FIC: "A Story for the Kids" (MLB; Lukanette; LBSC Lukanette Month 2024)
@lovebugs-and-snakecharmers is doing a Lukanette Month for September 2024, and we all just kinda tossed some prompts in the disco to compile a list? We ended up with 71 prompts, so I decided I’d roll some dice to pick a prompt, do a twenty minute (ish, bc we all know sometimes they run away from me) sprint, and try to get some short fics out this month?
Read on Ao3
Prompt 42: “I can’t believe our first date ended in the emergency room.”
“…I can’t believe our first date ended in the emergency room,” he groaned, sinking forward in the chair to drop his head in his hands. His elbows dug almost painfully into his knees, and just because that didn’t feel like enough pain he twisted his fingers in his bangs and tugged. She had the nerve to laugh at him, though her chuckle sounded kind of groggy.
That was probably the pain killers.
They…had dosed her pretty well.
“I can,” she said. He heard a tapping, and he looked up to see the pulsox on her finger tapping against the railing of the bed she was curled up on. She looked…she looked…
God. She looked like shit.
Why hadn’t he forced her to stay home? They could have rescheduled. They could have done this another night, any other night, and she could have rested, and…and…
…she would have been alone when she’d collapsed. And it would have been worse, and he’d probably be beating himself up for an entirely different reason.
Still.
He should have insisted they stay in. Rescheduled. It was just a date. Just…
You wanted this as much as she did and you both know it, a tiny voice in his head reminded him, because had suggested it. Rescheduling. And she had fought him, nearly bringing herself to tears because she had thought he had meant cancel. He swallowed and reached for her hand, worry and guilt creasing his brow.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“You didn’t tell my appendix to rupture,” she said. He squeezed her hand, swallowing.
“It didn’t rupture,” he said, because that was very important. The nurse had been adamant about how important that was – how good it was he had gotten her here as quickly as he had. Because it hadn’t ruptured…yet. “That’s why you’re going into surgery as soon as your parents get here, remember? Because it did not rupture.”
…their date would have been so much worse if it had.
“We never even made it to dinner,” she sighed, her eyes closing. “I owe you so much for this.”
“Stop that,” he said, scooting his chair closer to her bed. “You didn’t do this on purpose. And this…this is a fluke, Mari. This means nothing. As soon as you’re better, we’re rescheduling.”
“Feels like déjà vu,” she sighed. Her eyes closed as she sank back into the bed. “Couldn’t finish a date last time, either.”
“It’s not the same,” he said, his voice hard. “It’s not. Marinette, please don’t think…this is just bad timing.”
“We always have bad timing,” she groaned. A little whimper escaped her, and she curled in around herself as another wave of pain hit her. “We’re jinxed. Doomed. Cursed.”
“We are not,” he insisted. “Marinette. You…you still want to go out with me, right? You want to reschedule, right?”
It had been a long time since…he had just started to accept that they’d never be more than what they were – really good friends – when she had stormed into his berth, nearly in tears, and declared she couldn’t do this anymore. She loved him – still, always, forever – and hated that he didn’t know it. That she wasn’t allowed to act on it. And sure, he’d probably moved on and wasn’t interested anymore, but she had to tell him that – and that had been about as far as he’d let her get before he’d kissed her, because holy shit that was everything he’d ever wanted to hear.
There had been…a lot that they’d needed to talk about, but at the end of the day none of it really seemed to matter anymore. He already knew her secrets, and thanks to his time on the road with Jay (and a certain monk that he still wanted to kick more times than not) he felt better prepared to protect them. To protect her. And she had still been nervous – she’d been guarding those secrets for so long now, and the idea that she didn’t have to do it alone anymore…
They hadn’t broken up because they’d wanted to, before. A lack of love and commitment had never been their problem. Balance and timing, maybe, but they were older now. They had both grown. Balance was…easier. Usually.
Though it seemed timing was still out to get them…
“I want Luka,” she whimpered, pain flashing across her face again. “He’s gon’ be ssso…” her voice was slurring, then cut off completely with another whimper. “Worried…”
…yeah, he was.
But she was going to be fine.
As soon as Tom and Sabine got there, the doctors would take Marinette into surgery and she’d be fine. If she could just wait…
She had collapsed on their way to the restaurant. That he’d actually made reservations at, because it wasn’t technically their first date, but it still kind of was, and he’d wanted it to be special. Memorable. He’d wanted to show her he was serious, that the bullshit didn’t matter and he wasn’t running away this time.
…she was definitely going to remember it, that was for sure.
“I’m right here, beautiful,” he said, kissing the back of her hand. He wondered if she felt it, through the tape holding her IV down. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Hurts…” she whimpered.
“I know,” he said.
He hoped her parents got there soon. The staff had had trouble reaching them – something about a car accident near the bakery and a downed line making cell service spotty, and it was late enough that he wasn’t sure if the landline at the bakery would be switched off for the night. They had reached them, though. Because he’d been able to reach Juleka, and she had rushed over to tell them, and they’d be there as soon as they could.
They would be.
And if Marinette took a turn before then…the doctors would make sure she was fine. He knew they would. But she was still just young enough that her parents had to give the ok first, and unless she was critical the doctors were going to honor that.
…he understood. He did. He still thought it was bullshit.
She groaned again, her bleary eyes blinking open. It took her a moment to focus on him, and he wondered if it was the pain or the drugs and how many of him she was actually seeing. He kissed the back of her hand again – a little higher this time, so he could know she would feel it – and a tired smile curled her lips.
“Look…at it this way,” she said, her voice still groggy but sounding easier than a moment before. He hummed, brushing his thumb over her fingers, and she sighed as she settled back into the bed. “Gonna be a hell of a story for the kids someday.”
…kids.
Kids?
…kids.
A choked laugh was startled out of him, but it had nothing on the booming laugh that barked out behind them. He jumped, squeezing her fingers as he turned to see Tom, Sabine, and Juleka standing behind them. Tom was still laughing, looking like Christmas had come early (and maybe it had), and while it was more reserved there was still a smile on Sabine’s face, too. Juleka…Juleka looked like she had just gotten her blackmail for the next few years, though he wasn’t sure if she was planning on lording it over him, Marinette, or both of them.
“That’s right, mon choux!” Tom laughed, walking over to the head of the bed and clapping a hand on Luka’s shoulder. He bent down to press a kiss to her forehead, and she smiled at the touch. “The kids will love this story!” He looked up at Sabine, his grin growing, and whispered: “Did you hear that, Sabine? Kids – plural!”
“She’s always wanted plural, dear,” Sabine said, her voice entirely too calm for the way it made heat crawl up Luka’s neck.
“So gross,” Juleka muttered, shaking her head – but Luka noticed she was smiling, too.
…he had to smile, too. Just a bit. Despite the worry still swirling in his gut. Despite everything.
He supposed that meant she definitely wanted to reschedule. If this was going to be a story for their kids.
Mikey laying in bed, asleep. He woke up a couple of minutes later. He say up, trying to figure out why he woke up until his stomach cramped. He groaned softly. He softly rubbed his stomach until he fell asleep again.
Mikey woke up in the morning. The cramps had gotten a bit worse. Mikey sighed thinking that he was getting sick. He got up and went to go get some coffee, he saw Frank and Gerard sitting on the couch and he waved. They both waved back, Frank didn't notice anything off about Mikey, Gerard on the other hand was getting a little worried.
Once Mikey got his coffee and went back into his room Gerard lightly elbowed Frank "Did Mikey seem a little paler than usual to you?" Gerard asked, Frank shook his head Gerard sighed "It's probably nothing"
Mikey was laying in his bed, the cramps were starting to get worse, he whimpered softly, he was starting to feel nauseous as well. A couple of minutes later Mikey got up and went into the bathroom, he started to vomit. That only made the ache worse. Once Mikey got done he flushed the toilet and went back into his room.
It was now evening and Mikey could barely move because of the cramps. Gerard went and knocked on Mikey's door "Hey! Mikey do you want to watch Star Wars with us?" Gerard asked. Mikey sighed, he didn't want Gerard to worry but it was really bad. "Yeah sure" He said, getting up. It hurt a lot but he could still move. At his point he was starting to get worried, knowing that something was wrong. But he ignored all of that and went into the living room.
It started to get worse, Mikey could tell that he had a fever and the cramps were getting to the point he couldn't move. Gerard looked over at Mikey with a concerned look on his face "You alright?" Gerard whispered. Mikey couldn't hide it anymore, he shook his head "What's wrong?" Gerard asked "My stomach hurts, really badly" Mikey said, Gerard put his hand on Mikey's forehead then sighed "You have a fever" Frank and Ray looked over at Gerard "What's going on?" Ray asked "Mikey's sick" Gerard replied.
Mikey whimpered loudly, he clutched his stomach. Gerard looked back over to Mikey "Is it your stomach?" Mikey nodded, tears started to well up in his eyes "Fuck Mikey it's gonna be okay, let me go get thermometer."
Gerard got up and went to go get the thermometer. Once Gerard got it he put it Mikey's mouth, once it beeped he took it out, it said 103 "You have a really high fever Mikey" Tears started to stream down Mikey's face. Ray went over to Mikey "Here does this hurt?" Ray said, he pushed down on the lower right side of his stomach. Mikey screamed "Shit" Ray said "We need to take Mikey to the hospital" Gerard and Frank went over to Mikey "The nearest hospital takes an hour to get to" Mikey sobbed a little "Okay Mikey can you walk?" Gerard asked. Mikey shook his head "C-Can barely m-move."
"Ray can you help me pick Mikey up?" Gerard asked. Ray nodded helped Gerard pick Mikey up. They went to the car and put him in the backseat. Gerard sat there next to him. Mikey was still sobbing, Gerard kept trying to calm Mikey down, but it wasn't really working. They had to stop half way through so that Mikey could vomit.
Once they got there Ray and Gerard helped Mikey out of the car and into the hospital, Gerard frantically told the receptionist what was happening and they were put on the waiting list, Gerard held Mikey and ran his fingers through his hair. It didn't take long because there wasn't that many people at the hospital. Once they got into a room the nurse came in and checked if Mikey had appendicitis when she saw that he did they took him to surgery immediately.
After the surgery happens Mikey was laying in the hospital bed, asleep. He woke up a bit later to see that everyone was in there "How are you feeling?" Gerard asked "I feel a lot better then I did before, my stomach is sore though" Mikey replied "Yeah that would happen after you get an organ taken out" Gerard said Mikey just nodded, he started to fall asleep again "Go to sle-" Gerard said, Mikey fell asleep before Gerard could finish his sentence.
The place where my uterus has been in severe pain since 5:40am, and it only dulls in certain positions, and I took cramp pain pills (which helped me sleep for a good 4-5 hours) and when I woke up at 11:50 and stood up, the pain was back, at first I thought it was throw up pain, or pain from a bunch of backed up pee, but 1. When I pissed the pain didn't go away, 2. I never threw up.
It feels like a somthing is stabbing me every time I get up from a seated or curled up position. I'm not sure if it's a bursted appendix, because I don't feel sick I just feel pain. Does anybody have a theory of what the hell is going on with me I'm scared.
I don’t know if you’ve done this, (I’ve missed it if you have so feel free to paste if necessary) but could you do a Drabble where Steve has appendicitis and Tony starts realising something is up with him.
Tony saw Steve take a hard hit to the gut, but he’s surprised the supersoldier is still holding his stomach on the flight back to New York. He waits patiently for Steve to say something, but even in the quinjet it’s a long flight back from Japan. Eventually his curiosity gets the better of him.
“Alright, are you gonna tell us?” Tony asks, staring at Steve and crossing his arms.
“What?” Steve looks startled from a daze.
“That you’re expecting.” Tony jokes, nodding at Steve’s hunched posture. “I’m kidding,” he says when Steve’s confused expression doesn’t budge. “But seriously. Are you all the sudden prone to airsickness or something?”
“No…” Steve shakes his head. “Got hit.”
“I mean, I saw,” Tony says. “But, you usually, you know, shake it off.”
“I know,” Steve sighs. “I just… I don’t feel good.”
“Um. What?” Tony cocks his head.
“I don’t know. I don’t feel good.” Steve shrugs. He swallows. “It’s weird. It’s–” He cuts off as his face goes pale. “Excuse me.”
Steve jumps to his feet and practically runs for the jet’s tiny bathroom.
Tony cringes when he hears him vomiting inside. “Ok, something’s not right here,” he murmurs. “Hey, FRIDAY, are we over land or water right now?”
“Land, sir,” the AI replies. “Is there a reason for your request?”
“Just wanted to know,” Tony says. “Just in case we need to make an emergency landing or something…”
