Just a Totally Normal Night of Mild Panic

So, funny (or—more likely—unhinged) story time! 

Remember when I told you my boyfriend was sick yesterday? I wasn’t kidding. According to the doctor he visited, his body temperature had risen to 39°C (or about 102°F). It was quite a high fever—no wonder he developed a rash almost all over his body. 

After taking the medicine, he finally felt much better (so the meds and all the sleeping in worked, after all). By the evening, he even said he planned to fix his sleep schedule by not napping too much before bedtime. 

Hearing that my boyfriend was doing much better, I felt more at ease. I told him I’d be going to a prayer group’s meeting after work. He kept me company via WhatsApp until the event began at 7:30 p.m. (we’re so Gen Z, I know). After that, he told me he was going to take a shower. 

I didn’t think much of it. Once the sharing session started, I focused on listening to the others. It wasn’t until around 8:30 p.m. that I realized my boyfriend hadn’t messaged me back. I swear I’m not usually the possessive type, but I started checking my phone and calling him every few minutes. 

He didn’t answer—not when I called during the Bible reading, and not after the prayer group meeting was over. 

I might not have panicked at first, but I certainly did after that. It was unusual for him not to pick up. Even if he had fallen asleep, he’s a light sleeper—he usually wakes up after just a few rings. 

When I got home, I tried messaging his mom and his boarding house’s owner. But what a coincidence—everyone was already asleep! How frustrating! Why was everyone conveniently sleeping when my boyfriend had just gone to shower and was suddenly unreachable? (To be fair, it was past 10 p.m.—who was I to dictate their sleep schedule?) 

My mind spiraled into worst-case scenarios. What if he was unconscious in the bathroom or something? I started toying with the idea of going to his place, but if he wasn’t answering, there was no point—I couldn’t get in. I didn’t have the guards’ phone number either, and wandering the streets alone near midnight didn’t sound like a bright idea. 

Just as I was opening Facebook to search for any clues about the boarding house guards (how 2010 of me), the prayer group’s leader messaged to ask about my boyfriend’s whereabouts. When I told him I still couldn’t reach him, he and another team member offered to go check in person. 

Of course, I decided to tag along. 

So, the three of us met in front of my boyfriend’s place. Since the guards live across from him, we decided to knock on their door. All of this happened at freaking 11 p.m.—what bothersome creatures we were last night! But we had no better idea. I was even worried the neighbors might think we were up to something shady. 

Fifteen minutes passed. When no one answered, I was ready to give up. I would just have to sleep that night—assuming I could—hoping he had simply fallen asleep. But then something moved on the second floor. Someone swiped the window blind to check.

When the guards—a husband and wife—finally came down and opened the door for us, I was flooded with relief. We apologized a thousand times and explained the situation. I braced myself for a scolding, but thankfully they understood… after like fifteen minutes of convincing them we were really his friends. 

The husband seemed hesitant—not because he didn’t believe us, but because he worried that my boyfriend might be doing something private and wouldn’t appreciate a sudden audience. We told him we didn’t mind waiting outside. After the wife tried calling my boyfriend three times with no answer, the husband finally went in to check. 

A few minutes later, my phone rang. 

My boyfriend had fallen asleep. For real. And he had put his phone on silent—while sick. Bravo, Boyfriend. 

Still, we were all so grateful he was okay. The rash was still visible at a glance, but thankfully, his fever had started to subside. He even started cracking jokes. 

Looking back, I’m so, so, so grateful to be surrounded by good people. To the husband and wife I disturbed at midnight—I’m sorry and thank you! Without your patience, I would probably be traumatized. To the two friends who accompanied me—I’m abundantly grateful for your care (I’m seriously touched)! Without you, I wouldn’t have been able to fall asleep at all. 

And to my one and only boyfriend (obviously)—thank you for getting better! I won’t stop bringing this up, but I’m glad you’re okay with that.

If you like this post, you might also enjoy My Mom is a Candy Crush Saga Maniac, and Honestly, I’m No Better and How a Game Called ‘Crocodile’ Foresaw My Goat Feeding Panic.