The POTS

The hallway was cold.

Like, really cold. I clutched my towel tighter around me, my bare feet squeaking on the waxed tile floors as I headed toward the showers. The nurse had pointed me left, and I wasn't exactly eager to walk through a hospital in this weird white gown like I belonged here. I mean...I guess I did belong here now, technically. That was a weird thought.

I found the showers down a little side hallway. There were two stalls, each with a curtain and a little basket with some travel-sized bottles. I picked the one on the right and locked myself in.

The water was warm, thank God. A little stale, but better than nothing. I stood under the spray for a long time, not moving much, just letting it run down my back. I didn't want to think. But obviously, my brain didn't get that memo.

So now I was thinking. 

Thinking about how I woke up in a hospital. About the blinding lights and the IV in my arm. About the fact that I had been lying on a bed, passed out in front of my entire family, and Leafy. About how much school I was going to miss. About how June apparently made friends with some chocolate-giving mystery boy and now wants me to kiss him, like that's a normal way to handle your sister being hospitalised.

This was too much. I scrubbed shampoo through my hair a little too aggressively.

I didn't even know what was wrong with me yet. What if I had some terrifying incurable disease? What if I had to stay here for, like, weeks? What if my life just stopped being normal?

After rinsing off and dragging myself out of the shower, I dried off as fast as I could and pulled on the clothes from my duffel bag. Purple cotton T-shirt. Black leggings. Fuzzy socks. It felt better to be in my own clothes, instead of that ugly gown.

I looked in the mirror.

Still pale. Still a little hollow-eyed. But okay. Mostly. Maybe.

I took a deep breaths, tying my damp hair into a loose braid, and the opened the door.

Time to go back.

I walked slowly down the hallway, clutching my things to my chest. I could smell food, so it was probably breakfast time. I wasn't hungry though. If they offer me food, I'll refuse.

I turned the corner to my room and hesitated at the door.

What if everyone was in there already? What if I had to sit there while my parents cried and the doctor lectured me, and Leafy made that face she does when she's worried but trying not to look worried? What if Mystery Chocolate Boy was still there? By now he must know my name, by the amount of times June has said it. And still I don't know his.

I held my breath, and pushed the door open.

To my surprise, there was no doctor, and no parents. Leafy and Nadia sat on the chairs next to my bed, talking. When they saw me, Leafy squealed and jumped up.

"Scarlet!" she jumped at me, pulling me into a tight hug. Nadia followed, walking over and giving me a hug as well.

"Scarlet, oh my god, I'm so glad you're okay" she said.

Nadia was probably my second best friend-- just behind Leafy, but not by much. We weren't inseparable or anything, but we clicked. She was bold and fast and always knew what to say. Captain of the track team, with sleek dark hair and these ridiculous silver eyes that made her look like a movie star. She'd already been on dates with, like, a third of the guys in our year—not that she ever bragged about it. That was just Nadia. Effortlessly cool. And she was good to have around, to balance Leafy out.

They pulled back and looked me up and down like I might still be broken. I tried to smile, but it probably came out a little lopsided.

"Yeah, I'm fine now," I said, even though I wasn't totally sure that was true.

Leafy brushed a bit of lint off my shoulder, like I was some fragile doll. "You look tired. Did they even feed you?"

I snorted. "Do I ever look not tired?"

She rolled her eyes and sat back down. "Still. You should sue the hospital. For emotional damage. And also for that horrible gown they made you wear yesterday."

"Calm down Leafy, please. I will not be suing the hospital".

Nadia raised an eyebrow, gesturing at the curtain. "Sooo... mystery roommate?"

I flinched a little. Of course she'd bring that up. "What about him?"

She smirked. "You tell us. June told us said he gave her chocolate and that you're destined to fall in love or whatever."

I groaned and covered my face with my hands. "Oh my god. She's such a little traitor."

Leafy leaned in, eyes wide with fake drama. "Is he hot?"

"I don't know! I only ever said like, three words to him and it was dark!."

"Okay, okay! But you do have to at least talk to him. You can't keep pretending he's not there."

"Yes I can," I said. "Watch me."

But... even as I said it, I felt a tiny prick of guilt. He had smiled at me. He'd tried. And I'd slammed the metaphorical door right in his face. Well...curtain. But still.

Leafy tilted her head. "Maybe he was trying to be nice. You kinda owe him a 'thanks' for not being a jerk while you were passed out."

I opened my mouth to argue, but the door creaked open again before I could say anything.

It wasn't the doctor. And it wasn't my parents.

It was June, of course, bouncing in with that copper-haired girl from earlier trailing behind her. They were both carrying juice boxes and bags of chips I was sure they didn't sell here.

"Hi Scarlet!" June called out. "This is my new best friend! Her name's Penny! She has a cat named Trouble and we're gonna get married when we're older."

Penny gave a tiny wave and a shy smile. She looked like the quieter type—definitely June's opposite—but they were already sticking together like glue.

I blinked. "That was fast."

June shrugged. "I work quickly." The two sat on the floor and started giggling.

Leafy glanced at them, then back at me. "You so can't back out of this now."

"What?"

"You have to talk to your roommate now. It's the rules. June made a friend. Time for you to catch up."

"God dammit guys-- okay I will, but later. I can't do it right now with so many people here".

"Promise?" Nadia said, holding out her pinky. 

Before I could answer, the door swung open again—this time with a quiet knock.

A man in a long white coat stepped inside, holding a clipboard. He looked maybe forty, with thick glasses e and  name badge that said Dr. Jeff Halvorsen. He gave us all a polite smile, then looked at me.

"Scarlet, good morning. I'm Dr. Halvorsen, and I'll be looking after you for the time being"

Oh. So this was the guy who knew why I was here.

He glanced at Leafy and Nadia, then at June and Penny, who were now sitting cross-legged on the floor sorting gummy bears by colour. "Mind if I steal Scarlet for a moment?"

My heart did that annoying little twisty thing again. I nodded. "Sure."

Leafy and Nadia stood up and gave me twin encouraging looks before shuffling toward the hallway with the little ones in tow. Dr. Halvorsen closed the door behind them, and suddenly the room felt way too quiet.

"Your parents are just down the hall, talking to one of the nurses," he said. "They'll be back in a moment, but I figured I'd give you a quick update first."

"Okay", I said, suddenly feeling very nervous.

Doctor Halvorson sat down on the chair, and put his clipboard on his lap. 

"We ran some tests yesterday while you were asleep," he said, glancing at the chart. "Based on your symptoms and what we saw in the results, we're pretty confident you're dealing with something called postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Most people just call it POTS."

He paused for a second, like he was waiting for a reaction.

I blinked at him. "Oh."

He gave a short laugh. "I know, it does sound a bit dramatic. But it's very real, and actually more common than most people think, especially in teenage girls."

"So... what does it do?" I asked, feeling the knot in my stomach start to pull tighter.

"Well," he said, "POTS is a type of disorder that affects your autonomic nervous system—the part that controls things like heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, temperature regulation...all the stuff your body does automatically."

Great. Of course that's what it is. I wasn't much of a science girl, but I was pretty sure that is was bad.

"What we saw yesterday was that when you go from sitting down to standing up or walking, your heart rate spikes way more than it should. That's why you're getting dizzy, lightheaded, fatigued...sometimes passing out."

I blinked again. "So I'm not dying?"

"No, you're not dying," he said gently. "But it's a condition that can seriously affect your quality of life if it's not managed properly."

I didn't know whether to be relieved or freaked out. Probably both. In a matter of hours, I'd gone from a normal 16 year old girl to a sick kid.

"Managing POTS is definitely possible though," he said, folding his hands calmly. "The main things are making sure you stay well hydrated and increasing your salt intake—that helps your blood volume and can reduce symptoms."

He glanced up, noticing my expression.

"We'll also work with you on some physical therapy exercises to help your body adjust to standing and moving around more comfortably. Sometimes medications can help, too, if the symptoms are severe or don't improve with lifestyle changes."

He gave me a small, reassuring smile. "It's a lot to take in, I know. But with the right care, many people with POTS lead full, active lives. It's about finding what works best for you."

I tried to breathe, but the word medications made my chest tighten. "Do I have to take pills forever?"

"That depends," he said honestly. "Some people do, some people don't. We'll monitor you closely and adjust the treatment as needed. The important thing is you're not alone in this."

His eyes were steady and patient, like he really wanted me to believe him. 

I nodded slowly. Things weren't completely hopeless. I'll probably be okay.

Doctor Halvorson stood up, opened the door, and pushed my friends back in, before leaving again. They sat back down expectantly, waiting for me to explain. 

Before I could, my parents barged in, June in tow.

Mom practically flew to my side the moment she stepped in, her hand immediately reaching for mine like she was afraid I might disappear. "Scarlet, sweetheart, how are you feeling? Are you okay?" Her voice was urgent and annoyingly motherly. Leafy stood up right behind her, practically leaning into my shoulder. "You're gonna be fine, girl. We've got you." She squeezed my arm.

Dad was calm, and he stood just a little back, his hands folded in front of him. Nadia mirrored his calmness perfectly, sitting straight in the chair and watching everything with her steady silver eyes. They both seemed like the kind of people who handle chaos by pretending it doesn't exist, but I could tell they were bracing themselves.

June was bouncing up and down in her spot, still full of energy. "Scarlet! Scarlet Scarlet Scarlet! I saved you the pink gummy see? Scarlet--"

"Hush, June", Mom snapped at her, and she looked down in disappointment. I felt a little bad, and made a mental note to make it up to her later. 

(1925 words)

Hiya guys!!! This one's kinda a bit boring. Yaaawwwwnnn hospital stuff.

Also POTS! THE POTS! TPOT! GET IT? GET IT GET IT GET IT-  I'm not funny.

Uhhhh hope you enjoyed it! See you next time!

~ Blue <3