Sam leaned heavily against the door and struggled to breathe, his heart beating so hard in his chest as if he had run a marathon and at the same time tears welling up in his eyes because the jealousy and uncertainty were almost killing him. He would never be able to bear it if Penny rejected him for someone else. Especially not because of Ben, that conceited slob who only played with women's hearts. How could she be so stupid? How could he have been so stupid and really believed that Penny would fall in love with someone like him? A few hours ago he had been happy, happier than ever before in his life, and now everything was going down the drain. Everything was lost. How would he ever be able to look her in the eyes again? How to trust her? But how could he live without her?

"Sam? Should I call a doctor?"

"I don't need a doctor."

"Oh no? I hear you panting through the door!"

"It's just that my blood pressure is going through the roof a bit because of your lover's good news," he growled harshly.

"I don't have a lover!" she snapped at him through the door and Sam ran his hand through his face. How much he would like to believe her. How he wished there was no truth to Ben's message. But then why did he write something like that? He wiped the sweat he had just wiped from his face on his pants. He felt so hot, he felt so sick. Maybe he should get checked out by a doctor? He must have just eaten something wrong. It must have been the mushrooms in his food earlier.

Meanwhile, Penny rested her forehead on the other side of the door. Sam didn't answer anymore, but she could still hear him breathing heavily. He wasn't feeling well and she didn't believe that it was really just jealousy that was having such an effect on his body. Pedro. The liquor. It could only have been that way. Surely he had wanted to eliminate Sam so that he could improve his chances for the team competition when he had already lost the individual competition. Tears came to her eyes. What was she supposed to do? Ben's message had made her angry. He had ensnared her so many times and she had always rejected him. No matter how attentive he was, her heart belonged to Sam and he wouldn't be able to change that with all the attention and flattery in the world. Nevertheless, he obviously didn't let up, didn't want to give up on her.

But threatening Sam was definitely the wrong approach. It upset Sam and him being sick only exacerbated his poor judgment. She understood that he obviously couldn't think clearly in his condition, but it still hurt her that he accused her of something like that and believed Ben more than her.

"Sam, please," she sighed in a strangled voice as she heard him groan in agony behind the door. What did he just have to go through? She discarded all her thoughts. All that mattered was Sam. He needed to calm down, needed him to get out of there so she could help him. "I love you."

"Obviously not enough. Leave me alone. I can't handle it right now," he grumbled sullenly, his tone piercing her heart as if he had plunged a knife into it.

He swallowed hard and felt his nagging thirst again. If only this would at least stop... He went to the sink and drank the water straight from the tap, never stopping, hoping that he could at least quell his thirst with it. He choked with greed, coughing and gasping as his stomach clenched painfully again. However, it hadn't been as bad as this time before and he collapsed to his knees, groaning and holding his stomach.

"Sam? Is everything okay?" he heard Penny from behind the door.

"Leave me alone!" he cried again in pain when the pain didn't subside.

"Open the door, Sam. I just want to help you," she replied and he snorted dismissively. If she had wanted to help him, she should have just been honest, he thought, and the images flashed before his mind again - Penny in Ben's arms, kissing, looking at each other... His stomach turned and he barely managed to bend over the toilet when he vomited. It only took a few seconds to get rid of the contents of his stomach, but it felt like an eternity and it was horrible. He flushed automatically and slumped against the wall next to the toilet when a loud bang made him jump and just a moment later Penny was crouched next to him.

"You didn't really kick in the door?" Sam groaned in pain, closing his eyes, which he had only opened for a brief look at her, and continuing to hold his stomach, where it still hurt.

"Obviously with good reason. You're so hot, Sam," she objected worriedly as she placed her hand on his forehead.

"Thanks," he murmured, and for the first time in over an hour he managed a genuine smile. Even though his thoughts were still bothering him, he just didn't have the strength or the muse to argue with her that she found him at least physically attractive.

"You seem to have a fever, Sam. I didn't mean your good look," Penny reprimanded him and put her arm around his shoulder to help him up. It was difficult for her to get him to his feet and they staggered back together to his bed, where he now stretched out. As if in a haze, he noticed that Penny was picking up the hotel phone and making a quick call, but he couldn't understand anything she was saying. Holy sparks, he loved this woman so much. Her soft lips drove him crazy, her touch was wonderful and her looks took his breath away. She was everything he had ever wanted and now that he had finally won her over, should it all be over? Would he be able to just pretend the last 24 hours hadn't happened and carry on as before? It would kill him. He couldn't and didn't want to be without her and if it meant having to share her, he would probably have to put up with it if that alone made her happy. Wasn't the main thing that she was happy?

There was a knock and Penny opened the door.

"Mrs. Morris?" Penny nodded to the older man and gestured to invite him in. "The porter called me on your behalf and sent me up. He just told me that your husband was feeling very badly. Can you describe the symptoms to me?"

"Of course. He seems to have a fever, he drank a lot of water at the end and threw up earlier, and he's also moody."

"How does this manifest itself and since when has it been like this?"

"He got a message from a mutual acquaintance after dinner and since then he's been very quiet, grumpy and accusing me of things I didn't do. He's like a different person," she explained while the doctor was examining Sam and lit up his eyes, felt his pulse, listened to his chest and took his temperature.

"Did he eat anything that seemed strange to you?" he then asked.

"Well, we have a competitor who doesn't take kindly to Sam. He bought him a shot today. That made me suspicious and it smelled disgusting. Do you have any suspicions?"

"I did, though." He turned to Sam, who was still lying there as if delirious. "Mr. Morris, can you understand me?" the doctor now spoke to him, but only received a short: "Huh?" for an answer.

"Um, his name is Jones, Samuel Jones," Penny corrected the doctor sheepishly. "He's not my husband. Just my partner...since yesterday."

"Well then, congratulations," the doctor replied with a smile and turned back to Sam. "So Mr. Jones, can you understand me?" Something that sounded like a yes came out of Sam's mouth. "Do you have a stomach ache?" Again that weak agreement. "Do you have vision problems?" He agreed again. "Are you seeing pictures or are you imagining something that might not be true?" Sam just shrugged weakly, but the doctor apparently took it as agreement and started rummaging through his bag.

"It's a good thing he threw up. I'll have some tea sent up for you. Make sure he drinks a lot and give him some straight away. He should be over everything in a few hours." He gave Penny a few pills and packed up his tools.

"What is this and what does he have?"

"It's for his pain. He seems to have been poisoned. But just to be on the safe side..." He picked up a syringe and a swab before taking a little blood from Sam and then putting a bandage on the puncture site, while Penny was speechless in shock. "I'll have it checked in the lab tomorrow. I'll let you know as soon as I know something." He got up and went to the door, turning to her again. "Don't worry. He'll be back to his old self soon and don't blame him for what he may have said. He wasn't Master of his senses."

"Obviously not. Thank you very much." Penny shook his hand before he left the room and closed the door behind him. She breathed heavily, her mind still spinning from what she had just heard. She was about to go back to Sam when there was another knock on the door and the porter handed her a pot of tea and two cups when she opened it.

"That happened quickly," she said, surprised.

"I had already had it prepared. After you weren't feeling well the other day, Mr. Jones was in a hurry, so I wanted to save time now."

"Thank you very much for everything," she replied with a smile and took the tray from him.

"You're welcome. Get well soon for your friend," he answered her with a smile and closed the door as he left again.

Penny placed the tray on the bedside table between the two beds and filled both cups before squeezing a tablet out of the packaging.

"Sam? Come on, you need to drink something and the doctor says you need those pills." She lifted him up and sat behind him to keep him upright because he made no move to stay seated on his own. He leaned heavily against her, but at least he kept the pill in his mouth when she put it between his lips and drank his cup of tea, albeit slowly. She carefully slipped him back into the pillow and caressed his cheek before she fetched a cold washcloth and placed it on his forehead.

She crouched down in front of his bed, took his hand and ran the other over his forehead and watched him as he became more and more relaxed, only allowing herself the occasional sip of tea. But at some point she was so tired that she could no longer keep her eyes open and fell asleep.

Sam woke up in the middle of the night. His body felt like he was still in deep sleep and his head was pounding, but at least that fog was gone and so were those horrible images. He noticed that the light on the bedside table was still on and spotted Penny next to him, asleep on her knees with her head in her arms on the mattress and his hand in hers. She had called a doctor and stood by him, even though he had made such mean accusations against her. What was he thinking? He had to think of something to make up for it. But until then she should be as comfortable as possible...and so should he. So he turned off the light and lifted Penny into bed as gently as he could, snuggling up to her when she didn't wake up. It only took seconds and he fell asleep again - more blissfully than before. Hopefully the awakening of Penny finding herself in his arms after he had been so mean to her wouldn't be a bad one.

To be continued...