Hey, Miss J!

Aside: This short is titled “Buried Alive,” and yes my shorts can be 3,000 words long. In this case, it’s short when you consider that NtC chapters average 10,000 words. Only 12 pages long, but took me 4 ½ hours to edit.

After a long period of time away from writing, this is the very first story I’ve written this week. IT was followed by “The Top Up” and “Observer.” It’s spurred me forwards and so now I’m finally working on Chapter 2 of “Open Arms.”

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Disclaimer: I have 0 stake in Marvel. I don’t own any part of the She-Hulk franchise. But, yunno, I don’t mind having a crumb in terms of stock.

Trigger: A bit on the sad and grim side.

Warning: This short discusses a character experiencing “locked-in” syndrome. Though I’ve done extensive research on many parts of different aspects of medicine for my stories, that does not at all mean I am a medical professional. Please do not take any of what’s written here as medical fact, though I try to be as accurate as possible.

Premise: This story takes place within the “Navigating the Curve” universe.

Buried Alive

By Juliette Lyst

Locked In

Parallel Worlds – Parallel Lives (Alternate Universe)

October 2^nd – 6AM

Sightless eyes were turned skywards. It was a strain… a heavy one… to focus—to draw any light in.

But nothing was there.

There were discordant sounds that rang so loud… yet there were no fingers to block the noise.

“—en!” A voice called.

Where? One finger lightly twitched. W… Who?

Through static, some words began to filter in, coming from a very distinctive voice. “—eizing!”

Reed?

“—at—o—w—do?!” A heavier voice asked, sounding panicked.

…Ben?

“Me—c—n in!” Another voice male voice rang out.

Coldness crept in, a bleak blackness that grew so thick… so deep… until there was abrupt stillness, utter silence.

Awareness, when it came, crept in slowly.

“eeping her sedated…” Reed stated.

Who?

“Is she okay now?” Susan asked, anxiety lacing her tone.

A bloom of warmth, accompanying distinctive digits, suddenly touched the cheek. An attempt was made to move in response to the sensation… only for nothing to happen. What’s wrong?

“She looks okay…” Susan murmured, though doubt was audible in her voice. “But how do we know if she’s—”

“We’ll check!” Reed interjected, obviously wanting to assure her. “I’ll do an eye exam right now…” His footsteps were heard as he walked away.

“If you’re in there,” Susan spoke in a soft voice. “We’re going to do the best we can to make sure you’re safe. You and the baby.”

The warmth on the cheek slowly faded as the providing fingers pulled away.

Reed’s heavy tread was heard again as he returned. “I’m going to do an exam…” He explained.

Without warning, there was a searing amount of light that took center stage.

“Checking the left eye,” the scientist announced.

The flashlight moved around, getting closer. The urge to scream came but fled before it was realized. Then, sudden darkness brought relief. Only for that blinding light to return on the other side.

“Checking the right eye,” Reed continued. He leaned close, nodding faintly. “Both pupils are responsive,” His shoulders sagged, relief on his face. “She’s still with us.”

Of course I’m with you!!

“I’ve been very worried,” Johnny whispered, his voice sounding almost broken. The energetic young man had seemingly disappeared overnight. “I’ve never seen her like this.”

“Yes,” Susan husked.

Warm and slightly musty breath was felt and smelled before Johnny spoke from nearby. “You’re a fighter Jen! You can beat this. Come on!” Then… he sighed, the air escaping him in a rush.

“Don’t be upset, Johnny,” Susan said to him. “Jennifer just… needs time.”

Time? Time for what?! What do I need time for??

“I know that,” he replied.

Warm fingers touched the belly. They belonged to a set of hands that gently rubbed the rounded surface.

“Her baby’s moving around a lot,” Susan observed. “We need to check on it.”

“We’re definitely going to do an ultrasound to make sure it’s okay.” Reed spoke, his voice trailing along with him as he quickly traveled around the room.

“Could there be a problem?” Susan wondered aloud. “Even with it so active?”

With Chip?! No… Please don’t let anything be wrong with Chip!

“It’s active? Kicking?” Reed asked.

“Oh yeah,” Susan replied. “Strong kicks too.”

I definitely feel them, Sue!

“That’s a positive sign,” the scientist responded. “Very much so. We responded quickly when she seized.”

Susan was quiet, but the sentiment was understood. No physician wanted to see the tense muscular contractions that came with seizures—focused on a gravid uterus.

“How long will she be like this?” Johnny asked.

It was quiet again… for several minutes.

“Reed?” Johnny whispered, the question poised in his voice. Or… maybe he was trying to fill the lull… the lack of any sound.

Reed sighed heavily. “It depends on what caused this. We have several tests we need to do.”

Silence became companion to everyone then.

Oblivion was sinking its claws in, beginning to drag any awareness away.

“Did being the She-Hulk cause this?” Ben’s brash voice broke in.

The actual answer was completely lost, along with consciousness.

Time had no true form… It was unable to be normally tracked, but there were some consistencies.

“…I do not feel comfortable doing this,” A feminine voice firmly stated.

Suddenly, the brief sensation of cool air was felt, then without warning, soapy slickness.

“I know, Patsy,” Susan replied. “But you know that Janet and Carol both backtracked when we explained the situation.”

A sweet smell filled the air, and the faint rasp of a cloth was heard.

“Yeah,” Patsy agreed, her voice drawing close. “But it’s still so painful to see her like this… I just… I can’t find the words…”

“I know,” Susan responded, her voice soft. “I think that was part of the problem…” She let out a deep breath. “Jennifer’s… She’s just a powerhouse, even when she’s not green. No matter what she’s going through, she’s fought. I keep telling myself that she can defeat this… but we don’t even know what it is.”

Patsy sniffed. “The stuff Peter put her through…” She inhaled slowly, obviously unsettled.

No… Please Pat! Don’t say anything else!

“I… We all had wondered about her situation, but Reed and I decided not to pry. And he… was even quiet about the baby. I meant… it’s a whole baby! I’m his wife, and he normally would have shared something so life-changing… with me.”

“Really?” Patsy asked.

Ladies? I’m right here! You don’t need to talk about my private business!

“I was furious when I found out,” Susan added, a hitch in her voice.

A quiet splash was heard. The warm wetness returned, without the slippery sensation.

“Why?” Patsy questioned, curiously.

“Well… I thought… You know?” Susan hedged. “It was something so… precious. Something they kept between themselves. I thought that he… that they… Reed had…”

You… have got to be kidding me…

“You thought that he was the father?!” Patsy asked, incredulity in her voice.

“It’s stupid! I know…” Susan hastily continued. “I’m… I mean, even as a human, Jen’s gorgeous so… I… for a moment, I thought…”

“You thought she’d do that?!” Patsy wondered aloud, shocked. “Really?” She sounded upset, caught off-guard by the revelation.

It was quiet… for an uncomfortably long time.

“Sue…” Patsy spoke, sotto voce. “You know Jennifer would never have done that to you. She is most certainly not the type to pursue married men!”

“Yeah…” Susan agreed. After a moment, she spoke, but her voice was uneven. “I’ve been feeling so guilty, but… but I was so… so very angry that Reed would hide something like that from me!”

There was another splash, then tepid water touched the cheeks.

“I can understand you being upset about the secrecy, Sue,” Patsy began. “But not how you could think that about Jen? Do you know how horrible she feels about the reputation she has already? And she was faithful to her boyfriend at the time…”

Thank you for sticking up for me, Patsy.

“I do, yeah.” Susan replied. “The logical part of my mind was screaming that.”

It was quiet again for a few minutes.

“This is a really nice soap,” Patsy commented then… to break up the monotonous and gloomy mood.

True. I haven’t smelled this in so long…

“It’s one of Jen’s favorites,” Susan replied. “Oddly enough, it’s also one of the few expensive treats she would give herself.”

The warm water traveled across the chest, arms and stomach. Being fully clean—it felt so good. The welcoming embrace of sleep began calling again.

“I’m going to need help with her legs,” Susan informed her. “After we’re done rinsing her upper body off. I want to make sure to be thorough with this.”

“Sure…” Patsy acquiesced.

“Alright,” Sue responded after a beat. She exhaled loudly then. “Patsy… please don’t share this with Jen. I don’t… I don’t want to hurt her. It was wrong and unfair of me.”

It’s a bit late for that Sue… Far too late.

“I’ll keep it to myself, Sue. But not because you wanted me to. Because Jennifer doesn’t need to always wonder… just how long you’ve thought so poorly of her.”

“Patsy…” Susan husked, her voice thick with emotion. “I really don’t… Which is why I feel so terrible about that. That moment of doubt, no matter how brief. It just…”

“You were angry that Reed kept his word,” Patsy supplied. “It still doesn’t explain or excuse away that you would just assume. Sue, she’s your friend!”

“I know…” Susan replied. “I wasn’t asking for myself. It’s for her. I love Jennifer, and I feel like such an idiot! Of course, Reed would have respected her wishes—just like he would for any patient… and any friend.”

“Oh… When you put it that way…”

Silence reigned as king for a few minutes.

“Patsy…”

The movement of fabric was felt then.

“I need you to hold her legs while I clean her.” Susan stated softly.

“Susan… I thought you meant cleaning her legs. Wait… You mean… It… I…”

“Yes. I do. I know this is… a bit intense. But I have to maneuver around both catheters. There’s always some leakage, so it’s important to regularly check and keep the area clean. That’s why the sheet is still over her hips. To hide them.”

Wh… What?! Catheters? Two of them? Where??

“Umm… I—I…” Patsy stuttered, clearly uncomfortable. “How can—”

“Just look away,” Susan advised her. “I don’t feel comfortable having Jen too long in a position that might put pressure on her abdomen while I do this.”

Oh Susan… Sound abruptly vanished, awareness thankfully following on its heels.

Later…

“Slow, everyone!” Susan ordered them. “We can’t move too fast!”

“On it, sis!” Johnny responded immediately.

Where am I going? The sensation of being turned around was surreal.

“I’m holding her steady on this end!” Patsy stated.

“Alright. Keep her head still so the tube doesn’t move.” Susan replied. “I’m now turning on suction. At a low setting.”

The machine thankfully wasn’t jarringly loud, but the slurping and sucking noise was unsettling.  

“Shouldn’t… shouldn’t we have more people?” Johnny questioned.

Susan cleared her throat slightly. “Normally, I would agree, but the focus of this is to clean her mouth as meticulously as possible, and it could be complicated by too many people in such a small space.”

“Never thought too many people would be a problem.” Johnny commented.

A small rasping and scratching noise was heard. It was accompanied by a strange tingling feeling in the mouth. One finger lifted the top lip on the left.

What is…

“Keep her stabilized,” Susan spoke quietly. “Johnny, she doesn’t have a large mouth, so it doesn’t make sense for so many hands to be here. And even if she did… we don’t need more people.”

Is… Wait… are they cleaning my…

“Persistence is going to help her avoid oral decay.” Susan continued.

“I know sis,” Johnny replied. “But we’ve done this so many times today already. Every day… in fact.”

“It isn’t healthy or safe for Jen to have neglected oral hygiene.” Susan informed him. “She’s already at risk because of the NG tube. If we don’t keep her mouth clean, she could aspirate on secretions in there. After this, we have to make sure we lubricate her lips thoroughly. And no, lip balm isn’t enough.”

Darkness was creeping in again.

Patsy broke the silence. “So that’s why there’s so much petroleum jelly in here? For her lips?”

“Yes,” Susan replied, moving one of her hands away once she was done.

The sound of suction continued for another minute before the machine was cut off.

“Jen can’t lick her lips to keep them moist,” Susan explained. “So, the petroleum jelly prevents her lips from drying out and cracking.”

“There… is a lot involved in this,” Johnny commented. “It’s… a lot more than I thought before. Definitely not for the faint of heart.”

The same for me… And you all don’t even know that I…

“While that’s true, we’re giving her the best possible care,” Susan replied. “And with Jennifer, remember, we have two patients to be concerned for.”

“Never thought I’d see her like this.” Patsy commented. “Ever.”

“Sick?” Susan asked, carefully doing one last check, raising lips and parting Jen’s teeth. “Okay team. Let’s get her back into position on her back. Johnny, do you have the wedges in place?”

“Yup!” he agreed.

“Okay, let’s roll her together.”

Being moved again was more disorienting.

“The wedges for her hips and back are secure.” Johnny stated.

“Good,” Susan replied. “I’m going to elevate the head of the bed back to where it was. So far, it’s worked at keeping pressure off that big blood vessel in her back.”

“Which one?” Patsy asked.

“The inferior vena cava. Compression could endanger the baby.” Susan explained.

“Oh.”

There was silence for a few minutes. As darkness and stillness began to dull the senses, Patsy spoke.

“Still surprising to see her pregnant. I never thought Jen wanted to have a family.”

What? Pat… Do you really…

“I always thought she did.” Susan replied. “She was with Wyatt years ago…”

“True,” Patsy agreed. “But that’s for a husband. I mean children. Never thought she wanted them. They’re… a lot of work. And she was always so busy with the firm.”

“This is Jen,” Susan reminded her. “She would have found a way. She’s very resourceful.”

“You’re right!” Patsy responded. Then, she laughed faintly. “Can you imagine what it’s going to be like with her and this baby?”

“… I hope it can’t climb walls.” Johnny said, dread in his voice.

“Well, the little one has unique genes to work with.” Susan mused.

“Do you guys know what it is?” Patsy asked then. “Boy or girl?”

No… I… I don’t want to know! Please… Don’t take this away from me.

“Well,” Susan began. “If anyone knows, Reed does. But he’s been quiet about it. Jen never told us, so I guess she wants to know the day of.”

“Considering her entire life has been in a spiral lately, I’d have thought she’d want to know.” Patsy remarked.

“Because of all of that,” Johnny interjected. “I would think she’d prefer a surprise. And this will be a nice one.”

“Yeah,” the redhead replied. “I was just curious. How do I know what to get her as a gift?”

A hand was lifted, a faint squeeze felt.

“I just… I hope she has the chance to meet them. I know Jen wouldn’t want to miss out.” Patsy spoke, her voice lowering.

It was difficult… but the squeeze was returned. Did you feel that? Another one, a tighter squeeze was given.

“Jen!?” Patsy started.

A warm hand was felt on the shoulder.

“What’s wrong, Patsy?! Tell me!” Susan begged anxiously.

“I… I think she can hear us!” she replied. “Jen? Jennifer? Are you awake?”

“I’m going to get Reed!” Sue stated, her footsteps heard as she hurried away.

“Jen?” Can you hear us?” Patsy asked again. “Squeeze if you can!”

Another squeeze.

Several minutes later, Reed’s familiar tread was heard. He took several steps haltingly, seemingly moving back and forth around the entirety of the room.

“Was there a problem?” he asked.

“She’s responding to external stimuli.” Patsy excitingly informed him.  

“We’re gonna do it again,” Sue stated.

There was a faint sound of adjusting bodies.

The hand was gently held in a different grip.

“If you can feel this, Jen…squeeze my hand,” she ordered.

There was a brief lull, then a squeeze.

Susan spoke. “Again, Jennifer.”

Another squeeze.

“So, she’s fully awake?” Reed asked.

The eyelid was gently lifted. A bright light was seen there, the eye following it as the penlight moved.

“Jennifer,” Reed addressed her.

Reed?

“If you can hear me, follow my finger.” Reed held up his pointer finger, moving it side to side, then up and down.

The eye easily followed the movement, then focused on his face… as if waiting for further instructions.

Reed grinned. “Very good!” He glanced to the side. “Thank you,” he spoke, his voice tight with emotion.

Susan exhaled in a rush. “I know you’ve been worried, especially since…” There was a brief pause.

“Uh…” Reed fumbled.

“Since this little one here is still having that growth spurt.” Susan continued.

A gentle pat on the belly was felt. Then, fatigue sunk in, all energy spent on the focus needed to obey commands.

End.

Author’s Note: Hey there! Hope you liked this insight into how it was for Jennifer! Am I back? Probably! I have a lot I’m working on, outside of my writing, at present, but I should hopefully be back to our regularly scheduled programming, already in progress.

Additional: Whew! This was a rough one! I finally have my problem with differentiating with spacing mostly solved, so all of the chapters of NtC and every other fiction will be getting editing overhauls. Unfortunately, and I failed to mention this, for NtC be to properly formatted, I must systematically rewrite each chapter. One by one.

Ugh.

XXO

~J. Lyst

Extra: I’m also working on chapter 2 of OA and resuming work on my roster. Keep an eye out! Not too closely though! I hate disappointing people. Thank you so much for your patience!

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