Chapter 5 Devin's Point Of View

"I am so going to kill her! Oh my goodness! What am I going to do?" I screamed as I walked out of the bathroom for the umpteenth time. The bathroom had become my worst enemy. Every time I thought I had a moment of peace, another wave of nausea and cramping hit me, and I was running back to it.

"Urgh!" I groaned as I laid flat on my face on the bed. The cool sheets against my feverish skin did little to soothe the pain that was raging inside of me. I felt like I was being torn apart from the inside.

"What the heck did she give me?" I questioned myself against the bed, clutching the duvet for support.

"Was I poisoned? She dare not!" I yelled, immediately sitting up with a shock that made my stomach churn worse.

"What if she really poisoned me? What if she was sent by my rivals? What if-" I stopped mid-thought. My pacing had become frantic again.

"No!!!" I yelled, stopping myself. This couldn't be happening. This wasn't how it was supposed to go down. I had too much to do. Too much left unfinished.

"Sir! Is everything okay?" A voice interrupted my spiraling thoughts. Great, just what I needed-someone else to deal with.

"Who is that?" I struggled to ask as I turned, struggling to focus on the figure in the doorway.

"Sir, Fredric!" came the reply, the voice sounding unsure, like he didn't quite know how to approach me in this state.

"Oh, you..." I groaned, walking back to the bed, careful not to move too fast and make things worse. "How can... can I help you?" I managed, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the strange combination of pain and confusion.

"I heard you scream, so I came to check on you, sir! Is everything okay?" Fredric asked, fidgeting on his spot. What was wrong with him? Was he nervous, or was it just me who was completely off balance?

"Are you the new guy?" I asked, barely able to focus, my stomach contracting painfully in response to the sudden movement.

"Yes, sir. I came in last week. It will be one week tomorrow," he continued, trying to explain, but I could barely process what he was saying. The pain in my abdomen was almost blinding now, and every time I moved, it felt like something was tearing inside me.

Before he could say anything else, my body reacted on its own. The sharp, intense pain hit me suddenly, and I had to bolt for the bathroom again. A hot, nauseating sensation spread from my stomach down to my bowels, making my legs wobble as I rushed towards the toilet.

"Sir? Sir?!" I heard Fredric call out from behind me as I slammed the bathroom door shut in his face.

"Sir? Sir! Sir?" he yelled again, his voice sounding closer than it should be. I was certain he hadn't been near the bathroom when I first slammed the door, so why did it sound like he was standing right outside now? What was going on?

"Get away from the door!" I groaned from within, clutching my stomach as if that would stop the agony. "What do you want? What is it?" I struggled to speak, barely able to finish a sentence.

"Are you okay?" Fredric asked again, his voice still coming through the door, growing more concerned.

"Dude! You're irritating me! Get the freak out of my privacy!" I yelled at the door, feeling a surge of frustration and helplessness. This wasn't the time for him to be hovering around asking questions.

"Oh!" was his only response before I heard him scramble away. It was quiet now, except for the low, dull, continuous noise coming from deep inside my stomach, and the cramping that felt like it was never going to end.

"Oh... oh... oh! Ughs!" I muttered under my breath, sinking lower into despair. When would this end? When?

Eventually, after what felt like an eternity of twisting in agony, I dragged myself back to the bed, hoping the wave of discomfort would pass. "Hey, Fredric! Come here!" I groaned into the intercom, the action feeling like an enormous effort. I slammed the receiver back into its case, then collapsed back into the bed, my strength drained.

"Oh my goodness! I'm so dead! So freakin' dead! Is this how freaking dying is?" I muttered to myself, the thought sinking in slowly. I hadn't accomplished anything. The business, the meetings, all the things I said I'd do-none of it was done. I wasn't ready for this. Why was this happening to me now, of all times?

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. "What the hell is wrong with me?" I hissed. Was I really crying over this? Over something so stupid? I hadn't even managed to keep my stomach down for more than ten minutes. What had she done to me?

A knock sounded on the door, and I stiffened, knowing that I didn't have the energy to deal with another interruption. I stared at the door, my mind willing it to go away. But the knock came again, louder this time.

"Come in!" I called out, surprising myself with the sharpness of my voice. I wasn't ready for anyone right now. Certainly not Jordan.

The door creaked open slowly, and there he was-Jordan, his disheveled black hair a mess on his head. This was not the time for him to be playing silly games.

"What do you want?" I demanded, my throat scratchy from the yelling earlier. I probably sounded worse than I felt, but my irritation overrode my discomfort.

"Sorry, sir," he said, stepping into the room with that infuriating smile of his, "I just came to remind you about your eight o'clock meeting with the executives. You know you can't afford to miss it, not again," he added, almost teasing.

I tried to sit up, but the dizziness came back. "What... do you mean 'again'?" I asked, my voice dropping to a whisper as I tried to hide the pain in my face.

"We've missed this meeting so many times that we can't afford to miss it again, sir," Jordan explained, his tone light but hinting at a seriousness I could barely handle right now.

"Whatever," I muttered, too tired to argue. What did I care about the meeting when I couldn't even keep anything down?

"Where were you when I was screaming?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me. My mind was racing in circles, but I needed something else to focus on.

"Were you?" Jordan asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise. "I didn't notice anything like that."

"Then how did Fredric hear me? Where were you?" I asked, confusion making my voice sharper than I intended. "Aren't you supposed to be keeping an eye on me? Making sure I'm okay?"

He paused before answering, almost like he didn't quite know how to explain himself. "I was in the kitchen, making sure your food was prepared and not tampered with. You know, doing my duties, sir," Jordan said, that same smug confidence in his voice.

I sighed in exasperation. "Whatever! Don't talk to me like I'm your girlfriend or something!" I waved him off, too exhausted to deal with his attitude right now.

"Where is that freaking boy?" I demanded, suddenly remembering Fredric. It had been way too long since I'd called for him, and this whole situation was becoming ridiculous.

"Who?" Jordan asked, looking distracted as he walked to my desk, dropping the files he'd been holding.

"Fredric, of course!" I snapped, just as the door opened again, and Fredric stepped in, looking sheepish as always.

"Sir?" he asked, his eyes avoiding mine.

"Where have you been?" I asked, my voice much calmer than I expected, despite the building frustration inside me.

"I was in the toilet taking a pee," Fredric explained, scratching his head awkwardly. He still smelled of it.

"A pee?" I asked incredulously. "For how long?"

"I drink a lot of water, sir, so I tend to stay longer," he added, his cheeks turning pink with embarrassment.

Jordan and I exchanged a glance, and Jordan, of course, started laughing.

"Wow, isn't that nice?" I said, trying to stifle my smile. "I think I need to pick up your habit," I added, though the last thing I wanted to do was prolong my own discomfort.

Jordan's laughter only grew louder, and I snapped. "Hey, Jordan, leave this minute! No! This second!" I barked, irritated beyond reason.

Before Jordan could respond, the familiar vibrations returned-my stomach was starting up again. The cramping, the gnawing pain.

"Hmm!" I groaned, clutching my abdomen. "Boy! Quickly call Miss Donna for me!" I called out to Fredric, but then I reconsidered. "Actually, tell her to make me soup. Chicken soup. Make sure it's ready by the time I'm done here," I said, trying to get my mind off the miserable situation.

Fredric nodded quickly before rushing out again, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was losing control of everything.

Looking at the clock, I saw it was thirty minutes past seven. My meeting was in half an hour, and I felt like I was on the brink of total collapse.

"I'm so going to kill her!" I muttered, the words escaping my lips in a breathless sigh.