Sick Days [Jess Mariano]

Chapter 2

Luke Danes looked over at the table where Jess had set the medical book. Curious, he picked it up and opened to the page where Jess had been reading. He must have been starting to not feel good, he would never buy a book like this otherwise.

In a couple hours when Jess returned, Luke was instantly panicking internally. "Are you feeling alright?" He asked, casually walking up to his nephew.

"Just perfect Luke, can you step out of the way?" Jess answered, motioning around Luke to his bed.

"That cut, it's infected. Are you feeling okay? Chilled or cough..? Do you have a fever? Or is around the wound turning darker?" Luke asked. Jess stood with a blank expression on his face as Luke hounded him with question after question.

"Look, my leg is sore from that said infected cut. I was just going to clean it out again and then go lay down. It's late. I'm tired. Can we just do this some other time?" Jess asked, ducking under Luke's arm and walking over to the kitchen table. He set his wallet and book down, one of the books he always kept in his pocket, and walked into the bathroom.

Luke sighed and sat at the table again. He once again picked up the medical book and began reading. Being pale was a sign of a possible fever, Jess did look pale. But, then again, Jess always looked pale. This could make things more difficult.

Jess walked back out from the bathroom and flopped onto his bed. "What are you looking at?" Jess sneered at Luke, laying back on the air-mattress that was his bed.

"You sure you're alright?" Luke asked, watching as Jess grabbed out some trick cards. He moved them through his fingers, focusing on the cards. Since he quit smoking, this was one thing that really distracted him from pain.

Truth be told, his leg wasn't better. Dark, almost deep purple, skin surrounded the cut on his leg. A true sign of infection. Not really worried about it, Jess just laid back in bed and closed his eyes.

"Don't worry, Luke. Everything is just fine." Jess mumbled, already beginning to doze off.

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Jess woke up at about 3:30 AM. His head pounded, his forehead covered in sweat. Nausea gathered inside of him, causing him to shut his eyes tight. Worry filled through him about Luke finding out. When the nauseous feeling in the pit of his stomach subsided, Jess opened one eye to glance at his uncle and the clock.

Luke still slept soundly, the sound of his loud snoring in the air. Jess sighed and got up, walking to the bathroom as quiet as he could. Already limping from pain, Jess grabbed the first aid kit and sat on the floor of the bathroom. He rolled up the pant leg on his sweatpants and winced. The cut was oozing again, swollen purple skin surrounded the original gash.

"Oh come on.." Jess muttered under his breath, sighing as he wet a washcloth to clean the cut. Wincing, he squeezed and dabbed at the cut.

When he was satisfied with the newly partially cleaned gash, Jess wrapped his back up and limped back to bed. He curled up under the blankets, hugging a pillow to his chest. His hair wasn't gelled up, causing it to sweep in his eyes. It took a while, but Jess eventually fell asleep again.