It's a Withered Life in a Boisterous Summer

Trahnael · Jul 1, 2015

Adelene's face was smeared with dried tears.

This was her first time in a hospital since she got here, and the situation was already almost too much to handle. There were nurses in the room, checking on Lochlann's-- she had no idea what they were doing. Two nurses were beside his bed, while Adelene remained seated on a chair near the window.

She had insisted that she'd stay no matter what. Thankfully, she didn't have to bring her guns out just to make them say yes.

From that distance, she watched them. She felt exhausted but she pushed that away just so she can keep her focus and run to him if and once needed. From that distance, she eyed the contraptions beside the bed, the IV, and Lochlann himself. She watched, and got up, seeing signs that Lochlann was waking up.
@"ReD"

ReD · Jul 1, 2015

Sensations crept through Lochlanns consciousness like leaves blowing across the top of a frozen lake mid-winter.

He knew that things were going on around him, but it seemed so separate, and breaking through the ice to come to the surface would be too hard. He wanted to stay in that horrible, clawing darkness forever.

Unfortunately--or fortunately, depending--that ice broke as though struck by blowtorch.

The first thing he felt was the pain. Lochlann felt like somehthing had crawled inside of his veins and eaten him from the inside out. The second thing he registered was that he needed a drink in the next thirty seconds or he was going to die.

The third thing that he registered, upon opening his eyes, was that he was not in his own room. Or his own bed. He had a needle in his arm and clumsily, he reached for it, ready to rip it out and make a bolt for it, but his motions were so lethargic and unsteady. How the fuck did he end up here how did--

—"Addy?" Lochlann said. His voice sounded hoarse and even the act of saying her name seemed to exhaust him, because he collapsed back into the bed.

Trahnael · Jul 1, 2015

"Loch!"

She was beside him almost instantly, unintentionally pushing one nurse out of her way, even. She grabbed his free hand, because she saw how he almost yanked the IV out and she wasn't going to let that happen. At the same time, she wanted him to know that she was there with him, and that he shouldn't panic.

Her own hands were cold. They've been shaking the whole time, mirroring how scared she was. But despite that, she was putting a brave mask on. She had to keep it together because she was the reason he's here and she didn't want him to lash out.

"Lochlann... How are you feeling..?"

Pretty surely, Lochlann wasn't fine yet. He seemed drained.
@"ReD"

ReD · Jul 1, 2015

"Loch!"

He blinked up at her slowly, because it was taking him a long time to focus yet. One of the nurses would probably have let Addy know what had happened--the combination of sedatives, pills, and booze had reacted badly and slowed down his breathing and heart. They were going to come pump his stomach soon as a last measure.

Essentially, she'd been right. Loch had overdosed.

She was holding his hand and Lochlann seemed to relax a little with her contact, but he was still tense.

"Addy, are you okay?" Lochlann asked. He was still slurring a little bit, and he reached out with his other hand to cup her face. His movements were slow and unsteady.

She looked like she'd been crying. Something must have happened. Had he tried to eat her? He'd seen what she could do with guns. That was probably why he hurt so bad, but that would be okay if she was alive.

"Lochlann... How are you feeling..?"

"Bad," Lochlann admitted. "But I'm ready to go home now, I think, I'm...Addy I'm not sure how we got here. Did...Did I try to do something to you?"

He struggled to sit up, but when it stole the breath from him again he leaned back down. If Addy was here, it must be time to go, right?

Trahnael · Jul 1, 2015

Adelene unconsciously leaned against Lochlann's hand on her cheek, finding it to be such a comforting and reassuring touch, because she was now certain Lochlann was alive.

But he was so weak, hurting... Watching him made her heart constrict painfully merely due to agony and fear. She shook her head. She wasn't okay. And Lochlann didn't try anything to her either.

"How could you do anything to me on our way here... You were like a dead person... It was scary..." She'd been crying because she thought he was going to die, because she couldn't hear his heartbeat no matter how hard she tried keeping her ear on his chest. "They carried you to the ambulance, I just tagged along. I made sure Lamby has food and water before leaving, so I don't have to go back. I just wanted to stay with you..."

He tried to sit again, but Addy, as carefully as she can, tried her best to keep him down. He wasn't going anywhere, she was going to make sure of that.

"They still have to treat you, Loch. I'm just here 'cause I insisted. But we can't go back yet, not until you're okay."
@"ReD"

ReD · Jul 1, 2015

She leaned into his hand and he swallowed, but the action seemed to take hours. He felt better touching her; she was like a drug he needed to function.

He had a sinking feeling in his stomach that he was pretty sure wasn't nausea. Addy looked like they'd been in a train wreck, and Lochlann was breaking out in a cold sweat realizing he couldn't remember.

"How could you do anything to me on our way here... You were like a dead person... It was scary..." They carried you to the ambulance, I just tagged along. I made sure Lamby has food and water before leaving, so I don't have to go back. I just wanted to stay with you..."

Ambulance? He was carried?

He started to get back up again but Addy was keeping him down, and it was probably a good thing. His heart was beating irregularly under her touch and his breathing was still horribly uneven, but he was starting to process what she was saying.

"Addy," Lochlann's voice was very, very quiet. He squeezed her hand, but his grip was weak. "I don't...I don't remember --the last thing I remember was seeing that it was going to rain this morning and taking a few painkillers for my leg to sleep through it."

He didn't remember her coming over. He didn't remember anything. All he could think of was that it'd been raining, he'd done something to hurt her, and he wasn't sure what.

"Addy are you sure I didn't try to do anything? It's okay, you can tell me, I'm so sorry for whatever I tried to do, I promise I didn't mean to hurt you, I never wanted to lose control I--" he couldn't breath again and he dropped his hand, his eyes drooping, but he fought to stay conscious.

"They still have to treat you, Loch. I'm just here 'cause I insisted. But we can't go back yet, not until you're okay."

He didn't understand. He was okay. He wasn't even sure why he was here. But if he was understanding her right, she was saying that he had to stay here.

"Addy, I can't stay here."

Trahnael · Jul 2, 2015

Lochlann had tried to kiss her. That's all Adelene could think of when he was apologizing for something he couldn't seem to remember, and really, there was no reason to apologize for that; he didn't hurt her, nor was she unhappy for it.

He had to apologize for scaring her though. But even that can wait until later, because at the moment, nothing could be more important than for Lochlann to get better as soon as possible.

"You have to stay, Loch! I'll stay here with you if that's what it takes!"

Adelene bit her lip. She turned to the nurses and asked them to leave for a moment, because she knew they might somehow scare him if they stay while she tries to convince him.

Once they were finally alone, she sat on the edge of the bed, holding Lochlann's hand close. For a moment, only the heart monitor could be heard, as it produced arrhythmic beats that reflected how Lochlann's heart was doing.

"Hear that?" She didn't move as she asked. Her worried eyes were fixed on his. "They told me... there was a bad reaction with the alcohol and the pills and the sedative... And that last one... you really overdosed yourself. It was bad for your heart and breathing."

She couldn't even sigh at this terrible news. She couldn't really breathe well, her heart was too heavy.

"I wish I didn't challenge you to the drinking contest. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if we didn't drink so much last night."
@"ReD"

ReD · Jul 2, 2015

"You have to stay, Loch! I'll stay here with you if that's what it takes!"

Lochlann's guard was not up at all.

The relief that flashed across her face when she said that was blatant, but so was the guilt and confusion that followed a moment later. He very clearly did not want to be left alone here, but at the same time he was conflicted about having her stay.

When the nurses left, Lochlann's shoulders became a little less hunched, but it didn't seem that he'd relax at all until they could get out of here.

"I really need a drink," he mumbled, and then he reached over and started to pick at the IV in his arm. Whatever was in that IV was burning and he wanted it gone now. His chest still hurt and he made a soft whimper when Addy sat down, but he stifled it and tried to roll onto his side to get closer to her.

"Hear that?" "They told me... there was a bad reaction with the alcohol and the pills and the sedative... And that last one... you really overdosed yourself. It was bad for your heart and breathing."

Something inside him was unraveling. Her eyes looked so tired, and the guilt that surfaced made him try and squeeze her hand to comfort her again. Maybe he was trying to squeeze her hand to comfort himself.

"That's impossible," Lochlann finally said. "I've taken way more than this before. I do stuff like this all the time."

He wasn't thinking straight yet, or he'd never be telling Addy everything he did now. Lochlann was convinced he didn't have a problem with his self-medication through drinking and sleeping pills. After all, those actions were part of the solution.

"I wish I didn't challenge you to the drinking contest. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if we didn't drink so much last night."

"Oh, Addy, no," Lochlann said, trying to untangle his arms to sit up and give her a hug. He didn't work so well. He felt like he was going to collapse any minute, and he was already laying down. "Addy I drink way more than that before I go to school in the mornings, sometime. It's not your fault. Whatever happened was clearly just a big accident."

He was starting to feel really low again, like he might crash in a few minutes. He didn't like that. He didn't want to crash in a hospital where those nurses and doctors would shove god knows what into his body.

"Let's just go home and get some sleep and I'll make you breakfast," Lochlann said. He was trying to sound calm, but there was undisguised panic in his eyes, and the heart monitor was doing something weird while his heart tried to speed up but the drugs kept it slow. "You can sign me out and we can just go home. Everything is okay, Addy."

Trahnael · Jul 2, 2015

"What?"

Adelene's eyes shot up at him when he said that this was a thing he did frequently. She didn't want to believe it, but at the same time, Lochlann looked like he wasn't fit enough to lie.

It was such a horrible thought.

"Why?"

Why do you have to take these things anyway?

Why do you ruin yourself like this?

Adelene shook her head. Her mind was drawing a blank after hearing those, but she knew they had to stay. No matter what, they have to stay. Lochlann had to get better.

"We'll get some sleep after this. First, you have... you have to trust me, you have to let them treat you..." She was starting to feel more sobs rising up her chest, but she held them in, she held her tears in. It was almost midnight. "I'll make you breakfast after this. We can do anything after you're cured, 'cause they'll make you strong again and we'll get to walk around Manta Carlos or go anywhere or do what we want! I'll give you anything you want... Just please, do this for me, I can't bear seeing you like this, Lochlann... I'm scared you'll die if you're so stubborn..."

She was practically hugging his hand near her chest. She wanted to hug him fully but she was afraid it would hurt on his part; she wanted to, because... she wanted to comfort him and keep him down, and at the same time, she wanted to assure herself that he was going to be fine.
@"ReD"

ReD · Jul 2, 2015

"What?" "Why?"

Her eyes shot up and Lochlann flinched because she looked even more upset, and he was just not good at doing the right thing. He really wanted to sit up and pull her into a hug, but he could barely stay awake let alone function.

He shrugged.

"Lower amounts just stopped working. I can't get to sleep without it."

He was starting to break out into a cold sweat again. He was roasting and freezing all at once. Christ, he wished this would stop. He wanted, no needed, to get out of here. Everytime he was at the hospital, something bad happened. He was up, he was okay, whatever had happened was clearly over so--

Lochlann's face turned a pale.

"Addy," Lochlann said. "How did...how did you know about the sedatives? and the pills?"

Of course, he didn't remember anything from the last few hours, so he didn't remember that she'd been there when he'd started. He'd been under the impression that the hospital had called her, but who the hell had found him? Unless...?

Was she the one who found him? Oh, crap.

"We'll get some sleep after this. First, you have... you have to trust me, you have to let them treat you..." "I'll make you breakfast after this. We can do anything after you're cured, 'cause they'll make you strong again and we'll get to walk around Manta Carlos or go anywhere or do what we want! I'll give you anything you want... Just please, do this for me, I can't bear seeing you like this, Lochlann... I'm scared you'll die if you're so stubborn..."

"I'm not going to die, Angel," Lochlann said. He tugged her with the hand she was holding, trying to pull her closer so he could do something besides lay here feeling useless.

He really didn't want to stay, though. "It'll be okay. I'm always okay. If we can get out of here, we can do all of that in the morning. Please?"

Something bad always happened here.

His chest hurt.

Something bad walked through the door, a white jacket over his slacks and shirt.

"Adelene Cross?" Aiden Hart said. "I'm Dr. Hart. Could I speak to you for a moment? Your name is on the intake form and I have a few more questions."

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It's a Withered Life in a Boisterous Summer

Trahnael

Well-Known Member

ReD

Sex & Death Everywhere

Trahnael

Well-Known Member

ReD

Sex & Death Everywhere

Trahnael

Well-Known Member

ReD

Sex & Death Everywhere

Trahnael

Well-Known Member

ReD

Sex & Death Everywhere

Trahnael

Well-Known Member

ReD

Sex & Death Everywhere