#suffocation whump

They coughed a couple times as they felt around in the side pocket of their backpack, eventually having to take it off and look that way. Their inhaler wasn’t in their usual place. They rummaged through the entire backpack, throwing out their bottle and sweatshirt, but there was no sign of it. 

Did they… did they leave it at home?

Their chest felt tight with both the worry and as a result of the asthma attack. They immediately put their things back in their backpack and started down the hill. The coughing became more persistent, their breath was getting quicker and quicker, and they felt like they were going to suffocate. There was nothing but woods for at least 20 more minutes.

They grabbed their phone to dial the emergency number, but there was no reception. They were going to die. They were going to die in the woods, alone, and their puppy back home would have no idea what happened for the rest of her life.

Sprinting was out of the picture. That would’ve only made the asthma attack worse. So speedwalking it was until they finally got cell reception, just around the time they reached the road. 

“What’s your emergency?” the woman on the other side asked, and Whumpee had no idea if they were even going to be able to articulate the problem. “Hello?”

“Asthma,” they wheezed. “Please. Ambulance.”

“Mx, calm down. What did you say?”

“Asthma attack,” they forced out. “Please. Please, help.”

“Asthma attack?”

“Yes!”

“Do you have your inhaler with you?”

“No.”

“Mx, where are you? Where should we send the ambulance?”

“The— the trail— by the creek—”

“Trail by the creek. We’re sending a team. Stay where you are, Mx, stay on the phone. We’re going to get you help. Stay on the phone and try to regulate your breathing enough to talk to me. It’s going to be okay.”

At some point, Whumpee just lay down on the grass, wheezing into the phone. Their vision was starting to blur from how fast they were gasping for air. And then finally, blissfully, they heard the ambulance sirens in the distance. They would be saved. They just had to stay alert for a few more minutes.

Just a few more minutes.

~