TRIGGER WARNING: Mentioning of drugs and side effects.

This chapter is told from Denny's point of view. And is somewhat based on my own memories from after seizures.

The thing is though, after seizures I'm so blacked out I only have few, brief memories at all… But I'll use what I remember, add a bit that is obvious, add a bit more for the story and that will hopefully make a chapter.

"Denny?"

Everything around me had been dark just a moment ago I was quite sure…

Or had I been about to get a glass of water.

Why did I feel so burning hot?

"Denny?"

A voice was reaching through the dark, just as well as a feeling of something cold and wet towards my forehead.

"Denny? Can you hear me?"

Just as well as exactly every single part of my body hurting…

Then, at last I forced my eyelids open and was met by my grandfather's frowning expression. I lied on my side on the floor, by the kitchen table and he was holding a cloth or something similar to my forehead.

"Can you hear me?" He asked again, and with a deep breath at last I could force my voice to make any kind of noise.

"Uh." Maybe in some universe that could mean yes, and for several seconds none of us said anything before I could at last move my lips only so much again. "Wha'abbe?"

"You had a seizure, but you're going to be alright. Just try to relax, the ambulance is on its way…"

Wait? Ambulance? No way!

"I'm okay…" I rolled over to my back and forced myself to sit up. "Do'dd deed hoppidal…"

Maybe I shouldn't have tried to sit up so hard! In the same moment that I sat upright the floor was rocking and the world was spinning around me. It made my stomach turn. But someone must have known what would happen because before I had the time to throw up on the floor someone had put a bucket right in front of me.

"It's okay…" Hope said softly and I could feel her putting her hand on my back and stroking, I flinched- I hadn't even seen her there but I kept throwing up and didn't have time to say anything, despite trying. "No, don't try to stop it. Just relax…"

I did try and relax, okay? But that move only made me vomit more. Until I, at last leaned my head forward and to the side, laid my cheek against the edge of the bucket and was at last able to take a break. Even though panting for at least a couple of more minutes. For the beginning I had had someone holding a cold, wet cloth towards my forehead, but I tried to force it away and instead leaned my head towards the cold, hard piece of a chair standing next to me.

I held my eyes closed, knowing if I opened them, if there was a light somewhere I'd most likely be throwing up again from the headache…

"Can you still hear me Den?" Doc asked me and I could feel two of his fingers against my neck. "I just have to check your pulse…"

"Uh- huh." Breathing and talking was easier by now and slowly, slowly I managed to open my eyes. "Can I… Can I've… some water?"

"Of course…" Hope moved again and I watched her barely in the corner of my eye when she picked out a glass from a cupboard and filled it with water before she came and kneeled back by me again. "Can you hold it yourself? Should I help you?"

I looked down on my hands, I could move them so the answer should have been that I could hold it myself. But they seemed so weak and shaky and with everything I didn't want to drop and crush a glass into a million pieces like glasses usually would.

"It's okay…" Hope reached the glass to Doc who was kneeled next to me. "We understand…"

There was that lovely feeling when he held the glass towards my lips and tipped it so I could drink. The cool water, as I drank it, it helped against the taste of vomit and blood on my tongue. Then, after a few sips, I could at least raise my hand and hold onto the glass myself. Despite every little piece of my body hurting I could feel there was something about my tongue. It was bleeding and I had that somewhat confirmed when I stopped drinking and saw blood on the edge of the glass.

"Here, can you just do this? Stick your tongue out." Doc showed me, I felt more confused by the second but did as I was told. "Oh… ow…." I could hear Hope gasping. "You bit your jaws together during the seizure and your tongue got in the way. You're lucky that anything in the mouth heals quicker than most other parts of the body. But you might have a lisp and…. Not eat any spicy food for a couple of days. But that's pretty much everything."

If there was anything at all I wasn't feeling right now it was luck…

"Den…"

Doc was just about to say or ask something more. But we were interrupted when suddenly there was a car right down the driveway and then voices coming closer before Lizzie, followed by two paramedics- one male and one female.

"Hello…" My grandfather caught the attention of the female and the male came over to me. "…My name is Pierce and my colleague here is Sarah…"

"I'm Denny… Denny Cutler."

"From what we've heard you've had a seizure… do you know what that is?" I nodded- but I had only ever seen them on TV. "Have you ever had one before?" I carefully shook my head. Pierce stuck his hand down the bag the paramedics had with them and pulled up an ear thermometer that he held up in front of me. "I'll put this in your ear and check your temperature, okay?" I nodded slightly. "Okay?"

Pierce grabbed my ear to hold my head still- making pain shoot through my already aching head and I couldn't help the whimper that escaped me.

"Oh, oh, oh. I'm sorry. I'm sorry… I'll be careful I promise. I'm sorry…"

While he shoved the thermometer into my ear careful felt like a billion miles away. I never had any problems with any kinds of needles, or hospitals at all. But ear thermometers and blood pressure cuffs just made me want to run far away.

Pierce was frowning when he pulled the thermometer back out of my ear, then showed it to his colleague who frowned too. And Sarah turned back to Doc to say something…

"I think…" Pierce turned back to me. "…That with your temperature so, very high, it's at 104. And your history of never having had a seizure before… I think there might be something under it rather than just an infection like a cold or the flu. We can't force you to do anything. And if you stay here of course there's a doctor in the house. No one likes the hospital. But I think you should go in now so they can do some tests. And hopefully give you something to bring your temperature down and they might have to give you something else to stop another seizure."

Blah! Blah! Blah!

But I did look around the room, Doc, Hope and Lizzie all looked so worried. I didn't want to do this more to them. I didn't want for them to have to take care of me.

I didn't want anyone to have to take care of me really. But a hospital was a hospital and if they could figure exactly what had caused the seizure maybe I could leave all of this behind. And then turn back to the Huntington's disease and hopefully go through another bit of life without anyone having to worry for me.

Because that had gone so very well until this point! I ironically thought to myself. Well, I guess there's only one thing to do really.

"I just have one more question right now…" Pierce was packing together his things again. "…Or, question and question… I just need to know… If you've taken something, something you shouldn't have. Then you need to tell us."

I should have known that one was coming!

"I haven't."

"Really? Because if you have, and they give you something, that could get very dangerous…"

"I…"

"Just trust him. Why don't you?" It was with relief I heard Lizzie go on. "I…." She looked around. "Okay! I know what he's said and done since he came here but trust him… and trust me… If he says he hasn't taken anything then that's the truth."

"What happened to you? We're only making sure your friend here receives the best care possible."

"I know… I just wish that you would treat him without nagging him to give an answer again and again."

Lizzie must have figured this had something to do with Huntington's disease, how could it not? But as soon as Pierce had his back against me I mimed a thank you to her. Just yet, I didn't know if I was so certain I was ready to let the rest of the world know about the one disease that was running through my body and my brain.

"Can you stand up or should we get the stretcher?"

I knew right away that I wasn't going to let myself be carried anywhere. Still I had to hesitate for only a couple of seconds before I had the right words.

"I can stand."

Although it didn't happen fast, I moved to my knees and on shaky legs I got up. But only to sit on a chair right back down when I suddenly remembered something.

"Are you okay?"

"I could… I could need my shoes…"

Lizzie didn't let wait for anything else, she got my sneakers from the hallway and then kneeled to help me slip them on and tie them as if I had been a little baby or toddler. But my hands were still so shaky and weak I probably wouldn't have been able to do it myself otherwise.

With a sigh and leaned somewhat on my grandfather I finally got on my feet and through the house without another word. But as well as feeling like this I just couldn't help but all thoughts that had come spinning in my mind about my dad, Huntington's Disease and now my grandfather next to me, Hope and Lizzie who stayed in the kitchen.

I didn't want for them to have to be there for me. But now I couldn't just leave…

"I'll be right with you." My grandfather suddenly said while he let me go and opened the front door to the ambulance. "There's no need for you to worry about anything."

If he only knew…

I am aware Denny switches in between calling Doc "Doc" and grandfather… I just picked the one that sounded best for the moment. And I think it's a bit early for Denny to call Doc grandpa out loud just yet.

Random fact

You are literally so nauseous after a seizure… It's worse than any stomach flu because your brain is also all… all… all… I don't even know what to call it… foggy, maybe. I hate throwing up… (Maybe that is why I enjoy writing it so much) In some way I've been able to not do it after seizures thanks to deep breaths and just force heaves down my throat but yuk! Yuk! Yuk! Yuk!