Beware - gorey descriptions and med stuff. Possible etomophobia.
-my pov - 2:31 am-
I woke up in a sweat. I had another nightmare and another night of lost sleep. I had dreampt that I made Peso upset one night. Another night that I couldn't save him. And most nights, that he'd reject me. I had liked him for so long, what's the harm in asking him out? He's your coworker! Manager even! You're his side medic. His nurse. He's the main. Plus there's no chance he'd like me anyways.
There I laid on my bed, staring at the ceiling. Recollecting my thoughts and telling myself that it's ridiculous, he'd never like me back. No chance. Stop dreaming.
I started coughing. Then it escalated to hacking coughs. And it got worse. My throat itched. Burned even. The coughing inky got worse. I ran to the bathroom, suppressing my cough and hunched over the toilet. Something fell out. No.
There was a petal on the floor. And with each cough, earned another petal. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Five petals. Scattered on the floor. I quickly picked them up and ran to Kwaziis room.
I knocked on the door. Please be up, please be up. The door opened and I ran inside.
"Pluto? What's wrong matey? Nightmare?" He asked.
"No. Well yes but no that's not the *cough* issue." I said, stuffing a petal into my pocket.
"What's up? Sick?"
"Remember those fictional diseases we were talking about?"
"Yeah?"
"I think I've got Hanahaki." I sighed, coughing up petals.
"Yer pullin' me paw!"
I pulled back my hand and showed him a handful of petals. Some blood dripping from my mouth.
"Oh my gosh. I-I'll call Peso!"
"Don't. I don't need the one I'm falling for seeing me like this." I sighed and looked away.
"Peso??"
I nodded, coughing up a full flower this time, blue petals tinted red.
"Its admit my feelings, get rejected and die or get it surgically removed and never feel love romantically again."
"Orr tell him and get accepted and not die or need surgery."
"I don't know, sugery sounds better to me."
"I'm calling Peso." He said, picking up his phone and calling Peso down, requesting a cot for me to be carried in.
Peso got here and his eyes filled with horror as he saw me on the floor, coughing my guts out (literally) with flowers and petals scattered on the floor in a puddle of blood.
"Kwazii get her on the cot with me" Peso instructed. Peso lifted my head, supporting my shoulders and Kwazii got my legs. They carried me on the cot to sickbay and laid me on a bed.
"Hanahaki? Wasn't that fictional?"
"I thought so. But maybe not."
"Whatever. Real or not, it's clearly happening here. Treatment includes, having her confess or having a surgery to remove the flower. Both have cons. If she confesses and their love rejects them. She will die. If we go through with the surgery, she won't be able to feel romantic feelings again. Ever. Whatever your choice is, think it through." Peso warned.
I laid there, coughing and hacking into the O² mask. Just tell him. And then what? Die? No, I'd rather be feeling-less.
I kept coughing and a whole flower came up, blue painted red again.
"Matey just tell him. I don't want to see you die here and I'm sure he likes you back! Even if not, he can figure out something to save you! He has to!" Kwazii encouraged me.
"Fine. Bring him in here please."
"Yes Pluto? You needed something?"
"I.." I hesitated and changed my answer. "I want to do the surgery." I sighed, looking down. At this point flowers were sprouting through my skin. Every now and then I used to cough up petals but I hadn't thought much of it. Now this was really bad.
"Oh okay- are you sure? You'll never feel romance again." He looked away. I heard Kwazii mutter an "Oh no.."
"I'm sure." I sighed.
"Tomorrow morning then." He said. "Try to get some rest." He sighed and went into the other room.
"What the hell was that?" Kwazii exclaimed.
"I'm gonna regret I know but..it's for the better. If you'll excuse me, I'm going." I said, getting up and taking off the O² mask, walking out of sickbay. In the bathroom I started hacking real bad. And I mean bad. No petals this time. Whole flowers. I sat there fighting it. Wanting it to stop. Blood everywhere, on my clothes. Floor. Flowers. More flowers. Flower stems with thorns. I passed out. I've been coughing for hours and have lost so much blood. Maybe I should've just told him.
Soon someone found me and carried me to sickbay. Hooking me up to a blood bag and O² system. Giving me water through an IV.
"Why did she do that!?" Someone yelled.
"They thought her love would reject them." Another voice said.
"Who even was it?" Another voice.
"You, Peso." Someone said.
"Me?" Must've been Peso asking. "I-I loved her too but why wouldn't she say?? How long has she been coughing up petals??"
"A few *cough* months" I butt in.
"Oh you're alive!"
"I love you Peso."
"I feel the same."
My lungs cleared and breathing got easier. Thank God that was over.
W
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