AJR-Panic Attacks

Ryan- 11 (Pro Tools Crash)

Jacks POV

"Yeah that looks good, you can come out now." Ryan calls from his room. I put down the headphones and walk out to sit on Ryan's bed. Ryan is working intently on the new song, which we just started working on a few hours ago.

"K, how does this sound?" Ryan asks, playing the part of the song I just sang. I bob my head along with the beat and nod at the end.

"Yep, sounds great. How did you do those drums??" I ask, amazed at what Ryan did.

"Lots of work and lots of layers." He explains.

"Sounds great." I approve.

"Alright, what should come next?" Ryan asks.

"What if we go into a big like, brass band and strings section?" I suggest randomly.

"I like it. Let's switch up the chords and-"

Ryan goes silent, his full attention on his computer.

"Switch up the chords and what Ry?" I ask, confused about why he stopped.

"No." Ryan mumbles.

"What's wrong Ry?" I ask, still confused. Ryan was playing with things on his computer, pressing different buttons and clicking different things.

"No!" Ryan shouts.

"Ry! What's wrong!" I ask for the billionth time.

"Protools shut down and now nothing is saved!" Ryan says agitated. Ryan continues clicking around on the computer, me jumping up to try to help.

"What if you go here?" I suggest, pointing at an icon.

"No, that's not going to work!!" His breathing starts to quicken, his gasps for air getting shallower and shallower. He rips his headphones off, throwing them at the piano.

"Ry, hey, it's ok!" I attempt to calm him down, but as his breathing speeds up, so does his heart rate, and now he thinks he's having a heart attack. He sits down on the edge of his bed, stretching his hand up to feel his heart. He looks at the ground below the piano, even though I know his eyes aren't focusing on anything.

"Ok, Ryan, I need you to calm down." I start, not really knowing what to do to help him.

"I am calm!" He yells, scaring both me and him the process. His breathing isn't slowing down at all. It probably gains speed as Ryan starts shaking and tensing his hands up.

"K, Ry, can you lay down on the bed?" I ask. "I don't want you to pass out." Ryan starts to lean back, but frantically sits back up, shaking his head.

"Ry, I just don't want you to pass out, ok? Here-" I place my knee on his bed, turning him around and carefully laying him down. I then sit down on the bed beside him and take off his glasses. Ryan covers his eyes with his arm, blocking out most of the light. His knees are up with his feet planted on the bed. I grab his hand in mine and my hand hugs around his thumb, me just holding his hand gently.

"You're ok Ry, just take some deep breaths." I say.

"I-I can't fo-focus!" Ryan cries out, starting to break down in tears.

"Shhh Ry, don't talk. I've got ya, you're ok." I mutter. We just kinda sit here for a bit, not talking much, other then a few mumbles from me, reminding him to breathe. Before long he settles down, wiping the tears off his face.

"Good job Ry." I mumble. He sits up, ending up directly beside me. He keeps his knees up and continues holding my hand.

"Thanks." He mutters.

"Of course! Are you ok?" He nods.

"That was scary though." He mumbles, his voice getting quieter.

"I bet it was. It was scary watching you." I emphasize.

"Sorry."

"Don't be sorry! I'm just glad you're ok." I pull him into a hug, Ryan wrapping his arms around me and burying his head in my shoulder.

"Thank you." He mumbles, it muffled by my shirt.

"Anytime Ry." Ryan pulls away and I hand him his glasses and he puts them back on.

"Do you wanna keep working on the song or are you done for right now?" I ask.

"I'm done. I'll work on it later. I think I'm gonna go to Cat's place for a bit."

"Sounds good. Cat can come over here too ya know." I mention. "That way you don't have to walk all the way over there."

"Good point. I'll ask her what she wants to do." Ryan pulls out his phone to text his girlfriend, me not moving from the room. I pull out my phone as well, texting Alba to ask if she wants to come over.

"Cat's on her way." Ryan informs me.

"Did you tell her what happened yet?" I ask curiously. Ryan shakes his head.

"I don't know if I want to.." Ryan mumbles.

"Ry, really?" I start. "She's going to want to know that you just had a panic attack." I emphasize. "She'll probably want to make sure you're settled down, which probably means you'll watch a movie in bed, snuggled together, falling asleep in each other's arms." I nudge his arm, knowing he loves that kind of stuff.

"Alright fine, I'll tell her."

"Good job Ry. Alba's coming over too, but we'll stay in my room." Ryan nods, just as we hear a knock at the door. I stand up to go get it, Ryan not following me. I open the door to reveal Cat, and tell her Ryan's in his room. She walks in and sits down beside him on the bed. She could tell right away something was wrong.

"Hey." Ryan starts.

"Hey Ry, everything ok?"

"No, I uh... I had a panic attack."

"Ry! Are you ok?" Ryan nods as Cat gives him a hug. "Is there anything I can do to help?" Ryan shakes his head.

"Well, I think that calls for a movie night. What do you think?" Ryan smiles like a little kid.

"Yeah." He smiles. I hear another knock at the door, me knowing it's Alba. I leave Ryan and Cat in the room, them doing exactly what I said they would do.

Thank you @k_does_words for the inspiration for this story!