couples_therapy | 77.10. Pain
77.10. Pain (from Week 62)
Co-written with paramedically & pullmysteth
[Follows THIS]
It was almost like a dream sequence when Andrew burst into the bathroom with Emma right behind him. Ali was sobbing uncontrollably by then, and feeling like someone had plugged her ears with cotton wool. Everything sounded muffled and she could hardly even see through the tears. She hadn’t moved off the toilet and had pressed her knees together as if that would somehow stop what was happening and make everything okay. If she could just hold on, it would be okay, right? Andrew and Emma weren’t the only ones to appear, obviously Emma unable to prevent alerting others to something being wrong in the process of finding Andrew. As Andrew dropped to his knees in front of Ali and took her hands to try and offer her some sort of connection to let her know she wasn’t alone, James and Izzy forced their way into the bathroom, followed by Luke and Riley, who Luke had grabbed the minute Emma raised the alarm.
Ali was oblivious to anyone but Andrew, though. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…” she sobbed over and over again, still terrified to even try moving in case she made anything worse.
Andrew couldn’t hold off his own tears as he started to cry just in response of seeing her so distressed. The apologies felt like they were stabbing him in the gut, and some sort of strange guilt washed over him that he couldn’t place right now. All he could focus on was Ali and he reached up to start stroking her hair with a shaking hand. He had to try and stay calm for her. He just wanted her to be okay. He forgot it was his birthday party, and celebrations were still pulsing away beyond the walls of the bathroom. Behind him he could hear someone telling someone else to call 911. Ironic. Sickeningly ironic. “Ali, it’s okay beautiful,” he got out hoarsely, making sure he kept eye contact with her and a comforting rhythm of strokes through her hair. “Ali, we need to get you to the hospital, baby. You need to see a doctor.”
Luke had just been staring stupidly with his mouth hanging open, stunned he was even witnessing anything like this. Ali had seemed fine! All night, she had been fine! How was this happening?! Beside him, James and Isabel had grabbed hold of each other as they watched in horror, helpless to be able to even offer anything to ease the situation. None of them could. Still, Luke pushed at Riley’s arm. “Andrew, I brought Riley,” he said, the words coming out choked and rough.
Riley stepped forward as Andrew glanced back. The paramedic’s face was pale and his eyes damp and red. He gave a small nod, shifting a little so Riley could get into the cubicle. He hadn’t even thought about grabbing one of the doctors in the room for help. He had just panicked as soon as Emma’s words hit him like a slap in the face, ‘Andrew, Ali’s in the bathroom… sh-she’s bleeding’. He wanted to be sick. He didn’t know what was helping him keep as calm as he was.
There wasn’t much room in the cubicle, but Riley got as close as he could. He rested his hand gently on Ali’s upper arm. “Ali, when did the pain start, sweetheart?” he asked calmly, keeping his voice even. Even just questions from a doctor could spook a patient more, especially in situations like this.
Ali wanted to answer, to help him. She knew he was trying to help her. She opened her mouth, but no words came and she just shook her head, the tears just continuing to fall. She was in agony, but she couldn’t process anything anymore. She doubled over with a moan of pain, her head falling against Andrew’s shoulder.
Riley could deduce that coming to the bathroom would have been the first Ali noticed the bleeding. The pain was likely what brought her to the bathroom. The blood in her underwear and on her leg was worrying enough without even needing to see anything else. She wasn’t going to be able to answer anything rationally without getting medication for the pain. She needed to be at the hospital, and ASAP. There might be a sliver of a chance the baby would be okay if she got medical attention quickly. Andrew told him earlier in the night that Ali had just passed her first trimester; she was nearly thirteen weeks pregnant. There was no doubt about it, she needed urgent medical help.
He slipped back out of the cubicle. “Luke, you need to get a path cleared from the door to the bathroom so the paramedics aren’t held up. Preferably get as many people out the back into the courtyard as you can. She doesn’t need half the guests staring at her. And get the music stopped, if you can.” He turned to James and Isabel. “Can you guys get her things? Her jacket and handbag. She’ll need it for admission forms when she gets to the hospital and the shock is going to make her cold. She needs to be kept warm until the ambulance comes. Emma? You need to go let our family know what’s going on, and if you could tell Tab and Evie I’ll be going to the hospital with Andrew and Ali.”
No one hesitated before they went to do what Riley requested. James and Isabel looked like they didn’t want to leave Ali, but they weren’t going to argue. Riley understood the BBF thing, but Andrew was Ali’s fiancé now, and it was their baby. They had to trust he would take care of her, there was no choice in the matter. The least people Ali had around her that she would worry about, the better. When Andrew looked behind him to shoot Riley a grateful glance, Riley could hear the music Karaoke music in the bar switch to ‘Everybody Hurts’, Luke obviously not getting to the DJ to stop it quick enough. Riley remembered Lachlan singing it to him in this very bar all those months ago when he was struggling through his tough times in the wake of his diagnosis. He closed his eyes as Andrew turned back to his fiancée, her pained, scared sobs echoing off the walls of the large bathroom. They didn’t deserve this.
Everybody did hurt, but for some, it just felt like it would never stop.
All muses referenced with permission and are from the princeton2nyc universe
Word Count | 1,077
Co-written with paramedically & pullmysteth
[Follows THIS]
It was almost like a dream sequence when Andrew burst into the bathroom with Emma right behind him. Ali was sobbing uncontrollably by then, and feeling like someone had plugged her ears with cotton wool. Everything sounded muffled and she could hardly even see through the tears. She hadn’t moved off the toilet and had pressed her knees together as if that would somehow stop what was happening and make everything okay. If she could just hold on, it would be okay, right? Andrew and Emma weren’t the only ones to appear, obviously Emma unable to prevent alerting others to something being wrong in the process of finding Andrew. As Andrew dropped to his knees in front of Ali and took her hands to try and offer her some sort of connection to let her know she wasn’t alone, James and Izzy forced their way into the bathroom, followed by Luke and Riley, who Luke had grabbed the minute Emma raised the alarm.
Ali was oblivious to anyone but Andrew, though. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…” she sobbed over and over again, still terrified to even try moving in case she made anything worse.
Andrew couldn’t hold off his own tears as he started to cry just in response of seeing her so distressed. The apologies felt like they were stabbing him in the gut, and some sort of strange guilt washed over him that he couldn’t place right now. All he could focus on was Ali and he reached up to start stroking her hair with a shaking hand. He had to try and stay calm for her. He just wanted her to be okay. He forgot it was his birthday party, and celebrations were still pulsing away beyond the walls of the bathroom. Behind him he could hear someone telling someone else to call 911. Ironic. Sickeningly ironic. “Ali, it’s okay beautiful,” he got out hoarsely, making sure he kept eye contact with her and a comforting rhythm of strokes through her hair. “Ali, we need to get you to the hospital, baby. You need to see a doctor.”
Luke had just been staring stupidly with his mouth hanging open, stunned he was even witnessing anything like this. Ali had seemed fine! All night, she had been fine! How was this happening?! Beside him, James and Isabel had grabbed hold of each other as they watched in horror, helpless to be able to even offer anything to ease the situation. None of them could. Still, Luke pushed at Riley’s arm. “Andrew, I brought Riley,” he said, the words coming out choked and rough.
Riley stepped forward as Andrew glanced back. The paramedic’s face was pale and his eyes damp and red. He gave a small nod, shifting a little so Riley could get into the cubicle. He hadn’t even thought about grabbing one of the doctors in the room for help. He had just panicked as soon as Emma’s words hit him like a slap in the face, ‘Andrew, Ali’s in the bathroom… sh-she’s bleeding’. He wanted to be sick. He didn’t know what was helping him keep as calm as he was.
There wasn’t much room in the cubicle, but Riley got as close as he could. He rested his hand gently on Ali’s upper arm. “Ali, when did the pain start, sweetheart?” he asked calmly, keeping his voice even. Even just questions from a doctor could spook a patient more, especially in situations like this.
Ali wanted to answer, to help him. She knew he was trying to help her. She opened her mouth, but no words came and she just shook her head, the tears just continuing to fall. She was in agony, but she couldn’t process anything anymore. She doubled over with a moan of pain, her head falling against Andrew’s shoulder.
Riley could deduce that coming to the bathroom would have been the first Ali noticed the bleeding. The pain was likely what brought her to the bathroom. The blood in her underwear and on her leg was worrying enough without even needing to see anything else. She wasn’t going to be able to answer anything rationally without getting medication for the pain. She needed to be at the hospital, and ASAP. There might be a sliver of a chance the baby would be okay if she got medical attention quickly. Andrew told him earlier in the night that Ali had just passed her first trimester; she was nearly thirteen weeks pregnant. There was no doubt about it, she needed urgent medical help.
He slipped back out of the cubicle. “Luke, you need to get a path cleared from the door to the bathroom so the paramedics aren’t held up. Preferably get as many people out the back into the courtyard as you can. She doesn’t need half the guests staring at her. And get the music stopped, if you can.” He turned to James and Isabel. “Can you guys get her things? Her jacket and handbag. She’ll need it for admission forms when she gets to the hospital and the shock is going to make her cold. She needs to be kept warm until the ambulance comes. Emma? You need to go let our family know what’s going on, and if you could tell Tab and Evie I’ll be going to the hospital with Andrew and Ali.”
No one hesitated before they went to do what Riley requested. James and Isabel looked like they didn’t want to leave Ali, but they weren’t going to argue. Riley understood the BBF thing, but Andrew was Ali’s fiancé now, and it was their baby. They had to trust he would take care of her, there was no choice in the matter. The least people Ali had around her that she would worry about, the better. When Andrew looked behind him to shoot Riley a grateful glance, Riley could hear the music Karaoke music in the bar switch to ‘Everybody Hurts’, Luke obviously not getting to the DJ to stop it quick enough. Riley remembered Lachlan singing it to him in this very bar all those months ago when he was struggling through his tough times in the wake of his diagnosis. He closed his eyes as Andrew turned back to his fiancée, her pained, scared sobs echoing off the walls of the large bathroom. They didn’t deserve this.
Everybody did hurt, but for some, it just felt like it would never stop.
All muses referenced with permission and are from the princeton2nyc universe
Word Count | 1,077