#donatingblood

I tried donating blood today. Never again.

Way too many questions.

Whose blood is that?

Where did you get it from?

Caitlyn opened her eyes and moved her head from side to side. Then she blinked a few times and rubbed her eyes so she could clear her fuzzy vision. She heard Janet approaching the guest room, and it almost sounded like she was running.

Why am I on the floor? she asked herself. Why does Mom sound so worried?

She mentally searched for answers, recalling that she and Janet had just gotten back from a shopping trip. Caitlyn had been feeling tired and weak and asked Janet to make some coffee while she took a few minutes to put her bags away and relax. She had tried to get up after about 10 minutes, believing she was OK, but she felt dizzy and immediately sat back down. The last thing she remembered was trying to stand up for a second time and feeling a rush of blood to her head.

“Caitlyn?” Janet called her name again, this time with more urgency, and knelt down by her side. “Come on, sweetie; talk to me.” She pressed her fingers into Caitlyn’s neck to feel her pulse. “Your pulse is weak and thready. What’s wrong?”

Keep reading my latest Sicktember post on AO3! (TW: blood donation, fainting)