Her stomach hurt and the feeling of pain creeping through her belly had woken her. It was still early in the morning. The birds that typically sang just as the sun was coming up were sending out their calls. The only other noise was the sound of Derk snoring behind her. His arm was draped around her middle, pinning her down. He seemed as if he was deep in sleep but she knew if she spoke he would wake up. They weren’t usually early risers but her stomach did hurt, as if someone was squeezing her guts, twisting them gently and she felt a bit nauseous. The heavy arm pinning her to the ground didn’t help and so she wiggled a bit under the blankets, hoping to wake him up before she spoke. “I don’t feel good,” she said quietly. The change in his breathing told her he was awake though he didn’t move yet. She lay there and waited, feeling the pressure on her side lessen as he gained control of his limbs. “How d’you mean?” he mumbled.
