Sarah Paulson Character One-shots

Cool Me Down - Mildred Ratched

A/N: This is my first request :) I have to admit I enjoyed writing this, but I struggled a little, but I hope you enjoy it, anyway! The gif is mine.

Prompt: Mildred comforts reader after Hydrotherapy goes wrong.

Requested by: @ciccas-roses

Tw: burns, blisters, hurt/comfort, fluff

It feels like you're burning from the inside out as if you're cooking. The water boiling, bubbling your skin and you can't move, the metal covering making it near impossible to even get out "Help." you barely let out, your voice small. You were supposed to be let out a few minutes ago, but Nurse Bucket deemed you to be less important and had left you there to suffer. Your mouth became dry, and you felt dehydrated, blisters appearing on your skin and your face burning, making you feel light-headed. You lean back further into the tub until the door swung open, and a very panicked Nurse Ratched stood there in shock and horror at the sight. You couldn't see her though, your eyes becoming heavy and you falling into unconsciousness.

She immediately turned the valve off and unclipped the covering from the tub before dipping her hands in to help you up, "Y/N," she says softly, "Wake up for me," You murmur to her, incoherently in reply, and her heart races, her anger becoming more adamant in the way she pulls you straight out of the tub, banging your leg off the side leaving a large red bruise. "Can someone more competent than Nurse Bucket come in here and help!" she shouts towards the door, you squirm under her touch, but she shushes you, bringing her hand to your face, "It's okay, it's going to be okay." she coos.

"What happened?" Huck asks in a panic as he runs into the room before he stops seeing the sight before him, "I thought we weren't doing this anymore?" he asks, confused, before leaving and coming back in with a wheelchair.

"Obviously Nurse Bucket didn't get the memo." She snaps to him, "Help me. We are not putting her into the ice bath." Huck helps her steadily lift you into the wheelchair and your head flops to the side, not able to hold yourself up.

"How long was she in there for?" he walks over, grabbing the clipboard left on the chair near the tub. "This was administered 32 minutes ago!"

"Where the hell is Nurse Bucket?!"

"What are we supposed to do?" worry lacing his voice overclouding his anger at this moment.

"I'll take Ms. Y/L/N back to her room and you go find Nurse Bucket, send her my way," she says coldly as she collects towels, dipping them in the ice bath and collecting a small bucket of the ice water before pushing the wheelchair and leaving.

She wheels you down the hallway as fast as she can, ignoring the looks from other patients and employees who work there as she heads straight to your room, her heels clanking off the floor loudly, making your head hurt more.

"Hey," she says as she leads you into your room and you lift your head slightly to look at her. Concern laces her features as she inspects you, her eyes softening as they lock onto your droopy ones. "I'm going to lift you onto the bed now, okay?" she says and you nod weakly. She puts her hands under your arms and you tense, feeling her skin rubbing on your burned skin, but she lifts you and transfers you to the bed as quick as she could. She lays you down and as your head reaches the pillow, you whine slightly as the coolness from it hits your head. She then brings the bucket and the wet towels closer to the bed and she sits on it gently, putting the cold towel on your forehead, making you wince in pain again. "It's going to be okay," she says softly and you open your eyes to look at her, you see her chin quiver slightly. 

"It hurts," you let out a mumble, your voice croaky and your throat dry feeling dehydrated. She turns her head to find a pitcher and glass on your bedside table and she fills the glass. She puts her hand behind your head, gently lifting you so you could drink, and once the coldness hits your lips, you marvel at the feeling, feeling satisfied once your dehydration is slowly becoming fixed.

"That's it." She coos as you continue to gulp at the liquid, "Drink as much as you need." Once the glass is empty, she helps you lay back down and puts it to the side before filling it up again in case you need another drink and she dips the towel in the bucket again before placing it back to your forehead. Tears filling your eyes this time, everything suddenly became overwhelming and she notices immediately and she places her other hand in yours rubbing soothingly with her thumb, "You're okay now," she coos, her voice crackling slightly and she sniffs and turns her head towards the door before looking back at you. She tosses the towel away and cups your cheek gently as you still held her hand with your own. "I promise I'm going to put a stop to Nurse Bucket and her negligence," she says but you shake your head. "Why not?"

"It was my treatment." You let out a whisper.

"No. No, that wasn't treatment. That is abuse. We put a stop to that after Mrs. Cartwright." she tells you, continuing the circles on your cheek, "Look at me, please." She whispers and she wipes the tears from your eyes as you turn to look at her. "You will never have to go through that again. No one will."

"But I'm -"

"I know. I've read your files. I'm going to be administering your treatments from now on, understood? If Nurse Bucket or anyone else tries to do something, just give me a shout." She says and you give her a weak smile. "You'll be okay," she comforts again

"Thank you," you say a little louder when your voice finally permits it.

"Whatever for?"

"Cooling me down and being there for me," you say weakly and she gives you a reassuring smile.

"You should get some rest now," she says as her hand leaves your face. "If you need anything, ask for me or Huck, okay?" You nod at her sleepily as she lifts herself from the bed. "You're so strong, Ms. Y/N," she says as she leaves the room and you doze off to sleep. For the first time since you arrived here you feel cared for, and that warms your body in a way that boiling bath never could.