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Kib wakes up first. This has always been the case. He kisses his sleeping husband and gets up, prompting Charp to start making breakfast and boiling a kettle so Aydanci can have tea whenever he's up. Kib finished a book yesterday, so he picks up a new one. He should make some more storks if he can't think of anything useful to do with the day; the world can always use more storks.
secondchance
Kib snaps his fingers a couple of times and his chair comes running. "Here. What's wrong?"
secondchance
"Charp, get a glass of water."
"Yes milord," replies Charp from the kitchen. It is along presently with a glass of water.
"Yes milord," replies Charp from the kitchen. It is along presently with a glass of water.
do_over
Aydanci takes the offered glass, and sips at it a bit. After two mouthfuls he puts it down on a nearby table.
... He is sort of wheezing. Strange, he hasn't done anything strenuous.
... He is sort of wheezing. Strange, he hasn't done anything strenuous.
secondchance
"Okay. Better to have Charp carry you -" Charp picks Aydanci up; Kib can pilot the chair faster and Charp's got a quick smooth gait when it wants. Out they go. "This is sudden? You felt all right when you woke up?"
do_over
"Mhm," he says, leaning on Charp a bit. Breathing: continues to be hard! Well. Actually the breathing itself isn't hard, he's doing quite a lot of it, but it still feels so much like he's not getting enough air.
"... Feeling lightheaded and my fingers are tingly," he pronounces, because telling symptoms is important.
"... Feeling lightheaded and my fingers are tingly," he pronounces, because telling symptoms is important.
secondchance
"That's - not good -" The chair is already going as fast as it can. "... Charp, run on ahead, tell the doctors anything he can't, I'll catch up."
"Yes milord." It lengthens its stride. The chair jogs doggedly after it.
"Yes milord." It lengthens its stride. The chair jogs doggedly after it.
do_over
Aydanci doesn't have anything useful to offer, so he decides to conserve energy and lean on Charp. And carefully keeps breathing. He will focus on that. That seems important. In, out, in, out. It's not really helping, but he doesn't know what else to do.
secondchance
Charp brings him to the hospital. He is put in a hospital bed and a nurse gives him a general-purpose soothing herb to chew on. A doctor will be with him momentarily, but he's not unconscious or contagious and his golem can shout if something changes and there are some kids threatening to bleed out from a cart accident. Triage doesn't favor the old guy with a dizzy spell.
Kib catches up. He goes in, he finds his husband. He sits on the bed. "Any better?"
Kib catches up. He goes in, he finds his husband. He sits on the bed. "Any better?"
secondchance
Kib takes his hand. "Sh, it's okay, not your fault. Unless it is and then I'll be very annoyed, you know. Deep breaths. You're still dizzy even lying down?"
do_over
That coaxes a smile out of him. "Mhm. Sort of, not all here, either." He waves a hand vaguely.
secondchance
"Well, then instead of thinking just - breathe." Kib swallows. "Keep breathing, honey."
do_over
"Have been," he agrees. Breathing. Breathing. Breathing.
... He closes his eyes. But he continues breathing. Very quickly, but he is.
... He closes his eyes. But he continues breathing. Very quickly, but he is.
secondchance
A doctor is freed up to have a look at him. Kib recites symptoms so Aydanci doesn't have to. The doctor listens to and looks at various parts of the patient.
"It seems to be your heart," he says. "There aren't any reliable interventions. It may pass on its own."
"Or?" says Kib.
"...Or it may not. How old did you say your husband is?"
"Eighty-eight."
"...I'm sorry, sir. We can keep him comfortable."
"It seems to be your heart," he says. "There aren't any reliable interventions. It may pass on its own."
"Or?" says Kib.
"...Or it may not. How old did you say your husband is?"
"Eighty-eight."
"...I'm sorry, sir. We can keep him comfortable."
do_over
Well isn't that just the most fantastic news ever.
"Your unfalling optimism," he says, breathe breathe, "fills me with," breathe breathe, "hope and glee."
"Your unfalling optimism," he says, breathe breathe, "fills me with," breathe breathe, "hope and glee."
secondchance
"It may pass. Are you in pain? We can get you an analgesic," says the doctor.
"Honey," murmurs Kib.
"Honey," murmurs Kib.
secondchance
The doctor shoos.
"Honey," says Kib, "hypocritical as it is for me to say this: do not die on me."
"Honey," says Kib, "hypocritical as it is for me to say this: do not die on me."
do_over
"Trying." He clutches a hand at his chest, somewhat clumsily. "Really. Breathing."
Breathing! Breathing breathing breathing.
Breathing! Breathing breathing breathing.