Still Breathing

"Hey, Lex? Do you want to go for a walk through the park with me?"

Zack's question came a little out of the blue, but Alex didn't see why not. It was a beautiful day. It was mid-May and flowers were blooming, the weather was finally warm, and the trees were green and leafy.

"Sure! Just lemme get dressed and we can go." Alex smiled at his boyfriend. He shut his laptop down and got up off of the bed. He walked over to the dresser and pulled out his favorite pair of American flag skinny jeans and a black t-shirt. After removing the basketball shorts that he'd been lounging around in, he wiggled into the form-fitting jeans and slid the t-shirt over his head. He brushed his hair and placed a maroon beanie over the top of his messy hair. He then pulled socks on to his feet and slipped on his favorite pair of Vans.

"Ready to go?" Alex heard Zack's voice from behind him.

"Yeah, let's go."

The couple now walked down the street, fingers intertwined and chatting casually and happily. They talked about everything and nothing.

"I love you, Lex. I love you so much." Zack smiled at his boyfriend.

"I love you too, Zee, so, so much."

Another few minutes of walking and the two had reached the park. They sat in a sunny patch of grass and took in the scenery around them. Spring was such a beautiful season. There were flowers blooming, beautiful and bright. The air was fresh and the trees were green. Alex noticed a couple of bees flying around nearby. Then he panicked slightly. Alex was super allergic to bees and he hadn't even thought to grab his EpiPen. The next thing he knew, he felt the painful pinch in his arm and the uncomfortable swelling of the surrounding area.

"Ow, fuck" Alex rubbed at the spot on his arm. He could already feel his chest tightening.

"What? What's the matter, Lex?" Zack asked, his voice laced with concern.

"I just got stung by a bee. Zack, I don't have an EpiPen." Alex was starting to panic. It was getting harder to breathe and his mouth felt fuzzy.

"Shit, Alex. Just stay put okay? And stay calm. That'll only make things worse. I'm gonna run and get your EpiPen. I can call an ambulance if I need to."

Alex nodded.

"You're gonna be okay. I love you." With that, Zack took off, sprinting down the street. He knew if he was quick enough he could make it back to Alex in less than five minutes. He quickly shot up the steps of their shared house. He quickly located the EpiPen and sprinted back towards the park. By the time he made it back to Alex, there was a noticeable wheeze to Alex's breathing and his face was bright red.

"How're you holding up?" Zack asked.

Alex shook his head with a loud wheeze. He attempted to take a deep breath in, desperate for oxygen. The attempt was futile and he coughed dryly. "My throat feels swollen and I can't breathe. And I feel really light headed."

"Okay. I have your EpiPen. Do you want to do it or do you want me to do it?"

"You do it."

Zack nodded, uncapping the syringe. "Here it comes, Lex." He warned as moved to jab the needle into Alex's thigh. He pushed down on the end of it and injected the medication into Alex's vein.

Alex gasped when the needle made contact with his leg and hissed as Zack pulled the needle out. Zack sat there with Alex's hand in hs. He gently rubbed his thumb over the back of Alex's hand. A couple of minutes later, Zack spoke up.

"Talk to me, Lex. How're you doing."

"It's still hard to breathe, but my throat doesn't feel like it's trying to swell shut anymore."

Zack sighed with relief. That meant his body was responding to the Epinephrine. He still didn't like the fact that he was having a hard time breathing.

"I think we should bring you in, Lex." Zack frowned. He hated having to do this to him, but he knew it was necessary. "I'm gonna call and see in Rian or Jack can pick us up because I don't really want to leave you alone again."

Alex nodded. He was trying to talk as little as possible because his chest was still tight and breathing was still difficult.

"Jack's on his way. He'll be here in about five minutes. Just sit tight, babe."

Alex nodded again. he tried to breathe in and coughed. He choked on a small sob. This was getting to be entirely too much. His face felt hot and he was so light headed.

"Lex, babe, shhh. You're okay. I need you to calm down though. I need you to calm down and focus on breathing." Zack coaxed. Just then, Jack pulled into the nearby parking lot. "C'mon, Babe. Up we go." Zack pulled Alex up and supported him to the car. He climbed in the back with Alex because he really needed to be close to his boyfriend. He wrapped a protective arm around Alex's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.

"How's he doing?" Jack asked.

"He's alright, but he's having some trouble breathing still."

Alex coughed and gasped, trying to regain the air that he'd lost. Zack rubbed his back.

"You're gonna be okay, Lex. I promise."

Jack pulled up to the emergency room entrance. Zack climbed out of the car and grabbed a wheelchair for Alex seeing as how he really shouldn't be moving around. Zack's slightly worried that his boyfriend is going to pass out if he's honest. Once Alex was in the chair, Zack wheeled him inside and checked him in at the front desk. Alex was instantly brought back into a room, skipping both the waiting room and triage. There were three different nurses in the room. One was hooking up to an oxygen mask, another checking his vitals, and the third starting an IV.

"His oxygen stats are only at 90, so we started him on oxygen. We've started an IV just to make sure he's well hydrated and we're going to dose him with some Benedryl. If the Benedryl, we're going to give him another shot of Epi." The nurse said as she tore the top off of a Benedryl fast tab. She handed the medication to Alex who quickly swallowed it down. "I'd like to see his oxygen stats at at least 95 before we let him go. I'll be back in to check on him in about half an hour. Press the red call button if you need anything." the nurse smiled politely.

Zack pulled the plastic chair closer to the hospital bed. He grabbed Alex's hand and held it in his. He ran the fingers of his other hand through Alex's hair. He noticed how pale and tired Alex looked. He noticed Alex's eyes slipping shut and he smiled. He pressed a kiss to his forehead. He sent Jack a quick text letting him know what was going on and that he could come back to the room if he wanted to. Within two minutes, Jack was back there and in the other plastic chair. The two just sat there and watched Alex's chest rise and fall as he slept.

Half an hour later, Alex's oxygen stats were up to 93. Another half hour and they were up to 98. The IV was removed from his arm and his discharged papers were signed. They were urged to bring him back in if anything changed and then they were sent on their way. Jack had already pulled the car up front and Alex climbed into the back. Zack climbed in after him and he let Alex lean into him. Alex had dosed off on the ride back home and woke up to Zack carrying him inside.

"I c'n walk y'know." Alex slurred sleepily.

"It's totally fine, Lex. I want to carry you."

Alex let his head rest against Zack's chest and soon he felt himself being set on their bed. He kicked off his jeans and his shoes. He slipped on the same pair of shorts that he'd been wearing earlier that day. He then pulled the blankets up over top of himself.

"Hey Zee, will you come lay with me?"

Zack smiled, pulling up the sweats he'd decided to change into. "Of course I will." Zack climbed into bed and under the covers. He pulled Alex into his chest and tangled their limbs together.

"I love you, Zee. I love you so much. Thank you for today." Alex said with a yawn, his eyes falling closed.

"Don't thank me, Babe. I love you too, but let's not scare me like that again, yeah?" Zack teased. He never got an answer though as Alex was fast asleep. He smiled and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "I love you, Lex. Sleep tight." He knew he wouldn't get a reply, but he felt Alex snuggle in closer to him and he fell asleep with a smile on his face and holding the love of his life in his arms.