His Girl Friday 2

Chapter 6: Body on Fire

Chapter 6: Body on Fire

Ara: He just stopped looking after me?

Everly: Apollo? Yes.

Ara: Why didn't you tell me?

Everly: You asked for no updates, remember?

Leila: What's going on, Ara?

Ara: Just talked to my mom. Everything's okay.

Leila: That's great.

Leila: All's well that ends well, right?

***

I jolted wide awake, gasping for breath and drowning in my own sweat—my body on fire.

What the fuck is happening to me?

Why is my body on fire? Why does it feel like there are fire ants crawling up my body everywhere? Like my skin's stretched too tight—like my body is about to burst out of my skin.

I reached to my bedside table and scrambled for the lamp's switch. "What the—?" I gasped as I sat up from my bed, raising my shaky arms and looking at the wild red bumps and welts that covered all over them.

"Oh, God..." I gasped in horror, my throat closing up. This isn't just a simple allergic reaction—I can feel my face stretched out and swollen.

I need to go to the hospital. Kailangan kong pumunta ng Emergency Room! Like STAT!

Grabbing my phone, I dialed Mary Ann's number. But she wasn't answering, which didn't surprise me since it was 2 AM and she was probably deep in sleep. Her phone was probably on silent.

I scrambled to find my friends' number. Leila is not here in the Philippines, and Everly wasn't answering as well. She's probably dead asleep too, like Mary Ann. I tried my mother's number, as well. But to no avail.

Sino pa bang dapat kong tawagan?

Fuck, may tao ba dito sa Casa Arcangel? May kasama ba ako dito ngayon, tulad ng sabi ni Mary Ann noong isang araw? Should I risk it and find someone to help me?

Suddenly, I was gasping for air. I started to panic when I felt my throat closing up even more. I checked my phone once again, for the last time. Maybe my husband will answer. Maybe—

Apollo.

I remembered saving his old number on my old new phone years ago, it was from a night when I was in my most vulnerable time. I almost called him but ended up saving his number under the name 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.'

Did my old contacts get synched in this phone? I scrolled down my contacts and saw the silly name I used to save his number. I punched it without thinking, hoping it was still his number.

"Hello?" his muffled and sleepy voice came from the other line.

I gasped for his name. "Apollo?"

"Sahara?" he asked, suddenly his voice sounded clearer and alert now.

"Yes," I croaked.

"What's wrong? Where are you?"

I gasped for a breath again before answering his questions. "Please I need your help. Can you bring me to the hospital?"

"Where the hell are you?" he asked once again, sounding frustrated.

"I'm in my room. I don't know what's going on with my body—I feel like I'm going to come out of my skin."