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“Jake?” Amy calls out, clutching at her stomach as the pain twists suddenly and it feels like she’s being stabbed by a knife.
Her husband hears her voice, but it sounds far off and he’s just waking up so he responds with a little “Mmph,” reaching over in bed to pull her towards him when he realizes she isn’t there.
“Jake? Please?” Her voice cracks on the last word, desperation filling every syllable and his eyes finally pop open.
He scrambles out of bed, knowing that her tone means trouble. “I’m coming, Ames!” He calls and hurries towards the sounds of labored breathing coming from their bathroom.
He reaches the doorway the second she starts to tumble, eyes slamming shut to block out the intense pain. Jake rushes to catch her before she hits the floor, cradling her head on his lap in their small bathroom. The tiles are freezing under his bare feet and he shivers slightly but doesn’t let the cold of their apartment deter him from focusing on the woman lying in his arms.
“Ames? Babe?” He asks softly, gently tapping her face in order to wake her up. “Amy, what happened?” His voice grows ever so more panicked as he tries to figure out what caused her to faint, but he attempts to stay calm for both of them.
Amy’s eyes weakly flicker open before shutting once more, but she hums softly and Jake lets out a sigh, reassured that she’s gonna be ok for now. He looks around the cramped room, detective skillz kicking in as he notices the half-eaten granola bar and bottle of pills on the counter, plus the box of tampons next to the toilet. Of course, period cramps.
Amy’s been on birth control ever since she was fifteen and was hit with acne and the worst cramps of her life every single month. But now that they’re married and she’s stopped worrying so much about getting pregnant, she’s cut back on taking them. Unfortunately, this means that her periods are back in full swing, and once a month she’s completely miserable, hugging a heating pad to her abdomen. It’s even caused her to have to call into work sick twice, simply because the pain was too much for her to handle. She could barely crawl to the bathroom to change her tampons, let alone do super important Sergeant Santiago work.
Luckily, today’s an off day for both her and Jake, meaning that she can rest up and they can spend the entire day in bed, with Jake letting her be the little spoon.
Jake runs his hands up and down her arms in order to gently shake her awake and a minute later, Amy’s eyes are blinking open. “Hey babe,” he smiles down at her and even though she’s in incredibly horrible pain, she manages a little half smile back up at him. “Are you ok? I mean I assume you passed out because of the pain, right?”
Her smile morphs into a frown as his words hit her. “Wait, I fainted? What?” Her voice raises in a slight panic as she tries to make sense of what happened.
“Yeah, but it’s ok because I got you. You’re ok.” Jake brings her water bottle to her lips and helps her take a sip. “I caught you before you hit the ground. That’s why you’re literally lying on my lap on the bathroom floor.”
“Thanks, babe,” Amy mumbles and takes his hand in hers when he offers it out to her. “My stomach hurts so bad, ow.”
He brings their interlocked fingers to his lips to kiss her knuckles lightly before asking, “Do you remember if you actually took any pills?”
“No, I don’t think I did. I was trying to eat something before I took them because that’s what you’re supposed to do and I guess that’s when I fainted.”
“Ok, so I know you’re a rule follower and all, and I love that about you, but seriously, just take the pills first next time.”
Even through the pain that the cramps are still causing her, Amy looks up at Jake and narrows her eyes. “Are you joking? That’s so irresponsible! Jake, taking ibuprofen on an empty stomach can literally irritate your stomach lining and cause bleeding.”
“I know, I would never do that, I was just suggesting it for you,” he says quickly, and it’s obvious to Amy that he’s completely lying. “My pill taking is completely normal, don’t worry, I follow all the rules all the time.” When she lets out a huff of disapproval, he admits, “Ok, ok, ok, but I only did it a couple times.”
Jake lets her give him a little glare but winces when her glare turns into a grimace as the pain worsens. “Ok, let’s get the meds in you asap. Do you want to finish the granola bar?”
Amy nods and he hands it to her, helping her sit up a little against him as he leans his back against their shower door. After she finishes, he reaches for the bottle of pills, fishing two out. She swallows them down with water and he maneuvers them so that she’s leaning back against the door while he’s crouching beside her. “Do you think you can stand?” He asks softly, brushing back a strand of her hair that’s fallen in her face.
She nods but looks unsure so he just gives her a grin and instructs her, “Put your arms around my neck, ok?”
“Jake, you don’t have to carry me, it’s ok.”
“No, no, if my sick wife needs help getting back into bed, I can pick her up and carry her into the bedroom.”
Amy starts to say something about how she isn’t sick, but Jake’s already looped her arms around his neck. He stands slowly and she tucks her head into the crook of his neck as he carries her down the hall. His fingers currently curled around her knees brush soothingly over her PJ pants.
Once Jake reaches their room, he lays her on the bed gently before turning to rummage through their closet. “Babe, what are you doing?” Amy asks, curled up to try to manage the pain.
“Just give me one minute, I’ll be right there, ok?” Jake finally finds what he’s looking for, her blue heating pad. “Aha!” He pads back to their bed and plugs it in, turning it up to the highest setting.
“Oh my god, I love you so much!” Amy exclaims, taking the pad from him so she can sling it onto her lower abdomen. “You’re the best husband ever.”
Jake pulls her into his chest, cuddling her close. “Only because you’re the best wife ever. Try to fall asleep now, ok? Hopefully when you wake up the cramps will be gone.”
Amy nods, curling up into Jake as he brushes her hairline soothingly, sweeping his thumbs over her temples. “I love you,” she mumbles. “Thank you for taking care of me.”
He presses a kiss to the top of her head. “I love you too, babe. And I’ll always take care of you. I’m always here.”