Disordered Eating (Skephalo)

cpr

Darryl's POV

As it was happening, Vincent immediately pulled out his phone and frantically called the emergency number. Clay ran down the hall to get an AED, basically sprinting out the door.

It was like in gym class, when they would make us watch those CPR training videos. Or like when we practiced with dummies. The training videos were to supposedly prepare us for this.

But this wasn't a training video. This wasn't a dummy.

I quickly laid Zak onto the ground and tried to wake him up. I yelled frantically for him to wake up, but he didn't move. Tears fell down my eyes and I quickly began to perform CPR on Zak.

I tried to keep up to the rhythm of a song we were told to sing in our heads, but it was so hard to think of a song to stay in beat to when all I was thinking about is how I could lose my Zak at any moment.

Vincent was talking to the operator who tried to ask me questions and give me instructions.  I counted out loud and gave Zak mouth to mouth.

This wasn't a romantic mouth to mouth like I would want.

Clay came running in then with an AED in his hand from the apartment hallway. We quickly attached the AED as best as we could to Zak for his heart.

I was sobbing and screaming at the top of my lungs, still hollering for Zak. He still wasn't getting up. Zak didn't move.

All our memories these past few days ran across my mind. Every kiss and hug, every tear shed, the little bit of progress with Skippy, my minecraft event, and the terrible IHop incident kept flashing in my brain.

The AED was applied and it was time to go back to CPR. I kept pounding my hands in a rhythm against his chest. I tried to give him all of my air that I could. I was crying, but still kept doing CPR the best I could. I kept switching between that and the AED.

I heard sirens outside and saw red lights from the corner of my eyes. Paramedics then arrived into my apartment and the paramedic let me finish the round of CPR. Afterwards, he switched with me and continued it on him.

They quickly loaded him onto a stretcher and pulled him out of my apartment. I ran after them with my hand reached out for Zak. He was still unconscious.

I can't lose him.

Before they left the hall, I screamed "I love you, Zak!" in case he could somehow hear me.

I didn't hear it back.

They let me ride on the back of the ambulance with Zak when we got outside of the apartment. Vincent and Clay stayed back, unsure of what to do.

The EMTs quickly tried to work on Zak the best they could before arriving at the hospital. It was the same hospital as Zak's psychiatric stay, but he wouldn't be in the psych ward.

He'd be in the emergency room.

We arrived at the hospital and the EMTS quickly rushed him inside. They were running throughout the hospital's halls as fast as they could. I tried to follow, but at a certain point they told me a staff member would talk to me.

I was still sobbing nonstop the whole time in the waiting room. I guess that's common here, but people still gave me looks. I probably looked ugly with a visibly wet face and puffy red eyes.

I can't lose him.

After an hour, a staff member stepped into the lobby and called for me. I walked up to her very slowly with dread and my legs felt like jelly. I felt so sick and scared. I almost didn't want to hear what she had to say.

"So Zak had a heart attack. I managed to save his heart despite his weak body. We really didn't think he was going to make it. We've seen patients in better condition die. In his state, this is a miracle. His heart is really bad and he needs feeding now. As you know, this heart attack happened because of his malnutrition. He'll have to be tube fed and looked after to refeeding syndrome. Refeeding Syndrome is a syndrome that when the body starts intaking food after not having enough for a long time it can cause the body to start shutting down from shock. We have to admit him to a special unit here for a long time. I know you were going to take him to IOP, but he needs medical care. He won't be in the psych ward again, so you can bring him a laptop or his phone in if he gets better and wants that," The doctor lady said.

"Zak won't feel safe here," I said.

"He won't, but it's better for his health to be here. We'll let you visit a lot. After a bit, Zak will realize he needs to be here. He's still unconscious, but we have him more stable now," She said.

"True," I said.

She put her hands on my shoulders and looked into my eyes.

"I know you're worried for him, but it'll be okay now. He'll be really scared here and miss you. You'll miss him, but you'll have him home eventually and even better," She said, "I'm sorry that the doctors didn't just admit him into this kind of unit at first. He needed more than a psych ward. He'll have a psychiatrist with him as well."

I looked down. She was right. I was being kind of selfish. I just loved having Zak home with me. However, this will help him stay home longer.

"Can I go see him?" I asked.

"Not right now, but soon. Maybe you should go home and rest," She said.

"I'm not sure if I can, but I'll be here for a bit longer," I said.

She nodded and walked away from the waiting room area. I owed this woman somehow for saving Zak. Not sure how I'll make it up to her.

"I love you Zak," I whispered, hoping he'd somehow hear me.