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goldenpinof · 1 year

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I was thinking he shaved them because of this gif here https://www.tumblr.com/polar-bears-making-pancakes/712035078223609856/pinof-so-i-got-a-nun-costume-from-spirit when you can see him putting on the fishnets... But idk he isn't very hairy guy so maybe he didn't need to 🤔

i rewatched the whole tiktok and damn, it's hard to tell. i doubt about thighs but calfs... i don't see any hair there. so ffs, that's a mystery! we saw pics of Dan's hairy legs, it's not like he has thin white hairs on his legs 😩

#don't make me dive into in againnnnn #nashville #answered #polar-bears-making-pancakes

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naffeclipse · 6 months

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Would be really cute if Y/N was, instead of a Selkie, a mer based off a seal. Though they would probably be on the menu :I Anyhoo, Arctic Ribbon Seals are gorgeous, have you seen them before?

Ohhh, a siren Y/N with the tail of an Acrtic Ribbon Seal would be gorgeous! I haven't seen them before! The colors and ribbons on the fur are lovely! Picturing Eclipse seeing them and immediately going "Mine!" is so augh augh augh

You're going to drown. A polar bear is sitting at the only breathing hole for a good mile or two, and you can't take one gulp of air without the threat of the beast biting your head off. Your lungs are burning.

In the distance, you spy a shadowy figure before the black and white markings solidify and a new panic burns through you, hotter than the suffocation. A large orca siren. You truly are meant to die today.

You stagger in a frazzled fear under the ice, debating on risking the polar bear for just a breath or giving the siren a free meal, but his approach is steady, sinister, yes, but lacking the savagery you'd expect from a siren on the prowl.

He reaches you, all teeth and wide eyes, but he tilts his head in a curious regard. You're not really sure what to do but gesture upwards to the breathing hole and form claws with your hands to signify the threat waiting above. Maybe the two predators will take each other out and you can steal a breath of fresh air. If he gets what you're trying to say, he doesn't seem all that scared, and in fact smirks before swimming into the breathing hole.

You blink, stunned, your lungs on fire with lack of air, and wait for blood or thrashing or something, but the siren's strong black and white tail flickers calmly beside you. Did the polar bear already move along? What is the siren doing?

Darken starts to dot the edges of your vision but before you can flail, a large hand reaches down, snags your wrist, and pulls you up into the narrow breathing hole just inches away from his sinister jaws curved up at the ends. You gasp. You're alive!

You're also entirely cornered by the siren, both of your hot breath mixing into deep smoke as he takes up the already precious space and forces you back against the rim of ice until it bumps against your head. He tightly holds your wrist.

You try to spew a swift thank him and dive back down but he's not letting you go. This close, you can only stare into his glowing eyes before he lifts his hand, water dripping down his dark arm. He tenderly pushes a stray strand of hair from your face and tucks it behind your ear, claws trailing the shell of your ear that elicit a shiver down your body.

He tells you he thought you needed protecting when he first saw you, and he was right. You still do. He'll be the one to do it, and you'll be good, won't you, ribbons?

You can't help but think you don't have a say in the matter with his eyes devouring you from head to tailfin.

#apex polarity #i love Arctic Ribbon Seal mer y/n augh #orca!eclipse #hei-z-sky #ribbon seal!reader

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roronoagem · 4 months

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Person who asked for Law with reader who was forced to eat a devil fruit. Can I go by 🐻‍❄️ anon?

Ahhhh! You did a great job!!! Thank you so so much!

I think it'd be funny to see a continuation. Maybe Bepo stays a little bit closer to reader just in case she falls over again and Law gets jealous that he can't be the one to dive in and save her?

🐻‍❄️

characters: trafalgar d. water law

content warning: gn!reader, jealous!law, bepo is super cute (he’s my baby fr) & poor attempt at fluff i think idk.

a/n: omg thank you so much !! of course you can be 🐻‍❄️ anon — basically bepo anon huh, i’m gonna add you to my list hehe. this one is short fr, i could only think of a tiny convo between them. i apologise if this is not what you expected >_< .

after the accident, bepo decided to stay super close to you.

“you don’t have to act like a baby-sitter, bepo,” you would try to ease his tension. it doesn’t work of course.

“i have to be ready to help you!”

bepo’s closeness caught the attention of a certain someone who unconsciously grew jealous of this whole situation.

“bepo i’m okay, i promise. i’m just sitting here watching the waves,” he’s hugging you. no literally he’s holding you to make sure you won’t slip into the water.

law noticed how whenever you were walking around on the deck doing whatever task, the polar bear acted like your shadow.

he wasn’t really jealous of him being too close to you, he was jealous of the fact that 1. he would be the first to see if something happens and 2. he could actually jump in to save you.

this is something law could never do because of his devil fruit.

you noticed the way he acted a bit different after that, not really thinking his change in behaviour was a consequence of bepo being there for you at all times — well, not in that sense.

“law!” you walked right into his office, making your presence known even before he could see your figure. he hummed, acknowledging your presence, eyes focusing on the pages of the book he was reading.

“are you sad?” you sat right next to him, pouting. “hm?” law glanced at you, curious as to why you were asking something like that. “it looks like you’re always pouting when you see me on the deck. did something happen?”

was he that obvious?

“no, i’m okay,” he shrugged it off and went back to his book. “are you jealous?” you smirked, your tone showing amusement now. “what— no. why would i be?” he rolled his eyes.

“because bepo’s not afraid to hug me in public,” you suggested, trying to find a way to let him spit the truth out. “i hug you,” he corrected, not even glancing at you this time. you huffed and then looked down for a moment, trying to think of something else.

“he can do something i can’t, though,” his voice was low but you heard it clear as a day. “huh?” you raised your brows, confused. “what if you fall once again? he can jump in,” he added after a long moment of silence.

you realised what he meant and swiftly moved closer, searching for his gaze. “i don’t care about that, because you protect me in many other ways and that’s all that matters,” you took his hand, tracing his tattoos with your thumb slowly. as law finally met your eyes, you offered him a sweet smile. “i guess… you’re right,” he finally, but slowly, gave in. it wasn’t rational, feeling jealous of something like that.

“so… you were, in fact, jealous,” you then laughed at him, easing the tension between you two. law rolled his eyes, cheeks turning slightly pink now. “shut up,” he tried to sound offended but seeing you laughing changed his mood, as he secretly enjoyed watching you spread your happiness like that.

#꒰ 🖋️ ꒱ writing #꒰ 🌐 ꒱ one piece #꒰ 💭 ꒱ trafalgar d. water law #🐻‍❄️.anon #trafalgar law x reader #law x reader #op law x reader #trafalgar law drabble #trafalgar law blurb #trafalgar law imagine #one piece x reader #op x reader #trafalgar one piece #op trafalgar law #one piece

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thatsdemko · 11 months

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the ways in which mick shows you he loves you - m.schumacher

pairings: mick schumacher x reader

warnings: fluff + a singular mention of nsfw + a little headcanon but also with some scenarios!

a/n: a different way of writing😁 feedback is appreciated xx

- he gives you good morning & goodbye kisses

you’re sound asleep, head buried into the mountain of pillows you insisted on having. he can never seem to find your head in the dark, so he ends up kissing some random body part of yours good morning or goodbye. you usually can feel his lips faint against your skin, the feeling always lingers for hours. it’s how you know he’s gone or it’ll be a beautiful morning.

- “this made me think of you” text messages

the polar bear stuffed animal of the gift shop in Alaska made his heart ache, and for some reason he found himself snapping a picture of it to you.

mick💗

this made me think of you.

read at 11:50am.

and yes, he most certainly buys it to bring back for you.

- gentle touches against your back

his hand rests against your lower back, it’s almost like a ghost against your skin but you feel him right there. sometimes you lean into the touch, letting him know you want to feel him right there, but sometimes just knowing it’s there makes you feel more at peace.

- learning how to make your coffee the way you like it

he watched and studied you for months on how you like it. he watches how much sugar, cream, and milk you add to the drink, and with many trials and error he figures out how to make your perfect cup of coffee. now you ask him to do it because you just never make it like him.

- playing with your hair

it doesn’t matter if you’re laying down or seated beside him his fingers are always playing with the ends of your hair. whether it be twirling, twisting, or braiding he finds the task soothing to his own mind.

- kissing your inner thighs

his lips are soft and wet against your skin. they trail up your legs, his hand pushes your thighs apart. he loves the way your thighs squeeze around him, it makes him feel like the king of your pussy, so he always makes sure to leave a few gentle kisses against your inner thighs before diving in.

- “I don’t like this.” “do you want my food instead?”

the food you’ve been served was not how you expected it to taste. the flavor was rather bland, and the seasonings tasted off, but micks food? that looked quite delicious. you couldn’t outright tell him you wanted his food, that felt rather wrong but he knew something was up when what was on your plate was hardly touched, “something wrong?”

“I don’t like this.” you push the plate away from you, nose scrunched in disgust at even the thought of finishing it.

“do you want my food instead?”

- his hugs

whether it was a hug he needed the most or what you needed, his arms around you always made you feel safe. the way he pulled you into his chest and how they engulfed you closer to him, you knew that was his way of making you not only feel safe, but show you he loves you.

note: hi please please lmk if you like this style of writing! I would love to do more like this but if it’s not what people want then I won’t do any more! xx

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rupertgayes · 1 month

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A Very Long Fraser/Ray K Fic Rec List

in honor of @ds30below i wanted to give a shoutout to just some of the many, many, many fics i've read and loved from the fandom since i got into due south last year! this rec list has over 70 fics on it because i'm insane and these authors do NOT miss. they're separated into canon compliant, post canon, aus, and pwps, with some notes in the margins from me for some of my favorites :)

get the full rec list here.

and here are some of my absolute favorite, 10/10, no notes, fave fics of all time (so far):

Con Job by keerawa | E | 5300 | Undercover, Angst

Undercover was easy, and Ray was good at it.

Leaving Normal by china_shop | M | 3300 | Getting Together, Stella

Working with Fraser is like working in a cartoon.

Relax by Dira Sudis | E | 12k | Hypnotism, Episode: Seeing Is Believing, Non-Consensual Activities, Angst with a Happy Ending, Getting Together

Fraser hypnotizes Ray by accident. The rest, he does on purpose.

Locked Room Puzzle by Speranza | T | 4500 | Established Relationship, Mystery, Outside POV

"Aileen," Musky said finally, with the air of someone imparting great wisdom, "if you ever have a case gives you the stinkeye, one of the finest policemen in all the world lives not twenty miles past Miller's Hill.”

TwilightZone by pir8fancier | E | 12k | Humor, Angst with a Happy Ending, Homophobia

Fraser hands Ray another ticket to the Twilight Zone.

Where the Story Changes by seperis | E | 25k | Getting Together, Pining, Canadian Wilderness, Hand of Franklin, Pining

It's why he could sit in the middle of a camp of Mounties, eating a bowl of God-is-this-polar-bear-stew and say, hey, buddy, got an idea. Let's go get that Hand of Franklin. I cannot think of anything more unlikely, so I'm pretty sure we'll find it.

i also have a lot of bookmarks on my ao3 that are up for grabs for anyone who would like a deeper dive - i'm excited to start branching out of ao3 to find some more stories. if there are any you have to rec, hit me up! i'd love to read them

#due south #fraser/rayk #ds30below #this was a bit rushed so i'll prob go back and tidy up the doc #add more tags etc.#but it should be easy to scroll through and hopefully find some new reads!

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sanjisluvbot · 29 days

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Isekai Yandere Strawhats Chapter 2

Previously| next

The days turned to weeks and weeks to months soon, that world was a thought of the past. Y/n had continued to her regular life going to school, hanging out with friends, and having her biggest worries being what time her assignments were due.

She didn’t throw away any of her old books or posters with those characters on them instead she put them in a box under her bed. Just so they were right beneath her feet if she ever wanted to return and fantasize about maybe a different time, maybe if things would’ve gone differently.

The seasons were beginning to change March would soon become April. It had only dawned on the girl today that a year had passed since she first started that journey. Sitting by the window as the birds chirped in glee, Y/n finally had some time to dive into her memory.

A year ago Y/n had just met the straw hat pirates. She appeared in their life so suddenly, and little did she know they would become so easily enamored. She laughed to herself in disbelief then rubbed her hand through her bangs, “ How could I be so stupid?” she said to herself.

Opening her curtains for the rays of the sun to wash over her reminded her of tanning with the girls on the Sunny, in the beginning, it was just so sweet, wasn’t it?

With a sigh, she got up from her bed and waltzed over to grab her remote from the desk turning on the TV hoping to drown out the memory of a certain someone. The shows were white noise as the face of Trafalgar Law was all she could focus on.

A call from her mother had made her jump and she quickly made her way out of her room. “ Yes, mother?” She said walking into the living room. Her mother smiled and handed her a letter. The envelope was black with no writing on it and the seal was yellow with a small bear on it.

Y/n bit her lip, not wanting to get too excited in front of her mother and for herself, who knows if this letter is from who she thinks it is?

She thanked her mother and quickly made her way back to her room shutting the door with her back. The pit of her stomach grew butterflies and nerves flared inside of her. She turned off her TV and sat on her bed using her thumb to unseal the envelope.

There were two letters inside marked with red and blue at the tips of the corner. Pulling the blue one out first she swiftly opened it and began reading.

Dear Y/n, I wonder what you’ve been doing all this time. I know you got back home safely, I can feel it in my bones. I debated on whether or not I should just go see you myself but I figured it was better to let you enjoy your time with your family for now.

I have been able to avoid clashing with BlackBeard thanks to you and I have been able to gather more research on this gateway between our worlds. I won’t go too in-depth in this letter but I can say that we have a lot to talk about once we meet again. After you left the strawhats also left me alone without a word or a fight. Within the next month, we will meet but it will take some effort on your part as well. Please read the next letter for additional information.

Y/n felt ecstatic, finally after months of wondering what happened to Law there was an answer, directly from him at that. She tossed the note beside her pulled out the red-tipped letter and began reading.

There were instructions and illustrations explaining how to open a gateway directly onto the polar tang where they could travel with ease. It was a method without shifting that wouldn’t be so strenuous on both parts.

At the end of the letter, there was a small warning, “ It will take time, over a month on your end to make sure that the gate is stabilized so as soon as you read this you should get started.”

With a smile on her face, she followed both letters back into the envelope and began to follow the instructions. The instructions were relatively easy but there was a reason she needed time.

Step one, keep the mirror on your door as clean as can be that will be the gate. Step two, ensure any other mirrors are not facing the gate including your television.

Step three, keep your curtains open as the sun will help charge up the portal. The other steps were simple as well, don’t keep anything plugged in at night, and keep a diet consisting of greens.

Y/n had a new pep in her step and everyone around her noticed. Y/n had smiled more often and life at home seemed like a fantasy for her parents, they never had to ask her twice to complete chores or help out with anything around the house.

The first week of April swings by and exam season is brewing up, Y/n spent time studying with her friends in the library. " Y/n me and y/f/n are going to get drinks real quick."

The girl waved her friends off too focused on her current textbook. A minute passed before she was interrupted again by a text message. Her mother was telling her she needed to pick up something for dinner, she sighed and decided to take a break from studying and possibly find a book she could take home.

Out of interest Y/n took to the supernatural fantasy section. Wondering if she could find any books relating to portals and how they work.

At the top of the shelf there was a black hardcover with the words open your mind written in script on the spine. Reaching up she grabbed it, ‘ Open Your Mind written by N.R’. The book seemed to be brand new, the pages crisp and the cover silky smooth.

Returning to her seat Y/n began to read. Her friends soon returned and hours had passed as Y/n fell into the fantasy world of N.R. The book was about a women who had a found family and was able to discover the mysteries of her world. The chills ran down her spine when she realized how similar it had been to one piece.

Although there weren’t any pirates Y/n couldn’t shake the feeling of having heard a few similar stories within her favorite series. Bitting her lip she closed the book on the third chapter, not wanting to spoon herself while with her friends.

Y/n tucked a strand of her behind her ears and told her friends she would be off as it was getting late. Waiting for the bus questions popped into her head.

There is no way one of them could be here right?

Law made sure they didn’t have a way back right?

It’s been so long since she was filled with this much anxiety. The cool spring breeze wouldn’t cool her nerves and the palms of her hands filled with sweat.

The bus finally came and she stepped on seating herself in the single seats. Her head rested on the window and she silently watched the cars zoom by leaving colorful glares.

🏷️: ( new tag list, reply to be added to next update )

A/N: Welcome back to the drama!!! I’m so excited to begin this new journey again and I am so happy everyone enjoyed the first part. I don’t currently know how long I want this part to be but I will have a schedule in my Masterlist of when I will update.

Extra: What do you think about the letter?

#one piece #yandere strawhats #isekai yandere strawhats #x black fem reader #one piece x black!reader #one piece headcanons #one piece x reader #x black reader #isekai one piece #isekai yandere #one piece angst #trafalgar law x black reader

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bearotonin-international · 10 months

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Dive in and enjoy Polar Bear Sunday!

#polar bear sunday

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theotherbuckley · 3 months

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Purple's fic master list

Cow Eyes Buddie | 2.2K | G

Buck gets the call on a Saturday. He’s sat at the kitchen table, delving into some strange corner of the internet where he’s apparently discovered that seahorses hold each others' tails when they swim and that cows have best friends and that Eddie’s big brown gorgeous eyes remind him of cow eyes and maybe if they were cows then they’d still be best friends— And then he gets the call. His phone starts ringing just as he’s learning about polar bears giving each other nose boops. He reaches out and grabs the phone off the counter, still so lost in his deep dive that he doesn’t even check the number that’s calling. “Hello?” “Is this Evan Buckley?” A professional-sounding woman answers. It’s then that Buck promptly forgets whatever facts he just learnt and instead feels a familiar ache creeping its way into his chest. “That’s, uh— that’s me,” he manages to get out. “You’re listed as Eddie Diaz’ emergency contact, is that right?”

(Or the 'Eddie's in hospital and Buck tries not to break down' fic except its actually just a cute silly little fic)

Tripped and Fell Buddie | E | 5.8K | PWP

“Buck?” Comes Eddie’s voice from the hall. Oh fuck. Buck really should have paid attention to the clock. Before Buck can think about how to get himself out of this one, Eddie appears in the doorway. Buck sees his eyes darken and the way he clenches his jaw. “Buck.” Eddie’s voice is so neutral and controlled. Oh, Buck has royally fucked up. “I— um.” Buck swallows, his mouth awfully dry as he tries to come up with some explanation for his insubordination. He could say it was an accident. He, uh, tripped? He can see Eddie already tenting in his trousers, so he can’t be in too much trouble, right? “Did I say to stop?” Eddie questions.

(Or the boys get a new dildo, and Buck can't wait to use it, literally. Eddie comes home and deals with his misbehaviour.)

running from myself (and the memories of you) Buddie | 12K | T

He wants to tell Eddie everything, he wants to tell him that he’s struggling, that he can’t sleep without being plagued with nightmare after nightmare. He wants to tell him that the worst ones are when Eddie’s lying on the road reaching out towards him and he’s just stuck watching, when he can taste Eddie’s blood on his tongue, feel it splattered across his face. He wants to tell him that when he wakes up the blood is still there, so he throws up in the toilet until the taste of copper is forced out of his mouth and he washes his face 10 times until he’s sure there’s not a drop of blood left. He just wants to tell him a random fact that he found out at 3 am when he went down the rabbit hole starting with the world's tallest skyscrapers and ending with the knowledge that most elevator close door buttons don’t actually work. But now he looks at Eddie and he just can’t help but think that he’s being a burden, that Eddie got shot and shouldn’t have to deal with him too. So instead, he runs.

(Or Buck has years of unresolved trauma and can't sleep, so he tries to literally outrun his demons instead. Luckily Eddie is there to pick up the pieces when he finally breaks.)

I'll Take Care of You Buddie | 5.1K | T

Eddie squints up at him, looking him up and down. “Are you okay? Is your leg okay?” Eddie always did see right through him. Dejected, Buck slumps against the wall, letting a small sob leave his mouth before he palms at his eyes. He shakes his head. “‘S not good,” he practically whimpers.

(Or Buck has chronic pain after the bombing, Eddie takes care of him, and it's actually super sweet and sappy because these boys are hopelessly in love)

Pancakes, kisses, and a little bit of TLC Evan/Tommy | 4.5K | T

“Evan?” Tommy asks, his voice deep and gravelly. If it were any other day, Buck would find that incredibly attractive. Unfortunately, he isn’t able to enjoy it. Now that he’s aware of the pain in his leg, it only seems to get worse. His leg throbs; it feels like his bones are trying to bully their way out of his flesh. He clenches his eyes shut as he wills the wildfire that burns through his limb to calm down. “‘M fine,” he gets out through a clenched jaw. Tommy squints at him, tilting his head to the side. “Evan,” he repeats in a way that Buck knows means he doesn’t believe him for a second.

(or Buck wakes up with a chronic pain flare-up the morning after, and Tommy takes care of him)

Be My Valentine? Or Something? Buddie | 5.8K | G

What to write? Should he be cliche? Ask him to be his Valentine? Or should it be more personal, more intimate? Agh, this was harder than he thought. His sister would tell him to ‘speak from the heart’, whatever that means, so he picks up the pen and writes: Eddie, Your smile makes my heart beat a little faster, and your eyes remind me of big cow eyes, but in like a good way. Love, EB P.S your hair is very floofy, pleaseee don’t cut it <3 There, he thinks, Eddie will know it was him without embarrassing anyone. Perfect. (Spoiler alert: Eddie does not know it was from him)

(Or a High School Valentine's Day AU featuring our favourite boys being dorks and falling in love)

Because You're Exhausting 10K | M | Please read tags and warnings in the notes

Because every day after he woke up still in pain, and he couldn’t even tell his own family (because what if I can’t be a firefighter anymore? what if they don’t let me?). And then he’s hugging Eddie and they’re welcoming him home and maybe, just maybe, for a second he believes that it won’t be so bad. Because then he was choking on his own blood staring into Bobby’s eyes thinking this is it, isn’t it? And then he woke up because damn, he always wakes up and somehow that’s always worse. And he wants to laugh at himself because how did he think, even for a moment, that anything would ever be ok? Because then he was on blood thinners and they wouldn’t let him home, and he just wanted to go home (what if I can’t be a firefighter anymore?) Because then the lawsuit happened and he just lost everything all over again. Because “You’re exhausting.”

(Or Buck's always been sad but it's post lawsuit, and Buck just can't handle it anymore)

you don't need to ask, i'll come running Buddie | 1.6K | G

Buck never thought he’d be afraid of thunder and lightning, he thought being scared was for kids and dogs startled by the loud noise. He didn’t think he could possibly be scared of a little rain. And he’s not. He’s not. Buck is not scared of thunder or lightning— okay maybe he can admit he’s a little bit scared of lightning. But Buck should definitely not be scared when he is sitting at home in the safety of his bed whilst the rain hammers down outside. He should not jump every time the sky crackles and lights up his loft. He shouldn’t be scared, but, quite frankly, he is.

(Or post-lightning strike Buck is at home during a storm, Chris thinks Buck needs a hug and Eddie thinks maybe a kiss or two, too.)

#purple's masterlist #purple writes #911 fanfic #911 abc #911 fandom #911 fic #fic recs

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clarepreed · 6 months

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Death Diving

Story Content and Summary - 5,821 words. Off-duty lifeguard Charlotte tries Norwegian death diving at a snowy national park. Drowning, arrhythmia, hypothermia, on-site resuscitation. 🏳️‍🌈

“How high is this?” Charlotte asked, peering down at the water. She was slowly unsnapping her coat. “Looks like the high dive.”

“Not sure.” Their friend Larkin stood next to her, peering down at the dark blue-green water. “Looks cold as fuck.”

“It’s beautiful, though,” Charlotte said.

“It’s giving award-winning nature documentary,” Larkin agreed.

“Is this a good idea, Charlotte?” Henry waited off to the side, hands on his hips. “It looks pretty far, and you said you’ve only tried this twice at the pool over the summer.”

“Yeah, Viola didn’t like us doing it. She said it encouraged the children to try it.” Charlotte shrugged and unzipped her coat. “She was right, so I didn’t argue with her. The lifeguards can’t be encouraging reckless behavior.”

“This is a legitimate sport in Norway,” Larkin reminded them. “Maybe you could get certified or something.”

“CPR, AED, sports medicine and death diving!” Charlotte laughed and shrugged out of her coat. Then she brushed the snow off the top of a nearby boulder before laying her coat there. She bent to untie her bootlaces.

“I haven’t seen ‘death diving’ in the university course catalog.” Henry walked over to Charlotte. Her nose and cheeks were pink with cold. “If you say this is fine, I trust you. You wanted me on that big ass rock near the bottom?”

Charlotte kicked off her boots and sat them by the boulder, stuffing her socks inside as she shivered. “Ugh, so cold! Yeah, back down the stairs and to that boulder we passed. Are you good to film from there? Larkin’s filming from up here.”

“The things I do for you,” Henry said, watching as she peeled her shirts over her head at once and cast the layers off on top of her coat. She had a purple sports bra on underneath. Her skin was already breaking out in goosebumps. He reached out and grasped her by the waist, pulling her close. “Be careful, okay? You can bail if it comes down to it. We won’t think any less of you.”

“He’s right,” Larkin said. They had their phone out and were snapping pictures of the drop. “We are mature enough to not fuck with you for not doing something we’re too scared to do ourselves.”

Charlotte tipped her head up to kiss him and he took advantage, slipping a hand into her loose, dark hair as he kissed her soft mouth. They’d been inseparable since first year English and had plans to move in together after graduation. Henry saw them married with kids some day. He let the kiss linger, his hands running up the cooling skin of her back.

Charlotte shivered and broke the kiss. “Mmm. Sorry, but I’m about to freeze! Larkin, after the jump, you’ll bring my clothes down?”

“I’ve got you, Charlie.”

“Alright, I’ll climb down.” Henry kissed her forehead. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Charlotte reached for the waistband of her pants. “God, it’s cold up here!”

“You’re the G.O.A.T., Charlie!” Larkin called out

“Polar bear club death diving,” Henry muttered to himself, shaking his head as he headed down the wooden steps. The breeze was brisk, with flurries floating by his face, but the view was gorgeous. Gray rock, dark evergreens, blankets of snow, and that dazzling water. Henry made it nearly to the bottom before he spotted a good spot to hop the handrail and climb out on the boulder Charlotte had identified.

Henry peeled off his gloves and crouched in the center of the rock. He took his phone out, looking up the rock face to the edge of the cliff. Charlotte was waiting there, having stripped completely naked. Even at that distance, he could see her strong body, thick thighs and snatched waist hewn from swimming and weight lifting. She raked her hand through her blowing hair and then waved at him.

Henry got the video ready on his phone and waved back.

Larkin shouted: “READY!”

He tapped the button and confirmed his phone was recording. “READY!”

“GO IN THREE—”

Charlotte took three steps back.

“—TWO, ONE!”

She ran toward the edge and, without hesitation, threw herself off the cliff. She looked like a superhero in flight at first, with her arms extended almost casually and one of her legs bent. Henry tried to follow her body as it plummeted, saw her arms pinwheel, but she was moving too fast for him to make out other details. What he did see was how hard she hit the water, more of a belly flop than the inverted vee shape she’d shown him on YouTube.

Henry cheered for her anyway, standing and pointing the phone toward the white ripples representing the spot where she’d gone in. He expected her to come up sputtering but happy, at which point they’d bundle her up and walk her back to the fire.

Henry waited, surprised when it took longer than he expected for her to come to the surface. Just as he felt nervous, he saw her come up. Instead of popping up like an excited cork, she floated to the surface, hair spreading out across the water and her limbs limp. She bobbed face down, pale and naked.

“Charlotte?” Henry shoved his phone in his pocket without remembering to stop the footage. “Charlie?! Charlotte!”

He heard Larkin shout something, and then Henry jerked into action, unzipping his coat and tearing it off. He made himself take the time to remove his boots, cursing as he struggled to get them off and painfully aware of time passing as she floated face down in the pool. “CHARLOTTE! FUCK!”

He ripped his pullover off, too, then dove clumsily into the water in his pants and long-sleeved shirt. Henry hit the icy water with a splash and gasped a shocked breath at the wrong time, filling his sinuses. He coughed and spat out the cold water, trying to make his limbs move and feeling his heart palpitate in his chest. Henry dog paddled over to Charlotte, then grasped her hair and her hip, his fingers already numb with cold as he fumbled with her body.

Henry forced himself to kick his sluggish legs as he turned her over, floating her on her back. What he saw frightened him; Charlotte was ghost pale and staring up at the sky with a strange and empty expression on her face. He was pretty certain she wasn’t breathing.

“Ch-Charlotte!” Henry wracked his brain for anything he’d ever heard from Charlotte about water rescue. “Charlotte!”

If you can do it without drowning, you give the victim five breaths in the water. I did that once, and the guy woke up sputtering!

Henry moved his left hand under her neck and used his right to push her wet hair out of her face. He pinched her nose with his right hand and then hunched over her. He was breathing hard, from cold and exertion and fear, but he sucked in a deep breath and covered her white lips with his. His exhale rounded out her cheeks, and he darted his eyes toward her ashen chest to see if it rose. It was hard to tell between the gentle rocking motion of the water and Henry’s kicks beneath the surface. He’d have to get them both out soon; he was having a hard time keeping himself afloat, and every time the wind cut across the top of the pool he shuddered.

Henry let her exhale and gave her another breath, taking less time between subsequent breaths. He thought her chest was rising, though he found there was some resistance. Not that he knew what this was supposed to feel like. He just knew that she was scaring him; she felt and looked like a cold, dead thing, with her lips slack and her eyes lifeless and far away.

The fifth breath didn’t miraculously revive her, and Henry broke the kiss of life with a gasp. “C-come on, babe… Get you out…”

Henry awkwardly wrapped his arm around her chest and leaned her head against his shoulder, then started one-arm swimming for the shore. Larkin was on the shore, taking off their coat and boots before wading into the pool and meeting Henry just as his icy feet caught up against the bottom. Together, they towed Charlotte to shore.

“Lay her on my coat!” Larkin shouted. “And then we can put hers on top!”

“She’s not b-breathing!”

“My phone’s just over there and I’ve already got 911 on the line. I’ll tell them!”

Henry could barely feel his feet as they dragged Charlotte’s limp body out and on top of Larkin’s coat, spread out in the snow. Charlotte’s head hung backward as they maneuvered her, wet hair swinging. Henry all but collapsed beside her as Larkin draped her coat over her like a blanket, then ran over to their cell phone left on a nearby rock.

“Charlotte…” Henry reached for her, hoping she would wake up now that she was out of the water. The vision she presented dashed that hope immediately.

Charlotte looked like a corpse, pale with cold, completely still, eyes partially open and her lips turning purple. Henry, stiff with cold, pressed his fingers into her neck, trying to feel for a pulse. When he touched her, her head tipped to the side and water dribbled from the side of her mouth.

“I CAN’T TELL!” Henry shouted, turning her face up toward him and then pressing his fingers hard into her throat again. “SHIT! LARKIN! Oh no, NO, I don’t think she has a pulse!”

“Hey!” Larkin dropped to their knees at Charlotte’s other side, laying their phone down on the coat beneath her. “The operator says you have to do CPR! An ambulance is coming, and a park ranger, but—”

“Okay!” Henry forced himself up onto his knees and leaned over Charlotte, his hands shaking from cold and anxiety as he struggled to recall what exactly he was supposed to do.

“I can do the breaths. He says we need to do those since she drowned!” Larkin was shivering, too, but they sat the phone down by Charlotte’s head and tapped the speaker button. “We’re ready!”

“You need to tip her head back to open her airway,” a deep voice said from the phone. Larkin quickly complied, hands on her forehead and chin to tip it back and extend her neck. “Then pinch her nose, cover her mouth with yours to make a seal, and give her two breaths in quick succession. You want to see her chest rise.”

Henry watched as Larkin breathed for his girlfriend, her cheeks puffing up and her chest rising, dusky breasts rising and falling twice. Then he reached out and pushed her coat down toward her pelvis. Henry felt like he might break into a thousand panicked pieces.

“Once you’ve done that,” the operator continued, “you need to do thirty chest compressions. Find her bottom rib and follow it to the center of her chest. You want to put the heel of your hand on the bottom third of her sternum, her breastbone. Stack your hands and lace your fingers. Make certain your shoulders are over your hands.”

Henry quickly traced his fingers over her soft skin and found his mark. He called out: “I did it, I p-push now, right?”

“Yes. Two inches. Then come up.”

Henry pushed down once, then twice. The second time he thought he’d achieved two inches, with her ribcage sinking and her belly rounding. “Jesus, it looks like I’m breaking her chest!”

“It’s okay, sir. Two inches. Count out loud with me as you do compressions. One, two, three…”

“…four, five, six…” Henry found he felt a little warmer with the movement, though he’d rather her be breathing and him freezing if that was an option. Larkin was holding her head in place, but her body moved along with the chest compressions. Huffs of air escaped her blue lips and her ribcage creaked beneath his hands. When he forced his straight arms into her chest, her shoulders shrugged. When he recoiled, he felt her ribcage spring back to the proper shape. The sensation sparked nausea in the pit of his stomach, and he gasped out: “Thirty!”

As Larkin breathed for her again, Henry relaxed his arms and rubbed her chest. “Come on, Charlotte! BREATHE!”

Larkin’s air sighed out of her, and Henry quickly found his mark again and rolled his shoulders over his hands. He counted loudly as he thrust himself down into her chest. Time seemed somehow both sped up and slowed down. He was thinking a little more clearly now and was even more frightened, thinking of the seconds and minutes lost while they got her out and the operator explained what to do. He understood that chest compressions circulated oxygenated blood. He didn’t know why she had drowned so quickly, or if it was possible to survive what had happened, but he wanted to be the reason she had a chance.

“…twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty!” The operator had stopped counting with him, but he spoke up as Larkin leaned in to cover Charlotte’s mouth with their own.

“A park ranger with an AED is headed in your direction. He’s got an ATV and expects to be with you in five minutes. DO NOT stop CPR unless it becomes too dangerous for you to continue.”

“One, two, three…”

“We’re not going to stop,” Larkin said, incredulous. “We might freeze to death out here, but otherwise we wouldn’t stop! Fuck!”

“…eighteen, nineteen… just a thing he has to say, Larkin! Twenty-one, twenty-two…” Charlotte made a gurgling sound when his hands plunged particularly deep, but the look in her eyes hadn’t changed when he glanced at her face. “Thirty!”

“Perform two more rounds of compressions and breaths, and then I would like the two of you to switch positions,” the operator said as Larkin bent over her for rescue breathing.

Larkin gave Charlotte a second breath and then said: “Yes! We can do that!”

“One, two, three…” Henry focused on the way the heel of his hand dug into her sternum. Two inches must be enough to press her sternum into her heart. This would express blood from the muscle. He came up off of her, aware again of her ribcage springing back. He envisioned new blood being drawn up into her heart. If he or Larkin kept doing this until someone who could do more arrived…

Soon, it was time for Larkin to give her breaths again. Henry gasped in his own deep breaths of cold air, his eyes on her body as she swelled with Larkin’s breath. There was a dark red mark now between her breasts. Henry placed his hands in the middle of the bruise and forced her sternum down.

Pop!

“Shit!” he exclaimed. He didn’t stop chest compressions, but he was gasping now instead of counting. He would swear that he felt something give when he’d pushed into her. Chest compressions took a lot of effort, but it looked like he was easily crushing her, her chest caving in and her abdomen swelling in rhythmic waves.

“I think he just broke her rib!” Larkin exclaimed.

“Um, it’s okay, I haven’t stopped!” Henry forced out. “Uh… nineteen, twenty, twenty-one… We switch after this, Larkin! Oh… Twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty!”

Henry scooted a few inches to the side and reached for her head as Larkin released it, almost colliding with her in his urgency. Disturbed and disappointed that her lips still felt cold, Henry covered them with his warm mouth and filled her lungs with the hot air. He broke the seal long enough to let his gifted air escape, then gave her a second breath.

Larkin had already started chest compressions by the time Henry pulled back from Charlotte. He watched them work for a few seconds, though he knew he wasn’t qualified to evaluate their compressions. They looked deep enough and fast enough to him, her stomach rounding with each thrust and her feet swaying side to side, sticking out from beneath the coat. Henry reached down and pulled the coat over her pale feet.

“…fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen…”

Henry scooted back up to her head, both drawn to and repulsed by her face. She was so pale she looked gray, with blue lips and shadows around her open eyes. He’d never seen a person who looked like this, not someone who wasn’t about to be buried. At least at a funeral home, they attempted to make a person look like what you remembered of them when they were alive.

The thought made his own eyes prick with tears.

“Don’t die,” he whispered, keenly aware of Larkin’s countdown to thirty. “Please, please, please…”

“…thirty!”

A seal over cold lips. His cheeks bulging, then hers. Her breasts rising and falling. Her nipples dark against her bloodless skin. Skin mottled and bruised between her breasts.

Larkin’s own cold fingers interlaced over her heart, and they resumed pumping the muscle for her now that she, apparently, couldn’t do it herself.

“Huh, huh, huh…” Air, forced out of Charlotte’s still lungs.

“…seven, eight, nine…”

Henry smoothed her hair, cold and almost hard as it was. Her hair lay clumped up and clinging to her skin, nothing like her usual shiny mane. Her head rocked back and forth as Larkin pumped her chest, blank eyes drawing a fateful trail back and forth across the sky. The breeze picked up, and both he and Larkin shuddered. Charlotte, of course, remained senseless.

Another gurgling noise escaped her, followed by a small amount of water spurting up between her blue lips. Henry turned her head to the side and called out: “Charlotte?” Another gurgle, followed by a splash of water onto the coat beneath her.

“Thirty! I think she just vomited some water up!” Larkin said. “You have to give—”

“Breathe, Charlie!” Henry almost shouted, before he turned her face toward him and forced himself to pinch her nose and give her another breath.

Need to calm down. Calm down. Charlotte…

A second breath, and then he wiped the back of his hand across his eyes. It came away wet.

“One, two, three, four…”

Henry climbed stiffly to his numb feet and staggered over to the boulder, where he found his coat and dragged it down, hurrying back and dropping it on top of her coat. He quickly crouched beside her to give her two more rescue breaths. Breaths on land were easier than they’d been out in the water, but the action felt so strange to him. In another context, it might have been hot. His lips on hers, the intimacy of a shared breath. Her body responding.

As Larkin started the next round of compressions, Henry straightened out his coat, pulling it up just below her breasts. It worried him that her core was still so exposed to the cold air, but he was afraid to add a thick layer between Larkin’s hands and Charlotte’s skin. Instead, he pulled her limp arms against her sides and tucked her cold hands underneath the coat.

“…twenty, twenty-one…” Larkin sounded breathless now, their face a mask of effort and worry.

“I think… Can you do one more round and then we’ll switch?” Henry asked, pinching her nose in preparation for thirty.

“Thirty! Yes!” Larkin gasped.

Henry gripped her jaw, holding her mouth open and then making a seal with his lips. Two more warm breaths. Her head rocked as Larkin started chest compressions again. Henry leaned down and pressed his lips to her cold forehead, his eyes closed for several seconds, until he pulled back and shook himself. He moved down her body until he was face-to-face with Larkin, ready to take over when it was time.

Larkin, Henry realized, was crying, tears rolling down their face as they finished up the set and quickly leaned over to give Charlotte air. Her breasts rose unnaturally, and then it was time for Henry to fix his hands on her sternum and roll his shoulders over the top.

“One, two, three…” Charlotte emitted a hoarse growling sound, but just as it was when she’d coughed up the water, she still stared half-lidded into nothing. Her head lolled to the side.

“I don’t understand how she drowned so fast!” Larkin exclaimed hoarsely. Their teeth chattered as soon as they stopped speaking, hands trembling as they turned her face toward the sky. Her head moved loosely on her neck. “Or how it got so bad… you g-got to her! She should have coughed some water up and we would have hauled her to the fire to warm up, and oh, God!”

“Thirty! Breathe!”

Larkin sniffled, frozen in place. Henry shouted: “LARKIN!”

They flinched and quickly pressed their mouth to Charlotte’s. As the second breath slipped from her mouth and Henry started pumping her chest again, he realized he heard a distant small motor. “One, two, three, four… Is that the ranger? COME ON!”

“How will they get down here?! How’d they get up there?!” Larkin exclaimed. “Is there an access road?”

“…eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen…” Henry couldn’t pay attention to what he hoped was help on the way. He had to focus; he didn’t want the reason she didn’t make it to be that he slacked off because he heard help coming from who knew however far away. Instead, his eyes dropped to her chest, where his hands were stacked so that the heel of his bottom hand thrust into the correct spot.

What I hope is the correct spot. If you make it, you’re going to give me a lesson, okay? Please, please, please don’t die…

“Continue CPR,” the 9-1-1 operator said. “Make certain you compress her chest two inches and come up completely each time. That’s a good place.”

“Thirty!” Henry called out, but Larkin was standing up and shouting something incoherent. Henry lunged for Charlotte’s head, roughly opening her airway and pinching off her nose. He blew two hard breaths into her, the air spluttering out between them, and then quickly swiveled back to her chest. Her breasts wobbled each time he pushed down on her chest, and her nipples were hard from the cold. The coat slipped sideways off of her stomach, and he watched her belly bow as he compressed her ribcage. “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight…”

“HERE!” Larkin screamed, voice breaking. “Down here! HURRY!”

“…fifteen, sixteen, seventeen…”

They dropped down beside Charlotte and opened her airway. “There’s a ranger coming down the stairs on foot! They’ve got bags!”

“Do not stop CPR!” the operator said, startling Henry, who’d forgotten about him.

“…twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty!”

As Larkin bent to give Charlotte mouth-to-mouth, Henry glanced up. Sure enough, a man was hauling ass down the stairs, carrying what looked like a couple of bags and a backpack. Henry tore his eyes away and started chest compressions again, trying not to think about how cold and tired he was, or how cold she was.

“One, two, three, four…”

The man’s boots crunched in the snow as he ran from the base of the stairs over to where Larkin and Henry had been trying to resuscitate Charlotte. He dropped his bags and crouched beside her, asking: “What happened? What’s her name?”

“…thirteen, fourteen, fifteen…”

“We were filming her, Charlotte, doing this… Norwegian free diving,” Larkin said, their voice quiet. “She hit the water and I don’t think she was conscious after that.”

“…twenty-six—”

“Okay, pause compressions so I can do a pulse check,” the ranger said, tugging off his gloves. Henry lifted his hands, breathing hard. The other man dug his fingers into her neck and leaned close over her face, tipping his head to the side. Ten seconds passed, and he sat upright, saying: “No breath, no pulse. Continue CPR while I get the AED prepped.”

Larkin was breathing for her before the ranger finished speaking.

“I will stay on the line until EMS arrives. There is an ambulance crew coming up to the trailhead,” the 9-1-1 operator said. “They are on foot.”

Henry rolled his shoulders over his hands, pushing hard down into her chest. “One, two, three…”

“I have a victim who has drowned and two others who may be hypothermic,” the ranger said. “Prepping the AED now.”

He dragged the smaller bag closer to his legs and unzipped it, pulling out a red and white AED, a packet, and a small towel.

“Don’t stop,” the ranger said. He was dressed in warm clothing in shades of brown and green. “I’m going to work around you.”

The ranger rubbed her chest with the towel, though Henry was pretty sure her skin was no longer wet. Then he tore open the packet and dumped out AED pads. Henry kept up chest compressions, though he watched as the ranger flipped a switch on the side of the AED.

“APPLY PADS AND PLUG IN THE CONNECTOR!”

“…twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty!” Henry kept his hands in place while Larkin gave her breaths and the ranger peeled the paper backing off the first pad. He barely caught his own breath before he began thrusting his hands hard into her chest again. The ranger applied the first pad above Charlotte’s right breast, then peeled the backing off the second. Henry didn’t waver, forcing her ribcage down and letting it recoil, the motion sending rolling waves down her abdomen. The ranger applied the second pad on the left, below her breast and to the side. Then he plugged the yellow plastic connector into the AED.

“ANALYZING HEART RHYTHM. DO NOT TOUCH PATIENT!”

“Stop compressions!” the ranger called out. “Don’t touch her!”

Henry raised his hands.

“ANALYZING RHYTHM. SHOCK ADVISED! CHARGING. DO NOT TOUCH PATIENT.” The device emitted a loud, high-pitched sound.

“Both of you scoot back!” the ranger commanded. “You can’t touch her when it delivers the shock.”

Larkin and Henry both scooted back, hands in the air and eyes on Charlotte’s limp, pale body.

“Please, Charlie,” Henry whispered.

“PRESS THE SHOCK BUTTON!” the AED commanded, and a yellow rectangle on the top of the device began to flash.

The ranger glanced at both of them and then pressed the button. Charlotte flinched, a small movement centered in her chest that traveled subtlely down her limbs. Immediately, the ranger moved closer to Charlotte and pressed his hands to the mottled skin of her chest.

“SHOCK DELIVERED. CONTINUE CPR.”

“One, two, three…” the ranger intoned. Henry sagged. He hadn’t been sure what to expect, exactly, but it wasn’t this. The ranger looked much more professional than either Henry or Larkin had, most of his energy going to precise, deep compressions. Her body shook each time he pressed into her, breasts quivering, stomach rolling. The compressions made a soft thumping sound as his hands thrust into her sternum. Henry was shivering again, and his bare feet in the snow were alternatively cold and numb.

The ranger hit thirty compressions, and Henry quickly crawled over to her head and sealed his mouth to her cool skin, blowing into her lungs and making her chest rise twice. He held her head in place while the ranger resumed chest compressions. Her head wanted to wobble in his hands, but he kept it steady.

“Her eyes aren’t as open,” he whispered. No one responded, the only other sound the ranger’s steady counting.

“…five, six, seven, eight, nine…”

“She drowned instantly,” Larkin said abruptly. They were sitting a couple of feet away, arms wrapped around their legs. Henry felt a frisson of concern, noting that Larkin’s fingers and lips looked like they were turning blue like Charlotte’s. “I don’t understand…”

“P-put my pullover on, Larkin,” Henry admonished . “It’s on the b-boulder… You’re t-turning blue…”

“…twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two…”

Henry was looking down at Charlotte again, though he heard Larkin rise and stumble over to the large rock where Henry had been standing earlier. When they came back, they sat Henry’s gloves on the coat by Charlotte’s head.

“…thirty!” the ranger called out, then reached over to drag one of his bags closer. As Henry gave Charlotte mouth-to-mouth, he heard the ranger say: “Cold water like that can cause arrhythmias. I saw something similar happen two years ago.”

Henry thought about the heart palpitations he’d felt when he jumped into the cold water. It was like his heart had tried to stop multiple times before lurching back into a fast but otherwise normal rhythm. She’d fallen from a great height, then experienced that cold shock from beneath the surface. He wondered if she’d been conscious enough to understand what was happening to her.

I hope not, Charlie, he thought sadly. Then, he wondered: Did the person from two years ago make it?

Henry was afraid to ask.

“…nine, ten, eleven, twelve…”

Henry slipped his gloves onto his stiff fingers, then flexed them to see if he could still properly use his hands. Larkin suddenly appeared at his side again with his socks and boots.

“Your t-toes are blue,” Larkin stammered, and to Henry’s surprise they helped him put on his socks as he kneeled next to Charlotte, waiting until it was time to breathe for her again.

“…twenty-six, twenty-seven…”

Charlotte made another growling sound like she had earlier, startling Henry into planting his hands on both sides of her head and staring wide-eyed down at her. She didn’t take a breath, however, so when the ranger called out his last compression, Henry quickly pinched her nose closed and leaned down to give her two breaths.

Then Henry dropped onto his ass and reached for one of his boots, fumbling clumsily with them as his eyes burned with the tears he was trying to keep at bay.

“…five, six, seven, eight…”

Henry struggled to get his feet into the boots, let alone lace them. He finally left his boots untied, loose on his feet as he rolled over and back onto his knees. It was time to breathe for Charlotte again. He used a hand under her neck to open her airway, pinched her nose closed as the ranger called out “thirty!” and felt the huff of forced air against his face. Her lips were cold and dry when he pressed his mouth to hers, the angle not quite right as he blew into her. He had to expel air even harder to compensate, and when he broke the seal, their mouths made a “pphhhtttbht!” sound.

“One, two, three…”

“Huh, huh, huh, huh…”

Henry, still leaning over her, looked down at the ranger’s hands buried between Charlotte’s breasts. The depression of her ribcage looked even starker from this angle, and the soft tissue of her breasts shook with each hard compression. When Henry picked his head up, he could see her trim stomach bulge out with each pump of her chest.

“…twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven—”

“ANALYZING RHYTHM! DO NOT TOUCH PATIENT!”

Henry and the ranger both lurched backward, raising their hands. Charlotte’s body was utterly still, which he found even more disturbing than watching her body move from the force of the chest compressions. Her head had tipped over when he released it. Her eyes, open to slits, stared at his knees.

“SHOCK ADVISED. CHARGING. DO NOT TOUCH PATIENT!”

Larkin kneeled a few feet away, their own face pale as the device let out a loud, high-pitched whine.

“Switch with me after the shock,” the ranger said. Henry nodded.

“PRESS THE SHOCK BUTTON! DO NOT TOUCH PATIENT! PRESS THE SHOCK BUTTON!”

“No one touch her!” the ranger called out, reaching for the flashing button. “Administering the shock now!”

He pressed the button, and Charlotte jerked. Henry knew what to expect this time, so he was already moving toward her when the AED called out: “SHOCK DELIVERED. CONTINUE CPR.”

Charlotte made a squeaking noise when he started chest compressions, making his eyes fly to her face even as he pumped her chest. “One, two, three… CHARLOTTE! BREATHE! Seven, eight…”

“Try to stay calm if you can,” the ranger said. He was pulling smaller items out of his bag, a red plastic case and a thermometer. Larkin moved to kneel on the opposite side of Charlotte, near her head.

“…thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen—” Charlotte inhaled. The sound was small, barely audible between Henry’s countdown and the rustling sounds of the ranger. Then she coughed wetly, and Henry jerked his hands off her skin, exclaiming: “Charlotte?!”

The ranger dropped whatever he was doing and pressed his fingers into the side of her throat.

“Take another breath, Charlie!” Henry exclaimed. He scooted down and cupped her cheek. “Come on, I know you can hear me!”

“She has a pulse!” the ranger said, sounding relieved. “Take a breath now, sweetheart!”

Charlotte wheezed, then drew a shallow and rattling breath. Her eyelids fluttered and her chest heaved irregularly. The ranger turned back to his bags, quickly rummaging through until he found a foil packet and a knit hat.

“Just keep breathing, Charlie!” Henry reached down and rested his hand gently on the bruises their efforts had left on her skin. His hand rose and fell with her increasingly stronger breaths. The ranger opened the packet and unfurled a metallic blanket, which he draped over Charlotte. Henry pulled his hand free and reached for the hat. Larkin carefully lifted her head, and Henry tugged the hat down over her cold, half-dried hair.

“Mmm…” Charlotte moaned, her eyelids lifting halfway. Her dark eyes rolled, but he was relieved to see they had life in them now, however disoriented she was.

“Charlie, I love you,” Henry said, leaning down to kiss her cheek. “Larkin, too. We’re both here. You’re going to be okay.”

“Patient has a pulse, labored breathing, and is semi-conscious after two shocks from the AED,” the ranger called out toward the phone. Then he turned back to his bags. “Hey, I have blankets for you two...”

“Uh, okay. Great,” Henry said, after several seconds of delay. “Charlotte?”

Her listless gaze drifted toward his face, focusing briefly on him before she moaned again and closed her eyes. Henry felt the energy drain out of him, relief bleeding him dry. He weakly propped himself up on his elbow beside her, tears finally spilling down his cheeks. The ranger shook out another metallic blanket and draped it around his shoulders.

Henry reached down, working his hand beneath the blanket and coats until found her cold hand. He squeezed her fingers, his eyes shifting to her face. She still looked unwell, and he was worried about the quality of her breathing, but to his immense relief, she no longer looked like a corpse. Larkin reached in and swept a strand of her hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear.

A few seconds passed, and then Charlotte’s fingers twitched in Henry’s grasp.

“There you are,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

#resus writing #cpr resus #female resus #medical drama

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knoxdrei · 2 months

Text

Treatment Time

"Captain? I heard some weird noises. Is everything all right?" Embarrassed by the disturbance, Bepo slid his foot across the metal floor of the Polar Tang outside the captain's quarters and scratched the back of his head.

He had thought long and hard about whether he should knock at all, after all, the captain hated being disturbed, but that groaning behind the door had simply worried him to no end. That's why he was glad when the dark-haired man stuck his head through the half-open door after several attempts to get an answer.

"Everything's fine, Bepo!" the man he would trust with his life assured him and the bear sighed with relief.

"But there was a moan?!" he questioned a little uncertain. Maybe the Captain needed help with something.

"Hm... yeah, you know... Roronoa-ya's not feeling quite well. Apparently can't handle the deep sea," the man grumbled and Bepo looked at him in dismay. "Oh, poor thing," he replied sympathetically. He was familiar with this. He was always far too hot when they were diving for long periods. But safety came before everything else.

" Yeah, really nasty!" the doctor chuckled as a pissed-off snort could be heard behind him. " Don't worry, Bepo. I'm taking good care of him. After all, we don't want to upset Mugiwara-ya because one of his crew members fell ill on the trip. Huh?"

Bepo nodded eagerly. That would be really awkward for their alliance.

"Just make sure I'm not being disturbed. I have to concentrate!" the dark-haired man instructed and the bear saluted eagerly. "Aye, aye, Captain!"

And with that, the door slammed shut again, leaving Bepo a little puzzled. His captain was a good man to care for Roronoa so devotedly. And he must have surprised the captain when he treated him in his underwear, contrary to all the hygiene rules that usually applied during treatment.

Bepo shook his head pityingly as suppressed moans could be heard from behind the door again.

He would definitely do his best to ensure that his captain wasn't disturbed.

That's why he immediately shooed Shachi and Penguin away, who stopped at the door to the captain's quarters with their heads tilted back.

"Treatment time! Roronoa is very ill!" he explained and pushed the two of them down the corridor. He couldn't understand why the two of them seemed to find this hilarious and burst out laughing.

But innocent as the bear was, he had no idea what really went on behind closed doors.

"Sick, huh!" snorted the swordsman in a huff and wanted to slit the other's throat when he laughingly shoved the muzzle back between his lips.

"Hm, I could have also told him that you were chained up and hanging from my ceiling to be whipped, Zoro-ya!" the tattooed man cooed smugly, ignoring the pirate hunter's disapproving growl.

"Shall we proceed with the treatment?"

I am not really good with backgrounds..so just ignore it...

But this scene really stuck to mind for a few weeks now. 🤫😶‍🌫️

#roronoa zoro #zoro #trafalgar law #trafalgardwaterlaw #lawzo #zolaw #one piece #bepo #akward #do not disturb #polar tang #mugiwarapirates #heart pirates #treatment #treat you better

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re-bee-key · 9 months

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I saw Meg 2: The Trench last night

And can I just say, it was absolutely my favorite movie of the year!

Imagine my surprise when the silly shark movie turned out to be about Jason Statham being an Eco Warrior trying to save the planet.

In the first movie, he's the best diver on the planet. But in this one? Eco Warrior James Bond going on reckless missions to stop illegal waste dumping and go on cool scientific dive missions to explore the ocean.

Also! The opening scene and all the Meg/dinosaur scenes were so cool! Makes me want more dinosaur movies. Also. Megs! Are! So! Cool!

The movie was so silly and fun. It was like smooshing together an action adventure with an ocean horror and throwing in some spy shit.

I could watch 5 more of these.

Like, if they did more. What other action hero Eco Warrior shit is Jason gonna do? Clean up trash in the Pacific? Save Polar Bears? Kill guys who cut down the rainforest? I hope so!

If you can. Please watch the Meg 2! Its so much fun!

(Also, no spoilers. But it really seemed like the two old men were in love. That girl has two dads.)

#meg 2: the trench #meg 2 #the meg #jason statham #eco warriors #save the planet type movie

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