Sturniolo triplets - Oh To Be Loud (Matt-centric story about mental health)

Wait And See

Trigger Warnings: Hospitals, Cursing, Panic, Crying, Guilt, Blood, Medical Inaccuracies, Temporary Character Death 

Nick and Chris worry over Matt's state and feel guilty as they wait for him to get out of surgery

The Story:

The hospital, Sunday, 11am

With Nick and Chris

After Matt had passed out everything got even more chaotic; Nick and Chris were freaking out to the point they had to be restrained, screaming and sobbing unconsolably. They were forced to calm down when they were told they wouldn't be allowed to ride along in the ambulance, which could potentially lower Matt's chances of making it to the hospital, since he would likely need to be given blood, their blood, right away. 

There was no more time to argue, so the paramedics allowed both of them to ride with them, not willing to risk trying to separate the brothers again.

The ride to the hospital was probably the worst experience of their lives, seeing Matt strapped down to the stretcher, with giant bandages covering most of his head and an oxygen mask helping him breathe... he was getting so grey and there was just so much blood. 

The paramedics were doing their best to stop the bleeding, checking his blood pressure, etc., Nick and Chris could hear them discussing Matt's state but couldn't focus enough to even try to understand any of the medical jargon. 

They were still in panic mode, unable to really accept and understand what was happening, it was all moving too fast. Chris was staring at Matt's still form, crying and shaking, when he felt a firm hand shake him from his daze. 

One medic was asking him seriously if he could confirm they had the same blood type and consented to donating blood. Chris agreed with no hesitation and the next moment he was watching his blood leave his body through see-through tubes connecting him to Matt.

But it seemed Matt had lost too much blood by that point and wasn't receiving it fast enough, because the next thing they knew the beeping of the machines went crazy and his body started convulsing. 

There was more shouting and Chris and Nick made eye contact, barely registering each other through the panic, then seeing each other's eyes widen in terror and turning back down when they heard the loud beeping sound even out into a single unchanging tone that would continue to haunt their nightmares for years to come. 

They heard distant shouts of "He's flatlining", "Prepare the defibrillator" and "Clear", but it didn't feel real. It couldn't be. They watched them shock Matt with that machine, making his body jump a bit but then fall back down again as lifeless as before. Lifeless. Matt was dead. Matt was deadMattwasdeadMattwasdead. 

Chris couldn't breathe. His vision started getting dark around the edges and his mind started shutting down. Is this what panic attacks feel like? He couldn't make out what the medics were saying. He could only focus on Matt's still form and the single long straight line on the heart monitor behind them.

When they moved to shock him again, Chris heard Nick let out the most heart-shattering yells of, "MATT! Matt come back right now! Don't give up not yet, not now, come back Maaattt, this isn't how this ends", he was screaming and crying, looking at him with desperation. 

The second shock passed and nothing. Chris dug his nails into his palms hard enough to draw blood, willing his body to calm down and focus, as he joined Nick in yelling for their brother, "Matt come on, we love you, please come back to us, we're waiting for you, I need you Matt, please, Matt!", Chris cried along with Nick as they shocked Matt for the third time. And it worked.