Page 43 of Mac
Elyse frowned and seemed to be trying to puzzle something out, but she appeared to be having a hard time with whatever it is.
"Something's not right."He scowled and wanted to pick her up and hold her against him.He didn't know what else to do, if he could do anything to help, but holding her would comfort him, even if it didn't do anything for her.But he didn't, he stayed where he was seated on the sofa, her a couple feet away where she'd been eating.
"What do you mean?"The crease between her eyes grew deeper.
"It's taking you too long to respond.It's not normal."
She gave him a small, understanding smile."Nothing is normal right after a headache like this one."
"What do you mean?"
"A migraine leaves me foggy and slow.The worse the migraine is the worse the hangover.And this one was the worst I've had in a long, long time."She fell quiet for a couple minutes, then spoke again."Have you ever gone swimming, and tried to walk through the water, but it's hard and it slows you down.It feels like the water is pulling at you, trying to keep you from going?And the deeper the water the harder it is to walk right?"
Mac thought about it a moment."Well, yeah."
"It's kind of like that.After a migraine, thinking is like walking through water.The worse the headache the deeper the water and the farther you have to go to get out of it."
Mac gave his head a slight shake."I don't like that."
"Neither do I, but it is what it is, and I can't change it.I just have to get through it.The good news that it usually fades after a good night's sleep."
"So tomorrow you'll be fine?"
"I should be right as rain tomorrow, barring a recurrence."
"Does that happen often?"He couldn't imagine having two such headaches so close together, but then again, he couldn't imagine a lot of what had happened over the last twenty-four hours.
"Almost never, at least not to me.But it does once in a while."She nodded toward him."Message your friend and have him drop by.
Mac kept his eye on her as he pulled out his phone, not sure how to take her words.That she meant for him to message Kinard, he didn't doubt, but what she was saying about what she called a hangover, that he wasn't so sure about.After typing up a message to let Kinard know he could come by, Mac pocketed his phone again and turned back to Elyse.
"How do you want to spend the day?"Mac glanced at the clock above the TV, not quite noon.There was still quite a bit of day ahead of them, but he suspected she'd want to keep it low key, probably not leaving the house as she tried to recover.
"I don't know."She blinked a long, slow movement that made him wonder if it took more effort than she was used to.
"What do you usually do after an episode like this?"
She watched him without answering for long enough he thought she wasn't going to, then she spoke.
"I usually spend the day resting, maybe watch a little TV.Doze off and on until bedtime," she paused a moment, "you don't need to stay.I'm okay.You can go if you want."
Mac watched for a moment, trying to figure out what she was thinking.After a few seconds, he asked what he'd been wondering."Are you trying to get rid of me?"
Elyse's eyes went wide."What?"She lifted her head to meet his gaze."No, of course not.I feel bad that I've pulled you away from your life, especially for two days in a row."
Mac didn't like the guilty tone in her voice, but he didn't know how to let her know without making her feel worse.He stayed quiet for a few minutes."I'm good.Besides, Kinard will likely be here in a bit."
Later, after Kinard had come, checked on Elyse and declared her fit.The club medic had deemed her tired and in need of rest, but fit.After Kinard had said his goodbyes, Elyse turned on the TV and handed him the remote before settling on one end of the sofa.After a whileElyse seemed to deflate.She slid low in her seat.He looked closer and found that she appeared to be falling asleep.On impulse, he stood and scooped her up.She startled awake, then her body relaxed against him, but she kept watching him.
"I thought you might be more comfortable on the bed."
She nodded then closed her eyes and dropped her head back against his chest.He carried her into the bedroom and laid her gently on the bed, pulling the covers up over her.He started to walk away, to leave her to rest but her hand on his arm stopped him.
"You leaving?"
"No, just going in the other room so you can rest."
"Don't go.Hold me."
