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faofinn · 2 years

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No. 23 EMERGENCY BLANKET (Alt. 14)

@whumptober

@whumptober-archive

As uni became more and more stressful and full on, Fao relished his time on the rugby pitch. He could forget about the stresses for a while, and focus on his team and the game. It stopped him getting too into his head, which helped. They were prepping once more for the Challenge Cup, and things were heating up. Fao’s penultimate year, it was really starting to mean stuff. He was the new captain, too, and that meant he was really staking his reputation.

They had a friendly game that week, and Fao was looking forwards to it. Sheila had said she was coming down to watch, and he always enjoyed playing when she was watching. It always made him push to play his best, too. Not that he didn’t try anyway, but having someone in the crowds rooting for him? It was still a bit of a weird feeling, despite it being more than four years since they’d adopted him.

The team had played really well in the first half, and after an all to brief half time chat, they were back on the pitch. It had started to rain, of course, so they were quickly soaked to the skin as well as covered in mud, but it was good fun all the same. Fao loved it, thrived on it, shouting to his team and trying to score again.

Things were getting a little snippy, some of his team’s tempers frayed with a couple of fouls from the other team that had gone unpenalised. A year ago, that would’ve been Fao, swearing and threatening to do worse, but now he knew better. They’d just scored again, Fao throwing himself over the line. Still high on the adrenaline from that try, and the subsequent conversion, he was playing arrogantly. He knew it, but he didn’t care enough to stop it.

Until he got possession again, and one of the other team came at him with an illegal high tackle. His arms around Fao’s shoulders and neck, Fao’s head collided with his shoulder and he was out cold before he hit the floor.

Play was stopped immediately, the player who’d tackled Fao given an immediate red card and told under no uncertain terms to go back to the changing rooms. A couple of Fao’s teammates crowded around him, immediately worried and calling for a medic. They were all healthcare students, of course, but there wasn’t much they could do without kit. It didn’t look good, though, Fao having taken a significant impact. He was still breathing, thankfully, though it looked like he’d busted his collarbone yet again. That was the least of their worries, though, as he was still completely out.

They were looking around for Sheila worriedly, knowing full well she was there. She was always there, of course she’d be there. Fao would need her, that was sure.

“Someone find Sheila, let her come down.” One of the boys said. She’d be on her way, surely. She would’ve seen him go down, she’d be fighting through people to get to them. It would be much easier to let her down, so she could be with him.

The medics fussed, quickly taking obs and trying to get the situation under control. It didn’t exactly look good; high tackles were dangerous.

They were only halfway through their assessments when Sheila pushed through, having fought off security and the other team. A well practiced glare had had them scarpering, and she'd had to hold her tongue as she caught sight of the idiot that had caused it all.

There was a flare of panic, flashbacks she'd rather not have. "He's breathing, right? "

Matt looked over at Sheila, his attention pulled from where he’d been listening to the medics. “Sheila. Yeah, he’s breathing.”

"Still not come round?"

“Not yet, but he took a significant hit.”

"I saw." She swallowed thickly, moving closer to Fao, gently taking his hand. "You're alright, you're gonna be okay."

It wasn’t too much longer before Fao started to come round, groaning and struggling against the hands all over him.

"Fao, sweetheart, just relax. You're okay. I'm here, just relax." She murmured, softly stroking his cheek. "You're okay."

He frowned, struggling to get his eyes to focus. He could hear Sheila, he thought, but everyone was still touching him, and he hated it. He tried batting uncoordinatedly at them, but pain lanced across his shoulder as he moved it, and he cried out.

"Scíth a ligean, tá tú ceart go leor, ach breathe." She stumbled over the gaelic, trying to calm him before he hurt himself further.

He settled a little, realising it was Sheila. Everything hurt, and he was cold. Really cold. It was still raining, and he was soaked to the skin. He realised then he was shivering, and he couldn’t stop it. His eyes finally focused on Sheila and he whined, disoriented and in pain.

"Hey. It's okay." She forced a smile. "Can we get him some more blankets? He's frozen and he's only going to get cooler. I've got spare coats in the car, can someone go and get them?"

"Fao? Can you talk to us?"

The second voice confused Fao - he could only see Sheila. His eyes flicked around, looking for who had spoken, but he couldn’t see them properly. “Help?”

The medic leaned over him slightly. "We're trying to help you, we're just waiting for the ambulance, they won't be long. I need you to stay nice and still for me, okay? Can you tell me where hurts?"

He thought about it for a minute. “Everywhere?”

"Okay. Do you feel sick? Dizzy?"

He certainly didn’t feel right. He wasn’t sure if the nausea was from the shivering or not, and it was definitely difficult to stay focused. Everything was… hazy. “Yeah.” He said finally.

Matt had disappeared off to Sheila’s car to grab the coats, and had managed to find another blanket, too, which he handed to the other medic.

"Here, we'll get you a bit warmer. Probably better than our space blankets."

“Mm. Hurts.” Fao whined.

"Paramedics will be here soon."

He was still shivering despite the extra blankets, unable to get warm. It was still a struggle to focus, everything hazy, and he squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to help.

"Fao?" Sheila murmured. "Stay awake for us."

“Am awake. But dizzy.”

"It's hard, I know." The medic soothed. "But your mum's right. We need you to stay awake."

“The dizzy is better if I close my eyes.”

"Okay, can you talk to us then?"

“What about?” Fao grumbled.

"Anything you want."

“M cold.”

"We've given you all the blankets."

Fao could feel the cold mud soaking into the back of his shirt. “Mum?”

"I'm right here."

“Are you mad at me?”

"Of course not." She murmured. "Of course not."

“‘M sorry.”

"Don't be sorry. I could kill him for you, there was no need for that."

Fao frowned. “I don’t remember.”

"That's okay. You hit your head pretty hard." She soothed.

“What happened?”

"Bad tackle."

“Oh.” He struggled to take a deep breath. “Can I go home now?”

"Think we're gonna have to go to hospital, sweetheart.'

“No, jus’ help me up and I’ll go home.”

"Your mum's right, Fao. We're just waiting for the ambulance."

“Jus’ need a lift home.”

"The ambulance can give us a lift." Sheila said.

Fao narrowed his eyes. “No ambulance.”

Fao didn’t have much of a say in the matter, though, as the Ambulance arrived soon after. He was cold and in pain, and it was really hard to stay awake. They kept telling him to talk to them, but it was hard. Didn’t they know it was hard?

Sheila was beside herself with worry, gripping Fao's hand tight. It stirred up more emotions and memories she didn't want to deal with, but she had to be there for Fao.

Fao had been okay until the paramedic crew started their assessment, their hands all over him, pressing uncomfortably and causing more pain.

“Fuck off, get off!” He protested, getting agitated and frustrated. “Get off! Get off!”

"Fao, Fao, please." She tried, her heart breaking. "Just relax, they're just helping, just breathe."

“It hurts, fuck off!”

"Faolan, stop. Relax." She said firmly.

"We're nearly done, pal. We'll be on our way soon."

“Please.” He whined, his voice cracking as he struggled to breathe.

"You're okay. We're not doing it to hurt you, we just need to get you nice and safe so we can move."

Fao’s pleading turned into sobbing, heedless of the other people around him. “P-please.”

"Fao, sweetheart, it's alright."

“Hurts.” Fao said, panic rising. He was getting more dizzy now, felt more and more out of control. He was scared he was going to pass out, trembling.

"I know it hurts, darling. I know, I'm sorry. Just hold on, we'll be okay."

The nausea was rising, alongside the pain, and Fao realised quite abruptly that he was going to be sick. “Gonna be sick.” He said quickly, panic in his voice.

They moved quickly, rolling him onto his side. The antiemetics obviously hadn't worked, and vomiting after his head injury wasn't a good sign. Sheila was all too aware of it, turning away for a moment and trying to catch her breath through the rising panic.

He groaned as he was sick, the roll onto his side just making the dizziness that much worse. He tried to catch his breath, whimpering.

They did their best to keep him comfortable as they rolled him onto their board and loaded him onto the ambulance, still shivering under the endless blankets they’d given him. There was foil blankets layered under the thick ones from Sheila’s car, and yet it still wasn’t enough.

Fao’s head spun as they settled him inside. At least it was warmer, though he was still cold. He gripped Sheila’s hand tightly as they fussed, though he could feel himself slipping. He didn’t want to pass out, but it was beginning to feel inevitable, his vision blurring into black.

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