Survived Me: a Shatter Me fan-fiction (Warnette)

Chapter 76 - Claustrophobic

⚠️TW⚠️
Hospitals
Claustrophobia
Panic attacks (severe)
Poison
Injury details
Memory loss
Trauma
MRI scan
Mention of war
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JULIETTE'S POV:
Cathy booked me in for an emergency MRI, she said it will be within the hour.
She has just left and Aaron sits back down in the chair, after closing the door behind her.

"What just happened?" I ask Aaron, nervously.
He grabs ahold of my hand again, bringing it close to him lips then kissing it. "I don't know, love. It's all going to be okay though."
I nod, not believing him. I don't feel like I'm okay, so, how can I believe that it's all going to be fine?
—
It's been about half an hour when Cathy knocks on the door again, Aaron opening it, like usual. She comes in with a black wheelchair and some forms.
"Juliette, your MRI is in five minutes, we need to get you down to the MRI scanning room." She smiles, her and Aaron helping me into the wheelchair.
"Can Aaron come?" I ask.
"Unfortunately not. He has to stay up here, it's the rules." She say, standing behind the wheelchair with her hands on the handle bars, ready to push it.
"Oh." I responded.

Aaron kneels in front of the chair, kisses me quickly. "Hey, I'll be here when you come back, alright?"
I nod.
"I love you," I whisper to him.
"And I love you too."

With that Cathy wheels me down to the MRI room.
It has a big white, capsule type looking machine, a small blue line of cloth and a pillow with some weird protection and sanitation paper over it. There are white, strobe lights inside the machine and metal poles that make the bed move into the tight space.
"Here we are." She smiles. I just look at the contraption in utter horror, I can't even begin to explain how claustrophobic I am.
"It's not as daunting as it looks." She rests a hand on my shoulder in a reassuring manner.

Another doctor walks in, wearing the same uniform as Cathy, but his, instead of being light blue, his is dark blue.

"Hello, Juliette Ferras, I am Doctor Humphrey, I'll be doing your MRI scan today." He shakes my hand.
"Hello." I say, still looking at the machine, petrified.
"Are you ready?" He asked me.
I shake my head. "I'm very claustrophobic." I admit.
"Oh," he starts, "well, how about you close your eyes so you can't see the tight space?"
I slowly nod, still not so sure.

Cathy helps me to the bed, well a slab of fabric. I close my eyes, very tightly, trying to think of happy thoughts.

So, I think of:

Running through a field, Aaron runs after me, trying to catch me so he can tickle me.
I'm laughing, running as fast as my legs will carry me.
"I'm going to get you," he calls.

After a few seconds he does catch me, pulling me down onto the fresh, soft, green grass. He tickles me until I wriggle out of his grasp. I kiss him, slowly and passionately to distract him so I can stand up and run away again.
"Oh come on, love. That's not fair." He laughs as he stands up and rushes after me.
"It's not my fault you get so easily distracted when I kiss you." I giggle.
He laughs too, gaining speed and catching up to me again.
"I won't tickle you, I promise." He says, pulling me on top of him on the grass. "I just want to issue some payback."

He pulls my head close to him and kisses me, it's sweet and loving. It's perfect.

I come back to reality by the sound of the machine starting, it's a clatter and then a loud, long beep.

My eyes shoot open and I'm stuck. There is barely any space between my face and the top of the capsule. My breathing picks up, I feel like someone is strangling me. I close my eyes again, trying to go back to the field. But I can't, soon I'm stunned with the flashing of a light, I suspect it is the camera, taking photos of my brain.
I start to shake, hating this moment so much. I kick my legs frantically, full stress taking over me, I'm using the last of my energy to try and kick the door to the machine open so I can get out of here.

A few more flashes come and I freak out more, until the door opens and Cathy pulls the bed out.

I'm sobbing, almost screaming. I sit up but fall back down again, die to my lack of strength and energy. I clench my chest, trying to breathe.
"Hey, hey, calm down, it's over now." Cathy tries to calm me. I can barely hear her over the harsh and rapid sound of my own heartbeat.
Cathy and Doctor Humphrey carry me back into the wheelchair, Doctor Humphrey hands me a paper bag to breathe into. I do but it doesn't help.

I'm taken back up to my hospital room, still in the same condition as I was in the machine.
Cathy swings the door open, Aaron shoots up, looking at me. He rushes over and picks me up, bridal style.
"Sh, shh. What's wrong? What happened, love?" Aaron hushed.
I try to speak but I can, so I just continue breathing what little I can into the paper page.
"She informed us she was severely claustrophobic, so we told her to close her eyes, but I'm guessing the sound of the machines and the flashing lights caused her to open them in a defensive manner." She said, folding the wheelchair so it's easier to carry and store.
"Oh love." Aaron kisses my forehead, laying me down on the hospital bed.
———
It's been about three hours since then when Cathy comes back with a serious face.

"Juliette, we have received your MRI results." She says.

I look at her, full of panic.

"Well, the bump on your head hasn't caused any damage. It seems that someone has infiltrated some type of poison into your system. It looks to have been administered about two days ago. It is a poison that, presumably, doesn't act right away, it seems that you digested it so, to me, it makes me believe that it got into your body by food or a drink. Whoever did it is very talented with medicine and dosage." She states. "The poison should wear off and you, Juliette, will get your memories back. We are not sure when that will be though."

I sit there, I'm in pure shock.
How can that be, I only eat meals from the canteen.

That's when it hit me...

We never caught who my parents said was a 'spy' on base, who was informing them of our attacks and movements. I'm almost positive that this is the door of that same person.
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Word count: 1162