When I'm sick, my boyfriend is obsessed with me. I just discovered why.

 When I get sick, my boyfriend is OBSESSED with me. I woke up sneezing.

 Badly.

 Once was normal.

 It pulled me back to reality, to warm blankets and lavender pillows.

 jerked my entire body twice. Three times, my eyes blinked open.  As quickly as my thoughts did, the pain set in. a sharp, piercing pain in the back of my head. I thought it was a migraine until the fourth and fifth sneezes, at which point I felt warm water running down my chin and across my nose and mouth. Blood.  My blankets and pillows were soaked in deep cardinal red. 

 I discovered my voice. “Daniel.”

 My boyfriend’s name came out in a shuddery breath. 

 Another violent sneeze tore through me before I could cry out, and I stared at red slicking my fingers.  Stumbling into the bathroom, I ran the bathroom faucet and scrubbed until I was watching wet, flaky blood spiral down the drain.  “Babe?”  From our bedroom, Daniel yelled. I grabbed another wad of toilet paper, dried my face, and flushed it down the toilet.

 I took a single shuddery breath, and stepped back into the bedroom.

 I said, having already practiced, "I'm fine." Daniel was a hypochondriac when it came to my health.  If I had so much as a headache, he would already be dragging me to the ER.

 My boyfriend had already put on his clothes and put on his coat, as was to be expected. He grabbed my wrist and dragged me downstairs before taking me immediately to the garage. "Where are we headed?" When did he start the car, I inquired? Daniel put his hand on my forehead and leaned forward. He grabbed my hand in a whisper and said, "Kairie." “I'm going to save you, okay?”

 With a disgusted expression on his lip, Daniel turned to the steering wheel. "Tell me if you will sneeze once more." He took out an old takeout container by reaching into the glove box. He looked around at the road. “Sneeze into that.” 

 I laughed, but that hurt more. 

 Fuck. 

 "Are you insane?" I whispered.  “Why do you want me to sneeze into week-old Chinese food?”  When he didn't respond, I let out a breath.  “Daniel.  Babe.  I'm fine.  It was just a bad nosebleed.”

 He didn't look at me.  "We're going to an ENT," we say. “At 4am?”  I whisper-shrieked.  "Look, I know it was frightening! I was fucking scared!  But it stopped!  I stopped sneezing, and the pain is still kind of there, but—”

 We came to a stop outside of a towering structure with windows that look like stripes. Daniel tightened his grip on my wrist as he extracted me from the vehicle. We definitely weren't at the ER.

 “What pain, Kairie?”  As he led me through the automatic doors, he whispered. I was blasted in the face with freezing cold air, and the dull pain continued, creeping across my forehead.  It suddenly became too bright. I could barely put one foot in front of the other as he pulled me to the front desk.  We were greeted by a woman who smiled broadly. “Good evening!”  She said, nodding at Daniel.  She didn't even look at me.  “How may I help you?” 

 “My girlfriend is…” Daniel's voice bleed into a frenzied hiss.  I considered protesting when he nodded for me to take a seat across the room, but my legs felt like they were giving way. Slumping down in a chair, I took notice of the waiting room.   Several plastic chairs sitting in flower formations. 

 I observed my boyfriend conversing with a nurse in whispers. With Daniel occupied and my phone at home, I resorted to counting ceiling tiles, my head tipped back, counting under my breath— until a boy around my age slumped down next to me. 

 He was already casting red flags, wearing nothing but a hospital gown, and dragging along an IV.  “Don't say anything,” he muttered, “Just pretend not to notice me.”

 I did, a shiver creeping down my spine. 

 He whispered, "They're going to take us out, you know." "They tried with me before, but I'm resilient," He sneezed violently and abruptly, wiping blood from his nose and giggling with his lips. “I'm too strong.” 

 “Jasper!” 

 I glanced up.  He was watched by a woman with her arms crossed. She gave me a look as she pulled him up by his gown's collar. “What the fuck do you think you're looking at?”  Before dragging the boy away, she spit. My name was called out before I could shout after him. Kairie Mason, please? I followed the doctor into a brightly lit room after looking up and giving him my nod. I took a seat on crinkly bedding, letting the doctor prod and poke me, shining a light in my eye. 

 Daniel hovered behind him, his expression dark, lips twisted. 

 The physician eventually took a step back. “Hmm.”  He prodded my neck, feeling along my lymph nodes.  He leaned forward with a frown and said, "Mr. Jones, you reported the vessel as awakening." "However, your partner appears to be substantially still asleep," “No.”  Daniel gritted out.  “No.  You said when she starts sneezing—”

 “I said, it's a possibility that the original body will sneeze out the placeholder.”

 The physician exhaled. As the word vessel sliced through my thoughts, he turned to my boyfriend and said, “It's a false alarm, I'm afraid.” “I can remove the substitute,” he said.  “However, it may damage Kairi’s brain function—”

 "I'm not bothered." Daniel hissed.  “Get it out of her.  Now.  I'm tired of pretending. I'm tired of acting like THING is her. The doctor wore a patient smile.  He stated, "You bought the stray, Mr. Jones, to replace your brain-dead girlfriend." "Strays are still human beings, lost souls that we have given a purpose.  They may not have a body of their own, but they’re still alive.  They still think, breathe, and hurt.”  My body froze as he traced my neck with his fingers. Daniel, please be patient. When Kairie awakens, I will happily remove the placeholder.  But for now—”

 “No.”

 He was shoved aside as Daniel grabbed a scalpel. I screamed as he sunk the blade into my neck. “No, I'm getting it out now.”