Chapter 14
Later...
Avery POV
Riker had fallen asleep after he took a bath. So I went to work on dinner and I also decided to bake some chocolate chip cookies, hoping they might cheer Riker up a little.
"A-Avery?"
I went into the living room. Riker was sitting on the floor and he had his knees pulled up to his chest and his arms wrapped around them tight.
"What's wrong?" I asked, sitting down next to him.
"H-how do you s-stop p-panicking when you're h-having a p-panic attack?"
"Take some deep breaths."
"I a-already t-tried that."
"Take some more."
I put my hand lightly on his back, listening to him breathing.
"Deeper breaths, Riker."
"It's hard."
"I know it's hard. Just try to take deeper breaths."
I waited with Riker for a few minutes and he was able to calm down again.
"How do I stop having these panic attacks?" Riker asked.
"Well why do you think you're having them? Do you normally get them?"
"I've never had them before. I've only just started getting them after the accident."
"Do you know what you're anxious about? Like I get that you're scared you'll never walk again, but in the moments that you're having the panic attacks, what are you panicking over?"
"I don't even know. I feel like I'm not even worrying, but my chest just gets tight and hard to breathe and I just get a scary feeling all through my body."
"Maybe we just need to reduce your overall anxiety."
"How?"
"Well... There's a bunch of things we can try. Some things will work. Others won't. We just need to try some different things and see what happens."
Riker sighed. He looked exhausted.
"I don't know if this makes you feel any better, but pulling your knees to your chest like that is good."
"Why?"
"You're stretching and moving your legs. It might help your recovery."
"I feel like I'm not recovering."
"Riker, you've barely given yourself any time at all."
"Well I guess I'm just feeling really hopeless today," he said, laying down.
"Ok, well I have something that will make you feel better," I said, getting up.
I went into the kitchen and brought him back a cookie.
"This was supposed to be for after dinner tonight, but since you're having a bad day, you can have one now," I said, handing it to him.
"You made this?" He asked, taking a bite.
"Yup. While you were napping."
"It's really good."
"Thanks."
Riker finished his cookie and sighed. He still looks so tired.
"Are you hungry for dinner yet?"
"Not really..."
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Paralyzed
FanfictionWhen Riker gets into a car accident, he becomes partially paralyzed and can't go on tour with the rest of R5. But instead of leaving him home alone, his family hires a college nursing student to take care of him while they're gone. And he's not happ...
