Renga Fluff But I Hit You In The Head With The Skateboard Of Angst

7: "stomach bug"

The two texted each other the next day and eventually decided to go on facetime. Soon after, Langa was called to eat breakfast and told Reki he'd be right back.

Several minutes later Langa went back to Reki, who had fallen asleep while he was gone. He smiled at the boy, seeing his adorable face made it all worth it. He was about to hang up until he heard Reki's mom come in.

"Reki you idiot get up we need to go to your appointment." His mom demanded. Reki didn't wake up. Langa was concerned, he kept himself on mute, thinking it maybe wasn't a good idea to speak up. She didn't sound like she was in a good mood.

It took some shaking for Reki to finally wake up, glance at his phone and quickly hang up, before he did they exchanged a silent understanding.

----

When they went into the doctors office, Reki was hit with the harsh scent of antibacterial product. It was strong, dizzying.

He noticed the consistent glare of a mom, her kid asleep on her shoulder, snot running down his face, he was blonde, he looked feverish. He hoped that kid was gonna leave a good life, and not be gay like him. He was tired of the constant glares from people. 

He was tired when the nurse at the front desk glared at him. 

He was tired when the doctor cringed at him as he gave a diagnosis. 

Just a stomach bug, it should go away by itself in a couple days, no need to come back. It almost seemed like he was being shooed away. his mom didn't seem to mind. in fact, she told him how he was being dramatic about his pain since it was "just a stomach bug"

but on the way home, Reki was sick on the shoulder of the road. The pain wasn't just nauseous, it was crampy and painful around his belly button, almost stabbing lower down, closer to his hips. He restrained tears, he didn't want his mom being anymore upset with him than she already was. He took a deep shaky breath, restraining his tears. It hurt so bad.

It hurt so so so bad. He sniffled, trying to hold back tears,  biting his quivering lip. 

It got to a point when he couldn't hold back tears anymore and he let out a genuine sob, "it hurts." he whimpered, almost unintelligible through his heavy sobs. There was snot running down his face and his cheeks were rosy, similar to the boy he had seen earlier. And just like then, his mom was glaring at him. 

"It hURTS" he said, raising his voice at the end as another sob tore at his throat. He was leaned over his right side. 

His mom finally pulled over, sick of his crying. Reki pushed himself out of the car and dry heaved. His mom was finally realizing that the doctor was wrong about something, but still proceeded to tell Reki he was being dramatic.

Reki finally got something up with a violent wretching sound, his fever seemed to be worse than earlier,  and his body had picked up a consistent tremble, his stomach was bloated. It hurt to take a step. 

The second someone pulled over to check on them, she was acting all comforting again. Reki was barely standing at this rate, the pain was excruciating.

An older man pulled over, promptly running over to him, "are you all okay?" He asked, looking at Reki sobbing over his own puddle of puke.

"I thought he was just carsick, but I think there's something else going on, we just got back from the doctors and they said he had a stomach bug and that it should clear up soon." She said.

The man nodded, turning to Reki "I'm a doctor. Can you show me where it hurts?"

Reki patted the lower right side of his stomach, "it hurts to move." He sobbed.

The man felt his forehead, and then his stomach, "I have a feeling it's his appendix, a stomach bug doesn't do this to kids. Whatever doctor you went to was very very wrong. We need to get him to the hospital. We need an ambulance."

Both their heads turned as a cop car with lights on pulled up, "is everything okay?" The officer asked.

"I think his appendix ruptured, he needs to get to a hospital as soon as possible. This is a medical emergency." He said immediately, "I was about to call- it's amazing timing-"

"I can't afford a hospital stay! Can we treat it at home? I can't pay-" she said, her voice shaking as she wrapped her arms around Reki.

"Ma'am if his appendix has ruptured he's going to need emergency surgery. This could be life threatening. I'll help you figure out funds, everything will be okay as long as he stays alive." He said, the cop was taking care of getting an ambulance.

Reki honestly would rather die at this point. He was in pain, outside of Langa he wasn't living for much anyways. He felt awfully dizzy, he couldn't see straight. Everything he was hearing was muffled and distorted. He felt completely out of body. It was like watching himself from 3rd person, not even pulled back to reality when he lurched out of his mom's arms and vomited.

The next time he moved from that hunched over position is when an ambulance pulled up and they had to move him onto a stretcher.

When they touched him from behind, he completely freaked out. His mom looked almost enraged. He tried to calm his racing heart, but the harsh asphalt shoulder, the rocks in his hands, the cars flying by, the sirens, the multiple people calling his name, and the pain oh the pain was so so overwhelming.

He could hear everything at once, feel everything at once and it was awful. He let out a cry and covered his ears. The paramedics looked to eachother, slightly confused before one knelt down and calmly called his name.

He looked up, his eyebrows furrowed in pain, tears dripping harshly down his face.

"We need to get you into the ambulance and to the hospital." She said.

Reki shook his head, "I cant- we can't pay for it we can't pay for it." He sobbed. His eyes went wide and his voice gave out as he was hit with another strong wave of pain, he was barely conscious. He couldn't fight the paramedics lifting him up and taking him away.