sturniolo one shots (Nick)

Nicks Asthma Attack

I was getting ready to film a car video with Matt and Chris, I was putting stuff in my backpack, and I bent down to tie my shoe when I felt a sharp pain in my chest. I was used to this feeling, and without a second thought, I reached into my pocket and got my inhaler. I was about to take a second puff of it when Matt walked into the living room, so I quickly put it back in my pocket.

I knew I shouldn't be embarrassed about having asthma, especially with my brothers, but I couldn't help but feel awkward using my inhaler in front of people. Matt asked me if I was okay while pointing at my pocket, I thought I had hid it fast enough and felt bad that my brothers had to worry about me all the time but I said "Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks for asking," he smiled, and yelled for Chris because he was taking his sweet time getting ready for today's video. Chris replied with an annoyed "hold on." As we waited for him, I bent down and tied my shoe.

Chris finally came into the living room and we began walking to the car, we all got in the car to drive to our usual spot, a couple seconds into the drive that sharp twinge in my chest came back and was persistent for three or four minutes before it went away, I decided to ignore it because I was hoping that it would just go away on its own and, frankly, I did not want to worry my brothers by using my inhaler before a video. We arrived at our spot and started setting up the camera, making sure we were in the frame and making sure that the camera was in focus. By the time we had done all of that, I had completely forgotten about what happened earlier.

Matt pressed the record and started the video. The timer went off 15 minutes later, and it was time for Matt to check the camera. Matt got back in the car and we continued, or should I say we tried to continue, when Matt got back it the car I felt as though all of the air was knocked out of my lungs and I was desperately trying to breathe, Matt and Chris obviously heard this and looked back at me, concerned, I tried to give a reassuring smile but I couldn't breathe, so it felt like more of a grimace. Chris asked. "What's wrong? Are you okay?" Matt asked."Did you bring your inhaler?" I decided I should get out of the car where there is more air, so I scrambled out of the car as fast as possible and reached for my pocket. As soon as I got out of the car, I realized with horror that my pocket was empty and started frantically searching my other pockets.

At this point, Matt and Chris had also gotten out of the car and were now realizing what was going on. I was having an asthma attack. It was getting harder and harder to breathe and I couldn't find the words to communicate to them that I couldn't find my inhaler. I collapsed to the wet, hard, concrete. Matt caught me before I hit my head and at this point I feel like I can't breathe at all. I see Chris frantically throwing stuff out of the backseat, having realized that I didn't have my inhaler on me. Matt was sitting with his back leaning on the tire of the car while I lay against him, Matt has one of his hands on my head, and the other one on my chest, he's trying to deliberately breath in and out as if to remind me how to breathe, I could hear him desperately talking in my ear saying things like "its okay nick, just breathe, it'll be okay" while occasionally yelling at Chris to hurry up because my lips are turning blue and I looked like I was losing consciousness.

Chris yelled out, "I found it!" and I felt something cold against my lips and began desperately trying to get a hold of my inhaler, Matt had to hold my hands down so Chris could help me, Matt said in my ear "remember, breathe in and hold it for 10 seconds" I shakely nodded and breathed in and tried to hold it while Matt counted in my ear, but only got to 3 seconds, they still praised me and I got enough breath to say one word "h-hospital" as soon as they heard that Chris handed my inhaler to Matt and got his phone out and dialed 911, I couldn't manage to get another breath and stopped breathing for a couple seconds and Matt started panicking more, he brought the inhaler to my lips again and I inhaled and he counted, I only got to 2 seconds this time. I heard Chris frantically telling the dispatcher our location while kneeling In front of Matt and I, Chris then said "They'll be here in 5 minutes" Matt brought the inhaler to my lips again and I couldn't breathe in.

My vision started to darken around the edges, and I thought, "This is it. This is how I die" Matt and Chris started frantically telling me to breathe (you don't think I thought of that?) Chris started telling the dispatcher what was happening and I started hearing sirens, after what felt like forever I breathed in an extremely shaky, wheezy and labored breath but it was a breath my vision started clearing but instantly after that I was back to not breathing.

The paramedics screeched into the parking lot and jumped out of the ambulance, and one ran over to me while the other grabbed their equipment and their gurney. They got me off of Matt and lifted me onto the gurney and got me in the back of the ambulance, once in the back they gave me a nebulizer and I took a wheezy breath of the sweet, sweet relief. I was still struggling beyond belief, but I could feel air getting into my lungs. Matt and Chris were in the back with me now, and Chris' hand was on my arm while Matt's hand was on my knee.

I felt guilty for making them worry. I took the nebulizer out of my mouth to apologize, but as soon as I did, the paramedic put it right back in my mouth. The other paramedic got into the driver's seat, and I heard the sirens turn on, and we started moving. The drive to the hospital was tense, with Matt and Chris texting and calling mom and dad and explaining everything and reassuring them that they did not have to fly out to LA.

We arrived at the hospital and by then it was getting so much easier to breathe and I was starting to feel extremely tired. We got into a room and a doctor came in and started listening to my heart and lungs, while my brothers were explaining everything to him and giving my medical history. I was starting to feel so much better so they just switched me over to a nasal cannula, my brothers were out of the room because the doctor was asking personal questions, when they walked back in I could see the relief on their face, and once again, I felt guilty for scaring them so I said "guys I am so sorry for scaring you like, it's just, you know I haven't had an asthma attack since I was a kid" Chris said "don't apologize man, I'm just really glad you're okay. you scared us, " Matt said. "Yeah, don't apologize. But I saw you hide your inhaler from me earlier. What was that about? Me and Chris won't make fun of you for your asthma or anything like that. You know that."

I nodded and decided it was time I came clean about my irrational insecurity so I said "I just feel embarrassed using my inhaler In front of you guys, it makes me feel like a freak because why can't I just be like you guys? I just feel so isolated when it comes to my asthma, and I know you guys would never make fun of me for it, but I just always feel like I should hide."

"I realize that I need to stop doing that." I mumbled "jeez you think?" Chris said sarcastically, and Matt giggled beside him. I couldn't help but giggle, which was a mistake because it made me cough, which hurt like hell. My brothers will always be there for me, and I will always be there for them, and the unfortunate events of tonight helped prove that. I felt myself falling asleep and tried to stop it when Chris said, "Get some sleep, kid, we'll be here when you wake up." With that, I closed my eyes and let what happened tonight become nothing but a memory.

*Future me here. A bunch of my first fics suck ass so don't judge me by earlier mistakes, I swear my more recent ones are way better.*