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[onlyforthedream]

There are a lot of neat contraptions in the island compound. There's something that makes all the rooms cool at the same time, so much so that I had to go downstairs to the box people told me about to find a sweatshirt, like what boxers wear when they're practicing. It's grey and too big but it keeps me warm when I'm in the compound rooms too long

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[broken_brushes]

I guess it was too much to ask that this kid have his medical emergency by the Compound front doors like the last one I'd stumbled upon. By the time I hurried over, I was already mentally calculating the distance to each clinic and trying to decide whether I could help carry a boy that size when I still had a cast on one arm. He was pretty scrawny, but I wasn't exactly big myself, and while the asthma was definitely a concern, I was way more worried about heat stroke.

"Hey," I gently began, and reached to press a reassuring hand to his shoulder. "My name's Shari, and I'm going to help you, okay? I really need you to get this shirt off so you can cool down." I didn't wait for permission before I was tugging the thing off. Honest to god, I don't know how the kid wasn't passed out.

[onlyforthedream]

I shudder, can't help it, and it feels like my chest is caving in even though there's a steadying hand on my shoulder. It's a lady's voice, and then a hand is pulling the stupid sweatshirt off of me. I wish I could help her but I can't. I can't do anything but curl in on myself, around the white hot needle point of hurt in my chest.

There's an awful sound in my ears, like wind sawing through thick, heavy branches. I realize it's coming from my throat.

[broken_brushes]

"Oh no. No, no, no, no," I said in a rush as I tried to recall whether I'd ever known anyone with asthma. The heat stroke I knew first aid for, but the breathing problems were completely beyond me.

"Okay, we're going," I quickly decided, and reached to heft the kid up over one of my shoulders. My doctors would probably chew me out if they knew I had half-carried a kid with my broken arm, but what choice did I have? I wasn't going to leave him there, no way.

"If you can help me, I need you to help me," I insisted as I pulled him toward the boardwalk. "Be strong, you can do it. We'll do this together, it's going to be okay."

[onlyforthedream]

It's hard to focus on anything after a while in one of these attacks. My head gets fuzzy, putting things together gets difficult. She asks for my help, or not exactly. She's asking me to help myself, I guess. I want to tell her that I'm trying, honest, and that I appreciate her trying to do anything about it, but I can't.

One of her arms looks funny, until I realize it's in a cast. She's hurt, and she's still trying to help me. It's not the first time I've noticed everyone here seems to be really nice.

If I wasn't still panicking, I'd be kind of sleepy, I think.

I try to help. I try to walk the way she's pulling, try to keep my eyes open and focus on the idea of air moving in and out of me instead of the clamped feeling. She asked me to, so I'll try.

[broken_brushes]

"We're just going to walk and breathe," I said, undaunted as I paused to hitch the kid further up over my shoulder. The way I was going, I'd be completely carrying him soon, but adrenaline rush aside, I didn't know how long I could manage that. Both clinics seemed so far away.

"We're going to breathe together, okay?" I continued, and tried to pick up the pace. "Deep breath in, slow exhale. Take a breath, let it out. In… out…"

[onlyforthedream]

I try to do as she says, try to breath in slow, but it just makes things clench up tighter, makes the wheezing sound peter off to nothing, and then I'm stumbling and I can't really hold myself up anymore. I try, even though everything feels a little upside down. I try to get up again, but then I'm on my knees in the dirt so I... guess I didn't.

[broken_brushes]

You know those stories about the amazing feats of strength people are able to accomplish because of adrenaline? Mothers able to lift whole cars to free their trapped kids and stuff?

This was nothing like that.

Oh, I picked the kid up, but I nearly fell myself. It was by sheer determination that I managed it at all, even though he was little. I'm not a total weakling or anything, but I am not a big person, not given to working out and bodies are heavier than you think they'll be. Thank god for all those mornings working a rolling pin, I guess.

Fortunately, I didn't have to carry the kid far before I spotted a familiar figure ahead of us. "ROLLIE!" I yelled, and was distantly glad the bruises on my ribs were mostly healed so that it didn't kill me to do it.

[dumbassbastards]

Rollie's trained to respond very quickly to the sound of his name, and even more quickly when it's said in that tone of voice. When he turns and sees Shari carrying a little kid, he moves even faster.

"What happened?" he's saying before he even gets there, before he can even see--or guess--who it is. "Did he fall?"

[onlyforthedream]

There's some yelling going on. I think I've put a few people out and I feel sorry for it, but my vision's going a little dark. I can't get past the wheezing. If I could just cough, if anything would just... move, just any air, but...

I'm getting sleepy, kind of, which is bad, real bad, I know that well enough. I can't give in to this. I haven't since before mom died, haven't needed a doctor, but this one surprised me. And it's just so hot out.

[broken_brushes]

"Heat stroke and asthma, I think," I panted as I passed the kid over to Rollie as gently as I could. "He was wearing a sweatshirt when I found him, and he hasn't been able to talk the whole time. I thought he could walk, but he didn't get very far before his legs just gave out." I swallowed hard and realized my mouth had gone completely dry.

"He's either brand new or he's usually an adult," I hastily added. I tried to casually keep up with the island's population in general, but I made a point to know every, single resident we had under sixteen.

[dumbassbastards]

If the kid can't talk and he's looking a little grey, then they're not stopping, they're heading straight up to the compound with its air conditioning and its medical facilities that are better equipped for this sort of thing.

"Hi there," he says as he takes him from Shari's arms and starts moving again immediately, trusting that Shari will keep pace. "I just need you to relax for me, all right? I know it's tough to breathe right now, but I'm a doctor and I'm going to take care of you. Just relax and try to take some slow breaths through your nose if you can."

[onlyforthedream]

I watch the man who's talking to me, and listen to the words, and then I carefully bite my lips together so I don't try to breathe through my mouth and do as he says. I just have to breathe real slow through my nose. Breathing in doesn't work. I try to breathe out. It sort of feels like something's happening, so I try again. Then I try to breathe in through my nose. It's barely anything. I'm not even sure I'm not imagining it. But there might be some air going in, so then I go back to trying to breathe out and then in again. There's a real thin sound, still just a wheeze, but it doesn't hurt my chest so much to do, so I keep doing that.

[broken_brushes]

"That's good," I said, and reached to give the kid's hand an encouraging squeeze. He sounded absolutely awful, but some breathing was better than none. "You're going to be okay. We'll be to the clinic soon."

I looked to Rollie. "Should I run ahead?"

[dumbassbastards]

There's nothing she can do here, so Rollie nods his head. "Just be careful on the way," he says. "I can only handle one patient at a time."

It's not far now, but he still hopes he can alleviate the symptoms a little more before they get there, now that the kid doesn't have to exert himself.

"Everything's going to be all right," he says, because calming him down means his body relaxes, and if his body relaxes it helps relax his airways. "Just keep it up. You're doing great."