Watch Me Drown

35. Episode

TW: intense medical episode

(Julien's point of view)

"Abby!" I called.

Finally, I found her. For a while I stayed in the hotel room, but then I just couldn't anymore. I was worried, and I felt bad. She did look relieved when she heard my voice. I sat down beside her.

"I'm sorry, Abby," I said. "I shouldn't have reacted like that."

"It's alright." She told me, resting her head on my shoulder. She sounded exhausted. "You're forgiven."     

That was very fast. Well, Abby never held grudges with me.

I couldn't help thinking of her body, the way my fingers aligned with her ribs. I felt terrible for reacting how I did, but it freaked me out. It had never been like that before.

"Are you okay?" I asked her, to distract myself

I already knew what she would say.

"Just tired." She mumbled.

Yup.

"I think I need to sleep more." Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Let's go back to the room, yeah?" I said.

I felt her nod, so I stood and helped her up. She swayed a little.

"Can you walk?" I questioned.

She nodded again, even though it looked like it took a lot of effort to move. I wrapped my arm tightly around her waist, for extra support. She didn't pull away. We walked like that up to the room. Abby seemed to get weaker as we went. I helped her more and more. I was starting to wonder if she was tired, or feeling sick. Her pale face and shaky hands gave me an answer. When the elevator opened on our floor, Lucy and Phoebe were in the hallway.   

"Hey! We've been looking for you guys." Lucy said when she saw us.

"What's wrong?" Phoebe asked.

"She took a walk," I said, going straight past them. I needed to get Abby back. "And the walk took her."

"Can we just...stop for a minute?" Abby gasped.

"The room is right there, Abby," I encouraged her. "You can do it."

She was already sinking to the floor. I let her go and dropped down beside her. She shook her head vigorously. Her breathing sounded strange.

"What is it?" I gently pushed her chin up with my finger so I could see her face. Her entire body was rocking from her panting. She was blinking rapidly, not focusing on anything. Her eyes were starting to well up.

"I. Can't. Breathe." She choked out.

Suddenly, Lucy was at my side, also trying to figure out what was happening.

"Abby, you gotta slow down the breathing." She told Abby, then turned to me. "She's going to make herself hyperventilate!"

I did the only thing I could think of. "Phoebe, get help!"

Phoebe ran off immediately. My fingers found Abby's pulse. I was acting on pure instinct. What else was there to do? It wasn't hard to find a pulse, given that it was hammering. I could only imagine what it felt like to Abby.

"Abby, please, breathe." I begged her. My voice shook.

She started to fall forwards, but I caught her. Her breathing slowed, turning shallow.

"Abby?!" I said.

"She passed out." Lucy told me. Her tone was serious. "Get her in the room. Lay her on the bed. Do whatever you know to do when someone passes out. I'll be by the door."