Secrets Of Third Base

23

It's 4:17AM. Brooke awakens to Cade, thrashing, twisting, and groaning.

It startles her, but she comes to her senses quickly. She wasn't expecting tonight to be restful.

She tries shaking him gently and then patting him on the back. That only seems to make it worse. She turns on the bedside lamp and nearly jumps out of her skin. His lips are blue.

"Jesus, Cade- Wake up!" She yells and shakes him much harder this time.

It takes twenty seconds before he finally opens his bloodshot eyes.

He is gasping for breaths and coughing at the same time.

She forces him to sit up.

She moves so she is sitting in front of him.

"Hey, hey, Cade. Look at me." She says firmly.

He does, sucking in erratic breaths. She takes his wrist, checking his heart rate. It is terrifyingly high.

She debates calling 911, but something is telling her that would only make the situation worse.

'Calm down' she thinks to herself, even though her own hands are starting to shake. She was trained for this in school, but it's different now. It's the middle of the night, and it's Cade. It's not just some athlete or passerby in the stands. It's the person she probably cares about most.

She knows she has to tread lightly. She's positive this is due to anxiety or night terrors. Calling paramedics would probably only send him spiraling further. That's when instinct kicks in.

Time seems to move in slow motion, even though it's only been twenty seconds since she has turned on the light.

"Cade, you are really oxygen deprived right now. Sit up straight." She says and is proud of herself for not choking on her own words as they come out.

She pushes on his lower back, forcing his chest to lengthen.

"Try and take some deep breaths for me."

He isn't looking at her. Low oxygen can cause confusion. He looks like he is trying, but his chest is barely moving.

Then she stands up and quickly runs to tear apart her suitcase. It's tucked at the very bottom, but she never forgets it. Her asthma inhaler.

It almost seemed like he was too dazed to even notice she was gone.

"This will help you, okay? Try to breathe in." She says.

She pushes the bottle between his lips and applies pressure.

The result is immediate. When she removes it, the coughing slows and he is able to take a couple of deep breaths, followed by short and shallow ones.

She sits with him, monitoring his pulse. She doesn't know how long has passed, likely not as long as it felt.

When it returns to normal, she passes him the water bottle.

He doesn't even fight with her and downs the entire thing.

"Are you okay?" She asks.

He nods.

"It's never been that bad before." He says and he sounds scared. She is too.

"You may want to go to urgent care and get checked out."

"Do...do I have to?" He asks.

"I guess not tonight, but you should get checked out. Hypoxia can kill you, Cade."

"Hypoxia?" He questions.

"Oxygen deprivation. It's not something to mess around with." She says, realizing she is also on the verge of tears.