#swallow the pills without very bad pain and fear of choking. especially since i was unable to breathe through my nose

[caffeinatedopossum]

Getting sick as an adult and having the terrifying realization that when I would get multiple sinus infections a year from my "allergies" and my mom told me I would die if I didn't take my medicine even though I only felt mildly ill...

yeah turns out what she meant by that was not "sinus infections are very deadly" but was in fact "I will not take you to the hospital if this gets so bad that it starts to kill you and I cannot afford a dead kid on my hands"

[loversamongus]

Friends, Fevers, Family Movies

a/n: first one shot for @fromthewatertribe‘s 1k follower event! This turned out to be A LOT longer than I expected and it was also originally for a whole other prompt??? And then just??? Evolved into this??? I knew I wanted to write something that featured a Sokka friendship (and a Katara one!) but also feature good ol’ Zuko fluff. So here ya go. Word vomit. TO CELEBRATE NINA BEING AWESOME.

Also important: written as a world without covid, but does mention the flu. prompt: go to bed, you idiot.

words: 2k

relationship: Zuko x reader

Sharing an apartment with your best friends has its highs and lows. On the bright side, you truly lucked out between the epic prank wars, overly competitive game nights, and the bureaucratic division of chore responsibilities. However, there’s also the constant paranoia that someone can jump out of your closet in a gorilla costume, the frustrated search for the last blue Sorry piece after a certain sore loser flipped over the coffee table, and Katara’s insistence on hand washing all dishware even though the kitchen has a perfectly good dishwasher. The three of you never experience a dull moment.

And you’re so grateful to be living with them. Sokka and Katara are your best friends but now it’s like having a brother and sister of your own. Due to the smaller size of the apartment, you and Katara share a bedroom but neither of you would have it any other way. Though you both have your own corner of the room, you’ll spend hours laying on the gray shag rug in the middle between your beds just talking.

“Today, at the diner, a man had the AUDACITY to call me ‘pretty girl’ and like, yes I am pretty but I don’t need an old coffee-breathed, wrinkly limp noodle to tell me that so I assumed he was just stating the obvious and that I should also call him by obvious nicknames in order to better communicate with and understand the customer, as my manager puts it.”

“And what did you call him?”

“When I came back with their food, he said, ‘Can the pretty girl also get us some mayonnaise packets?’ And I said, ‘Not a problem, ‘crusty man.’”

Katara tried her darnedest to flash you a severe look but couldn’t help choking on a fit of giggles.

“Suki approves of it and we spent the rest of our shift calling each other different names when we crossed paths!”

The rest of the night would linger on with more work day stories, giggles, and Sokka occasionally pounding on the door for you both to shut up already because he is trying to sleep goddamnnit and can’t do that while the apartment is filled with your shrill girlish squeals.

Finally, when you both struggle to fight off sleep, you wave the white flag and drag yourself into bed. But just before you drift off, you hear Katara whisper your name from across the room. You’re not even sure if she’s awake, you’re both so tired, but you answer anyways.

“Hmm?”

“What do you think of Aang?”

“He adores you (yawn) it’s so sweet. I like him for you.”

There’s a silence and you think you’re free to finally fall into your dreams until Katara speaks again.

“What do you think of Zuko?”

“Hmm? I dunno, he’s our (yawn) friend and I like when he brings over (yawn) fireball for game night (yawn) why?”

Your exhaustion overpowers you before you could hear Katara respond, “Because he adores you, it’s so sweet. I like him for you.”

Although also your best friend, living with Sokka feels much less sweet and much more chaotic. Somehow you’re at each other’s throats more so than he is with his own blood related sister. It may have started when the Sock Battle started, a game in which Sokka made it his mission to hide his stenchiest pair of socks somewhere in your stuff. By now, you’ve found his socks in your pillowcases, in textbooks, in your gym bag, and in a picture frame next to your bed. You deliberately retaliate in any way you can during game night. While these instances often have you second guessing your friendship with him, you and Sokka could both put the bickering aside with a Disney movie and a bucket of buttered popcorn.

You could have killed him though when he gave you the flu. Katara was spared thanks to her daily regimen of vitamins and obsession with cleanliness, and Sokka had even recovered rather quickly. But you were not as lucky. Even though it was only the beginning of October, you had Katara dig out your flannel holiday pajamas to warm you up from the chills. The darling that she is, Katara made you her famous homemade soup and set it by your bedside table before heading out to see Aang. In the meantime, it was time for payback.

“Sokka, I need you to refill my water bottle.”

“Do it yourself.”

“Fine and when I get over to the kitchen I’ll lick every bag of beef jerky you own.”

“Oh my god, fine. Give me your water bottle.”

“Sokka, I need to charge my phone. Give me your charger.”

“No? Yours in your room, go get it.”

“If only my legs weren’t so weak from this terrible flu I’ve contracted from someone I trusted to be more hygienic.”

“Here, take it.”

“Sokka, you need to light a candle in the bathroom. Ooh do the rose petal one.”

“Ugh, no. You know I hate yours and Katara’s girly scented candles.”

“Okay, but then don’t complain about the smell when you go in.”

“It can’t be that bad— OH MY GOD DID SOMETHING CRAWL OUT OF YOU AND DIE?! OH MY GOD IT’S TRAVELLING. IT’S TRAVELLING THROUGH THE APARTMENT.”

By the fourth day of having the flu, Sokka was sick. Not of the flu. Of you. Katara had been spending as much time with Aang as she could to avoid catching anything from you so the responsibility of taking care of you fell on Sokka. And he was finally reaching the breaking point after you left used tissues all over “his side” of the couch. You snuggled into your pile of blankets as you watched your best friend grumble about the living room, every so often glancing at you while muttering incoherently.

After picking up the last of your snot filled, flu infected tissues, Sokka stood in front of you and took a long, exaggerated breath.

“I am leaving this Land of Disgusting to eat at the diner before driving Suki home.”

“Sokka, you had me at ‘I am leaving.’”

“Shut up. You still have a fever so I’ve called in reinforcements to look after you while Katara and I are both out. They’ll be here shortly after I’m gone. Can you handle yourself for 10 minutes?”

“Aye aye, captain.”

Before leaving, Sokka grabbed one more blanket from your room to bring to you on the couch. You realize how lucky you are to be such a pain in the ass and still be so loved by your little family. These happy thoughts, along with the utter amusement over the possibility of Toph being the one taking care of you, lulled you into a short, soft nap.

When you open your eyes next, the living room is dark, save for the small lamp in the corner of the room. As you go to stretch out your legs on the couch, your feet kick into something that wasn’t there before.

“Sokka?” you ask wearily, assuming your friend is back from dropping Suki off home.

“Nope.”

It wasn’t Sokka’s voice. Nor was it Toph’s. Trying your best to sit up under the weight of five blankets, you turn your head to see Zuko’s face illuminated by his phone’s screen as his thumb continued to scroll.

“Oh. Hi.”

He looked over at you. “Hey. Can I get you anything?”

It takes you a moment to get over the fact that Zuko is the reinforcements, the one called to take care of you while your roommates are out of the apartment. But finally you respond, “Actually, my throat is really dry. Can you grab my water bottle for me?”

He reached over to the coffee table to grab your water bottle for you. Then, after handing it you, Zuko went back to looking at his phone.

“Katara says you have to take your medicine once you’ve woken up.”

“Ugh noooooo. I don’t want to.”

Taking pills has never been your been your strong suit. Maybe it’s your irrational fear of choking on them or just your innate ability to be stubborn about everything but you try to put up your best fight.

“You have to. Or else we’ll have to cancel another game night or you just won’t be able to play with us. And then who would kill Sokka first in Among Us.”

“You’ll have to continue my legacy, that’s all.”

“Just take the pills. I already cut them up for you.”

“Fine... thank you.”

After you swallow the last pill, you lay back down on the couch but Zuko gets up.

“Where are you going?”

“Since you’re up now, let’s watch a movie. There’s nothing else you should really be doing in your condition.”

“I have my DVDs on my shelf in my room. Pick me a Disney movie?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Oh my god, please? I am very sick and frail and only the nostalgic joys of my childhood can cure me.”

“....fine.”

You muster up a squeal that quickly turns into a cough as Zuko leaves the room. After a few minutes he comes back with Toy Story 2, a choice that makes you raise an eyebrow considering its heartbreaking song is not something you’d expect Zuko to want to watch. Nonetheless, you hardly protest as the two of you settle in on the couch for the movie to begin.

To your surprise, the animated movie managed to steal a couple chuckles from Zuko. After all the bickering throughout the week with Sokka, it was a welcome and pleasant sound ringing in your ears. Despite your better judgment, you shift closer to him, especially when you know Jessie’s big song is getting closer. He doesn’t move away though and even wraps an arm around you. When a chill runs down your spine, you wonder if it’s due to the fever.

“Are you crying?”

“It’s just SO sad, how could you not, Zuko?! Somebody needs to LOVE HER AGAIN.”

Grinning, he hands you the tissue box, which you fully accept both for your tears and flu-inflicted runny nose. But once the song ends and you’ve let out a good cry, your eyelids start to feel enormously heavy. Zuko must sense this because he scoots a bit closer to you, allowing you to rest your head on his shoulder. You hesitate for a moment, not wanting to pass the flu onto Zuko, but for some reason he feels warmer than the mountains of blankets you’re buried under.

The rest of the movie plays on and you struggle to keep your eyes open, often shifting against Zuko to wake yourself back up. You know there’s more to the movie but Zuko picks up the remote and turns off the tv. Before you could even question what he’s doing, he’s lifting you up and walking you to your room.

“But we didn’t see the end of the movie!”

“You weren’t going to stay up to see the end anyways.”

“But you needed to see Jessie and Bullseye find new homes! With Andy! And Wheezy!! Wheezy gets fixed!!”

He helped you under the covers and sat beside you on your bed for a moment. You still feel enough energy to offer up a few more protests.

“Only the end of the movie can cure me with its pure, unadultered childhood joy! You can use some, too! Disney fixes all things!”

He scoffed and rolled his eyes, but before getting up, Zuko leaned in to kiss your forehead lightly.

“Go to bed, you idiot.”

You didn’t even register when he left your side because you were asleep again within minutes. In fact, when the sunlight from the bedroom window wakes you up hours later, you could have sworn it was all just a fever dream anyways. Disney movies cuddled up with Zuko? Definitely sounds fake. However, later on in the morning, you do begin to suspect it was all real when you find your Toy Story 2 DVD still in DVD player and catching Katara and Sokka trying to discreetly give each other a high five.

[lilacmoon83]

Dreaming Out Loud

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 35: Piece By Piece

The Dreamscape

When Emma finally found sleep that night, she sought her parents out, finding them in the meadow. She had tried to keep them mostly sheltered from what was going on in Storybrooke, but just a few nights ago, she had told them mostly everything that had happened.

They knew Deimos was alive and that had been a hard enough pill to swallow, but when she finally told them everything his counterpart had done and was getting away with, it was truly devastating. Her father lamented about her mother's safety and how it was even possible that he was even alive. No one seemed to know how that was possible either.

This all had been difficult enough for them to take and she hated seeing the fear behind her mother's eyes at the revelation that her tormentor was alive, even though she tried to hide that fear from her daughter.

But this...telling them about the wardrobe was probably one of the most difficult things she had faced in a very long time. Awake, her father was already aware, obviously, but he still was not retaining the memories of anything going on while awake. And really, August had been the one to spill the secret anyhow, leaving Emma grasping at how she was going to tell him now.

Then there was her mother. She had decided against telling her about her biological mother and the origins that she was unaware of. In the dreamscape, her father remained unaware of it as well. She made the decision that Persephone should break the news personally to Snow when the curse was broken. After all, Snow didn't have an inkling to who this woman was, unlike her counterpart. Mary had built a strong friendship and bond with Stephanie. That secret might come easier, especially since it was one with love behind it and circumstance beyond anyone's control.

But the secret about the wardrobe...this secret would only cause anguish and pain. The only benefit of telling them now was giving her mother time to process these emotions in the dreamscape so when she finally did wake up, maybe the pain wouldn't be so fresh. She knew the anger and betrayal they would feel wouldn't dissipate overnight, but the dreamscape was often therapeutic and she only hoped this setting could help with the blow this would be to them. And then there was Regina's latest ploy; an attempt to keep Henry away from her by using a very painful time in her life. Her own emotions were raw and there had been a lot of alcohol consumed that evening.

"Emma…" Snow called, as a smile eclipsed her face; a smile that spoke of a mother's pure adoration for her child.

"Hi Mom…" she said softly and Snow frowned at her subdued nature, as they hugged tightly. She hugged her father next, feeling his hand on the back of her head and her mother's hands on her back.

"Something else has happened...hasn't it?" Snow asked.

"A lot...and none of it's really good. I mean...you guys are okay and happy, because you're together…" she said, quickly adding the last part.

"Then there must be a lot going on around us. I mean, I know Regina won't just let us be together without creating a lot of trouble around us," Charming stated. She blew out a breath.

"Yeah...she's a piece of work. But unfortunately, she's not the only one that's done something," Emma replied.

"Sweetheart...you can tell us anything," Snow implored.

"Mom...this is going to crush you and Dad. And I don't want to do that! I hate this!" she lamented. Snow pulled her daughter into another hug.

"Oh baby...I love you for trying to protect us. But whatever it is...your father and I will get through it. And then we can help you get through it too," she said.

"She's right...you don't have to do this alone, princess," he added. In a moment of sheer vulnerability and anxiety, Emma finally broke down, probably in a way she wouldn't have awake and fell sobbing into her mother's arms. Snow and Charming were alarmed that their baby was in so much pain, but pushed aside their own fears. Snow gently cradled her and rocked her, as she cried against her mother's chest, while Charming's soothing hand moved up and down her back. And Snow knew one thing: whoever had hurt her daughter so deeply was going to pay dearly the moment she awakened from the curse.

"Baby...tell us what happened," Snow soothed. Emma sniffed.

"Do you remember when I was little and I used to tell people all the time that you two were my parents and that I would see you in my dreams every night?" she asked Snow smiled and swiped a few of her tears away with her thumbs.

"Of course...when you were very small, you said people accepted this and even seemed to think it was cute," she recalled. Emma nodded.

"But then it changed when you were a little older and they were unkind about it," David added, hating the cruelty she had faced alone.

"Yeah...I guess there's an age limit on what you are allowed to still believe in," she said bitterly.

"Anyway...remember they made me see a therapist and I told them about you guys and the curse, because I didn't know any better?" she asked.

"Of course...but honey, none of that was your fault. You said the people in this land just don't understand. That to them, magic and our stories are just figments of imagination," Snow reasoned.

"Yeah...and after they told me I was delusional, I stopped telling them and everyone else about the dreamscape and you guys so they wouldn't force pills down me," she added. Charming felt his fist clench at that. He hoped for their sake he never found this therapist that had been so callous and careless with his little girl's well being.

"I guess somehow Regina found a way to get into my private files and she's using that history to force Henry's therapist to recommend that I can only see him with supervision," Emma choked out.

"Oh Emma…" Charming uttered, as he shared a pained look with his wife.

"I mean, I gave him up and never thought I'd see him again. Then he came into my life and nowI never want to let him go," she lamented.

"Oh sweetie...I know...I know…" Snow cried with her.

"When we were forced to give you up...I thought that was it. I wouldn't see you for twenty-eight years. The dreamscape has been a blessing for us. I can't imagine now what it would have been like to not know you for all those years, even if it's only here," Snow mentioned.

"You have no idea…" Emma muttered. Charming's brow furrowed in confusion.

"What do you mean?" he asked. She sighed.

"That's the other part of what I have to tell you and it's going to be really hard to hear. It's going to cause you both a lot of pain…" she replied. They exchanged a glance.

"We're ready...whatever it is, we need to know, even if it's hard to hear," he said. She took a deep breath.

"Blue and Geppetto lied to you. The wardrobe took two," she blurted out. Her parents stared at her for a moment in complete silence.

"What?" her father questioned first.

"I don't understand...why would they…" her mother uttered.

"Geppetto put Pinocchio through the wardrobe first...before me," she explained.

"But...that means…" Snow stammered, as she reached out to her husband for support. He put his arms around her, even as he felt his own knees want to give out.

"You and Dad could have gone through before I was even born," she told them tearfully. Snow let out a choked sob.

"We...we could have gone with you…" Snow realized. Emma nodded sadly.

"Why...why would they lie?" Charming asked with anguish.

"I think Geppetto was scared for his son. I don't know why Blue went along with it," Emma replied.

"But...you needed us. A little boy can't raise a baby," Snow said. She nodded.

"Pinocchio was found with me that night and we apparently ended up in the same orphanage. But he left me soon after," she admitted.

"He left you?" Charming asked through clenched teeth. She shrugged.

"He was seven...he was put in a really bad position he wasn't old enough to deal with," she admonished.

"But if he left you...how did you find all this out?" he asked, as he glanced at his wife and started to worry. Her face was ashen and her green eyes blank.

"He came to town to track me down. He wants me to break the curse...that's another story all its own," she muttered. Charming glance down and gently caressed Snow's face.

"Snow…" he said.

"We could have gone with her…" Snow uttered, as she looked up at him.

"I know…" he said, sharing in her grief.

"Why...why would they lie to us? We trusted them...I thought they were friends," she hissed.

"I'm not sure...but they will have to face us, all of us, and explain why," he reasoned.

"Emma...I'm so sorry…" Snow lamented.

"It's not your fault, Mom. That's why I said the dreamscape is truly a blessing, even more than we originally thought. Because I've never truly been alone," she replied, as they hugged her between them. They would still grieve at this realization and eventually demand answers from those that needed to explain, but as always, they would relish being together in any capacity.

"We love you, Emma," Snow said.

"I love you guys too," she replied, just content to let them hold her for now.

Regina tossed and turned in her bed that night in a fitful sleep. Worry about the curse breaking plagued her dreams. She had always feared this, but this dream was very real and vivid…

Regina came down the stairs at her house, as the doorbell rang and she opened it. Her heartbeat quickened, as she saw many pairs of eyes glowering at her murderously. All these eyes were awake and they were being led like a lynch mob by the Savior.

Emma clutched the hilt of her father's sword and drew the blade.

"Please…" Regina pleaded.

"Did you really think we'd let you get a pass for what you did to us?" David growled.

"What about what she did to me?" Regina spat, glaring at her step-daughter.

"We both know I did nothing to you. Your own mother ruined your life; not me. I was just your scapegoat. Your easy target. You did so many terrible things to me...and yet I still let you live. That was a mistake," Snow spat.

"A mistake we no longer have to live with," David added. Regina's eyes pleaded with the others present, Archie, Granny, Grumpy, Geppetto...but she found no sympathy in their eyes. Only hatred.

"Please…" Regina pleaded again.

"I stayed your execution once...and you stole my family as thanks. You belittled me and made me feel like I was nothing! Well, now you are nothing! There is no mercy this time. There is no eleventh hour plea! I just want you gone," Snow cried tearfully.

"But Henry…" Regina pleaded.

"You don't deserve him...he's my son and we both know it," Emma growled, as she brought the sword up and then in a downward stroke. Regina screamed.

The former Queen shot up in bed, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. It had been so real, almost like a guarantee of what was to come for her. Unless...she found a way to stop it. She had to get rid of Emma Swan...and she knew of one sure way to do it. The only person that could help her get what she needed to accomplish this though wanted nothing to do with her. But she smirked deviously. She had just the right leverage over him though. The Hatter wanted his daughter more than anything and she knew it would overrule any misplaced friendship he had with David Nolan. She knew exactly what she had to do and once she was victorious...Emma Swan would be no more. Then everyone that had crossed her would pay dearly...

Mary giggled the next morning, as they quietly tiptoed back behind the curtain that surrounded their bed from the bathroom, wrapped in only towels. It appeared Emma had passed out on the couch and she was glad to see she was still asleep. They had tried to be quiet in the shower, but that wasn't very easy for her with the things her husband had been doing to her.

"You are making getting ready for work very difficult this morning," she mentioned, as he kissed the back of her neck.

"I can't help it...I can't seem to get enough of you," he purred, as their lips met passionately. She lost herself in him again, as he kissed her neck.

"I have to get ready for work...and you have patrol…" she reminded. He grunted and reluctantly pulled away.

"Fine...but we are picking this up tonight," he promised and dropped his towel. Mary's eyes glazed, as she felt her knees weaken and sat down on the bed. Yes, she, Mary Margaret Blanchard, was ogling her husband. One thing she had learned since they had been together was that David was not shy about nudity. But then he had absolutely nothing to be shy about. Hard, shredded muscle through his arms, chest, and abs. Strong, powerful legs and a very nice ass, not to mention the well endowed manhood between his leg. She felt hot all over just thinking about those parts of him. If there was one thing that she was completely sure about: her husband was hot.

"See something you like, beautiful?" he asked coyly from over his shoulder, as he started getting dressed and she blushed.

"Mmm...can't a wife ogle her husband?" she returned coyly. He smirked and pecked her on the lips.

"Of course she can, especially when her husband very much enjoys ogling his beautiful, sexy wife," he purred, as he kissed her again.

"Mmm...why do we have to work today?" she whimpered in between soft, tender kisses.

"I know...if I had my way, we'd barely ever leave the bed," he said in a husky tone. Somehow though, they managed to get dressed and David made coffee, while she did her makeup and hair.

The smell of coffee is what finally roused a grumpy Emma and that's when they noticed the half drank bottle of tequila on the coffee table.

"Uh oh…" David mentioned.

"Emma...are you okay?" Mary asked gently, as she sat down beside her.

"God...why is it so bright?" the blonde complained. Mary and David exchanged a look. They knew that Emma downing a half a bottle of liquor didn't mean good things.

"Coffee and ibuprofen…" David said, as he set the items down in front of her.

"Thanks Dad...vid," she muttered, quickly correcting herself and thankfully, Mary didn't seem to notice her almost slip.

"Honey...what's going on? Why did you get drunk last night?" the raven haired beauty asked in concern.

"Cause Regina is a colossal bitch," Emma growled.

"What did she do now?" he asked.

"Oh, she just found a way to make sure I can only see Henry if the visits are supervised," she replied.

"What?!" he exclaimed.

"How can she do that?" Mary questioned, just as outraged as her husband.

"I'm pretty sure she pressured Archie to break every ethical rule in the book and gave him my file from the time when I was seeing a therapist...I was around Henry's age," she explained. That was the moment David recalled everything she had told them in the dreamscape. Unfortunately, Mary was hearing it for the first time.

"It's Archie's professional opinion that it's best if he monitor our visits since I guess it's a crime to have an imagination when you're nine," she spat bitterly.

"Oh Emma...I'm so sorry," she said, as she hugged her.

"Thanks...but I'm going to fight her," she said.

"Of course we are," he agreed and Mary nodded with him. She smiled slightly.

"Thanks guys…" she said.

"Okay...I think I can handle things at the station today. You go up and go back to bed," David said.

"I'll be fine," Emma protested.

"No...you're not going to work, not until your head is a little clearer anyway," Mary added.

"Fine...man, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you two were my parents," she quipped, giving them an amused look, as she tromped upstairs.

"So stubborn...sometimes I really do feel like she's the kid around here," Mary mentioned, making him chuckle, as he kissed her hair.

"Come on…I'll walk you down to your car while I take Wilby out," he said, as the dog waited by the door. She kissed him and they joined hands, as they left.

Flashback

Seven Months Before the Dark Curse

The fire raged, as Charming lit the remains on fire. Lancelot added more kindling to the fire to make sure every ounce of him was burned. Snow stood back and gently draped the red cloak over the wolf, allowing Red to phase back into a human. She breathed a sigh of relief and hugged her best friend.

"Thank you," Snow choked.

"Of course...I couldn't let that monster hurt you. He's gone," Red assured. Charming stepped back from the fire and put his arm around her.

"It's over…" he assured and she put her arms around him, resting her head against his chest.

"Come on...let's get you home," he suggested, as the fire continued to rage. Lancelot watched the fire until it burned out and ensured there was nothing left but ashes before he left.

And once he did, Hades appeared, having been granted temporary access to the living plane by Ares, who appeared as well, with his other son, Deimos' twin, Phobos.

"They did it...they killed him," Ares stated in disbelief.

"Father...Deimos brought this upon himself. Going after Persephone's daughter would have eventually incurred her wrath had the mortals not gotten to him first," Phobos reasoned.

"He was still your brother," Ares spat.

"He was...but the Ambrosia turned him into something unrecognizable. His obsession with Snow White was his undoing," Phobos reasoned.

"Your son is weak and soft, Ares. No wonder the mortals have less fear of us...the God of fear is a weak willed sop," Hades growled.

"Enough...you said you knew of a way to bring him back," Ares snapped.

"Yes...gather his ashes and we will journey to the vault of the Dark One. There and with a sacrifice, we can trade a life for a life. We shall choose our victim when we arrive," Hades stated. Using his magic, Ares swept up the ashes that were all that remained of Deimos and captured them in an urn, before the three of them disappeared.

Regina stood on the porch, which was home to the Larson family; a perfectly forgettable couple that wasn't even supposed to be married. The curse just threw them together and with it, custody of Paige. The curse story went that she was the mother's child from a previous marriage and the step-father was indifferent to her and his wife, spending most of his days drunk. It was the perfectly unhappy curse situation and she needed them to start a problem for her.

"Mayor Mills…" Amy Larson said in surprise.

"Good morning, Mrs. Larson. I was hoping you and your husband had a moment to discuss a very serious matter concerning your daughter," Regina replied.

"O...of course, please come in," the timid woman offered and Regina stepped inside. She crinkled her nose when she spotted the unshaven, half drunken man in the recliner. But she was happy with the bit of fear she still caused in most people when even the belligerent Fred Larson sat up a little straighter.

"You mentioned Paige...did she do something?" Amy asked. Fred scoffed.

"Whatever it was...feel free to lock the little brat up," Fred slurred.

"Oh no, Paige has done nothing wrong. But I'm afraid there is someone with quite a bit of interest in her. Tell me, have you ever seen this man before?" Regina asked, showing her a picture of Jefferson.

"N...no, I don't think so," she replied.

"Well...one of my employees has noticed this man frequently visiting the elementary school during recess over the past several months. And I'm afraid it's Paige that he's been watching. It's caused me great concern for your little girl. As mothers, we must protect our children from outsiders," Regina stated.

"He's watching Paige?" Amy asked in concern.

"Yes...and though I would be only too happy to file a complaint against him, as a person that is not directly involved with the situation, I'm afraid I can't," Regina replied, as she looked at the other woman.

"But you can," Regina replied.

"I...I don't know. I've never done anything like that before," Amy said.

"Well, it's a good thing you don't have to do it alone. I may not be able to file the complaint, but I can go with you. With me behind you, the Sheriff's department will have no choice but to take this matter very seriously. Remember...this is for Paige," Regina responded. The woman nodded.

"Thank you Madam Mayor, I would very grateful for your help," Amy agreed.

Mary observed recess from her post and enjoyed watching the kids play. But she found her eyes wandering to a particular child, as always. Henry looked sad and she hadn't seen him this down since before Emma came to town. She knew she wasn't supposed to interject herself into the situation that was between him and his therapist, but she couldn't help it with him. She felt so protective of him and while she would outwardly tell everyone that she loved all her students equally, that was a bit of a white lie. She loved Henry and he was definitely her favorite. He was special; she could just feel it.

That's why she found herself venturing toward the picnic table where he sat.

"Can I sit here?" she asked. He looked up and shrugged.

"Honey...Emma told me what happened. But you have to know that she won't stop fighting for you," Mary assured.

"It doesn't matter...she always wins! Good is supposed to win...but it can't in this place, because the Queen controls everything!" Henry said angrily.

"I know it seems like your Mother isn't a good person and I'll admit, I have a hard time seeing things her way. But I do know that Regina loves you," Mary reasoned.

"But some kids have two Moms. Some kids have a Mom and a Dad that don't live together. Why can't I just have them both?" he asked.

"Have you told your Mom how you feel?" Mary asked.

"She won't listen. She just keeps telling me that my book isn't real and that I have to see Archie twice a week now. She says Emma was the same as me when she was my age," Henry replied.

"There's nothing wrong with having imagination and dreams, Henry. Not everyone agrees with your Mother's views on that," Mary assured.

"But Emma's dreams were real! And so is my book, Miss Blanchard! You are Snow White and David is Prince Charming," Henry implored. She smiled.

"That's very sweet of you to think that," Mary said, as she squeezed his shoulder. Henry was about to continue, but Paige ran up to them at that moment, holding a box.

"Miss Blanchard...this is for you," she said.

"For me?" Mary asked. The girl nodded.

"That messenger asked me to give it to you," Paige replied, pointing to a man she didn't recognize walking away. Mary's brow furrowed and she opened the box. However, when she did, she let out a frightened scream and dropped the box to the ground. Paige and Henry peered inside, finding a dead bluebird, as other students and teachers gathered around to see the spectacle. Stephanie was quickly by her side and the two raven haired beauties saw him then, across the street and a safe distance away from the school, wearing a smug grin. And like he had done nothing, Damon Tromera walked away, sufficiently pleased with himself and the terror he had caused...

[liberallifeblog]

Your First Colonoscopy! What to Expect

Whee! Time for a Tube Up Your Tuchus!

image: wikimedia commons

By Crabby McSlacker So, some perspective here: for people with serious illnesses who've been through hardcore, painful, debilitating, invasive medical procedures? A colonoscopy is probably child's play. (Although let's be clear, that's just an expression. If your child actually plays this way? We need to talk). But for most people, there's at least a little trepidation. And for many, if statistics are to be believed, that fear is significant enough to skip the procedure entirely! Well sure, it could save your life and all, but really? Do you have to? There are actually some alternative colon cancer screening methods. But since I didn't get to use one of them myself, discussion of these will be brief, and possibly a little bitter. I've had a couple of  colonoscopies now. (And an additional bowel prep due to my hysterectomy.) My second colonoscopy was just a few days ago and the memories are still fresh. So I'm thinking it's time to share some info and observations and tips?  This is after all, a health blog, although with recent posts on tattoos and winter travel, it's easy to miss that part. Here's the thing: for some people the whole colonoscopy thing is a breeze. For a very few unlucky folks: it's horrible. For most people I know, myself included: the procedure and the prep are somewhere in the middle. Decidedly unpleasant but not intolerable. But being a whiner myself, I get tired of all those public-spirited accounts of the colonoscopy process that make it sound entirely innocuous in order to get you to go ahead and get yours. I'm not going to lie to you just to make sure you go do it. You need to and you will be really glad you did it! But it's not exactly fun. Here's at least one chronic complainer's take on what's involved. And for those of you who have already joined this exclusive club? I'll be curious if your experience was similar or if there are all kinds of different colonoscopy experiences. Warning: due to mature and disgusting subject matter, reader discretion is advised.

Why You Should Suck it Up and Get a Colonoscopy (or Other Screening Test)

According to the NIH, colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. This blows me away, considering how slow-growing and preventable colon cancer generally is.  And while overall rates are going down because of better screening, rates in people under 50 are going up. Environmental toxins? Diet? Bad karma? Who knows, but it means that screening, and even early screening, are more important than ever.

What Are Some Alternatives to Colonoscopy to Screen for Colon Cancer?

Home Stool-Testing Options: These include FIT (fecal immunochemical test) and Colorguard. There are pretty obvious upsides to not having to prep your bowels, get doped up with sedatives, and have a stranger ram a scope up your butt to see what lurks inside. But the downsides include less accuracy, and a need for more frequent testing. Do you want to send in a smear of your poop to a lab every year? (Or, in the case of the pricier ColorGuard test, every three years?) On the other hand, if you are at low risk and would otherwise skip screening entirely, these are definitely worth looking into. Sigmoidoscopy: These are in many ways similar to a colonoscopy. You still have to do bowel prep, and there's a scope involved, but the doctors' don't look at nearly as much once they're up in there. This may mean less sedation is needed, but you have to wonder: what's the point of going through all that if they're only going to look at the left half of your colon? Virtual Colonoscopy: This alternative does not generally require sedation; an x-ray technician obtains images of your colon from outside your body, not from inside. Sounds great, right? But virtual colonoscopies still involve bowel prep, plus you have to swallow a contrast agent. You will still have a tube inserted where the sun don't shine, but not nearly as far up. It's there to inflate your bowels so they can get a better look. Fun times, right? There are others possibilities in the works too, stay tuned! Like camera pills and, even more exciting, blood tests for cancer that detect cancers in early stages anywhere in your body.

When it's Time for Your Colonoscopy

1. Carefully Pick Your Provider or Facility This may not be an option depending on your insurance or geography, but if it is... there does seem to be a difference in various facilities in terms both of expertise and patient-coddling. Some clinics are brusque and factory-like, others are extremely solicitous and try to make the experience as tolerable as possible. Ask friends who've been through it, talk to doctors, read reviews if you can find any. If you are high-maintenance like Crabby is, you will appreciate having expert doctors and kind nurses and assistants to hold your hand, listen to your concerns (however misguided or hysterical), and get reassurance that you that will indeed survive relatively unscathed. 2. Don't Blow Off  the Instructions, Read 'Em When You Get  'Em If you are freaked out about the whole thing, you may attempt to pretend it isn't happening. Totally understandable! Yet if in order to maintain this illusion you  avoid the literature you've been given? You will run into trouble. Sorry, you can't wait til the last minute to deal with the details, or you'll have to reschedule and probably pay a hefty cancellation fee. Some of the prep starts a week in advance, with certain foods (mainly nuts and seeds), medications, and supplements you need to avoid. Then a few days out there are even more prohibitions. There is also a prescription you'll have to fill, and lead-time can be essential on this one. My first bowel prep they RAN OUT of the Rx I wanted and I had to drink twice as much of an old-school kind because that was all they had. Also, while there are "generic" prep instructions like I'm giving here, each practitioner has their own take on it, so read what THEY send, don't rely on The Google. So steel yourself, make yourself read the damn thing when they send it, then mark your calendar or send yourself a reminder or whatever on the first date when you're supposed to start doing things differently.

Colonoscopy Prep

Part 1: The Part Where You Starve Yourself OK, technically you won't be starving. The "clear liquid" diet you have to be on the day before you go in will actually let you drink and eat a days worth of calories in the form of Seven Up and chicken broth and jello. (But not red or purple jello). A clear liquid diet is no fun. You can have coffee or tea (yay!) but can't put any milk in it. You will feel cranky and deprived no matter how much of that stuff you have. But here is an important tip: Get a few calories, even if they're stupid, pointless, ridiculous calories. If you are trying to lose weight or are otherwise mindful of calories or carbs, this may seem like an excellent opportunity to bank a lot of missed meals. You can't eat normal food anyway. And really, is Seven-Up any more satisfying than club soda or iced tea or a diet drink? Why not just have a no-sugar beverage instead? Nothing you're going to have under the "clear liquids" category, whether caloric or not, resembles actual food. So why not just hydrate and skip the sugar? Well, a little of this caloric deprivation is fine, especially if you are used to fasting. You will probably have a pretty low-cal day just because of the "no fun" aspect. But I discovered something interesting: Even though I occasionally do some intermittent fasting , and I'm totally used to functioning normally without calories for a day? Total fasting can be a really bad idea before a colonoscopy because you need a reasonably strong stomach for disgusting nature of the upcoming bowel prep. The combo of the laxative regimen below, combined with low blood sugar from fasting was, for me, pretty much a disaster, even though I was very conscientious about hydrating. So my advice: get at least half a days calories in you, even if they're of necessity mostly sugar. Part 2: Choke Down the Most Disgusting Fluid You Will Ever Consume in Your Life

Photo: Missy Meyer

There seem to be many variations in formulas. I've tried three: the first was the hilariously named GoLytely. Yep, I think that's pronounced "Go Lightly." Could anything be further from the truth? Don't kid yourself: you will not be "going lightly." I've also had "HalfLytely," which is a version of GoLytely that requires a smaller volume of fluid and, as I recall, some pills. Neither of these taste totally horrible, not that they're pleasant. But the texture is icky and the grossness factor builds exponentially as you force yourself to drink more and more of the liquid.  Of the two I'd go with the Half version. My third, and least favorite, was SuPrep. It required the least amount of dilution and the overall volume was the smallest. But the taste was horrific. The grapey faux-fruit overlay did not conceal the essential bitter, metallic and salty grossness it. It was a two step process, and for reasons I will bore you with below I would never, ever, ever, ever do that again. Part 3: Station Yourself Near the Toilet and Pray for Mercy (Sensitive readers: you may want to skip these next paragraphs). Again, the first two times were not so bad with the GoLytely variants. More fluid was involved in the ingestion process, so the clean-out was not painful, just extremely thorough. Sort of amazing and amusing really. But it was all over the day before the procedure, and I slept just fine the night before. This time, the SuPrep was a nightmare.  I took the first dose, as instructed, at 5 p.m. the night before my procedure, but it only worked little by little. By bedtime I was exhausted but I was terrified to sleep because it was still wreaking havoc on my innards, and I was petrified I'd soil the bed. (I managed not to, thank god). But I had to get up repeatedly during the night, and as of 5 a.m. the next morning, I was still running to the john from the first dose. And I still had one more dose to come. I briefly considered doing a swan dive out the third floor window instead, but then the whole torture of the first half of the prep would have been wasted and I don't know if 3 floors would even be fatal. The second dose made me feel so nauseated that I threw it all up an hour later, and I feared that my whole procedure would be cancelled because I still wasn't entirely, um, "cleansed." I was still using the restroom minutes before the procedure.

What Happens During Your Colonoscopy?

Sedation: You change into a hospital gown (I was allowed to keep my socks and bra on) and they stick you with an IV in your arm or on the back of your hand. Or in my case, they stick you and stick you and stick you and stick you. My veins are shy that way, initially defeating even the most veteran of nurses, but eventually they always manage to get in. At this point, patient accounts vary. Most people get conscious sedation, which is supposed to relax you, ease discomfort, and induce amnesia.  A few people are so resistant to the drugs they remember the whole thing, and some of these people report more than mild discomfort.  Yet I've read that most people don't experience much distress at all. But see the catch here? Personal accounts of an entirely painless procedure are inherently unreliable. Most patients have no clue because they don't remember!  And I suspect there's something of a health industry conspiracy to maintain the illusion that because you don't remember pain, there wasn't any. My first colonoscopy I definitely felt a sharp poke at the first bend and yelped. No memories after that. The second time? The last thing I remember was the request to roll over on my side. So I don't remember them snaking a tube up my colon but I'm confident they did. In fact, procedures were undertaken each time involving hot snares. I can't imagine I enjoyed these, but I was pretty doped up, so it's possible I didn't feel 'em much.  No way to know, right? Which creeps me out more than a little. Another tip:  tell the staff before they sedate you if you've had bad experiences in the past with nausea and vomiting following anesthesia. I have, so they added anti-nausea medication to the IV, and hallelujah, it worked! Not barfy at all afterwards.

After Your Colonoscopy

You have to have someone there to take you home, and don't make any big plans afterwards. My first time we'd scheduled dinner with friends and I was practically face down in my plate of tacos and we had to leave early to get me back to bed. Many people feel only a little groggy and are fairly functional afterwards. I am so NOT one of those people. I become a zombified lump of useless humanity with limited ability to speak or move, though my wife claims I am quite adorable in this state. All I can do is sleep. Possibly this is because the staff know a high-maintenance whiner when they see one coming and they dope me up accordingly. This time I was even more out of it than before, and it became quickly apparent when I tried to leave that I needed a wheelchair to get to the car. Once home, my patient wife got me to bed and I went straight to sleep in my clothes and slept all afternoon. I woke up for a couple hours, ate, and went back to bed and slept like a dead person through the whole night. But the next morning... It was over and I felt great. I was Queen of the World! This is a cool thing about a colonoscopy.  You survive it, and it's like a rite of passage. Even more than that stupid AARP card you get in the mail, your post-colonoscopy status qualifies for full membership in the Sensible and Responsible Middle-Aged Person Club. And let's stop apologizing for that, ok? We Responsible Middle-Aged People rock and we are setting ourselves up to be healthy, vital, and Bad-Ass Old People. We should all have wild tribal post-colonoscopy ceremonies or something a few days after the procedure. What do you say, maybe we do some jello tequila shooters and play our old Rolling Stone albums at full volume and sing and dance and howl at the moon? Well, as long as moonrise is early enough than we can be in bed by nine p.m.

What If They Find Something?

This will be the subject for a future post, since I'm one of those people who Has Things to Find. I'm still awaiting pathology results, but I can say this much: Don't panic! It's the people who have these things and don't know about them who are in trouble, not you. I'm thinking maybe I'll follow up later with a post about polyps, diverticulosis and hemorrhoids since I am lucky enough to host these. I'm sure all you readers can't wait to read about these and all the other fascinating aspects of colon health that we could discuss! Or, um, maybe not. Do you dread your first colonoscopy or have you already survived it? Any other medical procedures or tests that strike fear in your heart? Your First Colonoscopy! What to Expect posted first on http://ift.tt/2kDxLY4