Author Note: Sorry it took so long to update, the holiday, school, and work got in the way. Also not the happiest with this chapter. Hopefully will start updating sooner. I have a rough outline for the next few chapters so that will help me stay on track. Again, I do not own any of the Friends characters. Reviews and criticism welcome.
Rachel turns onto the street Monica and Chandler live on. The first thing she notices as she gets closer is that Jack and Erica are sitting outside on the front step. Hearing a vehicle approaching on the street, the twins look up in anticipation, ringing their little hands in worry. Noticing their aunt's vehicle pulling up in the driveway, they stand up and run over to the driver's side. Rachel opens the door in confusion and steps out while Emma, who is in the back seat, follows suit.
"Hey guys," Rachel starts. She can see the fear in their puffy, red eyes. Jack wastes no time by grabbing his aunt's hand and pulling her towards the house. Erica grabs Emma's hand forcefully, unintentionally squeezing hard. Emma is about to comment, but stops when she sees the tears in her cousin's eyes and notices she is shaking. Erica turns towards the front door and leads Emma inside.
Jack pulls Rachel slowly up the stairs as Emma stops Erica inside. Her mom had explained to her that they were stopping by to check on her Uncle Chandler, but that's all she was told. From the way her cousins are acting, Emma suspects that something must be wrong with Uncle Chandler.
"Erica, what's going on?" Emma asks, trying to piece everything together. Erica looks up at her cousin's face with tears in her eyes and struggles to keep herself from crying again. She wishes she didn't have to talk about it, wanting nothing more than to be in her dad's arms as she told him about her day. Since he isn't waking up, she wishes her mom was here instead of her aunt and cousin.
"Dad is upstairs and he won't wake up," Erica answers after letting out a sigh. She hadn't realized she was holding her breath. "We don't know why."
"Ok," Emma answers softly, not wanting to upset her cousin further. Although it didn't quite answer her question, Emma accepts the answer for now and plans to find out everything later.
Erica takes Emma's hand and leads her up the stairs at a quick pace to catch up to Jack and Rachel. Jack stops at the top of the stairs and looks back at Erica, checking on her. She gives him a quick nod to show she is okay and to lead on. Jack slowly walks closer to his parents' bedroom and stops. He looks up at his aunt and points inside.
"He's in there on the floor partially in the bathroom," Jack explains slowly.
Rachel looks at Jack confused. Her heart is pounding from anticipation of the unknown. She takes a few steps into the bedroom and immediately sees Chandler. Her hands cover her mouth as she gasps and lets out a sob. She runs over and tries to shake him awake in desperation. She stops after a few minutes and, while studying Chandler more closely, tries to think of what to do next.
Chandler's face has turned to an ashen color and his hair is sticking to his face from what she can only guess is sweat. His clothes feel wet to the touch and his body feels cold. When Rachel looks at his face again, she can see his lips turning a faint blue. Blue is never a good color to see on someone who is unconscious.
Rachel stands up and makes her way to the closet that she knows Monica keeps the guest bedding. On her way out into the hall, she tells Emma in a shaky voice to take the twins downstairs and to watch TV until she comes to grab them. Emma obeys and leads the twins down the stairs as Rachel grabs a blanket before running back into the bedroom. She drapes the blanket over Chandler, pulls out her cell phone, and dials 9-1-1.
"911 Westchester dispatch," the dispatcher begins calmly. "What's your emergency?"
"Yeah, hi" Rachel begins shakily, her voice cracking. "I need an ambulance sent right away. My friend is unconscious."
"What's the address?" the dispatcher asks while keeping a calm demeanor. Rachel gives the address and becomes a bit irritated when the dispatcher repeats it and asks for an apartment number. Rachel starts pacing around the bedroom, not able to take her eyes off Chandler's lifeless body.
"Yes that's the right address and no there is no apartment number. Just hurry."
"I just need to ask a few more questions. What symptoms does your friend have?"
"He's unconscious, cold, and his lips are blue."
"Is your friend breathing or bleeding?"
"I don't know. I don't see any blood," Rachel answers shakingly, fumbling over each word. She places her hand on her forehead and tries to control her nerves.
"Is he breathing?"
"I–I don't know. Please just send an ambulance. I don't know what to do. I don't–Please help my friend."
"How long has your friend been unconscious?"
"I don't know. Stop asking all these questions and just send someone now!"
"I have an ambulance on its way. I'm just trying to give them as much information as I can. Please stay on the line until they arrive. It's a precaution in case any information you gave changes or anything new comes up."
"Finally," Rachel mumbles under her breath. "I have to make a call on the house phone."
Without waiting for a response, Rachel searches the bedroom for the home phone. In her hurry to find the phone to call Monica, she fights back tears of frustration. Taking a moment to recompose herself, she makes her way downstairs and finds a phone in the office. She picks it up and runs up the stairs, struggling to dial Monica's cell phone number. With no luck, she is sent straight to voicemail both the times she tries to call.
While being careful not to hang up on the operator, Rachel searches her saved numbers for Monica's work number. Finding it successfully, she dials the number and starts pacing in the hall as she waits for someone to pick up.
A man answers the phone and Rachel asks for Monica, telling him it's an emergency. She continues to pace as she waits with a phone held to each ear. Luckily, she doesn't have to wait long to hear her frantic friend's voice.
"Mon it's Rachel," she starts, trying to keep her voice steady and calm. "You have to come home right now."
"What's wrong with Chandler?" Monica rushes as her voice cracks. "Is he okay? What's that noise?"
Sirens can be heard in the background getting closer. Rachel runs down the stairs and out the front door. She can see the ambulance turn onto the street and head in her direction.
"It's the paramedics," Rachel answers. "Chandler is unconscious and —"
Rachel pauses, wondering if she should tell Monica how he looks and his blue lips. Blue lips are never a good sign and she doesn't want to scare Monica more.
"What is it? Rach?"
Before Rachel can make up her mind, the ambulance pulls up into the driveway. Rachel tells the operator of their arrival and hangs up before leading them into the house and up into the bedroom. The paramedics carefully roll Chandler onto his back and check his ABCs; airway, breathing, and circulation. One of the paramedics begins CPR while the other hooks him up to an AED. Rachel stands with her back against the wall and holding the phone loosely, forgetting that Monica is still on the line.