Out of the Blue, Into the Black
Nov(emeto)ber 2022, Day 1: Terrified caretaker
OCs: Aidan, Hailey
We're starting off Nov(emeto)ber with a story that turned out way more dramatic than I had expected. The core scenario had been creeping around in my mind for ages and then it ventured into uncharted territory. Don't worry, there's still a lot of fluff to make up for it.
TW: Vomit, medical issues
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Hailey was jumping for joy when she read Aidan‘s message. He was inviting her to a night out in town – in an exclusive new club that was insanely popular ever since its recent opening. Camila and Lenna didn’t have time to join them, which had been a bit of a bummer at first. But then again, it was a thrilling perspective to be the one and only eye witness with the privilege to share the first-hand experience with her friends in great detail.
After spending at least two hours in front of her closet, Hailey decided on a pink sequin shard mini dress. It took her another hour to get the perfect waves in her light blond hair and accentuate her big blue eyes with a glittery pink and silver make up. Feeling cute from head to toe, Hailey headed out into the lively warm evening.
Aidan picked her up with his red Tesla roadster. He had left the top three buttons of his light blue shirt open to reveal quite a bit of his tanned chest. Hailey gave Aidan a firm hug, then struggled to sit still on the passenger seat. Just a few weeks ago, she could only have dreamed about a party at such a bougie location, topped off with a hot guy as her company. Now that her dreams had come true, Hailey was determined and ready to enjoy every second of the night to come.
The Corium was everything she had imagined and more. When Hailey approached the grim looking bouncer, she was overcome by an irrational wave of anxiety. There was no way someone like her would be welcomed at a playground for rich kids. But holding on to Aidan’s arm, she wasn’t only let in, but sent straight to the VIP section. The design was modern and industrial, resembling a futuristic reactor. The black, white and silver interior was lit up with an eerie blue glow.
They started off their party night with tequila espresso martini and a large plate of sushi. Even though Hailey had thrown up an even bigger portion of it during their disastrous yacht trip, it was still her favorite food. The Corium had a kitchen area behind a glass wall where the guests could watch the chefs prepare the made to order delicacies. The ingredients screamed high quality and since the club wasn’t located on a boat, there seemed to be no risk of getting sick this time.
„Thank you so much, this is in-cre-di-ble!“, Hailey beamed with joy. She couldn’t remember having ever felt so special before in her life.
„You look incredible“, Aidan smiled back, then used his chopsticks to pick up a California roll. „Everyone‘s staring at you and I can’t blame them.“
„You really think so?“ Hailey’s eyes became even wider. „Everyone’s so pretty here and I was scared I wouldn’t fit it.“
„No, baby, you’re gorgeous. And even cuter when you blush like that.“
„That’s because you compliment me all the time.“ Hailey shoved an entire tako nigiri into her mouth, only to instantly regret it when she realized there was no way to chew it gracefully.
„Honestly, places like this are just… normal to me.“ Aidan shrugged his shoulders and stroked back his dark hair. „I’ve been to hundreds of clubs, it’s nothing special anymore. But when you’re excited, so am I.“
„I am!“ Hailey reached out for Aidan’s hand. „Sometimes I feel bad because you keep on inviting me and everything looks so expensive, but I really, really love it. All of it. It’s always so much fun with you. Not just because of the expensive-ness.“
„Hey, it’s fine. I don’t think you’re taking advantage of me. I enjoy this just as much as you do. Especially when you’re that adorable.“ With his hand that wasn’t holding on to Hailey’s, Aidan picked up another maki roll and put it right in front of the blonde’s lips. She gladly took in the whole thing, this time without being ashamed of it. If Aidan liked her the way she was, there was no need to be nervous.
-
After making a little game out of feeding each other surprise sushi rolls, they ordered another round of cocktails and kept on chatting for a while. Hailey’s glass was only half finished when she suddenly squealed and started to fidget on the comfortable leather seat.
„I love this song so much! Can we dance, like, right now?“
„Sure. Don’t worry, no one’s going to spike our drinks or steal our stuff, the personnel will have a close eye on it.“
Barely listening to his reassurance, Hailey jumped up on her pink glitter heels and pulled Aidan towards the dancefloor. By now she had forgotten about how intimidating the club had been at first glance. She dove headfirst into the mesmerizing blend of sound and light and Aidan’s body right next to her. The dazzling sequin shards on her dress swung with every move, joining in on her dance. When Hailey‘s favorite song seamlessly merged into the next, she didn’t even think about returning to their booth. The rhythm pulsing out of the speakers fired her up like electricity.
Everything was great until it wasn’t.
Hailey was so immersed in the music that she didn’t notice when Aidan stopped dancing. She bumped against him and turned around with a smile, only to find him frozen in place with the weirdest expression on his face. His gaze seemed lost while he moved his lips and jaw like he was trying to dislodge food stuck between his teeth with his tongue.
„Are you okay?“ Hailey had to ask twice, almost shouting the second time. The song that made her float only seconds ago was now drowning out her voice.
„…itchy“, was all she understood.
„What do you mean?“
For a moment, Aidan just stared into the void, wide-eyed and pale. Then, without further warning, a surge of vomit erupted from his mouth. It was expelled in a perfect arc like water from a fountain and splashed all over the silk satin dress of a young woman dancing next to him. The platinum blonde screeched and jumped back as the wave of puke forcefully hit her chest, splattering back from the shiny fabric.
When the massive wave finally ebbed away, Aidan was left with his mouth still open, baffled and in obvious disbelief that this huge mess had just come out of him. He didn’t even say anything – barely had time for it before the victim of his sudden projectile vomit gave him a resounding slap in the face.
„You ruined my dress!“
„Leave him alone!“ Hailey bravely stepped in front of Aidan, even though her body and voice were both trembling. „He – he’s sick, he didn’t mean to… and I’m sure he will pay for dry cleaning.“
„Good luck“, the woman hissed, piercing Hailey with a murderous glare. „This is Prada. Your disgusting scum of a boyfriend barfed all over my Prada dress!“
„I-it’s fine, I promise“, Hailey stuttered, but didn’t back away. „He has enough money. He… he just sold his yacht. Please, stop screaming, I – I have to take care of him.“
Feeling increasingly worried and overwhelmed, Hailey turned around to check on Aidan. She still couldn’t fathom what was going on. Aidan barely had two cocktails in his system, there was no way he was drunk enough to throw up. They had both shared the same plate, so the sushi couldn’t be the culprit either. Plus he had been feeling perfectly fine only seconds before spilling his stomach contents on the angry lady that kept on huffing behind her back.
Aidan had one hand placed on his stomach, the other one on his chest. He still seemed confused, thoroughly shaken by what was going on inside of him. Hailey gently placed her hand on his arm.
„How are you? Can… can you hear me? Please, say something.“
After blinking several times, Aidan finally turned towards Hailey. There was an expression of fear in his eyes that Hailey had never seen there before.
„Some… something’s… wrong“, he stammered.
„We… we should probably sit down and you should drink some water, okay?“ Hailey nervously took a hold of his arm, trying to pull him back to their booth. A waiter approached them, but he was immediately grabbed by Mrs. Spoilt Prada Dress.
„I… I think I need to be sick again“, Aidan moaned. Hailey felt a wave of panic washing over her.
„No, please, not here.“ She frantically looked around until she saw a neon sign pointing towards the restrooms. „Come one, you can throw up in the toilet, not on the dancefloor. Or… on people.“
Hailey‘s pleading request broke Aidan’s paralysis and he stumbled along with her. The hand that had been resting right unter his throat quickly moved up to his lips. It was enough of a warning signal for the horrified spectators and sensationalist gawkers to clear the way. Hailey noticed that the arm she held on to felt strange. The skin was warm and bumpy, but there was no time to take a closer look. She desperately wanted to get Aidan out of the VIP room before he could spew on another person’s unaffordable dress.
Out of habit, Hailey headed towards the ladies‘ room and pushed the door wide open. At this point, Aiden’s body was hitching with frequent heaves. His fingers clasped his lips so desperately that his arm was quivering. Two women in very short and very sparkly dresses spun around as Hailey shoved Aidan towards the stalls.
„Ew, get a room!“, a curly haired brunette protested. Then she recognized the impending disaster and her face fell. „Oh no. No, no, no. I’m out of here.“
At that moment Hailey was tearing up. She just couldn’t help it. Why was everybody so mean? It was bad enough that Aidan had become violently ill, desperately needing help and comfort. Instead, they were treated like repulsive vermin. The other guests probably assumed that Aidan was drunk or high and therefore to blame for his own misery. Or they just didn’t want to be bothered.
„We‘re almost there, hold it in“, Hailey begged as Aidan let out a wet gag. The very next second, he broke free from her grip and plunged towards the toilet stall. Aidan fell on his knees, not caring at all if he would get his white pants dirty on the public restroom floor. Which said a lot about how bad he was feeling. His body jerked with a violent retch, followed by the pattering noise of liquid hitting liquid.
Hailey waited for a sense of relief that Aidan had actually made it to the toilet, but all she felt was gut wrenching dread as the bright overhead lights granted her a better view of Aidan’s arms. His skin was covered in patches of red, slightly raised hives. Feeling like her legs would give in any second, Hailey knelt down beside him and gingerly rubbed his back.
Aidan’s mouth was hanging open, ready to let out more of his regurgitated stomach contents. He was sent into a coughing bout instead. His body was shaken by series of hacks and heaves, not granting him time to catch his breath. Scared that some of his barely digested lunch had been stuck in Aiden‘s throat, Hailey struck him between the shoulder blades several times with her flat hand. Aidan coughed even harsher, then finally something dislodged in his gullet and he spluttered chunks of rice, nori and uncooked fish.
„Yes, get it out, please get it all out“, Hailey encouraged him with a quavering, high-pitched voice. And he did. Once the passage had been unclogged, another gush of brownish fluid followed right away, sprinkling the porcellain bowl with ground up sushi. When the wave was over, Aidan was still wheezing, desperately gasping for air. His face was puffier than usual and while one of his hands held on to the toilet seat, the other one clutched his throat. He still couldn’t breathe properly and his expression left no doubt that he was terrified.
Hailey burst into tears. She knew it only made things worse and she cursed herself for it, but she couldn’t hold it back anymore. At this point, she felt sick to her stomach as well. Overcome with helplessness, she hugged Aidan’s shivering body and pressed her face against his back.
„You have to breathe, please, just breathe“, she sobbed. If only Camila was here, she would know what to do. But Camila was working a night shift, and even if she didn’t, Hailey had left her phone in her bag. If she wanted to fetch it, she had to leave Aidan. What if he would suffocate all alone or lose consciousness and choke on his own vomit or…
A sudden knock disrupted her spiraling thoughts.
„Are you guys okay in there?“ The voice behind the door didn’t sound menacing or judging at all. It was warm and genuinely concerned. „Do you need help?“
„M-maybe.“ Hailey wiped away her tears and a bit of snot. „He… he’s so sick. He can’t stop throwing up and… and… he can barely breathe. I don’t know what to do.“
„Can I come in?“
„Yes, please. The… the door isn’t locked.“ Hailey tried to put on a brave face. She gently patted Aidan’s back as his strained panting turned into retches again. Gladly, the stall was big enough for the stranger to open the door wide enough to fit through the gap. It was one of the women they had startled with their hasty entrance – the one that hadn’t snapped at them. Her silver dress rustled as she slid in.
„What’s wrong with him?“, she asked. Aidan answered with a throaty gag, his head sinking deeper into the bowl. „Oh my. That is bad.“ Without hesitation, the woman removed her hair tie. She swiftly smoothed back Aidan’s hair and secured it into a messy bun. „Priorities, I know.“ She gave Hailey an apologetic smile, then instantly became serious again. „Looks like a severe allergic reaction to me. We should definitely call an ambulance.“
„Did – did I wait too long?“ Hailey’s lip began to tremble again. „I didn’t even think of… I’m so dumb.“
„No, it’s okay, sweetie. You did nothing wrong.“ The stranger gently brushed her cheek. „I’m Daphne. Can you tell me what he ate? That might be important.“
„Sushi. He… he ordered it because of me.“ A new flood of tears blurred Hailey’s vision. She felt guilty, even more so as Aidan winced in pain while he coughed up another thick stream of curdled rice soup. Daphne promptly shoved her hand under his forehead to prevent him from falling into the chunky mess that filled the bowl. „But… I don’t understand… he has eaten sushi before and he never got sick.“
„I think you can develop a food allergy as an adult. Can you hold up his head?“
Hailey nodded and carefully secured Aidan’s face over the toilet while he vomited again.
„You’ll be fine, I’m here, just let it out, it’s gonna be alright“, she soothed both him and herself. Meanwhile, Daphne had dug her phone out of her bag and called 911. She explained the situation brief, yet concisely.
„They’re on their way“, Daphne assured after hanging up. She began to stroke both Aidan’s back and Hailey’s arm. „It won’t take long, they say it’s probably anaphylaxis.“
Hailey had no idea what that meant and she didn’t dare to ask. She huddled up against Aidan as closely as possible while still supporting his exhausted body. As long as she felt his tensing, quivering muscles, his strained gasps, even his painful retches, she knew that he was alive. And he would be okay. He had to be okay.
It barely took the ambulance five minutes to arrive – thanks to the downtown location, probably –, but it still felt like an eternity to Hailey. Then the flow of time shifted dramatically and everything happened all at once. As soon as they heard the paramedics rush in, Daphne helped Hailey to straighten up Aidan and drag him to the side so they could fully open the toilet stall door. Three EMTs moved Aidan out of the confined area, checked his pulse and airways, then got out something that looked like a tube of glue at first glance. They firmly jabbed it against Aidan’s outer thigh.
„…breathing, but unresponsive“, was the only thing Hailey heard over the static that filled her head. Two men lifted Aidan on a stretcher and secured him in the recovery position.
„Can… can I stay with him?“ In a frenzy, Hailey got back on her heels, almost losing one of them in the process. The thought of leaving Aidan alone, not knowing if he would be alright, sent an immediate rush of panic through her nervous system.
„You can ride on the passenger seat, might be helpful for further questions. But you have to remain calm. Don’t worry, we will take good care of him now.“
„Let’s get your bags while they carry him to the ambulance“, Daphne reminded Hailey. She nodded, then hurried back to the main area on wobbly legs. The fear of running into the angry dancefloor lady crossed her mind, but gratefully, they made it out of the club unscathed. Before Hailey entered the front cabin, she gave Daphne a firm hug.
„Thank you so much. I… I couldn’t have done this without you.“
„You did great. Take care, I hope he will get well soon.“ After one more encouraging pat on Hailey’s shoulder, Daphne stepped back to let the blonde climb into the ambulance. Hailey was still shaking, her perception blurred behind a hazy curtain. The sequins on her dress rattled softly as the car headed off into the night.
-
Hailey did her best to navigate through her foggy mind as she answered the hospital staff’s questions and recounted the events as detailed as possible. When she was finally allowed into Aidan’s room, he still looked absolutely drained, but at least he was awake and alert again. A clear liquid dripped through an IV tube straight into the back of his hand. His lips curled into a tired smile as his gaze fell on Hailey.
„I thought our party night could use a little more excitement“, he rasped, „and I really wanted to keep our puking tradition alive.“
„How… are you feeling?“, Hailey asked cautiously.
„Better. Much better, actually.“ Aidan‘s fingers rubbed the rash covering his arm. „I know, I probably don’t look that way and it’s hard not to scratch. Other than that, I am fine, I just need to carry an epipen with me from now on.“
For a moment, Hailey stood motionless at his bedside. She swallowed heavily, trying to hold herself together, but she ultimately failed to stop her eyes from overflowing with tears. Sinking down on the mattress, she threw her arms around Aidan’s neck and pressed her face against his shoulder.
„Sorry, I’m so sorry“, she sobbed. Aidan pulled her into a tight embrace, stroking her hair.
„Wait, what are you apologizing for? You did everything to help me. You took care of me the entire time, heck, you even defended me against that raging woman.“
„But… but… you ordered that sushi because I like it, and then… I should have called a doctor earlier, I.. I just… couldn’t think.“
„There was no way you could have known this.“ Aidan placed a gentle kiss on the back of Hailey’s head. „I didn’t know. Doctor said it happens sometimes, your body is perfectly fine with some foods and then, boom, allergy overkill. Could have been the fish, the soy sauce, even the sesame, they don’t know yet. But they treated me in time and I’m so grateful that you stayed with me, I really, really am.“
„O-okay.“ Hailey hadn’t expected she would ever be so relieved to simply feel Aidan‘s chest rising and falling with a steady breath. „I just hope no one in the club gave the girl you threw up on your name and adress. She said her dress was crazy expensive.“
„Don’t worry, it won’t be anything I can’t afford“, Aidan calmed her down. Then, all of a sudden, he broke into a chuckle. „And, let’s be real – that dress was hideous anyways.“
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Archive of our own: Up all night to get Bucky
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