Around 7 am the next day, Taylor jumped awake gasping for air. Her breathing was fast as she tried to get air into her lungs. Her body shook and by the blue tint of her skin, she knew she was lacking oxygen for some time.
Her fuzzy morning vision deceased and her eyes focused on the bars of the crib that kept her trapped in the mini prison. The morning sun was just beginning to peak from behind the mountains, only enough flight to make the window glow. It has to be early.
She rolled onto her tummy panting, trying to catch her breath. She cringed at the movement, her wet diaper making itself known by pressing onto her inner tights.
She whined and struggled to her knees, feeling light-headed, a few days ago she would have thought this was a perfect opportunity to escape and she would have taken that. But now, all she wanted more than anything was for Asher to rush into the room and bring her into his arms.
Taylor could feel a bit more panic in bed but when she realized her breathing in continuing to shallow.
Without thinking she uses her last breath the yell "D-DADA!!" she ends with a cough.
She doesn't know why she calls him that, or why she did last night, but after Asher took her in her arms and soothed her to sleep, it just felt right. Like a natural instinct.
Only nearly seconds after Taylor's cries, Asher comes groggily strolling in. He was only in his boxes, brown hair a mess, and rubbing his eyes. Not realizing the severity of the situation.
"B-baby" he yawns, trailing over the crib and lifting her in his arms. "It's too early for you to be up litt-" As Asher's eyes focus he is met with The fresh tear stains on Taylor's cheeks and a blue tint to her skin.
"Taylor!" patting her back, to see if she's choking. "Breath baby, breathe for me." keeping a steady tone, not showing panic.
The back pats and reassurance brought Taylor back a bit but she still wasn't good.
Taylor's eyes are zoned out but her hands clutch tight to Asher's bare shoulders. "H-hwelp mee!" she pleas.
"I will baby, I am. I promise you will feel better if you slow your breathing a bit."
"Scawedd," she coughs.
"I know... I know. Breathe darling, breathe with Dada."
Even in her state of panic, Taylor hides her face a bit in shame, she feels stupid for calling an 18-year-old boy her school Dada. But in her mind, it seems to make sense.
Asher was thinking about the same thing all night, trying to decide how to act on it. He never once thought it was weird or wrong, from the beginning it was a goal of his to get Taylor comfortable enough to call him Dada. He just didn't expect it so soon.
When Taylor calls him Dada it fills his heart with such an overwhelming amount of joy, he feels he has gotten the family he never had. It was the life his life goals suddenly became clear and he was ready to sacrifice his life and anyone else for Taylor.
Though he wanted to have a long conversation about it with Taylor, right now his only goal was keeping her breathing.
Taylor seemed more calm but her breathing was very labored and she was extremely weak.
She was sick. Very sick. The color from her face was completely drained and she laid eerily still. Asher could since something was really wrong.
She needs to be taken to hospital.
Asher placed a pillow from Taylor's crib onto the changing table and laid her weak down. He was hoping that having the pillow there would stop Taylor from having a breathing attack.
"Wubby..." she groaned.
"I'm so sorry baby, but no wub-wub right now" Asher placed Taylor's stuffed ducky on her chest. "I don't want to restrict your breathing any more babes."
Taylor was panting a lot so she was primarily breathing from her mouth, Asher obviously didn't want to disrupt that with a plastic object.
"W-want it" she started to suddenly cry.
"No no no, Taylor be a good girl for me please, lets not get all worked up over something so silly." he quickly tried to de-escalate to situation before making herself more frantic.
Taylor took hold of her stuffed Animal duck and chewed on the rubber teethers attached to its flippers. Needing the comfort in distraction from Asher who was beginning to lift down her pants.
Asher found a simple outfit that was comfy and warm, preparing for any long hospital lobby waits. He also changed her soaking diaper into a much thicker one. Because they will be in public Asher doesn't want to deal with any possible leaks.
He also darts off to get himself some clothes of his own.
All dressed up and in some pink Uggs, Asher lifts Taylor up, slings her diaper bag over his shoulder, and makes his way to Anjali's room.
Asher knocks on the door until a sleepy disoriented Anjali opens. "A-sher, what-what's going on?" Looked at the two confused.
"Taylor's not doing good and she needs to be taken to the ER, I'm not sure how long I will-"
"WHAT!" Anjali gasped.
"I'm sorry I don't have a lot of time to explain, keep an eye out for Lucas please, and make sure he's taken care of. I'll call you when I get more information on what's going on." Asher's fingers lightly massage the back of Taylor's sweater as she chews on her stuffed animal, eyes opening and closing as she slips in and out of sleep.
All Anjali can do is nod, trying to process everything. "Keep her safe."
"I will."
Out in the apartment complex parking lot, Asher was strapping Taylor into her car seat, for the first time Taylor didn't complain, just gripped onto her ducky, beginning to close her eyes.
Asher gave her tight a gentle tap, "Please stay awake babes, you can go sleepy at the hospital." With Taylor doing so poorly the last thought Asher wanted was for her to go unconscious during the car drive. He wouldn't be able to tell if she was sleeping or her heart had stopped.
Taylor whined and rubbed her eyes, fighting sleep.
Now in the front seat, Asher drives at an illegal speed to the hospital, constantly checking on Taylor in the mirrors.
Taylor's chest rose and fell at inconsistent speeds, making her panic, she was tired. Not just physically but mentally, she has fought such a long fight and is tired, she just wants to close her eyes and wake up in a world where for once in her life she would feel what it's like you live with no pain.
Asher reached his arm back and grabbed Taylors' hand, gripping it tight, grounding her to the earth her body was trying so desperately to escape.
"We are almost there Tay, almost."
Once parked at the hospital Asher lifted Taylor and her bag into his arms and speed walked to the door.
Living in a relatively small town the ER was practically empty besides a few people in the lobby on their phones and filling out paperwork.
"Hello," he quickly greets the lady at the front desk.
"Hello sir welcome in, what can I help you with?"
"Hi um, the kid I am caring for has been struggling to breathe this morning, her skin is blue and she is weak."
The lady took a quick glance at the limp girl in Asher's arm and added her to high-priority on the wait list. "Okay, sir I need to ask you a few questions. Kids full name?"
Asher looked down at Taylor, unsure. She muttered it softly into Asher's ear softly.
"T-taylor Maisy Jane" Asher studdered, the new info feeling alien in his mouth.
"Any trips outside the country in the last two weeks?"
"No"
"Are you Taylor's primary caregiver?"
Asher froze, unsure what to say. He doesn't want them to think he has kidnapped her or anything.
"Yes..." he said unsure.
"Name?"
"Asher Andrew Ryder."
"Hm... Taylor doesn't in the carts. I'll get her My Chart set up with you as the primary caregiver," She says intensely typing on the screen.
She handed Asher and Taylor a hospital bracelet. "You two can wait in the lobby, nurse will come to get y'all shortly." She smiles.
Asher sits with Taylor on his lap on a nearby bench. "You're being such a good girl huh?" knowing how scared she is of doctors and seeing how chill she is makes Asherd heartbreak. She's so drowsy she barely knows what's happening.
"My brave little girl," kissing her forehead. And patting her bum.
Taylor bites the feet of her plushy to try to ease some of her anxieties, she wishes she was strong enough to run but right now she can hardly hold her eyes open.
Only 10 short minutes later a nurse came out calling Taylor's name. Asher lifted her again and took her through the door ring opened by the nurse.
"Hello! Is this one here Taylor?" trying to make eye contact with the girl hiding her face in the fabric of As hers sweater.
"Yes, it is, sorry she is a bit shy right now."
"It's no problem!" The nurse smiles, she deals with kids all day and isn't fazed by little ones scared of the doctors.
Skipping the weighing and height process but to the severity of Taylors' condition, she is taken straight into an exam room.
The nurse closes the door and begins sanitizing her hands "Alright, what's brought you two in this morning?"
"Well, I woke up this morning to Taylor calling for me, when I came into her room she was struggling to breathe and had a blueish tint to her skin. This has happened before but it went away after a bit, but this time she still hasn't seemed to recover."
"Huh..." the nurse types all of that into her computer. "Does Taylor have any other pre-existing health issues or injuries?"
"Yes, she has mentioned having some issues... she just hasn't specified what..." nudging Taylor and turning her around in his lap so she is facing the nurse.
Her head flopped backward, unable to maintain strength. The nurse was fast to slide over and hold up her head. "Do you think we can lay Taylor down on the table? Poor thing seems a bit weak"
Asher didn't know if he had the strength to take her out of his lap. He didn't want her to feel alone again.
He took a deep breath before lifting Taylor and laying her down on the exam table, "A-asher..." she used all her breath to squeak out.
He simply hushed her, keeping a firm grip on her hand, standing right above her so she could still feel his presence.
The nurse rolls over the cart with equipment to take Taylor's vitals. She put a pulse oximeter on her finger and wrapped the pediatric blood pressure cuff on her frail arm.
Taylor flinched at the cold equipment but Asher just gripped her hand tighter.
The machine beeped and the nurse turned to the screen on the cart. Her face dropped.
"Okay... so Taylor's oxygen is 65 and her pulse is 150." She explained the Asher while reaching did her pager. She talks into the plastic "Hi is Dana paging Martha... yes hi, can you please bring supplemental oxygen into room three, I've got a patient with oxygen saturation below 70%... right, thank you, bye."
"Okay, we are getting some oxygen for Taylor right now." she raises the back of the exam table to keep Taylor in a more upright position. Lifting her shirt and pressing a stethoscope to her bare chest, causing almost no reaction from Taylor as she falls in and out of sleep.
Taylor's heart off the bat doesn't seem to have an arrhythmia, but her pulse is still extremely high. But the hope is that some supplemental oxygen will decrease her stress and lungs working so hard, which should untimely lower her heart rate
Asher stands watching as 1 doctor becomes 2 doctors then 4. His eyes darting around at the movement as he stayed grounded in the hospital tile, the only thing he could feel was Taylor's cold hand he squeezed.
Oxygen was strapped to Taylor's face by one doctor while two others stood over her giving her body a thorough physical easement, anxious due to the fact she doesn't seem to react to any stimuli.
A nurse rested a comforting hand on Asher's shoulder. "Sir, we need to move Taylor into her own room and hook her up to an ECG. She could be here awhile."
Asher looked down at the sleeping girl as if waiting for her approval. "Days?" He asked weakly.
"We aren't sure yet sir what we would like to get her into her own room, and from there I would let you explain Taylor's medical history it bit more thoroughly."
Asher nodded, running his hands through Taylor's blond, almost curly hair as one of the 4 nurses lifted her into a wheelchair and wheeled her into a room.
Hand still interlocked with his baby he followed the wheelchair down the long hallways of pale-colored walls and matching flooring tiles until they reached her new room.
Sleeping Taylor is lifted onto her bed and connected to a nasal cannula, ECG, pulse oximeter, and a new more vital reading machine. Now that she was stable, it was time to figure out why this even happened in the first place.
"Okay Mr. Ryder, I'm a primary care doctor and should be in here shortly to discuss all things concerning Taylor, if you need anything just hit the call button on the side of Taylor's bed."
"Thank you," he shook the nurse's hand.
"Anytime."
Now alone with Taylor Asher walked over to the bed and did a quick check of her diaper, slightly concerned that it was still dry but knew it was probably because she hadn't drank anything today.
He also had time to leave Anjali a quick message updating him on the situation.
The morning sun has almost completely risen now, lighting up all the medical appliances on the wall and making Taylor's beautiful blond hair become almost golden. Though there were a few chairs in the hospital room Asher preferred to sit on Taylor's bed with her.
He gently rubbed her back and kissed her head, because as ashamed as he was to admit it he was a bit frightened to touch her. He doesn't want to do something wrong or hurt her even more, she just seems so fragile.
There's a knock on the door.
"Come in!" Ashes shout.
Walking into the room was a man with dark brown hair and a dark blue bottom-up shirt in possibly his late 20s. "Hello, guys! How are you doing today." Shaking Asher's hand.
"As good as I can be considering." Getting up from the bed, another nurse walks into the room as well, examining the monitors.
The doctor smiles, "Well I hope I can help you too, I'm Doctor Collin by the way." He gazes over at Taylor, walking up to her bed "And this young lady is Taylor?"
"Yes sir."
He grabs her hands and looks at the tips of her fingers which are slightly blue and cubed. "Huh..." she says to himself.
He takes out his computer and sits on a nearby chair. He pulls up her MyChart, confused to see it empty. "Oh... okay so I've heard you have mentioned Taylor having some health problems, but her chart is empty. What has Taylor been diagnosed with?"
"Well..." Asher searches his mind for what to say. The situation is very complicated. "When Taylor was younger she experienced symptoms of some sort of illness... but because of her um... nerves, she had kinda refused to go forward with the search to find out what's wrong."
Dr. Collin nods while quickly summarizing and typing down Asher's words. "And what are her primary symptoms?"
"Well, mostly being out of breath. But also a bit of coughing and wheezing."
"Alright..." finishing writing that all down. "I am going to perform a brief physical evaluation on Taylor to make sure we aren't missing anything."
Dr. Collin puts on some gloves and stands over Taylors' unconscious body, Asher stands close, holding had hand again. It's becoming more of a comfort to him than it has to Taylor.
The doctor does the basic check of ears, mouth, and glands while saying words that seem like another language to Asher, but the nurse nearby translates into the computer.
He moves down Taylor, feeling her stomach, and then grabs the waistband of her sweat. "I'm just gonna do a brief check down there." looking to Asher for permission, which he grants with a nod.
Her pants are pulled down and the doctor's face scrunches at the sight of Taylors' Diaper "Oh..."
Asher mentally faced plams, he should have told him before. "Oh! My mad for not explaining... um, Taylor suffers from involuntary age regression. She was having an increasingly hard time with bladder control so I put her into diapers... also hoping it would help her slip further into a headspace."
"Ohh alright, so she's a little?"
"Yes sir," Asher swallows, a bit nervous. It's a day and age where littles are accepted and acknowledged by the medical community. But it's still a bit nerve-racking to tell someone you just met.
"How young is her headspace?"
"1 or younger."
"Alright, good to know," he smiles, clearly trying to show his acceptance to Asher. Dr. Collins gets right back to work at removing Taylors' diaper and taking a quick peek.
"How regular has Taylor's bathroom habits been?"
"She's been going pee a normal about, maybe a tiny bit less. But as far as bowel movements, basically none."
"Okay..." The doctor stays still for a second, connecting the dots in his head.
He retapes the young girl's diaper and pulls up her pants, Asher has never been so grateful she is still asleep.
Dr. Collins Walks over to his laptop where he types in one last thing, closes it, and looks to Asher "I sent an order in for Taylor to get a sweat test done as soon as possible. I'll get a nurse to bring Taylor a hospital gown as well, she might be here for a bit-" he explains rather quickly, stopping when he sees the confusion and fright plastered onto Asher's face.
"I suspect Taylor has cystic fibrosis."
Author:
Hope you enjoyed, haven't been able to edit it because I'm half asleep,,but I hope there wasn't any huge problems!