Linger

Kalea Fever

In the middle of the night, Gavin wakes up to hear Kalea muttering in her sleep. When Gavin turns on the sleeping lights on the nightstand, he finds Kalea moving restlessly in her sleep. The woman's forehead creased and her lips muttered out an indistinct mutter.

Trying to stay calm, Gavin inched closer. And when his hands came into contact with Kalea's body, Gavin was surprised instead of playing because the woman's body temperature was very high.

Gavin then reached out and placed the back of his hand on Kalea's forehead. And sure enough, the woman had a fever.

Still trying not to panic, Gavin pulled the nightstand drawer and took the thermometer from there. Gavin then inserted the object into Kalea's ear cavity to check her body temperature. And how surprised he was when the tiny thing displayed the number 40. The Kalea fever is very high.

"Kal?" call slowly. But Kalea did not say anything. The crackling coming out of his lips was getting worse.

Finally, Gavin got up from the bed. He ran out of the room. Get down the stairs in a hurry to the kitchen.

With minimal lighting, because he was too panicked to turn on the lights first, Gavin opened one by one the drawer where to store furniture to find the existence of the basin. After meeting, he took the medium-sized basin to the sink and immediately filled it with water. Luckily the sink in this house is equipped with a water heater so that he does not need to bother cooking water using a stove.

Then Gavin brought the basin filled with water back into the room. He almost tripped on his own feet because he was too rushed up the stairs. Luckily he was still able to maintain balance so that no more severe disasters occurred.

Arriving at the room, Gavin put a basin filled with water on the nightstand then he ran to the closet and returned shortly afterwards while carrying two small towels.

Gavin sat on the edge of the mattress, began to dip one towel in warm water and squeeze it then painstakingly placed the towel on Kalea's forehead.

Cold sweat began to wet Kalea's face after the compress was placed and Gavin unhesitatingly wiped it using a small towel Iain was still dry.

The chatter for the sake of the concoction still kept coming out of Kalea's lips while Gavin could only do the first aid he knew while thinking about what steps he should take next. The clock was almost three o'clock in the morning and he was too unwell to wake Kalea's parents.

Minutes later, Gavin lifted the compress from Kalea's forehead to replace it with a new one. Gavin rubbed Kalea's head several times in an attempt to suppress his own worry. Really, he never thought he would see Kalea in this ill state.

He no longer ignored the sleepiness, he decided to stay awake until morning. At least until he can seek help so that Kalea can get better treatment.

...****************...

The next morning, when he thought Kalea fever would subside, Gavin found Kalea's condition to be getting worse. His fever was still high, cold sweat flooded his pale face and his dry lips still continued to mutter with indistinct chatter.

Panicked, Gavin immediately lifted Kalea's body and carried her out of the room. With a hurried pace he slightly ran down the stairs.

In the living room, Gavin was forced to stop his steps for a while because he met Bi Imah who had just emerged from the kitchen door. The middle-aged woman stared worriedly as she discovered the existence of Kalea who was inside her sling.

"Kalea's bells why?" ask Bi Imah while walking closer.

"Kalea has a fever, I'm taking her to the hospital." Gavin replied with a breath that sounded dull. As a result of running around also because it restrains panic.

"I woke up with my Mom to take anterin to the hospital, huh, Mas?"

"No need, Bi." Prevent Gavin. "I'm hustling. Waiting for Mama and Papa to wake up. I take Kalea to the hospital now, later if Mama and Papa wake up, then Bi Imah tell them."

"Well, that's it, Mom. Come on, Auntie help."

"Mas Gavin sure he can be alone? Or Aunty come along, Mom?" ask Bi Imah again as Gavin wrestles with the seatbelt.

But again Gavin refused Bi Imah's offer. "I am alone. Bi Imah at home, please prepare any equipment needed, fear Kalea must be hospitalized."

"Good, Mas. But Mas Gavin carefully drove it."

"Yes." Yeah." After that, Gavin immediately stepped on the gas pedal.

His car drove across the streets that had started to get crowded. Now at half-eight in the morning, many people have come out of the house to do activities. Luckily the road was not too jammed yet, so he could still drive at an average speed.

Along the way, Gavin felt his chest rumble violently. Many times he turned his head towards Kalea, only to make sure the woman was still breathing. Sometimes he stuck the back of his hand on Kalea's forehead to check if her fever was rising or not, even though he knew his hand was not a thermometer that could measure body temperature accurately.

Forty-five minutes down the road, Gavin finally arrives at the hospital. After parking the car, Gavin immediately carried Kalea out of the car. He was greeted by the officer who swiftly pushed the gurney towards him.

Aided by two officers, Gavin lulls Kalea over the gurney and they begin pushing the gurney towards the IGD.

As per the procedure, Gavin was directed to wait during the inspection process to be performed on Kalea indoors. A nun then walked over and directed her to fill out some files in the administration.

In the midst of a panic that made her head feel almost exploded, Gavin followed the direction of the nurse and took care of all the files requested.

Finished with administrative affairs, Gavin returned to the IGD front. He could not stand still, continued pacing while biting his fingernails with a noticeable agitated motion.

Moments later, a female doctor in her late thirties came out of the room and walked over to Gavin.

"Family patient?" ask the doctor to make sure.

"I'm her husband, Doc." Gavin replied with a slightly moving voice.

The female doctor nodded. "When have patients had fever?" ask again.

"Evening, Doc. I've been trying to compress with warm water, but until the morning the fever has not gone down."

The doctor nodded his head. "I've done the examination, but to get a diagnosis of the disease more precisely, we need to wait for the results of the laboratory first yes, sir. I took a blood sample from my wife to check." Obviously the doctor.

"For now, you don't have to worry, I've given you medicine to help bring down the fever." Follow the doctor with a soothing smile.

Hearing the doctor's explanation is certainly not enough to make Gavin can sigh of relief, because he still does not know what disease Kalea suffered and how severe the disease is.

However, Gavin thanked the doctor and invited the woman to walk away from him.

Then, Gavin walked closer to the IGD door while continuing to pray that Kalea's situation would soon improve.

Seriate