muse_shuffle | November Disc Two
Track 12. Oh I know everything that I do tonight // Means nothing if I don't succeed
(Jebediah - ‘Animal’)
[Follows THIS]
Aiden felt sick. It was taking all his effort not to cry as he paced back and forth in the corridor of the Emergency Room. He had tried to prepare for this, but it was impossible. He just couldn’t shake the image of Pat lying at the bottom of the shower, blood mixing with the water as it seeped down the drain.
Last night seemed to be the start of it, but there was no reason to think Pat wasn’t just tired from the trip and needed a good night’s sleep. Pat obviously had no indication to think otherwise either or he would have mentioned feeling off. Aiden’s abrupt 4.30am wake up call of Pat being violently sick in the en suite bathroom hadn’t even rung warning bells. The favoured explanation for that was Pat ate something on the plane back from Mexico that didn’t agree with him. Three near misses and a casualty of Egyptian cotton sheets later, Pat crawled back into bed at around eight am, stomach now completely empty, and fell into a deep sleep. Aiden did everything he needed to help, with Pat repeatedly assuring him he was okay. He didn’t exactly think he would fill the nurse shoes or scrubs with quite the same finesse as his boyfriend did, but he did his damnest, teetering on the edge of helplessness the whole time.
Two hours later, Pat woke up again and this time something was off. He turned over in bed, gasping in pain at the movement and had to admit to Aiden that he was aching, but suspected it might be the flu. Easy to pick up bugs in a country like Mexico, drinking the water or not. There was no fever though and soon Pat was reluctantly forced to admit to Aiden he might’ve overdone it on the holiday. Pat’s speech had slowed with a distinct slur to the words and with a bit of coaxing, Aiden got out of him that his right arm felt a little numb and tingly. Immediate panic was Aiden’s first reaction, but Pat desperately urged him not to wet himself. He needed to rest and chances were he could stave off a full blown attack. Doctor’s orders would be rest in the first instance, anyway, apparently. Plan of action would be Pat would stay a few more days with Aiden in New York and not return to Princeton that afternoon as first decided. With Aiden not due back at work until Thursday, they could have some quiet days together holed up in the apartment with Pat hopefully back to feeling himself by then. The achy nurse then curled up into a cocoon of thick bed covers and tried to pretend every inch of muscle in him wasn’t burning. But Pat was miserable and uncomfortable by this point and soon rose again, deciding he would be able to relax better after a shower.
Aiden wished to fucking god he had been a little more pushy now. He should have known, shouldn’t he? Right? He should have known the signs and should have at least suggested Pat speak to Lachlan or Riley or Tara or Chase or any medical person in closest vicinity. Five minutes of listening to the shower running in the bathroom from the kitchen where he was making tea and Aiden got an unusual and unfamiliar niggle in his gut. He couldn’t be sure what made him go check to see Pat was okay. He just felt like he had to.
He still had no idea what happened. The paramedic said Pat might’ve slipped and hit his head, knocking himself out, or considering the nature of MS, the heat of the shower could have brought on dizziness or a blackout. Aiden knew from Lachlan that this wasn’t the first time this had happened to Pat. He should have known! With Pat not feeling well and already thinking an attack might be on the horizon, Aiden should have showered with him or at least had the bathroom door left open. He shouldn’t have left him alone. Now this. Pat unconscious in the ER with a gash down the side of his forehead and temple that would need stitches.
This was it. His test. Aiden knew it was make or break time. If he couldn’t handle this, Pat would walk away and that would be the end of it. Aiden swallowed and looked up at the ceiling, trying to blink away tears as they pooled in his eyes. He had calls to make, but who first? Lachlan and Tara, who were still in the City at the Brennans’ place, Jules who was off being a bouncy newlywed, Riley and Evie who were staying with Tab and Luke for the night, voicemail to Cameron who would be mid-flight back to England that very moment… they all needed to know.
His hand was shaking so much when he took his cell phone from his pocket that he nearly dropped it. He couldn’t even remember if he had everyone’s numbers. He would worry about that in a minute. Now? Now he just needed to back up so he didn’t fuck up from the get go. He put the phone to his ear and waited for an answer on the other end of the line. “Harri? I need you to come to Mount Sinai Med Centre to stop me doing something I’ll regret…”
All characters referenced with permission
Word Count | 901
(Jebediah - ‘Animal’)
[Follows THIS]
Aiden felt sick. It was taking all his effort not to cry as he paced back and forth in the corridor of the Emergency Room. He had tried to prepare for this, but it was impossible. He just couldn’t shake the image of Pat lying at the bottom of the shower, blood mixing with the water as it seeped down the drain.
Last night seemed to be the start of it, but there was no reason to think Pat wasn’t just tired from the trip and needed a good night’s sleep. Pat obviously had no indication to think otherwise either or he would have mentioned feeling off. Aiden’s abrupt 4.30am wake up call of Pat being violently sick in the en suite bathroom hadn’t even rung warning bells. The favoured explanation for that was Pat ate something on the plane back from Mexico that didn’t agree with him. Three near misses and a casualty of Egyptian cotton sheets later, Pat crawled back into bed at around eight am, stomach now completely empty, and fell into a deep sleep. Aiden did everything he needed to help, with Pat repeatedly assuring him he was okay. He didn’t exactly think he would fill the nurse shoes or scrubs with quite the same finesse as his boyfriend did, but he did his damnest, teetering on the edge of helplessness the whole time.
Two hours later, Pat woke up again and this time something was off. He turned over in bed, gasping in pain at the movement and had to admit to Aiden that he was aching, but suspected it might be the flu. Easy to pick up bugs in a country like Mexico, drinking the water or not. There was no fever though and soon Pat was reluctantly forced to admit to Aiden he might’ve overdone it on the holiday. Pat’s speech had slowed with a distinct slur to the words and with a bit of coaxing, Aiden got out of him that his right arm felt a little numb and tingly. Immediate panic was Aiden’s first reaction, but Pat desperately urged him not to wet himself. He needed to rest and chances were he could stave off a full blown attack. Doctor’s orders would be rest in the first instance, anyway, apparently. Plan of action would be Pat would stay a few more days with Aiden in New York and not return to Princeton that afternoon as first decided. With Aiden not due back at work until Thursday, they could have some quiet days together holed up in the apartment with Pat hopefully back to feeling himself by then. The achy nurse then curled up into a cocoon of thick bed covers and tried to pretend every inch of muscle in him wasn’t burning. But Pat was miserable and uncomfortable by this point and soon rose again, deciding he would be able to relax better after a shower.
Aiden wished to fucking god he had been a little more pushy now. He should have known, shouldn’t he? Right? He should have known the signs and should have at least suggested Pat speak to Lachlan or Riley or Tara or Chase or any medical person in closest vicinity. Five minutes of listening to the shower running in the bathroom from the kitchen where he was making tea and Aiden got an unusual and unfamiliar niggle in his gut. He couldn’t be sure what made him go check to see Pat was okay. He just felt like he had to.
He still had no idea what happened. The paramedic said Pat might’ve slipped and hit his head, knocking himself out, or considering the nature of MS, the heat of the shower could have brought on dizziness or a blackout. Aiden knew from Lachlan that this wasn’t the first time this had happened to Pat. He should have known! With Pat not feeling well and already thinking an attack might be on the horizon, Aiden should have showered with him or at least had the bathroom door left open. He shouldn’t have left him alone. Now this. Pat unconscious in the ER with a gash down the side of his forehead and temple that would need stitches.
This was it. His test. Aiden knew it was make or break time. If he couldn’t handle this, Pat would walk away and that would be the end of it. Aiden swallowed and looked up at the ceiling, trying to blink away tears as they pooled in his eyes. He had calls to make, but who first? Lachlan and Tara, who were still in the City at the Brennans’ place, Jules who was off being a bouncy newlywed, Riley and Evie who were staying with Tab and Luke for the night, voicemail to Cameron who would be mid-flight back to England that very moment… they all needed to know.
His hand was shaking so much when he took his cell phone from his pocket that he nearly dropped it. He couldn’t even remember if he had everyone’s numbers. He would worry about that in a minute. Now? Now he just needed to back up so he didn’t fuck up from the get go. He put the phone to his ear and waited for an answer on the other end of the line. “Harri? I need you to come to Mount Sinai Med Centre to stop me doing something I’ll regret…”
All characters referenced with permission
Word Count | 901