Warnette Short Stories

Stressed Out

Hey y'all! I'm sorry it's been so long since I uploaded a story. I have been in Europe for the past week, so I've been really busy. I tried to write this story in the little time I had, so it's a bit rushed, but I still hope you like it!💕

I walk into the bedroom to see Aaron sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at nothing. His hand is resting on his chest, and he looks paler than normal.

"Hey," I say meekly as I walk through the doorway. He doesn't notice me.
"Are you okay?"
He opens his mouth as if to respond but no words come out. He just continues to stare at nothing in particular, almost as if he stays perfectly still, whatever is paining him will disappear. I sit next to him on the bed, the slight sinking of the mattress finally alerting him of my presence.

"Hello love," he whispers, his eyes glancing in my direction for less than a second.
"What's wrong?" I ask, resting my hand on his arm gently, "Aaron. You're scaring me."
"You have no reason for concern. It will pass shortly."
"What will pass? Aaron, what's happening?" I ask again, more frantically this time.

I have never seen him look so disorderly. He is anxiously tapping his foot as he runs his hand through his already disheveled hair. The top of his shirt is unbuttoned and his hands are shaking uncontrollably. I've only seen him like this once before. The day his mom died.

He's having a panic attack.
It takes me a moment to realize, but the symptoms are all there.
I should know.
I used to have a panic disorder.
Or, at least, I think I did. Back in the asylum, I would wake up every morning terrified. Shivering, crying. Possibly even screaming, but so was everyone else, so it kind of just blended in.
I felt like I was dying.
Every morning I thought This is it. This is the end. But it never was, and that was the worst part.

"Aaron. Aaron, look at me please." I say, grabbing both of his hands. I kneel down on the floor to level with him so he has no choice but to look into my eyes.
"Aaron please look at me." Nothing.
"Love?" I say.
That caught his attention.
He is now looking at me so intensely, so broken that it crushes my heart into a million glass shards that stab me all over. Be strong, I think. Just be strong.

"I know it's hard," I say, forcing the tears back down my throat, "but you need to breathe."
"I... can't..."
"Yes you can. Just follow my lead, okay? In. Out. Just like that."
I lead him through multiple breathing exercises, watching as the panic very slowly dissolves from his body until he is more tired than stressed. Aaron lays down on the bed, completely defeated by the monsters of his own mind.
It pains me in a way so vile that I have to fight not to spiral myself.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" I ask, desperate to help more.
He shakes his head, but then he stalls for a moment. I hear him curse under his breath before he says, "Yes, actually. Can you, umm, can you get... Kenji?"

I stare at him in utter disbelief. Aaron and Kenji have always either hated each other or barely tolerated each other.
Never in a million years would I think Aaron would ask for his help.
"Of course," I tell him quietly.

***

"Kenji!" I yell from all the way down the hall.
He is headed towards the medical wing with James, probably for his lesson with the twins, when he turns around to look at me and tenses up. His eyebrows are pulled together in worry as he says, "Hey buddy, why don't you go on without me, okay? I gotta go help Juliette with some top secret
business."
"Fine," James says exasperatedly. "But you promised me you'd teach me some karate later. Don't forget," he yells back as he turns a bend in the hallway.

As soon as James is out of sight, Kenji comes running towards me.
"Hey, what's wrong? Why are you crying? Is it Warner?"
I nod my head somberly, wiping me tears, happy that I can finally let out all the emotions I've been holding back.
"Do I need to go beat up that son of a bitch for you?"
"Yes. Wait, no! I mean, yes it's Aaron. No, please don't beat him up."
He looks at me skeptically.
"He wanted to see you. He's, well, he..." my voice catches as I try to remain steady.
"He had a panic attack."
"Ah shit. Again?" Kenji asks.
"Yes...wait. What do you mean again?"
Kenji looks at me in surprise as he runs his fingers through his hair.
"Uh princess; you are gonna want to sit down for this one."

***

"So when did the first one happen?" I ask Kenji as we sit outside Aaron's room.
"After you and him kinda, you know... boom," he says, mimicking an explosion, "A few years back. He's only had a few since then but they are intense."
I just nod my head, listening to the horrible, scary words coming out of Kenji's mouth.
"Yeah but, anyway, I've helped him through the last couple of ones. I think he just didn't want you to know about the attacks."
"But why, Kenji? I'm his wife. He shouldn't be afraid to tell me these things.
"J," he says, taking my hands in his. "Throughout your life you have been to hell and back, especially these past couple of years. Warner is prideful and he probably didn't feel right complaining to you and acting weak when you have been tortured, lied to, kidnapped, etcétéra, etcétéra."
I roll my eyes at him and retort with, "Yeah, well, so has he. Plus, it's okay to talk about your emotions. That doesn't make you weak."
Kenji just shrugs as he pushes himself off the floor and says, "It's a guy thing."
I sigh as I take the hand he has extended for me. He pulls me up off the floor with a strong yank and helps me regain my footing.
I wipe my eyes one last time as Kenji rests his hand on the door knob.
"Let's go check on the world's cutest sociopath, shall we?"

Part 2 anyone?