What Happens In Rome Stays In Rome? | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Relationships

What Happens In Rome Stays In Rome?

The anxiety accompanying sickness overseas.

2634
What Happens In Rome Stays In Rome?
Unsplash

All of a sudden, her face drains of color. Her freckles become more pronounced against her pale skin, and her eyes become wide with fear.

“Em, I don’t feel well,” she says looking at me, non-blinking. I look at her and cock my head curiously, trying to imagine what she’s feeling.

“Are you alright? Do you want to go the bathroom? Water maybe,” I say casually, reaching for the bottle of still water on the dinner table.

“Oh, Emi,” she breathes, “I really don’t feel well.” My hand stops in mid-air, halfway to reaching for the water. I put my hand down in my lap, not knowing what she wants, not knowing what exactly to do. We stare at each other, my mind beginning to race, her mind beginning to slow.

“Can I do anything?” I ask curiously, my anxiety rising. She answers with a burp, covering her mouth, embarrassed. She stares at the tablecloth, her hand still at her mouth. She begins to vomit into her barely touched pasta with meat sauce, her whole body starting to shake.

My stomach lurches, and I jump up to bend down next to her, putting my hand on top of hers. Think, I tell myself. What’s happening? I look over to the couple sitting to my left, and they stare at their cappuccinos. Uhh uhhh, I think. Or maybe I don’t think at all. It all happened so fast, it was hard to process what was happening.

The waiter rushes over, looking alarmingly towards me, eyebrows arched in concern.
“What happened?” he asks in an Italian accent. “Is everything okay, what does she need?”
“I don’t know!” I exclaim. God, if I knew what to do I would do it, idiot, I think. “She has heart problems,” I tell him. “She’s had a stroke and a heart attack,” I explain. “She needs a doctor. Call a doctor.” I say firmly, urgently. He nods furiously and escapes to the front of the restaurant where the phone is to make the call.
I turn towards the couple next to us, still holding my Nana’s hand. The man meets my gaze and asks in broken English if everything was okay. I tell him I’m unsure.
“Emi, what’s happening,” Nana mumbles.
“I’m not sure, but we’re figuring it out,” I say softly, stroking her hand. “You’re going to be fine, just fine, alright?” I say, giving her hand a squeeze. She answers with another burp and continues to vomit into her bowl.
I direct my attention back to the man sitting beside me. “Put a wet napkin on her neck to try to cool her down,” he says. I nod, grabbing my cloth napkin, and dunk it into the cold water in my glass across from me. I fumble with the napkin, and place it on her neck, her strawberry blonde waves already wet with sweat. My eyes dart to the half-finished fish and red wine that I was enjoying minutes before.

The waiter comes behind me once more, and mouths to the couple that they should move into another room. They nod and smile uncomfortably, rising from their table. The woman strides past, and the man follows. He squeezes my shoulder as he passes. I look behind and manage a tight smile.

“The doctors are on their way,” the waiter tells me. “Does she have any allergies? Is it the food?” He asks, gesturing to her bowl.
“No, no, it’s something more. I don’t know what’s happening,” I tell him, my tone rising as I finish the sentence. A waitress comes into the room with a bigger, empty bowl, and takes the bowl with pasta-vomit mash in it, making little effort to disguise the disgust on her face, her eyes looking anywhere but the bowl she’s carrying. She rushes out of the room, and closes the glass door behind her, separating the waiter, Nana, and me from the other rooms of the restaurant.

A woman comes in wearing an orange jumpsuit, carrying a medic kit. I let out a small sigh of relief. I notice she’s around the same age as me, with thick eyeliner, cracking her gum at the top of her mouth. She kneels on the other side of Nana, looking at me.
“What happened here, madame?” She asks me in a thick Italian accent.
“She has heart problems,” I tell her, “She’s had a stroke and a heart attack, and is taking a lot of medication. She did a lot of walking today around Rome, so her body could have reacted badly. I don’t know,” I blabber. She shakes her head at me impatiently.
“No, no,” she says, “What happened, here,” gesturing to the once clean bowl in front of Nana, now with brown mush in it. Nana retches and leans back in her chair, closing her eyes, sighing helplessly. I reach to her and squeeze her shoulder.
“We were just eating,” I say quickly, feeling my face flush pink, “We were just eating and it happened so quickly. I have no idea what happened,” I tell her. She nods. An older man with white fuzz for hair comes in wearing an identical orange outfit and speaks in fast Italian to eyeliner woman, and looks at me. “English?” I say.

“How long has this been going on?” the woman asks me.

“Not even an hour,” I respond. “I think we need an ambulance.”

To be Continued...

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

179756
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

6861
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

452223
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

23165
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments