Survivin' - [B.C.]

Chapter 5: Special Effects

"Are you alright, dear?" Ben asked, looking considerably concerned. I would be, too, if a kid I barely knew was sitting next to me in a limousine while bouncing and clenching their fists. Not to mention the wide grin on my face.

"I've never ridden in a limo before!" I chirped. The couple once again shared a laugh. Sophie patted my knee.

"Well, there's a first time for everything."

==========SURVIVIN'==========

My guts spilled out of me like a broken floodgate. I leaned forward once more, hunched over the toilet, and gagged myself into oblivion.

I'd been in the airport bathroom for over half an hour, and felt sympathy for the innocent victims of my heinous puking. I didn't know if Sophie was still waiting for me outside or not.

As soon as we left the group home to head over to the airport (3 hours early, mind you) I had begun to experience an oncoming panic attack. And I am a heavy puker when it comes to panic attacks.

The metal door to the bathroom creaked open and I heard soft footsteps come halfway in.

"Hey, Cal, how's it going?" Sophie asked. I opened my mouth to answer with some snotty remark, but all that came out was another wave of vomit. I didn't even have much in me to hack up. What's 45 minutes gonna do to my stomach?

"Sweetheart, are you sure you don't want me to call a doctor?" Sophie was closer to my stall now.

"I'll be coughing up my intestines by the time they get here," I groaned.

"You're only proving my point."

My stomach cramped up so tightly that I thought it would collapse in on itself. I let out a small wail of pain as I clenched my stomach and curled into a ball.

When I was younger, my dad used to sing to me when I had panic attacks. His deep voice and warm hugs always made everything better. That might work for everything except the fear of flying over a literal ocean and starting a new life in a different country. Unless you want to sing something from Come From Away, I don't think you could help someone in this situation.

I closed my eyes and trained my thoughts on my dad's voice like I always did in times like this. I tried to focus on his warm brown eyes, shiny hair, and soothing voice.

"Don't worry, darling," I forced him to say. "I'll be there with you every step of the way."

I laughed a bit to myself.

Kinda hard to do when you're dead.

"Is there really nothing I can do?" I just barely heard Ben's voice come from outside the bathroom.

"Do you really want to be in the woman's loo?" Sophie countered.

They lightly bickered back and forth before I groaned and lifted myself to my knees. I reached for my phone in my back pocket and tried to pull up YouTube. My hands were shaking too much.

"Sophie," I barely uttered. I heard her step forward.

"Yes, dear?"