CLOUDY \\\ B.E. imagines

tetanus

"Sh baby, relax, relax."

You feel Billie's core shake as her back muscles stiffen even more, saliva and sweat soaking both you and her as her brother drives way over the speed limit to the hospital.

Two weeks ago, Billie had gotten bit by a rat that her dog, Shark, had brought into the house. The bite was pretty deep, on her left thigh (she had been sleeping on the couch when he dropped it in her lap, quite a rude awakening), but we of course didn't think much of it.

But we also weren't aware that Billie had yet to ever get her tetanus shot.

Her family has no idea how, as everyone else in the family had received it, but she just never got it.

Five days after the initial bite, her jaw began to cramp, eventually locking that same day in a permanent position of an uncomfortable smile.

She was hesitant to go to the doctor, knowing she would get recognized along the way if she walked into urgent care, so she scheduled the soonest appointment— January 18— which was 15 days away.

No big deal.

That was until on the eighth day, she began waking up in the middle of the night with severe muscle spasms on the leg that was bit.

It became normal to wake up to her screaming in agony.

Then it because a daily occurrence, not just at night.

Then it became an all day thing.

By day 13, she lost the ability to swallow, or move at all.

She began to constantly be wetting herself, unable to clearly tell us when she had to go to the bathroom in time.

She had a constant temperature of 103 degrees Fahrenheit, sweating through her clothes every two hours. You could tell she had migraines, always crying out when lights would be turned on. Her heart could be felt whenever you touched her arm, beating harshly.

Any time we mentioned the hospital she would whine in disapproval, even though she was deteriorating before your eyes.

The breaking point was today, day 14, January 17– one day before her appointment.

You had put her down to bed with the help of her family, who had moved into you and Billie's home on day 8 to help care for her.

Today had already been hard.

She couldn't do anything but stay where she was placed, back slightly arched, body always shaking and hard as a rock as her muscles lost control.

She was always crying.

Always in pain.

Yet, she still clearly didn't want to go to the emergency room. She wanted to wait until her appointment.

Nobody knew what was wrong, no one connected it to the bite, so no one knew that what was happening was fatal.

Even when she would begin drowning in her own saliva, forced to wait until someone came to her rescue and tilted her head to empty her airways, she would try to reassure us that she was okay through muttered words coming out of a locked mouth.

And we all believed that she's okay, it's not like she was dying or anything.

You woke up at 4 am to Billie's cries— a regular occurrence.

But then you felt that the bed was shaking.

And then saw that Billie was shaking.

Not like she usually was, though.

She was... convulsing?

Sort of staring at nothing— looking straight ahead as her body jerks.

Then it hit you like a truck, all at once— she's seizing.

Your girlfriend is having a seizure.

The sheets were soaked, sticking to her skin as you pried them off of her, sobbing, begging for Billie to stop.

You held her in your arms with her brother on the phone, begging for him to help you.

You've never felt fear like this as you sat in the back of Finneas's SUV, as he blows through stop signs and red lights.

But it's not his driving that's scaring you— it's your girlfriend.

Your blue girlfriend.

No longer breathing, she lays in your arms, muscles still tight, body still overcome by tremors.

You feel like you can't breathe with her.

————

"I wish you would've brought her in sooner. She would be in a much better condition if that was the case."

Tears flowed down your face as the doctor spoke, finally giving you information after being at the hospital for over four hours.

She had been flown to a bigger hospital upon arrival at the ER, her condition obviously too severe for the emergency room to handle, and you got there with her at around 5 am.

You've sat in the same chair since then, and finally at 9 am, you're getting some word on how she's doing.

"Billie has severe tetanus. You mentioned she was bitten by a rat— that's undoubtedly the cause. All the symptoms were caused by that. The seizure was just her condition worsening, but the blue color and stoppage of breathing was due to a blockage of the main artery in her lungs, due to a blood clot that traveled from somewhere else in her body through the bloodstream. She also seems to have some tightening of her vocal chords, and a fracture in one of her ribs from the severe muscle spasms she was experiencing. She has been in a severe amount of pain, especially in the last 24 hours. The strength she must have to deny the offers to go to the emergency room sooner gives me hope that she'll make a full recovery.

She is already on TIG, which is a tetanus immune globulin, as well as wound care for the bite, multiple antibiotics, some fluids, controlled sedatives to tame the muscle spasms, and a tetanus vaccination. She's also on heavy pain killers at the moment, so you may visit her, but she won't be very responsive until around 12 hours from now.

But, she is definitely gonna be okay." 

You take everything in, and hear multiple tears being shed around you.

By now, Billie's whole team and a few close friends have arrived, and have waited with you and her family.

"Can I go see her, please?"

You're not sure who your question is aimed at, but as soon as you hear a yes, you jump out of your chair.

You now have a new hatred for rats.

————

1061 words