Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 86102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
“Fuck this headache. I’m supposed to be the one taking care of you.” My shoulders slumped more. I hated falling down on the Daddy job.
“You are taking care of me, by letting me do this. And you take awesome care of me other times too. Let me return the favor?”
I was in no position to argue, so I nodded.
“Come on, you lay on the couch while I get the worst of this mess, like the brushes, handled, then home to bed with you.”
“Thanks.” Moving gingerly, I followed him downstairs. He flipped off lights as we went, frowning at his large picture windows in the living area.
“Afraid I can’t turn off the last of the sun.”
“It’s okay.” I flopped onto the couch, one hand over my head. He returned moments later to hand me an empty bowl, an ice pack, and a bottled drink.
“In case you get sick again,” he gestured at the bowl. “Try icing the back of your neck or closer to the pain if that helps. And drink this. It’s an electrolyte drink that has a small amount of caffeine in it. I use it after a truly terrible night of no sleep. Might hold you until we can get you to your meds.”
“Thanks. They sure teach you all the headache tricks in medical school.” I went ahead and drank some of the fruity beverage, even if I wasn’t too sure about it staying down.
“We see a fair number of migraines in ER and urgent care practice, but my mother also suffered from migraines for years. I learned some of the better home remedies watching her try various things.”
“Well, I appreciate it. I’ve tried darn near everything myself over the years. These headaches started in high school, and some years are better than others in terms of frequency.”
“What do they have you on now as a preventative?” He rummaged in a side table drawer.
My mouth twisted. “Nothing. I’ve got a primary care doctor in Coos Bay who tried to figure out a cause. Saw a neurologist in Eugene. Tried allergy meds for a while. Didn’t help. Tried this one prescription for migraine prevention that cost a God-awful amount, and it seemed to make things worse, not better.”
“Hmm. I’ve been seeing some promising new research involving beta-blockers as preventatives. That’s in the category typically used for blood pressure symptoms, but they can work on headache prevention too.”
“You mentioning blood pressure reminds me to make Mom go into the clinic this week.” I groaned because my to-do list truly was never-ending and merely thinking about it made my head throb worse.
“Yes. Do. And if she does have elevated blood pressure, that’s even more of a reason for you to try one of the newer medications. Might be some sort of genetic link there. I’ll give you the name of someone in Coos Bay if your regular doctor can’t get you in.” And apparently, he wasn’t done discussing blood pressure because he had an electronic checker thing that he’d removed from the side table before reaching for my arm.
“Hey, you don’t need to take my vitals right now.”
“You think I haven’t seen a thirty-year-old with a heart attack or unexpectedly high blood pressure?” He gave me another stern look as he went ahead and put the cuff on me. “I just want to do a fast check for my own peace of mind.”
“Okay, okay.” I’d play the good patient if it settled him down, but man, I hated needing him like this. My neck tensed further, muscles practically riveted together at this point.
“We’ll get you home soon. Promise.” He waited for the machine to do its thing. “And there. It’s a little up, as I’d expect given your pain level, but not at a clinically concerning level.”
“You’re sexy when you talk all smart.” I tried to summon a smile for him. Probably failed because he laughed and kissed the top of my head.
“Ha. You rest.”
True to his word, he didn’t take too long cleaning up the paint. His home remedies helped stave off the pain a little, but I remained in pretty rough shape for the drive to my place. Luckily, I managed to exit the SUV on my own.
“Wait up.” Quinn exiting the driver’s side shouldn’t have surprised me. He wasn’t the type to drop me and run.
“You don’t have to stay.” I’d already ruined enough of his night. I didn’t need to steal the last of it too. Felt pathetic how much I wanted him to stay, how warm his hand on my arm felt as he guided me toward the door.
“I’m coming in at least to make sure you find the meds. And if they don’t work well enough, you might need a ride to the ER. No sense in you calling your mom or someone else when I’m right here.”