Panic! At The Airport

A/N: This is not set in any particular era. Therefore, there may be some elements that seem anachronistic. Also, I have been in a slump with my main story "What the Fork?". This idea came to me at work and I just HAD to write it. It feels good to have written something. 

At work I saw a meme describing panic attacks vs anxiety (at the top of the post). Then, I had been thinking about how long it has been since I have had a panic attack. I also thought of the panic attack that got me to realize that I needed to get professional help. I had to pick my boyfriend up from work. My friend was with me and when we got to the parking lot, the only open spots were handicap spaces, spaces for executives, and spaces for law enforcement. I'd had a panic attack and my friend helped me through it.

Panic attacks can be scary, and it can feel as if you're having a heart attack. If you suffer from panic attacks and want someone to talk to, please, feel free to reach out to me any time.

Words: 2069

Warnings: graphic depiction of a panic attack, swearing

*******

You had no idea why you chose to fly out a week earlier than Axl to spend time with just your twin sisters. The twins were bickering, the airport was packed, and the distance from Axl was weighing heavily on your mind. You were in your sister's Prius trying to find a space to park and Axl's flight was supposed to be touching down in 20 minutes.

It was too early to pull up to the doors where passengers exit, and the waiting lot was full. The only open space that you could see was a handicap space. As cars piled up behind you, panic started to rise. Your skin felt tingly and as if bugs were crawling all over you. As you drove in circles your body started to tense up. A sharp, stabbing pain suddenly came in your right shoulder where it met your neck. You paused for a moment and checked your purse for your Xanax but only found an empty bottle. *Fuck, the extra bottle is in my suitcase.* Then you looked at your smart watch and saw that the heart rate monitor app showed your heart was beating at 138 beats per minute and it was still climbing. With your whole body tensing up, your chest was constricting. Breathing was getting difficult and you were starting to hyperventilate. You had tears starting to fall and the panic was rapidly increasing.

Then, thankfully, a car in front of you pulled out. You focused on just getting in the space. Without bothering to park the car you hit the power button. The car stopped and automatically parked. The feeling of panic was not gone yet. You looked at your watch and saw that you were now at 151 bpm. When you noticed the time, a choked sob ripped from your throat. Your boyfriend's plane would touch down in mere minutes.

When you saw the cars backed up behind you, you realized there was no way you could leave the space. Panic then snapped through every fiber of your being. You were suddenly slammed with an increase in your symptoms: throat constricting, hyperventilation, sobbing, nausea, chills, and paranoia.

Feeling confined and trapped by the steering wheel, you scrambled into the back seat. You curled up in the fetal position and started to scratch at scabs on your legs and arms as you rocked back and forth. The sobbing and hyperventilating were making it difficult to breathe. Your thoughts were racing. *Would Axl think that you had left him? Would he think you forgot? Am I dying? Would he hate you? Why would anyone want me, let alone him? I'm having a fucking breakdown over parking spaces.* Similar thoughts kept racing through your mind. Time and the outside world held no meaning. You did not even realize that your phone was almost constantly ringing.

*** Earlier in the plane ***

"Please put your seats in their upright positions and fasten your seat belts. We will be beginning our descent shortly."