Looking back, the moments leading up to it are a blur. He remembers yelling "Hide!" at the small dark kwami as he saw the door handle turn. He's not sure who's fault it was, or if it was just fate that caused the accident to happen. But whatever it was, as Adrien turned to his friend, Plagg missed his intended hiding spot completely- zooming instead straight through Adriens' teeth and into the back of his mouth. Adrien swallowed instinctively and gagged as the large head of the black cat caught tight in his throat.
Panic burst into life as he scrabbled at his throat, gagging around the intrusion. He could feel Plagg scratching and squirming in the tight confines and he heaved, dropping to all fours.
"Are you okay?" The voice of the intruder called out from the doorway, but the blood pumping through his ears made the voice unrecognizable. He gagged roughly again and nodded, though he was quite sure that he wasn't.
"Adrien." The voice was quiet and scared, a hand lay across his back and he saw Marinette's shoes appear in his line of sight.
Of course. There's an akuma loose in the school and Marinette decided to hide in the exact classroom that he had been attempting to transform in. Black spots swim across his vision- Plagg's head has made a virtual plug in his throat and try as he might he can't loosen him.
"Hold on!" Marinette's receding footsteps and a slam of a cupboard across the room are the only indicators of where she's gone.
It's not working. He's not coming up. Adrien feels fear grip his heart. He chokes on the wriggling body before finally—achingly—he swallows, hard. Again and again he swallows, forcing Plagg further into his body.
"Here!" Marinette hands him a water bottle and he takes it with shaking fingers. He can feel his friend, struggling frantically in his chest and it hurts. He moans and gags again, realizing that tears are streaming down his face.
He tries to drink some of the water- to at least get Plagg to his stomach. He doesn't want to think about what happens after that. The unyielding pressure in his chest lessens as the kwami is moved further down into his gut. He takes another swig of water, but a powerful gag sends it back out onto the ground.
"Adrien" Marinette's worried voice finds his ears and he flushes with shame. The pity is practically dripping from her.
"B-Bathroom." He stammers painfully, pushing himself from the ground and running from the room, his body hunched over and stumbling.
He pushes his way past he stream of students that are evacuating the school. The Akuma is wreaking havoc on the upper level and Adrien slips into the gym. The locker room has locking private bathrooms.
Adrien slams the door behind him and presses and shaking hand to his stomach. With the other, he slides the lock into position and crosses to the sink. Plagg is frantic inside of him and Adrien sees the same fear in his reflected eyes.
"Plagg!?" He shouts, not sure if the kwami will be able to hear him. The erratic fluttering stills some, though the churning in his stomach doesn't lessen much.
"Adrien!" It's dim, but it's stronger if he opens his mouth.
"Plagg! Oh god, I'm so sorry! What do I do?"
"GET ME OUT!"
Adrien's hand tightens over his stomach, clutching the fabric of his jacket.
"I—I'm afraid I'll choke. I could barely get you past my airway!"
Plagg rams into the top of his stomach and Adrien doubles over. "STOP!" he shouts and it reverberates thorough the tile room. Plagg is still attempting to force himself back up the way he came. "Please" –gag- "Please, stop we need a plan!"
The cat is still and Adrien pants, waiting to hear his reply. When one doesn't come he asks, "Has this ever happened to you before?"
"NO!" Plagg answers and Adrien hears something else that sounds eerily like "…Partners… mouth shut…" He groans. This cat really did have bad luck.
He had a horrible thought, "Do you need air?!" He wasn't sure how long Plagg would last in his stomach without a fresh supply. Luckily, the kwami did know.
"I don't require it to live." He heard faintly and sighed in relief. First problem down.
"Okay… okay…" the heavy nauseas feeling in his stomach had not receded and he began to pace around the room, "Oh my god, Plagg. What are we going to do?"
"My first suggestion is two well placed fingers!" Plagg shouted up his esophagus and Adrien grimaced. If he choked on Plagg here, in a locked bathroom- how was he to get help?
"What if we tried transforming? Perhaps when we transformed back, you'd be out again!" He tugged on the silver ring nervously. What if the transformation backfired, or… or messed something up inside of him when it happened?
"Won't work, kid. I gotta be able to get to the ring to start the transformation." Plagg's voice was somber.
Adrien sank onto the toilet seat and put his face in his hands. "Adrien?" Plagg finally asked. Adrien looked up at his own reflection, scared and pale. He took in great gulps of air, steadying his nerves and preparing himself. He stood suddenly and the swoop in his stomach helped with what he was about to do. Whirling around, he shoved two fingers quickly down his throat. It only took a second or two for his body to kick in. He slammed the toilet seat up and gripped the edge as his stomach muscles contracted and he vomited a thin stream of bile. He heaved again and again and could feel Plagg trying to force himself through the sphincter back into his esophagus. Fingers, gag, fingers, heave, cramp, fingers, gag.
A long string of thick fluid hung from his lips as he panted over the yellowed water.
He spat and heard Plagg calling his name from within. "S'not working!" the cat yelled at him, "There's nothing in here to shove me up!"
Adrien had skipped breakfast that morning. He cursed his luck- the luck of the entire day- as he pushed himself away from the toilet and back towards the sink. The cold water felt heavenly on his face and he stood, panting and trembling against the sink for a long moment.
"Do you think water would work?" he asked. It was handy at least. He wouldn't have to go anywhere.
"It's that or I start going the other way!" Plagg declared from inside and Adrien nearly gagged again. He doubted that he would live past the pain and embarrassment of the second option.
"Okay! Look out!" He took a deep breath and leaned down to put his mouth under the running tap. He sucked in great mouthfuls, gulping them down quickly. The cool water filled his stomach quickly, and all too soon the relief it granted him turned to heavy nausea. He pulled back from the tap, gasping hard and feeling that he might not make it over to the toilet.
He stumbled once with his hand over his mouth, but eventually found himself bent over the porcelain rim. He took a few breaths and calmed himself, "Plagg?" he called nervously, "you okay?"
There was only silence.
Adrien barely dared breathe, for fear that he would miss a sign that the cat was still alive. He felt a chill settle over him and he took in large gulping breaths before shoving his fingers unceremoniously down his throat.
This time it took three huge heaves before he brought any of the water back up. It splattered sickeningly into the bowl below and he moaned and rocked forward as another bought of nausea swept over him.
He felt the body surge up his esophagus with the next hurl, though only water splashed from his mouth. Like he expected- Plagg's body was too big. It was caught in his chest again, below his windpipe, so he was able to breathe, but still too high up to be comfortable. He heaved again, felt the water rush up to where Plagg rested in his chest before slickly sliding back down into his stomach. Snot and tears are streaming continuously from him and he swipes his sleeve across his face.
Gotta try harder! He clenched his stomach as he scratched the back of his throat with his foul tasting fingers. This time the water forced it's way past Plagg's still form and spewed from Adriens' nose and mouth. He coughed wetly and was glad to realize that Plagg had moved upward. Still, it wasn't far enough. Adrien massaged the spot by his heart, feeling the burn of the enlarged esophagus as it stretched.
Once again two fingers dived in deep and a rasping, shaking gag followed. He spat roughly and tried again. And again. Cold sweat ran down his back and from his forehead. He shivered as another wave of nausea rolled over him.
Finally, with a massive heave, Plagg was in the back of his throat. Adrien choked on the large intrusion and gagged again. Plagg didn't stir as the water gushed around him in a rush from Adrien. Adrien pulled in a shaking breath, feeling as though one move in the wrong direction could send Plagg into his airway. He was so close to being done- his abdominal muscles protesting horribly. He reached back and could feel the top of Plagg's furry head as he gagged himself again. He leaned far over the toilet, hoping gravity would help him.
There was a horrible rush as more water poured out of him and he felt relief flood through him as Plagg was finally pushed into his mouth. He coughed and spat and gagged and finally maneuvered the limp kwami onto his tongue. He carefully spat him into one hand and turned him over with shaking fingers. Plagg's eyes were open, blinking tiredly up at him. He was panting, and shaking- his tiny body curling into itself as Adrien watched.
"Are—" Adriens' voice was shot. He cleared his throat and fought the urge to vomit some more, "Are you okay?"
"No," Plagg answered weakly, "But I will be." Adrien made a nest out of paper towels and gingerly laid the cat upon it. Together, they sank to the floor by the sink, both exhausted and panting.
Adrien scratches the cat gently between the ears, "I'm so sorry, Plagg. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't breathe—"
The kwami presses a small hand into Adrien's finger, stopping the gentle movements and his words. "I know, Adrien. It's okay. You did good. I'm out—aren't I?"
Adrien is quiet, still feeling the heavy weight of guilt in his chest.
"Heh" The cats' small chuckle breaks him from his reverie.
"What?" He asks wryly.
"If you think Camambert is stinky, you should get a whiff of your insides." Plagg laughs out loud at this and Adrien opens his mouth in protest.
It's interrupted by a knock on the door and a voice calling out, "Adrien? Are you in there?"
He startles and calls back, "Umm… yes! Yes, I'll be out soon!"
"Take your time," It's Marinette again, "I was just worried is all."
"You should get out, Marinette! There's an akuma attacking the school."
"Ladybug was here and took care of it." The girls' voice rings out and Adrien sags in relief. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes… just ate something that didn't agree with me." Plagg growls lowly at him and Adrien fights a smile, "Will you tell Miss Bustier that I'm going home for the day, please?"
Marinette agrees and says, "I hope you feel better, soon." He thanks her and her footsteps recede.
"We're going home?" Plagg asks, sitting up.
"Well, first we're going to the market." Adrien stands shakily, his stomach still rocky and acidic. When Plagg doesn't seem to follow, Adrien explains,
"I'm going to buy you all the cheese you can eat."