Disappear
Title: Disappear
Prompt: De-Age (Physical)
Medium: Fic
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Medical Emergency; Hospitalization.
Summary: When Kris and Katy's 3-month-old son, Kaleb, endures a medical emergency, it's up to Kris to keep him alive. But Kris feels that if he loses his son, he might also lose himself. (Set in the Love Speaks Through... universe.)
Kris rushed out to the car, with Kaleb in his arms. He and Katy were in the car simultaneously, Katy behind the wheel, and Kris in the passenger seat, with Kaleb in his lap.
He couldn't help but stare at his baby and think that he was holding onto a tiny version of himself. Kaleb was three months old - tiny as could be - but he could have been Kris's twin. Kaleb had the same brown eyes, the same baby skin. His hair was blonde, not brown, but it didn't matter. As Kris watched Kaleb struggle for breath, he felt like his own airway was closing.
Katy's hands shook as she stuck the key in the ignition and backed out of the drive, onto the street. It was September, and the air was turning cold. There wasn't much traffic, and Katy drove cautiously, afraid of getting in an accident. She knew nobody was supposed to drive when their loved one was in a dangerous situation.
"You need to drive faster, Katy," Kris told her, in a clipped, no-nonsense tone. Kaleb sounded not like a baby, but a tiny alien, making inhuman sounds that ended in a pathetic whine. He struggled for breath, and Kris struggled for calm.
He felt as tiny and helpless as Kaleb looked.
"Okay," Katy said, and put her foot on the gas. This was her son. He needed the hospital. And she needed to get him there. She thanked God they were close, still only miles away. Rather than moving to LA, they had stayed close, in case of something like this. Kaleb had been home only hours.
And then there was no sound. Just the baby, fighting so hard for breath.
Kris didn't hesitate. He put his mouth over Kaleb's nose and mouth, breathing into him, and praying to see his tiny chest rise.
When nothing happened, Kris felt like passing out. Kaleb had been struggling so hard that his jaw had locked.
"Katy, I can't get his mouth open," Kris passed on, eerily calm.
But, like a miracle, Arkansas Children's loomed in front of them. Kris got out before the car fully stopped, running in with his little bird of a son in his arms. He knew without looking that Katy was just behind him.
"We need help! He's not breathing!" he called, urgently.
Nurses appeared, and just as quickly, Kaleb, who weighed only four pounds, was taken from Kris's grasp.
"Oh, God, Kris. What if this is it? What if this is the last time we ever see him?" Katy asked, shaking.
But Kris felt nothing. Only his heart pounding with dread. He had no words of comfort to offer, because he was thinking the same thing. That this was it. They lost their last chance. They lost their baby, who had fought so hard to stay alive.
--
Kris sat huddled in a waiting room chair, knees drawn to under his chin. Kaleb was in surgery, getting some kind of tube in his neck to help him breathe.
"You did everything you could."
He heard Katy's tearful voice, and stiffened as she touched his shoulder in support. Kris couldn't handle support. Not when he hadn't been able to actually do anything to help Kaleb when his airway closed.
Kris got up and walked across waiting room that felt huge and cavernous. He was numb - he couldn't eat, couldn't think. All he could do was pray.
He wanted to apologize to his wife, but he couldn't. All he could do was pray and feel swallowed up by this feeling of insignificance. When Kaleb had been taken from his arms, Kris felt himself physically shrinking. If Kaleb didn't make it, Kris would disappear, too. He was sure of it. Kris felt younger and older simultaneously - and entirely emotionally unstable. He couldn't eat. He couldn't be there for Katy.
Kris could only pray that God would be merciful and heal Kaleb. He promised to do better. He offered himself in Kaleb's place.
Still, God seemed utterly silent, and Kris wondered if He, too, had vanished without a trace.
--
"Kris? Kaleb's in recovery. We can see him," Katy said softly.
Relief stole over him suddenly, and Kris pressed a gentle kiss to Katy's hand.
Squatting in front of him, Katy wrapped her arms around him, and for several minutes, they held each other. When they finally rose, they did so as a team, not as fractured individuals who had come in.
Like a child, Kris clung to her hand, as they walked into the unknown and disappeared behind a door, where their son waited.
Prompt: De-Age (Physical)
Medium: Fic
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Medical Emergency; Hospitalization.
Summary: When Kris and Katy's 3-month-old son, Kaleb, endures a medical emergency, it's up to Kris to keep him alive. But Kris feels that if he loses his son, he might also lose himself. (Set in the Love Speaks Through... universe.)
Kris rushed out to the car, with Kaleb in his arms. He and Katy were in the car simultaneously, Katy behind the wheel, and Kris in the passenger seat, with Kaleb in his lap.
He couldn't help but stare at his baby and think that he was holding onto a tiny version of himself. Kaleb was three months old - tiny as could be - but he could have been Kris's twin. Kaleb had the same brown eyes, the same baby skin. His hair was blonde, not brown, but it didn't matter. As Kris watched Kaleb struggle for breath, he felt like his own airway was closing.
Katy's hands shook as she stuck the key in the ignition and backed out of the drive, onto the street. It was September, and the air was turning cold. There wasn't much traffic, and Katy drove cautiously, afraid of getting in an accident. She knew nobody was supposed to drive when their loved one was in a dangerous situation.
"You need to drive faster, Katy," Kris told her, in a clipped, no-nonsense tone. Kaleb sounded not like a baby, but a tiny alien, making inhuman sounds that ended in a pathetic whine. He struggled for breath, and Kris struggled for calm.
He felt as tiny and helpless as Kaleb looked.
"Okay," Katy said, and put her foot on the gas. This was her son. He needed the hospital. And she needed to get him there. She thanked God they were close, still only miles away. Rather than moving to LA, they had stayed close, in case of something like this. Kaleb had been home only hours.
And then there was no sound. Just the baby, fighting so hard for breath.
Kris didn't hesitate. He put his mouth over Kaleb's nose and mouth, breathing into him, and praying to see his tiny chest rise.
When nothing happened, Kris felt like passing out. Kaleb had been struggling so hard that his jaw had locked.
"Katy, I can't get his mouth open," Kris passed on, eerily calm.
But, like a miracle, Arkansas Children's loomed in front of them. Kris got out before the car fully stopped, running in with his little bird of a son in his arms. He knew without looking that Katy was just behind him.
"We need help! He's not breathing!" he called, urgently.
Nurses appeared, and just as quickly, Kaleb, who weighed only four pounds, was taken from Kris's grasp.
"Oh, God, Kris. What if this is it? What if this is the last time we ever see him?" Katy asked, shaking.
But Kris felt nothing. Only his heart pounding with dread. He had no words of comfort to offer, because he was thinking the same thing. That this was it. They lost their last chance. They lost their baby, who had fought so hard to stay alive.
--
Kris sat huddled in a waiting room chair, knees drawn to under his chin. Kaleb was in surgery, getting some kind of tube in his neck to help him breathe.
"You did everything you could."
He heard Katy's tearful voice, and stiffened as she touched his shoulder in support. Kris couldn't handle support. Not when he hadn't been able to actually do anything to help Kaleb when his airway closed.
Kris got up and walked across waiting room that felt huge and cavernous. He was numb - he couldn't eat, couldn't think. All he could do was pray.
He wanted to apologize to his wife, but he couldn't. All he could do was pray and feel swallowed up by this feeling of insignificance. When Kaleb had been taken from his arms, Kris felt himself physically shrinking. If Kaleb didn't make it, Kris would disappear, too. He was sure of it. Kris felt younger and older simultaneously - and entirely emotionally unstable. He couldn't eat. He couldn't be there for Katy.
Kris could only pray that God would be merciful and heal Kaleb. He promised to do better. He offered himself in Kaleb's place.
Still, God seemed utterly silent, and Kris wondered if He, too, had vanished without a trace.
--
"Kris? Kaleb's in recovery. We can see him," Katy said softly.
Relief stole over him suddenly, and Kris pressed a gentle kiss to Katy's hand.
Squatting in front of him, Katy wrapped her arms around him, and for several minutes, they held each other. When they finally rose, they did so as a team, not as fractured individuals who had come in.
Like a child, Kris clung to her hand, as they walked into the unknown and disappeared behind a door, where their son waited.