For Senior Year

The L Word

The beginning part of this chapter may seem a little confusing. Tatum is having a dream but the dream is a flashback to what really happened to her that summer.

Or at least the aftermath of it.

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*Dream Flashback*

Tatum POV:

"Tatum honey I'm going to need you to take nice deep breaths for me. Do the best that you can, breath in and breath out." The nurse who was looking down at me said. I tried to do what she said but I was still gasping for breath. I could hear the weak wheeze as I tried to breath in and out.

The lights from the hospital room shone so brightly in my face that they burned my eyes as I was rolled swiftly down the hallway on the stretcher. An oxygen mask was placed over my mouth and nose but it was doing very little to help me breath.

And it hurt, fuck did it hurt.

With each and every breath I was fighting with my body to pull the air into my lungs. My throat burned as if it was on fire and it felt like someone had their hands wrapped around my neck.

I turned to my side as I started violently coughing. My whole body shook and shooting pains went through my chest. I weakly reached my hand up and grasped the oxygen mask.

"No Tatum you have to keep that on!" The nurse yelled frantically as she tried to grab the mask from me. Several doctors and nurses ran beside the stretcher as I tossed the oxygen mask to the side and started coughing more violently. I could taste blood in my mouth and throat. As I coughed, the blood splattered onto the pillow and sheets of the stretcher.

"I-I-I c-c-c-c-can't b-bre-eath." I stuttered weakly, forcing the words out. After I did, I started gasping for air more desperately than before.

"Just calm down Tatum and take some deep breaths. Everything is going to be okay." The nurse tried to assure me.

But she was wrong, nothing would be the same ever again.

And nothing was okay about this.

*End Dream*

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Emily POV:

It was the night of prom, Tatum and I stayed out late not only at the dance but also at the after party. When we got back to Tatum's house, her mom said it was okay for me to spend the night as long as the door stayed at least halfway open.

I was sleeping soundly and I thought that Tatum was too until I started hearing her breathing quicken. I opened my eye's slightly as I turned to look at her. We had initially fallen asleep cuddling but I guess we moved in our sleep. Tatum's always had trouble sleeping and she tends to toss and turn a lot.

"Tatum?" I whispered quietly.

Her breathing picked up even more, and her body jolted slightly. She started quickly shifting back and forth in the bed. Then her breathing wasn't just fast, it was frantic and she was gasping for air. She made a wheezing sound every time she tried to inhale.

"Tatum?" I said a little louder and more nervously than the first time. I placed my hand on her arm as I shook her slightly. "Tatum are you okay?" I said louder as I shook her a little harder.

Tatum then took a huge gasp for breath before her eyes flew open. She shot straight up into a seated position in the bed. She coughed and gasped as her hands few to her throat.

"Oh my god Tatum are you okay? What's going on?" I asked nervously. She was still gasping for air and her face was red from the lack of oxygen that she was getting.