different.”

“I get you. You aren’t too sore, are you?” I was concerned. In the shower especially, I was rougher than I would want to be.

“No. I’m not.”

“Good…I wanted to go slow. I mean, I did the first time but who knew you liked it rough.” I teased her.

“Shut up.” She punched my leg. It actually hurt that time. “I…wasn’t sure you would be okay with doing it again. I know we only agreed on the one time.” I held her gaze.

“I know. But at the end of the day I’m a weak man and you are one hot chick—couldn’t turn you down.” She blushed again. She really doesn’t know how fucking sexy she is. It makes her all the more sexy too.

“You’re such an ass.” But she was laughing, so I knew she wasn’t serious.

“I know. But it’s true, I have one sexy best friend.” She shook her head but didn’t protest.

“Is it weird that I don’t feel any different around you?” She asked. I shrugged. I felt different around her since I was fifteen, but being in love with her just made me want her more. She never felt that towards me, so it made sense she didn’t feel different. But I couldn’t tell her that.

“No. I mean; we grew up together. We’ve been in more awkward situations.” I chuckled.

“I guess so…I thought because—never mind.” She shook it off.

“What?” She let go of my hand and stared at her lap. She curled her legs up on the chair and hugged her arms around them.

“Because I asked to do it again.” She muttered. I couldn’t help but laugh, she looked at me with a shocked expression.

“I wouldn’t ever mind you asking me to have sex with you. Yeah, you’re my best friend but if you want to use me for my body, I won’t protest.” I held my hands up. Of course, this was mostly the part of me that was in love with her talking. Telling her was completely different than showing her. She couldn’t run away if it was just sex. People don’t ever run from that until it gets complicated. We’re already friends, we already have an established connection and years behind us. Nothing could be awkward. Not even if we tried.

“I…okay.” She looked at me. I nodded once. I knew she couldn’t say it. But I had a feeling she would ask for it again. I had no idea though, that she would take a liking to it so quickly. Maybe it was all the years of thinking about, all the buildup she put herself through.

“You should get home; you have work tomorrow.” I cleared my throat.

“I’m okay. You shouldn’t be here alone. This place is depressing.” I laughed a bit.

“Okay. Let’s watch some tv then.” She grabbed the remote.

“Scootch.”

I moved over so she could sit next to me on the bed. We settled for HGTV but I dozed off after a few episodes of ‘Fixer Upper.’ Dr. Meddle came back and discharged me after the drip finished, like he said he would. He gave me a prescription to fill too. Lori stopped and got the works—soup and crackers, along with my prescription.

“You won’t get sick too, right?”

“I don’t think so.” We were back home.

I took the longest hot shower ever before climbing into bed. Lori wanted to make me soup but I couldn’t eat anything yet. I still felt queasy. Lori stayed with me to make sure I didn’t pass out or anything. I was about to fall asleep completely before she got my attention.

“Dillon?”

“Yeah, Cheesecake.” I laid on my side, eyes closed and ready to fall asleep. I felt like I could sleep for days.

“Thank you.” I furrowed my brow.

“For what?” I could feel her biting her lip even though I couldn’t see her.

“For…”

“Breaking your hymen?” I guessed. I felt her scowl.

“Yeah…and making it—feel as good as it did.”

“Both times?” I smiled a bit.

“Yeah.” I nodded.

“No problem.” She cleared her throat. I knew she had more to say.

“Don’t be an ass, but you meant what you said—that I could use you for your body?” I had to stop myself from smiling. I may be sick but even the thought of Lori that way threatened another hard on.

“Yes, I did. I’m going to sleep now.” She didn’t say anything else.