#how to stop vomiting home remedies

[ssahotchnerr]

Hiya Katie! How about domestic Aaron pampering her when he find out she's pregnant and jack makes her a get well soon card because he thinks she's sick but she tells him he's going to be a big brother and jacks ecstatic and Aaron is just like all smiley and happy about being a father again and maybe hoping for a girl because hotch is such a girl dad like 🤭🤭 also I love your work so much! It makes my day! Your an amazing writer ❤

newest addition

thank you so much & ughh that's the sweetest <3333 cw; fem!reader, jack calls reader mom, pregnancy, reference to vomiting wc; 1.1k

"buddy, what are you doing?"

you've been awake for awhile now, unwilling to part from the comfort of bed. your eyes are still closed, and in curiosity, you keep them that way.

"i made mom a get-well card." jack's voice is closer than aaron's, and you can hear him shuffling at your bedside. you hear a soft crinkle of a paper, a quick stagger of your water glass, as he sets the paper against it. "i heard her throwing up this morning, so i wanted to make her feel better."

morning sickness has been your worst enemy so far during your pregnancy. it was what made you question if you were pregnant at the very start, and has been frequently reoccurring throughout your first trimester. it feels like the majority of your time these days is either spent in the bathroom, or in bed absolutely overwhelmed with nausea.

if permitting - when you're leant over the toilet, aaron is always seated on the bathroom floor beside you; rubbing your back in soothing circles, holding back your hair when necessary, whispering an apology or words of encouragement. you insist he doesn't need to be present, the sounds and visual of you retching surely disgusting nonetheless. but he insists he remain put, joking it's rather romantic actually, there's no place he'd rather be.

but in all seriousness, he claims it's the least he could do, and wants to support you in all and any way he can.

even this morning at promptly five am, you had made a mad dash to the bathroom. aaron, never the light sleeper, accompanied you in the bathroom just as quickly as you had entered it.

his tenderness doesn't stop there; he'll grab your ginger ale, crackers, pretzels, anything to relieve your queasiness and keep it at bay. he even joked (but did consider) with the idea of buying you a mini fridge to keep in your bedroom - for even easier access. or if he's not home, you don't have to search far.

the two of you have known about your new littlest addition for a few weeks, and couldn't be more ecstatic. jack - not just yet. but you figure that's a case that will soon be remedied.

you can hear a soft chuckle escape from aaron, and you can easily picture the smile you know is on his face. "that's real nice of you bud, i know she'll love it. but in the meantime, c'mon, let's let her sleep, yeah?"

you hear jack's sock-covered feet pad away on the carpet, the sound of the door softly shutting following soon after.

you fall back asleep without meaning to, exhaustion reigning over your body. but an hour later, and after tearfully looking at jack's card, his scribbly print wishing you well and a doodle of yourself and him, you find the two of them in the living room; jack's on the carpet, busied by legos, while aaron's on the couch, watching some show on the television.

aaron notices you before jack does, raising an eyebrow slightly in question - silently seeking confirmation on how you are feeling now.

you give him a nod, and he seems to relax more against the back of the couch. as you join him, jack's eyes lift.

"c'mere," you pat the empty spot between you and aaron, and soon enough, jack's sandwiched between the two of you, curled more so into your side. aaron grabs the remote, clicking off the tv.

"thank you so much for the card." you place a kiss on the top of his head, your arm going around his shoulders and giving him a squeeze. "you're the sweetest, have i ever told you that?"

"all the time." jack says, his emphasis making you laugh gently. but concern quickly fills his face, his eyes a bit troubled. "are you sick?"

you shake your head, brushing some hair away from his forehead. "nope."

the concern is now replaced by confusion. his eyebrows furrow, making him look extremely like this father. "why'd you throwed up?"

"well..." you exchange a look with aaron, glancing at him overtop jack's head. there's a smile tugging at his lips, a small sparkle in his eyes. "sometimes... it happens. when you're going to have a baby."

it takes jack a few seconds to internalize what you've just told him. but his head whips up to look at you, and then aaron, and then back to you. his eyes are wide. "a baby?"

"a baby." aaron confirms, arching an eyebrow in question. "any objections to being a big brother?"

"no!" jack vigorously shakes his head, his face lighting up even more, grinning from ear to ear. "really?!"

you grin right back. "really."

jack nearly jumps right onto you in excitement, aaron's hands flying out to catch him so the fall isn't as forceful. his gentle warning of careful, is barely audible over jack's next inquiry.

"is it a girl?!"

"we don't know yet," aaron answers, his voice catching slightly which prompts your gaze to switch to him. there's tears threatening his eyes, pooling at his waterline. you swear, you've never seen him so happy.

you help him, adding on, "we'll find out in a few more weeks."

jack nods at this information, still buzzing. "i really really want a sister. but a brother would be super cool too."

aaron nudges jack with his elbow, lips quirking into a smile. "i really, really do too. but more than anything, a healthy baby is what we want."

"a healthy baby." jack agrees, with a small nod of his head. his arms wrap around yourself, burying his face slightly into your abdomen. "that's so cool! i can't wait."

now it's your turn to look at aaron, tearful.

somehow, now that jack is aware, your family feels more complete. you and aaron have talked about growing your family, have discussed it with jack, for as long as you can remember - what it'll be like, having another little hotchner running around and causing havoc, potential names have been tossed around, jack wants to teach his expertises, legos and soccer. you’re eager to see a newborn in aaron’s arms, the new-dad-to-another glow present in him. at the time, it was distant; all memories to hopefully be made someday.

that time, that someday, has finally arrived. and if jack's reaction is anything to go by, you just know, the two of them will the absolute best of friends.

you can’t wait, either.

[ranchracoon]

The Perfect Plan Pt. 2

Alpha! Mother Miranda x Omega! (Pregnant) Reader

*Birth warning*

Miranda hates you. She hates how you curl up into her when you sleep, how attractive you are with your wide hips and pregnant belly, how weak you've made her, by the Black God, she hates you. She especially hates how easily you tore down her walls and made her fall madly in love with you. You were never supposed to be her mate, she was supposed to impregnant you with a daughter then toss you back to be used by Dimitrescu and her daughters. Everything in her head said to give you the cold shoulder, keep your basic needs met and wait for you to give birth but then her body reacts the complete opposite. She tells herself that you are now her mate but that doesn't mean she needs to treat you as such, but then you look at her with those eyes and she melts. 

Her stone-cold exterior now a puddle because of you, and the simple thought alone that she will have a daughter again makes her want to cry. The first trimester was the hardest; you vomited over everything and barely kept anything down except crackers, bread, and water. Even that was too much most days. Now you've gotten better control over the vomiting but have made very strict demands that Miranda no longer use any sort of scented lotions or soaps for the smell makes you queasy. Her false children, Alcina specifically, haven't stopped calling to see how you're doing, and Miranda has been avoiding it. Instead, she forces villagers to construct a whole new room to her home for the baby and provides everything that the baby will need when she comes. She dedicates all of her time and energy to making sure you are comfortable. 

That is until one day Miranda has had enough with the phone ringing and finally answers only to hear that infernal doll on the other end. Miranda pinches the bridge of her nose, as the doll goes off. You and her unborn daughter have made her soft. By now she would have snapped and yelled at Angie for even raising her voice at her, but right as Miranda is about to yell, you wrap your arms around her torso. The warmth from your body soothes and smothers any raging fires inside her and she instantly calms. Her hand gently placed atop yours as you nuzzle into her back for added affection. Very well. 

"Alcina again?" You murmur when she hangs up. 

"No. Donna. She's worried because it's been over a month with no meeting, and I typically call one by now for updates. She doesn't know about you. None of them truly know. I suppose it's time to present you as my mate and inform them to resign their experiments." Miranda sighs. 

"It'll be okay." You reassure. 

"I hope you are correct."

Miranda calls Donna back and informs her there will be a meeting, then she summons the others and looks you over. You have to be presentable, although she couldn't care less what her false children think of you, she wants to show you off. She puts you in a comfortable outfit that still accentuates your hips and Miranda can't help but stare as you walk by. How much she loves watching you leave, the sway of your hips, the aroma of your scent, everything drives her wild. If it were up to her, she wouldn't let you leave without smelling like her but there's no time now. Because of your pace it takes you and her longer to get to the meeting place, and you use a handkerchief to cover your nose from the smell of rotting wood and mold. 

Not the best place to bring her pregnant mate, she'll have to do something about this to remedy that. The others are already there waiting impatiently, Heisenberg taps his foot annoyingly as Miranda keeps you off to the side for dramatic effect. 

"Thank you all for being here. As you know I have been conducting a new experiment and I am proud to say it has been a success. I have found an organic way of bringing back my daughter, and I have also found myself a new mate. Allow me to introduce Y/N."

You walk forward to take your place by her side. The room is mixed: Angie is overjoyed to have a child to play with, Heisenberg could care less, Moreau looks hurt and then there's Lady Dimitrescu. She's presenting all seven stages of grief, currently sitting at anger. She abruptly stands, Miranda positions herself in front of you for protection.

"Your mate? Well. Congratulations Mother Miranda. I'm glad your excitement was a success. May I ask, what does that mean for us and the village?" She asks through gritted teeth. 

Miranda scoffs and wants to say she could care less about her failures and the village. She only needed the villagers for experimentation. However, you touch her upper arm, and she remembers your request. She hates how weak you've made her, yet she would burn the world if you asked. Yet she loves how excited you get when she agrees, and the way your dimples pop out when you smile.

"The village has been neglected for too long. I want us to halt our experiments and instead spend energy into the village. New homes, better education, healthier fields. I want my future family to have a worthy home. As for you lot, I-" Miranda growls under her breath, she looks over her shoulder at you and you only stare at her with those doe eyes. 

"I apologize for how I have treated you in the past. My mate has requested that if you chose, you may be a part of this family proper."

"And what if we don't? What if we don't buy into this bullshit and think it's another plot to keep us under your thumb?" Snaps Heisenberg. 

He stands and Miranda shields you from his advances, "what if instead of being one 'happy little family,' I'd rather bash your skull in?"

"Then you are free to leave." Miranda responds coldly. 

Heisenberg halts in his step, he's skeptical of course and doesn't believe she's true to her word. He looks toward the door then back at her, inches toward it, looks again. He continues this until he's at the door, swings it open with a loud thud, and stomps through with the door slamming shut behind him. She dismisses the other lords who take their leave without a word, except Lady Beneviento. She approaches you and silently asks to touch your stomach. You agree and she rests her cold hands upon you. She feels the occasional kick and fluttering of movement which is more than enough excitement for her. 

*          *          *

Over the course of the next few short months, Donna and Alcina have sent you more than enough baby items. Clothes, cloths, numerous dolls, but your favorite is something you requested especially from Donna; a stuffed crow. It's the softest thing you've ever held, and you keep it safely tucked in the hand-built crib that Miranda got. Salvatore showed his affection in, well, his own way. He had fresh fish delivered daily and reported that the bay is now clear as crystal with healthy populations to feed the village a hundred times over. You're not going to tell him that fish currently makes you want to hurl. Miranda is the one who takes the longest to adjust. She spends long periods of time in her lab, and if it weren't for the smell, you would go down there to see what she's doing.

"Miranda." You say softly, sitting up with difficulty in bed.

"Yes, my dear?" She asks, helping you sit up and turning her attention to you. 

"What are you doing down in the lab? Ever since the meeting you've spent all our time down there."

You are worried for her, but another part of you is sad that she's no longer showering you with attention and affection like she did before the meeting. Miranda sighs and looks down, unsure of how to tell you. She's angry that you've made her change, she's happy that her experiment worked, she's mourning the loss of her purpose. 

"I'm down there because, I'm scared." She finally admits. 

You take her hand into your own, brushing your thumb over the back of her hand soothingly. 

"I haven't been a parent since I lost my dear Eva. I've spent the last hundred years trying to get her back and now, now I'm so close to having that again. What if, what if I've changes for the worse? You saw how the village was, if not for you I would still be that way. You've softened me, made me care, and I hate that. I believe I only hate it because it terrifies me. What if I lose this one too? Or I'm not a good parent?"

You kiss her knuckles tenderly, "if you treat this child even remotely as well as you've treated me then I would say you'll be just fine. I've never been a parent before, so this is a new learning experience for the both of us. I have full faith that you will be an excellent mom to our baby, especially with how much you've been willing to sacrifice and do. Although, I do think we should lock up the lab and not tell them about the thousands of experiments you've done. Not until they're older."

Miranda scoffs but she has a smile. She looks you over and her body relaxes, she hated you so much for you've changed her in the course of a few short months. It would seem you experimented on her as well. She changed your entire biology, and you changed her entire being. She loves you with a burning fire that will spread to the child in your stomach, and to every child after. Miranda loves you so much, it hurts her to try and comprehend how much she does. 

*          *          *

You scream loudly, the pain shooting through your entire body as you push with all your strength. Miranda braces and holds the crowning head and guides the infant out before plopping the crying being on your exposed stomach. She pushes the placenta out and pinches the umbilical cord before severing it. You pant heavily and toss your head back, a million miles swirling as you fade in and out of consciousness with the relief of no more pain. Miranda does everything: she takes your newborn daughter and cleans her face and body, putting her in a diaper and wrapping her warmly in a blanket. She cleans you off, hooks you to an IV, and gets your comfortable in bed to recover. As you regain some strength, now being fed a wonderful cocktail of pain meds, she hands the newborn over to you and you happily take her. 

She's beautiful. You tear up and smile down at her, caressing her round, swollen cheek as she scoots around for a nipple. You chuckle and begin to breastfeed your daughter, leaning back against the headboard and finally looking over at Miranda. Her hair is a mess, her face is flushed, she looks like she was the one who just gave birth and yet she still somehow looks beautiful. She brushes some hair away from your face and gives you a tender kiss on the forehead. 

"She's beautiful." You say proudly. 

"You and her both. I'm so proud of you."

[humanitys-strongest-bamf]

Hi lovely Kat, congrats to 2K followers! 🥳❤️

I would like to request a post-war drabble taking place during Levi's first birthday after the Rumbling. The reader knows about her pregnancy for a couple of weeks but decides to keep it a secret until his birthday. They could have a nice celebratory dinner with the 104th kids, Gabi, Falco and Onyankopon, and the reader decides to break the big news to Levi just after they leave.

thank you rose!! i also accidentally turned this into a oneshot bc i couldn't get myself to decide how i wanted levi to react and ended up word vomiting as a result ksdjfksdjf

World's Grumpiest Dad | 2K Follower Event | Post-War Dadvi Oneshot

✧ word count ➼ ~1.1k ✧ notes ➼ post-war, fluff

The lights were pretty at this time of night.

You began wheeling Levi back from the diner after waving goodbye to some of the 104th, Gabi, Falco, and Onyankopon. They had visited to grab dinner at a nice restaurant in celebration of Levi's birthday, much to his own disdain. Of course he was grumpy the entire night, just from the fact that he wasn't expecting to get all of this attention throughout the day. It was draining—but it was nice to see everyone in a setting that wasn't hauling ass trying to remedy all the damage from the Rumbling.

"Please tell me we're going home," he grumbled.

"Almost," you reassured. "Just going to stop at the dock first. Sunset's pretty."

Levi didn't protest against this change of plans. His evening strolls with you always played an important part in keeping him sane, especially throughout the height of the war.

You reached into your bag as you continued walking Levi forward, eventually pulling out a small box and setting it on Levi's lap.

You could physically see him hesitate, not having expected the sudden object to be handed to him out of nowhere.

"It's your birthday," you reminded, knowing that he was going to have this reluctant reaction. Levi was never a fan of gifts, but this one was important.

"It's going to clutter the house."

"You don't even know what it is yet."

He let out an exasperated sigh, slowly opening the top of the cardboard box. There wasn't any wrapping around the box and there wasn't any filling inside. It was just a plain box with a singular object resting within it: a handmade mug with one of those uneven handles that indicated that you were likely the one that made this at some shoddy pottery studio, which added to its charm.

"What's wrong with the ones we have at home?"

It's not that he didn't like it, he just didn't see the need for an extra mug in your kitchen cabinet.

You groaned as you rolled your eyes.

"Just read it, you asshole."

He pulled the mug out of the box and turned it so that he could see the text that was carefully painted onto it in your handwriting:

"World's Grumpiest Dad"

You couldn't see his face, but you were able to essentially imagine the furrowing of his eyebrows from the confusion that was no doubt running through his mind.

His body posture visibly changed once he realized—he sat a bit further back into his chair, his clenched jaw relaxed, and you even heard a small gasp escape his lips.

"...you're pregnant."

You turned his wheelchair so that he was facing the horizon and took a seat next to him on the nearby bench that you had wheeled him next to. Giving him a small smile, you nodded, eyeing him intensely for how he was going to react to the big news.

"Yeah," you whispered. "Just got confirmation a little while ago, but wanted to save it as a surprise."

You could tell that he was struggling to process. The two of you weren't particularly trying for a kid, but mutually agreed that if it happened, then it happened.

He switched his gaze from your eyes and back down to the mug to reread the text.

"...'m gonna be a dad," he mumbled, although it wasn't clear what emotion was behind it. You couldn't tell if he was happy or not, which was only adding to your nerves.

Levi looked back up at you, his eyes softening once he saw the concern in yours.

Having a kid was never really something he imagined for himself, although this was primarily because he couldn't afford the luxury of imagining the concept of the Titan-free world that you were in. It always provided him and the rest of your comrades the drive to keep fighting, but the idea of settling down in a world that was safe from man-eating Titans—a world in which you could birth and raise a child in peace—never crossed his mind for him.

"You're going to be the world's grumpiest dad," you corrected, trying to lighten the mood in an attempt to dispel your own anxiety in addition to the hesitant look he was wearing.

It worked to some extent, with his eyebrows coming together again into a frown.

"I'm not grumpy."

"Then why are you frowning?" you challenged.

"That's just my face, you brat."

He barely got to finish his sentence before you planted a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"It's okay," you whispered with a small smile. "I like you grumpy. I'm sure our kid will like it too. It's part of your charm."

You were too close to be able to see the slight hint of color rising to his cheeks at your comment, but you could tell that it affected him as soon as he averted his gaze.

"What is it?" you asked as you tilted your head at him.

Levi immediately cleared his throat and shook his head in an attempt to suppress how flustered he had just gotten over your comment.

"Nothing."

He handed you the mug and began to push himself up from the wheelchair, which immediately got your attention.

"Need to stretch," he grumbled. "Been sitting in that damn thing for hours."

You watched as he walked over to the dock railings, noting that his limp wasn't as noticeable, likely because he hadn't been putting strain on his knee for the past few hours since he's been more or less just sitting throughout dinner and your stroll here. Sighing, you placed the mug back into the box and placed it securely on the bench before walking up next to him.

The wind was blowing through his dark locks, causing it to fall perfectly back onto his head due to his undercut, tempting you to run your fingers through it if you didn't already know that Levi was just going to shoo your hand away.

There was a hint of concern in his one good eye. The frown lines were present despite his expression being soft, and his lips were slightly turned downwards—not enough to be a frown, but noticeable enough that you knew what was on his mind.

"You're going to be a great dad."

Levi's eyes widened as his lips parted in surprise, not expecting you to come in with the reassurance. You were right in that his unease over his own ability to be a good parent was what was bugging him, even though he knew that the anxiety was ultimately unfounded, given his interactions with the kids he had basically helped to raise to some extent—the 104th, Isabel, and even Gabi and Falco.

He placed his hand over your lower belly before looking back up into your eyes, his lip turning up subtly before whispering to you.

"I know."

#: @chaotic-on-main @levisbrat25 @leviismybby @moonmalice @averysmolbear @cathybarn @tclbts @emiwhore @bejewelledd @sad-darksoul @ackermendick @aomi04 @apolloshaiku @laraackerman @pulpolicia @raenacreates @nube55 @saenora @noctemys @sixpennydame @sleepyfairyxo @heichoucleanfreak @svftackerman @catskze @nixie-writes-aot @la-undercover-latina @v4mp-wife @darkstarlight82 @professorweezy @braunsbabe @levis-squishy-cheeks @dumbfound-princess @evas-leslas @deepzombieyouth @lovedbylevi join my taglist! and please lmk if you wanna be taken off

[rottenpumpkin13]

Miiiiight have gotten strep throat, SO!

How do you think SOLDIER(and Cloud because at that point, he's there everyday) would handle it? Who got it first? Who gets the terrible earache on top of sore throat? Are they all turning to Angeal for home remedies? This kinda stuff!!

*Poof* Everyone has strep throat, because why should you suffer alone?

Sephiroth: Is hit with a violent physical toll. The throat symptoms are severe, but the headaches, body aches, and overall fatigue are worse. It's as if Sephiroth.exe has stopped working; he can only lie in bed while listening to loud, dramatic classical music on blast. He says it's to soothe his spirit, but by the sixth play of "Lacrimosa," Angeal peeks in to see what's happening.

*Sephiroth has a black blanket over his head and is clutching Masamune while rocking back and forth*

Angeal: You okay there buddy? Why do you have your sword with you?

Sephiroth: To defend myself from the Grim Reaper.

Angeal: ........

Sephiroth: I often wonder if anticipating death with the same excitement one reserves for the arrival of an old friend hastens its approach. I suppose I’m about to find out, as I can feel health slowly leaving my mortal form.

Angeal: Oh my god

Angeal: Is extremely sick, with a burning throat, but he’s trying every home remedy he can find to speed up recovery for everyone. He’s brewing teas, mixing honey and lemon, gargling with salt water, and setting up humidifiers throughout the apartment, hoping the moist air will soothe everyone’s throats. It's not working.

Genesis: Has the worst sore throat of the bunch. His pain is so severe that he can barely swallow, and speaking is incredibly painful, though not impossible. He takes to using a mini white board to communicate with his friends, and he will quote Loveless using nothing but images, don't test him. The last time he tried, his voice came out so raspy and uncharacteristic that Sephiroth laughed for ten minutes straight before throwing up :( Speaking of Zack,

Zack: Nausea and vomiting hit him hard. He can't keep anything down, not even water, but his appetite is still there. It doesn't help that strep throat means Angeal is making the most fragrant chicken soup ever, that Zack can't eat unless he wants to throw it all back up. He's the equivalent of a cat snooping over the soup pot when his owner isn't there.

*Angeal checks in on Genesis*

Angeal: Do you want some soup?

Genesis writes: Did Zack eat?

Angeal: No, poor thing keeps throwing up. Chicken soup will only make him sick, so—

*The sound of a pot lid clattering and retching from the kitchen*

Angeal: DON'T TOUCH THE SOUP GOD DAMN IT! ZACK IF YOU THREW UP IN THE SOUP I SWEAR I'LL SEND YOU TO MEET THE REAPER—GO BACK INTO YOUR ROOM SEPHIROTH HE DIDN'T SHOW UP YET

Cloud: He got the earache, and while he’s taking antibiotics like everyone else, his primary coping mechanism is to lie in a fetal position on the cold floor of the apartment. The cold provides some relief and reminds him of his childhood, when his mom would apply cold compresses while praying for him. People who find him either trip over him or think that his whispering and pressing his ear to the ground is just him communicating with the planet.

[flowerwiththemachinegun]

I see you doing BEAUTIFUL soul soothing slice of life Zack stuff.

I ask for Zack first because..I'm weird but please do feel free to include the firsts and HOJO!, BECAUSE I've never seen anyone do hojo love, it's wild!

What,would zack do for his lover having a migraine? How would he comfort/cuddle/spoil...

Cook special food? Pet names? Home remedies?

THANK YOU! LMAO I’ve been told I’m the most down bad individual people have met due to my love of Hojo. 10/10 would tie that man to the cross and do my thing with him.

I love this ask cause I’m prone to migraines. I have also tortured myself trying to make them stop. I lock myself in the closet to get away from any sounds and light these days. Good god I’m probably too eager to write Hojo’s.

____________________________________________

Zack “put em in a pack” Fair

I’m certain you have to thoroughly explain what a migraine is to him. The first time you said you had a migraine he continued doing everything at his usual “Zack Volume” fuckin loud. Shiva bless his heart but he lacks brain cells. You told him to quiet down and now he won’t stop whispering everything, that man will whisper in uppercase from the other room.

Now that he understands, he must make a routine for you. Yes yes, that man headed straight to Moogle Search to look up home remedies. It would turn into Zack’s first crime against humanity. Making you a cup of turmeric and ginger based tea, accompanied by an aftertaste so foul you weren’t sure you wanted to even ask what he put in it. As hard as you try, your face says it all and now he’s got the sad puppy eyes, “but baby I really tried.” In that cute pouty voice of his, you know the one he’s still whispering. Please let him know you appreciate the effort but not the attempt at murder.

If there is any medicine that helps relive your pain he’ll have it on hand. He even keeps a supply at his own home, going as far as to carry it around when you’re together because Zack knows they randomly sprout up. He’s learned “the squint” as he calls it. Claiming whenever a migraine is creeping in you start squinting at everything. Awn, cute boy is catching on to the cues. After you tell him about visual impairment/eye pain that can accompany your migraines he’s back on the internet finding ways to relive that too. (Pls Zack it’s not gonna help just cuddle)

After months of trying numerous concoctions Zack would attempt to make you once again, Shiva bless his heart. Despite you telling him in advance, he finally concludes these do not help and he can't really do much about it, it made him feel a bit useless. “ ‘cause if I can’t help my baby, what am I doing?” Telling Zack that everything else he does is perfect when he’s trying to make you feel better. He provides you lots of cuddles, only leaving the bed when he’s certain you’re asleep, though it’s only for necessities. Zack very much prefers to keep you against him as long as humanly possible. You’re his "little kitty", you know the rules with that. If the cat lays on you, you do not move.

Makes sure to turn off any lights, closing all of the curtains/blinds to keep as much light out as possible. Cooking is questionable with him but he can make some of your favorite snacks as long as they’re simple. Anything that he can get you from the store? He’s going to make sure it’s in your possession, even if he has to go completely out of his way to get whatever you want. Nearly every time Zack goes out to get snacks/favorite foods, he brings back a plushie. You have such a large army of plushies that you have to beg him to stop bringing them. Gaia, he even brought you a chibi Zack for when he’s on missions. (You love it, how could you not)

Zack also recognizes sometimes migraines make you nauseous, even causing you to vomit at times. No matter, it doesn’t bother him at all. He’s going to make sure your hair is out of the way, clean you back up, carry you to bed and as you sleep, he’s looking at more home remedies. One thing I can imagine him able to cook is a few types of soups Angeal taught him, to at least get something light on your stomach.

Sephiroth- pillow fort part 2? (he wasn’t allowed much time to be a kid, so he enjoys doing childish activities with you)

This is the man for the job, can’t get your surroundings dark enough? Sephiroth shall begin the construction. He now realizes why you have a million pillows, even taking the pillows and cushions off of your couch to make it more comfortable. Layering blankets and sheets to ensure it’s completely dark in there. He’s ready for his cat house to cuddle you. Stays awake until you fall asleep, it's not really anything new, he's just significantly more adamant about it when you aren't feeling well. Seems a bit sad when you take his fort down due to his "hard work and dedication." It's okay, he knows it can't stay up forever, he'll be able to build another soon.

You’re already overly spoiled by Sephiroth, to which he’d say “there’s never a such thing as too much for you.” He's going to try and find you the best doctors around, not affiliated with Shinra of course. He doesn't want them coming anywhere near you. He knows medicine won't always help, but you know what does? His dick. His outstanding ability to take care of you. Forehead kisses for days. Will scoop you in his lap, holding you until you start dozing off. I don't think this one can cook either, but he'll attempt making your favorite comfort foods until he cooks it exactly to your liking. "nothing less than perfection for you".

He'll go out of his way to buy blackout curtains for his own home. Luckily Sephiroth is extremely quiet, half of the time you don't even know when he arrives. It's like he materializes out of thin air. Due to this you don't have to really ever worry about loud sounds. Finding his voice to be soothing you ask him to read to you until you fall asleep. He's a bit awkward about it at first, but he gets use to it and comes to love doing so.

Angeal (the healer)

Oh yea, you're getting super spoiled by this one. He's putting on his "best chef" apron and getting to work. Not before he tucks you into bed, kissing your forehead and tucking you in, he'll even fluff the pillows. If you like having background sound or really are in the mood to watch something, he has memorized shows/movies that have a minimal amount of ungodly bright scenes. Even turns the brightness down all the way, going as far to adjust the color and of course lowering the volume.

Always asks what kind of food you think your stomach can handle just in case it's one of those nausea inducing migraines. Can make anything you ask or he'll find recipes that are supposed to accommodate your migraines. He's not sure if the home remedies work, but at least you're always happy with each meal he makes you.

Once you're fed and comfortable, Angeal is on his way to wrap you up in his arms. Loves it when you climb on him and rest your head against his chest because you told him his "heartbeat makes me feel better." He's read in an article that pressure points can help alleviate migraines. He has no clue which pressure points to target so he's going to give you a full body massage in hopes that you feel better. hands of god you'll be feeling something alright

Also goes out of his way to buy blackout curtains or anything that may help him keep his home dark when the light is too much. Buys those little motion lights that are dim so when you walk into a room you'll be able to see without it feeling like a flashbang. Angeal doesn't make too much noise either so sound is also not a problem with him. Despite that he gives you a hushed apology any time he thinks he did something too loud.

Genesis (please don't recite Loveless, jk he'd annoy me but i'd love it)

Recites Loveless to you in a hushed tone as you fall asleep on his chest. Genesis is more than willing to read any piece of literature you want, only if you make a special request. He's always going to pull out Loveless by default.

Runs a bath for you, adding a eucalyptus based epsom salt and bubbles to help you relax in hopes to ease some of that tension.(something with a soft scent as strong smells can be too much). "Of course he's aware of your sensitivity to light, in turn lighting a couple of candles to add his romantic flare. He's taking these baths with you, without a doubt. Massaging your back and gently doing the same for your neck. He has an experts touch, that man will make you melt like butter. Loves soaking with you pressed against him, dries you off and tucks you into bed.

This one is also a cook, maybe not as good as Angeal, but definitely not as bad as Sephiroth. Knows your favorite comfort foods and will go out of his way to make it for you as you hide in bed.

Manages to find the best medicine. You're surprised it actually helps. After asking where Genesis got it from you find out he broke into Hojo's lab after a discussion between the two about what was the best treatment for a migraine. Says he stole them because he didn't want the medicine altered as most of his medicines are.

Hojo (my eyes are so far back in my head right now, im excited)

The first time you stumbled into his lab, all but screaming at him to cut of the lights he just stares at you like a madman. "Do you not seeing me working?" I mean, sure you did, once your eyes finally adjust you can see something or someone(????) cut open on a surgical table. Great, migraine increases tenfold.

When he finally finished whatever absurd thing he was doing to that poor carcass he comes to examine you. Maybe you should have gone home instead. Shining that goofy fuckin flashlight directly in your eyes. You tried slapping it out of his hands to which he rolls his eyes as you completely miss his hand stating that "it's a pupil test, I have to check for abnormalities." to which you can't help but tell Hojo that he is the only abnormality.

Injects you with god knows what, but hey, the migraine surprisingly vanished. The next time you come into his lab due to a migraine, he immediately takes into account that you were just here a few days ago over the same thing. Once again taking you back through those oh so annoying examinations before prescribing you some pills. When you question what the pills were he chuckles, telling you in a condescending tone that "you wouldn't remember how to say it even if you tried." With that he tells you to come back after all pills are gone so he can see how you're doing.

Your next visit with Hojo will teach you to never tell him something is wrong with you again. When you began taking the medicine the migraines were easing up, but now it's like they're worse. This time he gives you a different type of medicine, now you're just sleepy. All will be just fine, when you wake up you won't even know he's been poking around your brain.

****************************************************

I’m a bit sad I forgot to put in the random bouts of pure confusion migraines can put you through. I’ll never forget grabbing my airpods and I was pretty certain it was a bar of soap. It wasn’t. I don’t even know how I thought something that small was soap, or how I tried to wash my hands for so long with them

[gingergofastboatsmojito]

Sydcarmy Wish 💫🤌💋

(not a fic per se although it looks like it, but it’s literally what I really wish happens after the wedding) #Manifesting

Raspberries

Context: Post-Tiff’s wedding.

Syd drinks too much and since she doesn’t drink often, can’t hold her liquor and so she’s in for a major hangover.

Carmy is now a gent since he almost lost her to The Poacher Shapiro, so he’s behaving like a Golden Retriever and cannot possibly leave such a beautiful damsel in distress like that so he drives her home after the party and also after mentioning multiple times how beautiful she looks in that dress, that is now printed in his brain forever, by the way.

So, they get to her place and he helps her get in because doors are like this indecipherable concept for Syd in her condition, especially the putting the key in the lock part.

And at some point he has to carry her because she falls asleep as soon as they cross her threshold. So they make it to her sofa, she lays there completely knocked out and Carmy who doesn’t wanna leave her alone in case she gets sick and needs someone to hold her hair or something, sits down on the floor, next to her feet, like an obedient dog, leaning his back against the couch and eventually falling asleep too.

Cut to Syd throwing up in the bucket he carefully placed next to her, anticipating the obvious next phase of her hangover. He wakes up to this view of Syd barfing and whimpering and feels for her, holds her braids in place and patiently waits till the vomits subside.

Then helps her up and takes her to the bathroom where she brushes her teeth and repeatedly rinses her mouth with raspberry flavored mouthwash for kids, she has never stopped using since PreK, which Carmy finds adorable.

She catches him smiling and trying to hide it.

Then Carmy helps her to get back to the couch and offers her some tea or his anti-hangover home remedy, which makes her feel nauseous again so he offers her a Tylenol instead and she accepts the pill and from her spot in the couch gives him directions to find the bottle in her nightstand.

Once she pops the pill and drinks a whole glass of water, he places an ice bag in her head and sits down next to her. She then cuddles next to him as if the temperature woulda dropped 10 degrees. He doesn’t know what to do but lets her do as she pleases.

She thanks him. He says “anytime”. She promises him this will not happen again. There’s this tension because they are too close. Too close.

Her head on his shoulder, his hand holding the ice bag in place on top of her head, her cuddle, too close.

She then tells him that she doesn’t need the ice anymore because the Tylenol seems to be kicking in and he obeys. Next thing he knows is that her hand is on his cheek, making him turn to see her, she’s looking at him, zeroing him and he’s nervous and scared and mesmerized by her eyes, entranced.

Carmy kisses her, ever so slightly, almost a butterfly kiss. She smiles against his lips. Now both her hands are cradling his face and he is mirroring her smile too.

Then she’s sick again and runs to the bathroom.

He’s right behind her and watches the whole raspberry mouthwash ritual again, with renewed amusement.

When they come back to the couch, his new favest place on Earth, they sit and she then lays down with her head on his lap. She rolls on her side and cuddles his lap. She loves how comfortable it feels. Carmy gently plays with Syd’s braids, her humming tells him she seems to enjoy this, and after a while when she turns to look at him and innocently ask him why he stopped his ministrations in her hair, he dives in for another kiss. Because of the awkward position they are in, the kiss is also soft and tender, mostly accessory to what his playful hands are doing in her hair.

When Syd feels better she sits up properly next to him, casually leans her side against her sofa and rests her head on her hand, looking at him, like studying his features.

“Is everything OK?”

“Yep, just wondering why haven’t you really really kissed me yet. I mean… clearly you want to. Right? Is it the vomit? Do I reek vomit? I think my breath is OK, it’s raspberry. Don’t you like raspberr-“

She couldn’t finish that sentence because Carmy’s tongue got in the way of hers and tangled up in her mouth, his hands grabbed her face as he French kissed the fuck outta her. Several times.

Syd is breathless.

When Carmy breaks the kiss to let her catch her breath he makes sure she understands how much he loves raspberries.

“I love raspberries, Syd, especially when they taste like you.”

🤌💋

[cinnamongorll]

a fragile line - chapter 29

Read on ao3! (135k words) | previous chapter | next chapter | masterlist

Pairing: Joel Miller x Female OC

Series tags: extreme slow burn, age gap, older man/younger woman, protective joel, jealous joel, hurt/comfort, pov third person, mutual pining, angst, sexual tension, friends to lovers, canon-typical violence, feral joel, parental abuse, eventual smut.

Series synopsis: three years ago, Juliet escaped her father's religious survivor camp, ending up in the Boston QZ. Juliet created a life for herself in Boston, desperate to forget the trauma of her upbringing. One day, Juliet arrives home to find a mysterious letter which forces her to return to her home town. Juliet can't travel the harsh post-apocalyptic landscape alone, so she enlists the help of the grumpy and, at times, frightening man she works alongside: Joel Miller.

Word count: 10.7K

Chapter 29

Juliet's POV

One Month Later:

“But she lives right across from you”

“I know” 

“If you don’t do it, I’ll have to walk all the way over there and back… and it’s snowing! What if I hurt myself?” 

“That’s not the argument you want to make right now.” 

“Juliet, please.”

“Fine.”

“Excellent.” 

Charlotte smirked as she handed over the woven box filled to the brim with a variety of bottled herbal remedies. They rattled as Juliet took the weight in her arms and her scowl deepened . 

“Tell her these ones are to help with the vomiting,” Charlotte reached into the box and ran her fingertips over a couple glass rims, “and these are vitamins to help keep her strength up.”

Despite her mild annoyance, Juliet nodded and promised that she would relay the message to Maria. There really wasn’t much she wouldn’t do for Charlotte, even if delivering her remedies meant directly interacting with the town’s leader.

The ice between Juliet and Maria had never truly thawed from their first conversation almost two months ago now. They rarely saw each other, only subtle nods of acknowledgement across the street or quick conversations about patrol, and Juliet preferred it that way. 

Tommy, though, Juliet had grown quite fond of. He would always greet her with a smile on his face and some joke about her performance on patrol. Juliet would roll her eyes and demand to know how many times he would bring up that one time she fell off her horse. 

Maria announced her pregnancy only a couple weeks ago. Juliet tried to congratulate Tommy but his smile grew strained and his eyes darted away from her towards a hulking figure she chose to ignore. Juliet tried not to question it; she realised a while ago that she would never really understand the inner workings of the Miller brothers’ minds, so she stopped trying… and she didn’t bring up Maria’s pregnancy again. 

Now, thanks to Charlotte’s repulsion of cold weather and her never ending list of errands, Juliet was forced to face Maria and the stiff tension which lingered behind their every interaction.

“Thanks, by the way,” Charlotte said with a wink. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Juliet scoffed as she turned and headed towards the door. Charlotte beat her to it and pulled open the clinic door, shivering slightly as the cold air battled with the stifling heat of the fire. 

With a thin smile, Juliet tightened her hold on her box and stepped outside. It was snowing, just as Charlotte had predicted, and each flake added to the already solid sweeping of pure white which had painted Jackson for several weeks now. 

Juliet hunched her shoulders together to push the collar of Joel’s jacket higher on her neck and started walking down the porch steps, moving the box out of her line of sight to watch her feet on the slippery stairs. 

“See you tonight?” Charlotte called after her. 

Juliet paused and turned slowly. Charlotte stood with her arms crossed over her chest and her eyebrows raised. 

Tonight.

The dance. 

The dance that she couldn’t even pretend to have forgotten about, when every inch of Jackson was papered with handmade flyers advertising the big event. 

“Don’t even think about not goin,” Charlotte warned, standing straighter. “You promised me you’d go.”

Damnit, she had promised. 

“I’ll be there,” Juliet assured her, projecting some cheerfulness into her voice to ease the lines on Charlotte’s forehead. 

“Great!” Charlotte practically sang. “See you at 7?” 

Juliet nodded and forced a smile on her face. 

“You better head back in, you’ll catch a cold,” she cautioned evasively, looking Charlotte up and down. 

Her friend rolled her eyes. “You’re not gettin out of this, I’ll come and find you if you’re not there for 7.” 

Juliet knew she wasn’t kidding. 

“I know,” she laughed, then lifted two fingers off the box in a wave goodbye before Charlotte decided to pull out a pen and asked her to sign a contract declaring her attendance at the dance. 

“Oh! And don’t forget to look for those vhs tapes!” Charlotte called after Juliet as she began to make her way down the porch steps, heading out onto the street. 

Charlotte had been searching for a tape of some old movie she used to watch when she was younger, she was desperate to show it at a movie afternoon. ‘Pretty in Pink’ Juliet recalled.  Tommy was convinced that there was a box of tapes in Juliet’s house and so another task was thrust upon her. 

Juliet turned and nodded very dramatically at Charlotte. “First thing tomorrow, I promise!” she shouted back then sped up to avoid another request. The snow was getting heavier and Juliet secretly hoped that it would get so bad that they might have to cancel the dance. 

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to go… 

Okay, she just didn’t want to go. 

For many reasons… one being the confirmed attendance of the man she’d managed to avoid all contact with for the past month. 

She’d overheard Tommy mention the other day that he’d convinced Joel to come along and Juliet almost tripped over her own feet. 

The sharp bite of his rejection still burned, but the hole in her chest was starting to heal over. It was little things at first: like when she stopped waking up in the middle of the night looking for him, then when her first thought in the morning drifted to something other than him, and finally when she walked past his house and didn’t hasten her footsteps, Juliet knew that scar tissue was forming. 

But this all relied on not seeing him, because when she did… when Juliet caught sight of him in the stables or grabbing some food in the mess hall… she swore that she was back outside her house listening to him say those words and brush off everything they had built together. 

He made her feel like a little girl who’d gotten attached to someone she shouldn’t have. 

He made her feel stupid. 

He made her feel like every look and every touch between them meant nothing. 

And all of that rushed to the surface when she looked at his face. His hard, angry and devastatingly handsome face. 

Tonight, at the dance, she couldn’t avoid him. She’d have to look into those hollow eyes and pretend that he hadn’t meant the entire world to her only two months ago. 

Juliet blinked away the threat of tears and started walking quicker. 

Walking past the mess hall, Juliet watched a man on a ladder attempt to fix one of the broken twinkly lights on a large evergreen tree outside. 

It was a strange sight, the lengths Jackson’s residents went to to celebrate Christmas. 

Juliet had never known it to be a joyous occasion.  

With her father, Christmas had only ever been a sad, cold affair with stiff, awkward gatherings and blurred lines. 

There was no singing, no laughter, no trees, no lights. Her father’s community would instead join together for a reading in the community centre. Juliet would sit in the front row with her hands clasped on her lap, terrified to make even a single movement, lest she show that she wasn’t deserving of dinner. 

Christmas was the only time of the year her father drank. After their meal, he would ask for whatever alcohol they could spare to be passed around the men of the community and every woman would straighten their spines. 

Juliet tried her best to bury her memories of those Christmas nights, leaving behind only a murky recollection of one of her father’s men pushing her up against a wall and every muscle in her body stiffening. 

The feeling of hot, sweaty hands pushing her further into the wall, holding her steady as he nudged his face into her neck and his lips spread across her collarbone. Juliet always held her breath, hoping that maybe she’d pass out before his hands drifted further. 

Juliet tried to close her eyes, she always did, but the sight of her father watching them over the man’s shoulder was too vividly sickening to ignore.

Every year he allowed his men to have a taste of her… like she was a delicately wrapped present just waiting for their hungry hands to rip apart. 

But it was only ever a taste. 

When their fingers would drift lower and lower, starting to pull up her skirt, that’s when her father would walk over and place his strong hand on the man’s shoulder. Declaring his ownership. 

Christmas always left a bitter taste in her mouth. 

“Juliet?” 

Matt’s voice was drowned out by the piercing sound of glass bottles rattling against each other. Juliet gasped and blinked up at her patrol partner’s concerned face as he reached out to stabilise the box in her arms. 

“Shit, sorry I wasn’t looking where I was going,” Juliet stuttered. 

“Are you okay?” he asked with hunched eyebrows and a serious gaze.

Juliet looked down at her box and pulled it closer to her chest, then tilted her chin back up to meet Matt’s eyes.

“Yeah, I’m good!” she replied, injecting false cheer into her voice.

“But you’re crying?” Matt pointed out quietly as his hand gently curved around her damp cheek. 

“Oh,” she gasped, embarrassed, “must be the cold air.” 

Matt gave her a look that said he didn’t even remotely believe her but he knew her well enough not to push the issue. Juliet knew what she looked like in that moment: red rimmed eyes and a haunted expression. 

With one last swipe of his thumb under her eyes, Matt removed his hand and brought it slowly back to his side. 

“Where you going with all that?” he asked, pointing to the filled box in her arms.

“It’s for Maria, Charlotte asked me to - ” she paused as a cold shiver rippled across her back.

For a second, Juliet felt the sharp awareness of a gun trained on her and her body instantly stiffened.

But it wasn’t a gun, it was worse.

Joel stood on the porch of the mess hall, his large leather jacket hanging over one shoulder as though he was putting it on but stopped suddenly. He was still, so still that Juliet wondered if time had stopped. 

Her eyes washed over him despite her brain screaming at her to look away, but it was impossible when his dark eyes were focused on her like the sharp gaze of a hunter. 

Slowly, his eyes moved to the man beside her and Juliet watched as his fists curled and his jaw moved before he sharply looked away.

The second his eyes left her Juliet inhaled a deep breath and quickly returned her gaze to Matt, who stood looking down at her with confusion written all over his face.

“Sorry,” she coughed, “these are for Maria, I’m just heading over there now,” Juliet explained, lifting the box and cringing as the bottles rattled again. 

Matt watched her curiously for another second before his signature smile donned his face again.

“I’ll walk with you,” he decided and reached down to take the box out of Juliet’s hand, tucking it beneath one arm and pivoted to hover his other hand on the small of Juliet’s back.

Juliet didn’t look at the mess hall as they walked passed, not even when he felt that dangerous awareness spread over the back of her neck. She just focused on the crunch of snow beneath her feet and watched the clouds of breath hang in the air in front of them. 

Their conversation was easy, as it always was. 

Matt would recognise when Juliet’s mind drifted elsewhere and he would fill the space with chatter about his big plans for the week. And that day, the topic on his mind was the dance.

Juliet tried not to roll her eyes.

“So, are you coming?” he asked with a smirk. 

Juliet shot him a dark look. “I think Charlotte would have many creative ways of murdering me if I didn’t show up,” she explained. 

Matt’s laugh was warm and playful. “I wouldn’t put it past her.” 

Juliet’s mouth cracked a smile. 

They walked in silence for a while until they reached the turn off towards her street. Matt stopped in front of her and carefully passed the box back into Juliet’s arms.

“Save me a dance?” he asked with raised eyebrows. 

Juliet laughed. “Sure.”

Matt ran a hand through his hair and stepped backwards. “Don’t sound too excited, Jules,” he said with a wink, and then he was gone, heading in the other direction with his hands in his pockets. 

Juliet let out a slow breath and closed her eyes. Matt’s presence was a welcome distraction but the memory of her father lay steady on her shoulders, weighing her down. 

He was never far from her mind, even on her good days. Charlotte spoke to her about ‘closure’,  allowing herself to face what her father did to her and move past it. But that sounded like a child’s fantasy, as if she could actually ever rid herself from his memory. As if she could ever untangle herself from him. 

His initials were burned into her skin but his ghost had sunk deeper into her bones, burrowing himself there and haunting her every movement. 

Closure was a privilege not offered to her. 

She’d had enough conversations with Charlotte to recognise that he was her abuser, although Juliet still struggled to voice the term. 

He was her father, part of her DNA. How could she ever truly rid herself of him? 

Juliet had tried taking herself back to that final night in the basement before Joel had found her. She thought if she allowed herself to remember everything that had happened she might be able to work through it and rid herself of some of fear eating away at her, but there were still gaps in her memory; large stretches of blackness behind her eyes where more horrors were hidden.

So, no, she wasn’t excited for the dance, or Christmas, or anything really. 

Juliet was still drowning beneath the memory of her father and her only lifeline had abandoned her. 

……………………………….

Charlotte’s box of remedies sat on Maria’s porch as Juliet knocked on the door for the third time. 

Her knuckles struck the wood but there was still no answer. 

She glanced behind her then her gaze dropped to the handle and the impulsive, impatient part of Juliet reached for the metal knob and turned.

It opened. 

Juliet paused, unsure what to do. Maybe Maria was sleeping or just hadn’t heard the door… maybe she should sit in the box in the house then leave. 

Juliet bent and lifted the box into her arms again and stepped into the house. It was almost an exact replica of the layout of her and Ethan’s and her feet took her into the living room before she could stop herself. A part of her was curious about how the town’s leader lived. 

The room was well decorated with soft throws over the couches and trinkets on almost every surface. Juliet kept walking, slowly taking in all of the details around her. 

After a moment, she spotted what looked like a small chalkboard over the fireplace and her curiosity took her there immediately. There, written on the black surface were two names:

Kevin 4/3/00 - 9/29/03

Sarah 7/20/89 - 9/27/03

A sinking feeling settled in Juliet’s gut. 

They must be Maria’s kids… Joel had never mentioned being an uncle.

God, they were so young when they died. Juliet couldn’t even imagine the trauma that would leave on a person, what might happen to their perception of this already very dark world. 

“Juliet?” 

Her head whipped around to find Maria standing in the entrance to the kitchen, gripping a pair of scissors tightly in her hands. 

“Sorry, the door was open…” Juliet trailed off, realising now how strange it was that she just walked right in. 

Maria raised her eyebrows. “What’s this?” she asked, using the scissors to point towards the box in Juliet’s arms. 

“Remedies,” she answered quickly, “from Charlotte.” 

Maria’s face instantly softened and she tucked her scissors into her back pocket. 

“Thanks,” she murmured as Juliet passed the box to her and relayed Charlotte’s message. 

Once the box had left her hands, Juliet stepped backwards, feeling the awkwardness that lay thick between them. It was obvious Maria felt the same. 

“Well, I better get going,” Juliet said quietly, already turning towards the door. 

“Wait.” 

She stopped, tilting her head back around to the town’s leader. Maria looked her up and down. 

“Who’s been cutting your hair?” she asked while adjusting the box in her arms. 

Juliet’s eyebrows furrowed and her chin dipped to look at her dark brown hair falling several inches below her breasts. 

“No one,” she replied, sounding more like a question, as she self-consciously tugged on the ends of her hair. 

A smile approached the corner of Maria’s mouth before she placed the box on the coffee table and pulled the scissors from her pocket, waving them slightly. 

“No,” Juliet argued, “I couldn’t ask you - “

“It’s no problem,” Maria replied in that hard, matter of fact tone of her’s. 

Before Juliet could reply, Maria had already turned and walked into the kitchen. 

Juliet didn’t really have an option but to follow.

………………………….

Maria’s kitchen was a lot nicer than her and Ethan’s. 

Juliet sat on a wooden chair with a towel draped over her shoulders, flinching as Maria sprayed her hair with water. 

“Just a trim or are you looking for a chop?” Maria asked suddenly, startling Juliet who had gotten used to the silence between them. 

She wasn’t sure what to say. She wasn’t even sure when the last time she had her hair cut was. It must have been when she had first arrived in the QZ when Juliet’s hair was so coated in blood and dirt that she ended up taking her blunt knife to it. 

Maria’s scissors looked a lot sharper. 

Juliet thought about her question and about everything that she’d been through since that last haircut. 

Her hair had grown as she worked those years with Joel, and longer as she travelled the country with him. Now all she had to show for it was the length of her dark brown waves…

Juliet didn’t want to carry that weight anymore. 

“A chop,” she answered finally. 

Maria’s surprisingly skilled fingers began to separate parts of her length and when the first inch of hair fell to the floor next to her feet, Juliet breathed a sigh of relief. 

After another few inches hit the floor, Maria broke the silence:

“You were looking at the memorial Tommy made?” she asked. 

Juliet stilled the nervous tapping of her foot and swallowed awkwardly. 

“I’m really sorry about your kids,” Juliet murmured as she wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans, feeling her heart grow heavy for the woman who stood behind her.

“It’s okay,” Maria replied, in her usual even tone, “and kid… just Kevin.” 

Another apology almost slid from Juliet’s mouth but her confusion held her tongue. She hadn’t realised that Tommy was once a father -

“Sarah was Joel’s daughter.” 

Juliet’s breath caught in her throat. 

Joel had a child? A child who died? 

Every interaction they’d ever had, every cold word from his mouth, and every sad look in his eyes flew through Juliet’s mind. Her heart had dropped to her stomach and a cold chill ran down her spine. 

She wasn’t sure how to process this information.

He never said anything. Never even hinted at the loss he’d suffered. But as the realisation washed over her, Juliet realised that he had. It was written all over his face; in the hard line between his eyebrows; in the deep grooves around his mouth, echoing a memory of a time when laughter came easily to him. 

“Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything…” Maria said hesitantly. 

“No,” Juliet heard herself say, “thanks for telling me.” 

Her heart ached for Joel and there was nowhere to put the feelings inside her chest. She couldn’t go to him, she couldn’t talk to him about it. 

Juliet was left to reevaluate everything she knew about Joel as inches upon inches of her hair continued to fall on the floor around her feet.

…………………..

Juliet’s steps were sudden and heavy as she ran up the stairs to her bedroom. It was strange, she thought, not feeling the weight of the last few years swinging around her face. 

Juliet’s hair now fell just below her shoulders and she wasn’t sure how to feel about it. When she reached her room, she headed straight for the floor length mirror balancing on the wall near her window. Her chin tilted upwards as she admired the way her hair moved.

This was a good thing, she decided. A new start. 

Maybe, when she went for her next haircut, there wouldn’t be as much baggage to remove. 

Her heartbeat quickened as she turned towards her very vacant closet, remembering the dance that rapidly approached and her complete lack of an outfit. 

Juliet had been at Maria’s longer than she realised, and the sky was fading into a worrying dark blue as the minutes ticked by. 

Her fingers flicked between the hangers in her closet but her mind was elsewhere. 

Joel had lost his daughter. 

She couldn’t even imagine the pain.

Her grief for her father was a dark, guilt drenched lump in her throat that choked her whenever her mind drifted his way. 

Her grief wasn’t a byproduct of her love for him; it was an aftermath of her fear. 

Juliet didn’t miss her father. She was still afraid of him. 

But Juliet knew that Joel’s grief was different. It made sense now, why his protective instincts ran so deep, and why his eyes were black wells of sorrow and remorse. 

Joel’s grief for his daughter was a smouldering fire. It burned hot and, though its flames dwindled, it never went out. 

It made sense, that Joel had lost someone.

This whole time, when she witnessed the haunted look in his eyes, Juliet had assumed it was Tess. Maybe Joel regretted letting her go, maybe there was another woman who he still felt the loss of.

But it was deeper than that. 

Maria’s reveal was the final piece in the very complicated puzzle of Joel Miller. 

Joel was dark and messy and haunted. And, finally, Juliet understood why. 

Juliet unhooked a hanger from her wardrobe. On it was the only dress in her possession, one gifted to her from Charlotte. 

It was long, falling below her knees, and it hugged her body in a way that made Juliet’s cheeks flush. The straps were thin, barely holding the dress up. 

But the best part, in Juliet’s opinion, was the colour. It was a combination of various shades of dark red, all merged together.

It was perfect. 

Juliet slipped the dress on and walked back over to her mirror, reaching to tuck her shortened hair behind her ears.

She barely recognised herself, and the thought was a welcome one. 

The sky was black, and Juliet knew it was time to go. Charlotte’s threats were not to be taken lightly. 

Her steps down the stairs were softer, nervous even.

He would be there. At the dance. 

The hairs on her bare arms raised at the thought of Joel’s eyes finding her in this dress. Then she blinked suddenly, erasing the image in her mind.

No. Joel had hurt her. She couldn’t think of him that way anymore. 

Juliet shook her head and reached for her boots, lacing them up as she sat on the bottom step. 

Juliet’s feelings towards Joel were so tangled up, it was becoming impossible to unravel them all. And, now, finding out something so devastating about him just added another thread to the mess. 

She stood and walked towards the front door, where her jacket hung from a hook. Its dark green canvas material still smelled like him. Juliet had to stop herself from lifting it to her nose. 

It was worrying her that the thought of seeing Joel brought with it the feeling of butterflies in her stomach. Or were they moths? Churning around in the memory of the way Joel had once made her feel. 

As Juliet put her arms through the sleeves, and savoured the warmth it brought, she realised that slowly her anger towards Joel had begun to fade. 

He didn’t want her, and that hurt. But the bitterness within her had lessened. 

In its place, were recurring waves of sadness and disappointment. 

Joel didn’t want her, and it hurt; it left that deep, dark hole in her chest surrounded by a graveyard of misguided expectations. 

Joel didn’t want her. But she was still here. She was still surviving. 

Juliet would repeat those words at the dance, reminding herself that Joel didn’t have space in his haunted heart for her. And she would have to let him go. 

………………………………

The door creaked when she entered, but no one heard.

The mess hall had been entirely transformed. The seats were pushed to the side to make room for couples to dance. There were even more twinkly lights than usual, covering every wall. Candles covered every surface, and a band was set up on a makeshift stage, playing an upbeat song. 

Juliet let the door close behind her as she stood in awe, watching as people laughed and twirled and drank. 

“You made it,” Ethan beamed beside her, pulling Juliet in for a hug. 

Juliet circled her arms around Ehtan’s back, breathing a sigh of relief at his warm familiarity. 

“You’re okay,” he whispered in her ear and then pecked a kiss on her cheek before he let go, straightening his back and looking down at her. 

Juliet nodded, and a real smile started to twitch at the corners of her mouth. 

“Charlotte will be glad to see you, she almost had a search party out,” Ethan said teasingly, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrows.

Juliet scoffed. “I’m like two minutes late.” 

Ethan laughed and lifted his eyes, nodding as another person approached.

“Your jacket, miss?” Matt requested in what Juliet had been told was a french accent, a very bad version of it she assumed, and raised his arm, waiting. 

Juliet’s eyes hit the ceiling as she shrugged off her coat and placed it in Matt’s arms. She felt her cheeks warm as the cold hit her bare arms but she straightened her back and tilted her chin up, making an effort to not be embarrassed. 

Matt blew out a low whistle as he tugged her jacket under his arm. 

“You cut your hair,” Ethan breathed, lifting a hand to tug at the chopped length.

“Yeah,” she replied, darting her eyes between her two friends, “just felt like a change.” 

“You look beautiful,” Matt said roughly after a long moment. 

Ethan cut Matt a sharp look and tilted his head towards the sea of people gathered around the tables. “Come on,” he urged. 

Juliet looked up at Matt who gave her a wink and a teasing smile, then settled his free hand on the small of her back and led her through the crowd of people. 

“You’re here!” Charlotte screamed into Juliet’s ear as she pulled her in for a hug. “Your hair! And that dress! I was right, it looks amazing on you.”

Juliet felt her cheeks redden even more and she pulled back from the hug, allowing her eyes to drift down Charlotte’s outfit. 

“You look gorgeous,” she told her friend earnestly. 

Soon, the four of them settled down at a table with drinks in their hands. Juliet winced slightly as she tipped the whiskey to her lips and felt it burn as it went down her throat. It wasn’t the taste that bothered her, more the memory of it. 

Juliet couldn’t help it, after a moment she began to drift away from the conversation as her eyes searched for familiar broad shoulders and grey speckled brown hair. 

She convinced herself she wasn’t disappointed when there was no sign of him. It was a relief she felt, of course. 

Juliet’s focus returned to the table just in time for Matt to share another embarrassing patrol story. 

“I told her not to go in, but she did it anyway,” Matt explained, raising his hands as his mouth stretched further to accommodate his beaming smile. 

Juliet covered her mouth as Charlotte and Ethan’s eyes swung her way. 

“Admit it,” she demanded, turning back to face Matt, “you were just scared.” 

He barked out a laugh and took another long sip of his whiskey. “If that’s true, what about that -”

Matt was cut off by Charlotte’s excited scream. 

“I love this song!” she screeched, reaching for Ethan’s hand and dragging him to his feet, “we have to go dance.” 

Charlotte led Ethan to the dancefloor, and Juliet watched as their fingers quietly interlaced in the space between them. 

When her gaze returned to Matt, he was looking at her with a curious expression but chose not to voice his thoughts. 

If Charlotte and Ethan had something between them, Juliet was happy for them. She left her feelings for Ethan behind a long time ago, and their friendship had transformed over the last couple months; becoming more mature and grounded on something other than their mutual fear. 

“Wanna join them?” Matt asked, nudging his head in the direction of the couples dancing. 

Juliet was ready to shake her head but the look in his eyes was so hopeful that she couldn’t bring herself to say no. 

Instead, Juliet reached for her glass and swallowed the remainder of whiskey, then nodded sharply and rose from her seat. 

Matt laughed in response, reaching suddenly for her hand as they made their way to the floor. The music had settled slightly, it was smoother, slower and she watched as the couples around them began to sway. 

Matt looked down at her, sweeping his gaze all the way down her dress and back up to meet her eyes. Then his hand wrapped around her middle and his fingers spread out across her back. In one sudden movement, he pushed and their chests were flush and his other hand was entwined with her own. 

Juliet’s heart started to race. This was unexpected, she hadn’t been this close to someone since…

Thankfully, the alcohol drowned out most of her nerves and Juliet pushed away all traitorous. 

As they moved to the music, Juliet’s chin tipped up to admire the lights hanging above them. They looked like stars falling above their heads, and Juliet noticed the small reflections in Matt’s eyes. 

Matt’s warm expression quickly shifted as his eyes latched onto something behind her, his eyebrows began to furrow and he tightened the hold on her hand. Then slowly, he bent to whisper in her ear.

“What’s got into him?” he murmured. 

Juliet knew who it was before she turned her head. There was that awareness on the back of her neck again, warning her that something dangerous, someone dangerous, was watching her.

Still, her head swung with such speed her hair whipped around her. 

There, leaning against the bar, was Joel. 

The first thing Juliet noticed was his green shirt, and the few buttons open at the top. 

The second thing she noticed was the murderous intention in his eyes.

He watched her like a serial killer stalking his next victim. His eyes didn’t stray from her face, not even as Matt tapped her cheek to pull her attention back to him. 

Juliet was caught. 

And the wound in her chest poured open again.

If he didn’t care, if he didn’t want to be with her… Why look at her that way? Why demand her attention? 

“Juliet? Are you okay?” Matt asked, concern seeping into his voice.

“Yes,” she answered quickly, finally pulling her attention away from the man who was still watching her. 

“Yeah I have no idea what’s up with him,” she laughed nervously, settling her hand back into Matt’s. 

Matt looked back over at Joel then down at Juliet. “He looks like he’s gonna kill someone,” Matt said with a shocked laugh. 

Juliet’s responding giggle was a little too high to be believable. But, again, Matt was too nice to ask her about it. 

As the next song played, and they continued to dance, Juliet struggled to ignore Joel’s presence.

And she felt that anger start to churn in her gut again. 

“Sorry, I’ll just be a minute,” Juliet apologised to Matt in a voice that sounded very far away, unlatching their fingers as she began to march across the dancefloor to the man simmering at the bar. 

 Her footsteps faltered as she approached him, but Juliet kept her chin up, urging herself not to be intimidated by the rage in his eyes or the way he towered over her.

Within seconds Juliet stood in front of Joel Miller for the first time in a month.

She underestimated how much it would hurt.

His black eyes scanned every inch of her face with a feverish intensity. Juliet knew she had to say something before she lost her resolve.

She licked her lips and ignored the way Joel’s eyes followed her movement. 

“Is there a problem?” she demanded. 

Joel took a deep breath and the scowl on his face deepened as he crossed his arms over his chest. Juliet also ignored the way the material of his shirt stretched to accommodate the size of his biceps. 

“You cut your hair,” he said roughly, ignoring her question. 

Juliet’s fingers instantly reached to touch the blunt ends of her hair. 

“Is that why you’ve been staring at me?” she questioned, dropping her hand back to rest against her leg. 

Joel’s jaw shifted. “What are you doin’ with him?” he ground out, looking behind her before his eyes returned to her face. 

“Who? Matt?” she asked, confused. 

The smallest tilt of Joel’s was confirmation enough. 

“He’s my friend,” Juliet answered defensively, straightening her spine. 

Joel scoffed and reached a hand up to rub his jaw. 

“If that’s what you wanna call him,” he murmured under his breath as corners of his mouth curved into a sick smile.  

Rage shot through her, hot and fast. 

“What is it to you?” Juliet fumed. 

Joel’s expression hardened. 

“You need to be careful,” he warned, darkening his tone.

Juliet felt like she’d been slapped. Every interaction she’d had with Joel over the past two months had been strange, cryptic and insulting… and she was so sick of it. 

“Of what?,” she demanded, raising her hands in the hair, “of Matt?”

Joel said nothing; his silence was his answer. 

“Why?” Juliet urged, “because he might hurt me?” 

Her mouth took on a snarl. 

“I think I know who I should be careful of, Joel,” she seethed, breathlessly, “I think I know who might want to hurt me.”

Joel’s stone face flinched. 

Juliet stepped back, breathing heavy. She didn’t have anything left to say to him. 

It didn’t have to be like this between them. If Joel didn’t want her, they could have remained friends. But why did he have to keep pulling her back in, giving her signs that he might still feel something for her, only to stab her in the heart with his cruel comments time and time again? 

The music finally reached her ears again and Juliet wiped the tear from her cheek, moving to turn and return to her friend on the dancefloor and try to salvage the evening. 

But before she could take a step away from him, Joel’s strong fingers wrapped around her wrist, stilling all movements. 

Her face was turned away from him and she didn’t dare attempt to meet his eyes. So, Joel stepped forward until his front was flush with her back and dipped his head until his lips met her ear.

Juliet shivered as though the cold from outside had pushed through the walls. 

“Juliet,” he murmured against the shell of her ear. 

Her eyes closed as another tear leaked out. 

“I was wrong,” Joel whispered and every cell in Juliet’s body set alight. 

She gasped, waiting for him to say more… 

“Juliet, is everything okay here?” Matt’s voice was like a bucket of cold water thrown over her head. She wrenched away from Joel, pulling her arm free from him. 

“Everything’s fine,” she assured him, hoping he hadn’t noticed the crack in her voice.

Matt looked between them, unconvinced. 

Juliet reached for her friend’s hand, pointedly ignoring the feeling of Joel’s eyes on the back of her head. 

“I think Charlotte’s waving us over,” Juliet said quickly, pulling him in the direction of the dancefloor. 

The distance between her and Joel did nothing to slow her heartbeat or erase the sound of his words from her mind. 

“What was that about?” Matt asked when they finally stopped in the middle of the crowded floor. 

“Nothing,” she replied. Then before he could ask anymore questions, Juliet pulled him close and started moving to the music.

After a moment, Matt’s muscles relaxed and a smile returned to his face.

Juliet tried not to, but she turned and caught sight of Joel at the bar. He had one empty whiskey glass in front of him, and another one at his lips. 

She flinched as she heard that second glass hit the wooden surface of the bar with the force of Joel’s hand. 

…………………………

Hours later, the world had grown a little blurry. 

The four of them were back at the table, laughing over some joke that wouldn’t have been funny in the light of day. Juliet’s arm was slung over Charlotte’s shoulders as they watched Matt and Ethan arm wrestle. 

Juliet had drunk enough to dull the memory of Joel’s lips against her ear, and she had managed to continue the evening as normal, as though Joel hadn’t reignited some hope in her chest that was bound to cause her even more misery. 

The lights looked brighter overhead somehow, and Juliet’s chin kept tilting up to watch them flicker. 

In the corner of the hall, she heard a christmas carol being sung by a group of drunk men. For a quick second, the memory of Christmas with her father almost pulled her under… but then she looked in front of her, and watched as her friends began to join in. Their voices were loud and frighteningly out of tune, but they were joyful and they weren’t frightened. They were happy. 

Slowly, Juliet's quiet voice blended with theirs and a similar smile approached her face. She pulled Charlotte closer, and felt a strange rush of comfort flow through her. Maybe this was what it was like to have a family. 

When the song ended, everyone clapped and laughter rang throughout the hall. Juliet sat back against her seat with a true smile on her face.

Out of the corner of her eye, Juliet noticed Matt shift his chair closer to her and she felt his fingers brush across her hair. 

“You havin’ a good time?” he whispered in her ear.

Juliet turned to face him and their cheeks almost touched. Her breath caught in her throat. 

“Yeah, are you?” she choked out. 

He nodded against her hair, then he pulled back and gestured towards her empty glass. 

“Want another drink?” Matt asked. 

Juliet probably should have said no, she’d had more than enough. But looking around, it very much seemed like the night was still young. So, she smiled up at Matt and nodded. 

Matt winked back at her and told her he’d just be a minute as he lifted their empty glasses and left the table. 

Juliet leaned back in her chair and adjusted the straps of her dress, suddenly feeling a bit nervous. 

It wasn’t supposed to be like this between her and Matt. He’d always been flirty, yes, but Juliet had assumed it was just his personality. 

But under the christmas lights and the influence of alcohol, Juliet didn’t mind his casual touch and whispered words. 

Moments later, a woman’s scream cut through her thoughts.

Juliet’s head whipped around, and her view of the world tilted slightly. Her eyesight was diluted and she struggled to see what had caused a crowd to gather around the bar.

Juliet stood on shaky legs, readying herself to grab Charlotte and Ethan and run. 

Just as she turned to shout an order, Juliet spotted Tommy hauling someone away from the bar. 

It was Joel. 

His hair was drenched in sweat, and his curls were plastered to his head. Juliet’s mouth gaped in shock and she started moving, pushing through the crowd of people, desperate to see what had happened. 

But the blood on Joel’s knuckles told her more than enough. 

Matt crouched on the floor beside the bar with blood flooding from his nose. A woman passed him a towel and he held it to his face as his eyes closed in pain. 

Juliet’s ears were ringing in that high pitched sound. 

She should have crouched down with Matt, helped him clear the blood from his face, asked him what happened, and comforted him the best she could. 

But she didn’t. 

She couldn’t. 

Juliet turned before Matt caught sight of her in the crowd and she pushed against more people until she reached the exit of the mess hall, where Tommy had just dragged Joel seconds earlier. 

She didn’t even hear the sound of the door slamming against the wall as she kicked it open. The skin on her arms pebbled as soon as she stepped outside into the cold, but Juliet couldn’t feel it. 

Her head turned to find Joel slammed against the wall with Tommy’s hand on his chest. 

“Joel” Juliet shouted as she marched towards him. She didn’t even recognise her own voice. 

“Juliet?” 

Her name fell from Tommy’s lips and Joel’s eyes locked onto her. 

“Go back inside, I’ll be in in a second,” Tommy urged her, using his most commanding voice. 

Juliet could see the fear and worry in his eyes. Tommy loved his brother but knew that he couldn’t protect him from himself. 

“No,” she said loudly, “I need to speak with him.”

“Juliet this isn’t a good idea -”

“I’m not gonna hurt her,” Joel growled as he pushed against his brother. 

Tommy looked between them both. “You have two minutes.”

As soon as the door shut, Juliet launched herself at Joel. 

Her hands planted firmly on his shoulders and she pushed hard, backing him further into the wall behind him. 

The way his head rolled and the stink of his breath as it hit her nose told her that he was as drunk as her, drunker probably. 

“What the fuck was that?” she sneered. Juliet was breathless, fueled entirely by her own shock, confusion and anger. 

Joel said nothing, just started down at her with half open eyes. 

Juliet pushed him again, hard enough to hear a groan release from his lips. 

“Why would you do that!? He’s my friend, my patrol partner,” she demanded, the words spilling from her mouth in a breathless rush. “Why would you want to hurt him?” 

Joel straightened against the wall and Juliet’s hands fell to rest against his chest. The movement of her arms mirrored each breath he took. 

“He can’t protect you,” Joel murmured, tilting his chin down to meet her eyes. 

“What?” Juliet breathed. 

“On patrol,” he clarified, “he can’t protect you.” 

Juliet pulled back to search Joel’s face. Maybe this was some elaborate joke. She certainly felt like laughing.

But the look in his eyes told her that he was serious. And that just made her blood boil.

“I don’t need to be fucking protected Joel, don’t give me that,” she argued. 

Joel ground his jaw. His eyes were black holes, and Juliet couldn’t see what lurked in them. 

“Are you jealous?” Juliet whispered, terrified to even say the words. 

Joel pushed against her until Juliet was forced to take a step back. 

“Not fuckin’ jealous,” he seethed, then scoffed like it was a joke. “You’ve no idea what you’re talkin’ about.” 

Juliet flinched. 

“Then make me understand,” she begged, “because I can’t make sense of it anymore.”

Juliet paused, inhaling a deep breath and running a hand through her hair. 

“You don’t want to be with me,” she started, “I can understand that, that makes sense to me.” 

Her voice cracked and her eyes filled with tears, but she kept going.

“But why won’t you just leave me alone? You keep haunting me Joel, I can’t escape you,” Juliet sobbed, using her trembling hand to wipe her nose. 

Joel was silent, his face was wiped clean of any emotion. 

“Now you’re punching my patrol partner? What makes you think -”

Juliet’s words caught in her throat as Joel’s hands gripped her shoulders and spun her around, pushing her against the same wall he was up against only seconds earlier.

He planted his hands against the wall on either side of her head, crowding her with his body. 

“You wanna know why?” he murmured. Joel’s face was so close his breath warmed her cheeks. 

She couldn’t help herself, Juliet’s chin dipped in a nod almost instantly. 

“Because if it came down to it and a fuckin’ clicker was backin’ you up against a wall like this,” Joel pushed his chest against hers and Juliet gasped, “he would save himself, he wouldn’t save you.” 

Juliet’s mouth opened and closed but no words came out. Joel’s breathing had grown heavier and his hands curled into fists against the wall. 

“And you would?” Juliet asked, her voice barely above a whisper. 

Joel let out a humourless laugh and moved one of his hands to cup her cheek. Juliet was always surprised by how gentle his touch could be. 

“I’d let myself die to save you,” he vowed roughly, then shook his head slightly and moved his thumb against her cheek, “and I’d let other people die too if it ensured your safety.”

“He couldn’t say the same,” Joel finished in a low voice, his voice a growl against her skin. 

Juliet’s heartbeat roared in her ears. 

“What -” Juliet started, pausing to catch her breath, “what did you mean earlier? What were you wrong about?” 

Joel’s pupils flared and he swallowed rough. 

Juliet watched what looked like a thousand emotions pass through his eyes, and she held her breath, waiting desperately for his answer. 

“I was wrong to think I could stay away from you,” Joel explained in a voice like gravel. 

Juliet swore her heart stopped. 

Joel’s head dipped until his forehead pressed against her own. “I thought I could let you go,” he continued, “I thought it’d be better for you.” 

So many questions lingered on her tongue, but Juliet stayed quiet. 

“I was wrong,” Joel stated. “I can’t stay away from you.” 

“And seein you go behind the fence and havin’ to stay behind, not knowin’ if you’re okay,” he paused, pulling back to search her eyes, “it’s killin’ me, not being near you.”

“Then don’t stay away,” Juliet urged, her voice desperate, “be with me.”

Joel’s thumb moved to her lips, tracing the edge of her mouth. 

Juliet had laid her heart out on the table. It was broken and scarred, but it could be his, if he wanted it to be. 

His head shook ever so slightly and Juliet began to tremble. 

“I want to, god I want to,” he murmured, staring intensely at her lips, “but I’m not good for you, baby.” 

“Stop,” Juliet said suddenly, pushing against him. 

“I’m not a child,” she nearly screamed, “I decide what’s good for me, not you.” 

“We live in a fucked up world, and I know how to survive it. So do you. I don’t need to be protected from it, and I definitely don’t need to be protected from you,” the words rushed from her and Juliet was sick of censoring herself. “These past couple months I’ve been so angry at you, so angry, because you’ve taken my choice away. You decided that we shouldn't be together. If I want to be with you then that is my decision.”

Juliet’s heart beat so fast she was sure Joel could hear it. 

He stood a couple steps away, looking down at her with his mouth agape. 

Then suddenly, he took a step forward, and another one, until their bodies were flush again and his hands were on either side of her face. 

“I’m too old for you,” he cautioned. 

“I don’t care,” Juliet responded quickly, holding her ground. 

“I’m not who I was. I’m too slow and I -” 

“I don’t care,” she repeated, firmer this time. 

His eyes had grown glossy and Juliet pushed her heart towards him again, wondering if he’d take it this time. 

“You have no idea what you do to me,” he nearly growled. 

“Show me,” she whispered, then held her breath. 

Joel’s mouth was on hers not even a second later. His hand curled around the back of her neck as he tilted her face up to meet his. 

Juliet responded instantly, gripping his shirt with her fingers, moaning into his open mouth, trembling under his touch.

“You’re mine,” he murmured against her skin when his lips moved to her neck. “Not lettin’ you go again,” Joel vowed. 

She pulled harder against his shirt, needing him closer. Joel must have felt the same because his hands slid down to her waist and his fingers curled against her, tugging at the fabric of her dress. 

“So goddamn beautiful,” he growled in her ear when his hands found the end of the dress and feverishly began to climb up her thigh. 

Joel’s lips suddenly wrenched from her skin when the door to the mess hall opened and a group of people spilled out, laughing and singing. 

Joel gripped Juliet’s arm and pulled her into a dark corner, away from the lights in the street. 

A bucket of cold water had been thrown over them, but Joel didn’t look regretful. He looked down at Juliet like he was seeing her for the first time. His eyes were warm and hopeful. 

A cold wind blew around them and Juliet shivered, rubbing her arms. 

“Where’s your jacket?” Joel demanded, instantly reaching to shelter her from the cold. 

“Inside,” she murmured against his chest. 

Joel groaned. “If I go back in there just now, think Tommy might just throw me out.” 

“Well, you did punch someone,” Juliet reminded him, and cringed as she remembered the look on Matt’s face. A fierce ball of guilt grew in her chest. 

Joel pulled back to give her a dark look, then he bent and tucked his arms under her legs, hauling her to his chest. 

“Hey!” she screeched.

“We better get you home then, before you freeze to death,” Joel deadpanned as he carried Juliet round the corner and onto the mainstreet, heading for their street. 

“This is completely unnecessary,” she argued, “I can walk.” 

Joel ignored her. Instead, choosing to tuck her closer to his chest. 

The lights that covered the mainstreet were gorgeous against the night sky, but Juliet couldn’t keep her eyes off Joel as he carried her all the way home, not even breaking a sweat. 

When her feet hit the ground, they were standing on her porch. Juliet looked up at him, disappointed that they weren’t at his. She didn’t even want to spend a night apart. 

“Don’t,” Joel whispered against the side of her head. “We’re gonna do this the right way.” 

Juliet rolled her eyes. “That’s not fair,” she groaned. 

“Get inside,” he ordered, “put a fire on, I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

Juliet watched him for a second, hoping he’d change his mind and throw her over his shoulder and they could resume what started on his couch almost two months ago. 

But no, Joel was being serious. 

Before she could stop herself, Juliet stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his lips. She felt his hands curl into fists by his side as he attempted to restrain himself from grabbing her. 

“Goodnight, Joel,” she whispered as she turned the handle to her house.

For the first time in a long time, Juliet left him without fear that it would be forever. 

……………………….

Her mind repeated her conversation with Joel as she unlaced her boots. With each movement of her fingers, Juliet’s smile grew. 

Joel wanted her. 

It wasn’t all in her head. 

Juliet climbed the stairs quickly, desperate to take off her dress and get into bed. As she lay in the dark she would replay every second of her kiss with Joel. 

But as soon as her foot hit the top step she remembered something. 

“Urghhhhh,” Juliet groaned as she dropped her head in her hands. 

She’d forgotten to look for Charlotte’s vhs tapes, and Juliet told her she’d have them to her in the morning. 

It was fine, Juliet knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway. 

For the next hour, as the alcohol faded from her bloodstream, Juliet searched high and low for the box of tapes Tommy had sworn were in his house. Sweat dampened her forehead and Juliet was growing tired. But she couldn’t disappoint Charlotte. 

As she walked along the downstairs hallway, Juliet realised there was one place she hadn’t checked: the basement. 

Her feet paused outside the door. 

Juliet had yet to step foot in the basement of her new home, terrified that it might in some way resemble her father’s. 

Time seemed to slow as her eyes traced the pattern on the door handle, and her mind debated what to do. 

She could wait for Ethan to get home and ask him to check. He would do it, of course. 

But Juliet was sick of living with this fear all the time. She wanted what Charlotte had spoken about. She wanted closure. Maybe walking into this perfectly safe basement would grant her that. Maybe she’d realise that her father was truly gone and that she didn’t have to be afraid of these things anymore. 

Despite her best intentions, Juliet’s fingers still trembled as she reached for the handle. She paused before the door opened, breathing deep as she attempted to calm her racing heartbeat. 

If she wanted to move on with her life, she had to do this. 

She needed closure. She wanted closure. 

Juliet’s wrist turned and the door popped open, releasing a draft of cold air that settled on her skin. 

She shivered but fought against the chill. 

Juliet squared her shoulders and walked through the doorway. Her fingers felt against the wall for a lightswitch but she realised soon that there wasn’t one. 

She nearly turned back. 

But Juliet knew that she had to do this. 

She tried not to count the steps as she walked down them. This wasn’t her father’s basement, she didn’t need to do that anymore. 

When she reached the bottom step, Juliet took a deep breath, ignoring the dust that settled on her tongue. 

The light from the hallway upstairs allowed her to see somewhat okay, and Juliet felt confident moving forward towards the row of boxes against the back wall. 

Her fear settled with every step she took, and Juliet was beginning to realise that she had no reason to be afraid. Maybe she was doing better than she thought. 

Juliet hit the floor before she even realised what had happened. 

Her hands flew out to protect her face, but her knee burned as she hit the hard ground.  

She must have tripped on something. 

But Juliet wasn’t worried about that. 

Her fall had sent adrenaline flowing through her body and, as she lay on the cold concrete ground, Juliet swore she saw her father standing over her. 

“No,” she whispered as she covered her eyes with her hands. 

When she opened them again, she wasn’t lying on the ground anymore. Instead, she sat in a metal chair in the middle of the room as a roaring fire illuminated the snarl on her father’s face. 

Her arms and legs were strapped down, she couldn’t move. 

This was the night her father died, before he had branded her, before Joel and Ethan had found her. 

This was the part of that night her brain wouldn’t let her remember…

Until now. 

Juliet struggled against her restraints as the memory choked her. 

“The world is not safe, Juliet ,” her father whispered, just inches from her face. Her name dropped from his lips like a curse. “There are demons, yes. Those infected monsters, with their peeling faces and sharp teeth. But there is worse out there. Hunters, raiders who crawl the country, killing and gutting people with no remorse -” 

Elijah cut himself off with a heavy sigh, then his words became frenzied. “I kept you here, I kept you safe from that. I kept you safe because you are my property, you are mine to protect. And I will not lose another daughter to -” 

He stopped, letting go of her wrists immediately. The blood rushed back into them and Juliet began to feel her fingers again, but that relief was the furthest thing from her mind. 

Another daughter? 

Her father staggered back another few steps, he looked horrified. His mask slipped right off his face as he said those words, now he struggled to put it back on. He wiped a hand over his forehead and when he brought it back down, the horror was gone. He was seething, his whole body moved with the force of his brutal breaths. 

“What do you mean, another daughter?” Juliet whispered, but her voice sounded far away. 

Her father flinched. Juliet was unsure if what she was experiencing was real, or a dream. Maybe she passed out when he hit her, maybe this was all in her imagination. Because her father’s bravado had never faltered, and yet here he stood before her, visibly flinching at her words. 

Elijah started to pace in front of Juliet’s chair, his steps brisk and savage. Juliet’s mind was still clouded, so it took her a few seconds to realise he was mumbling to himself. 

Then he stopped, turning to face Juliet. He looked like he was arguing with himself, he was losing control, unravelling right in front of her. For the first time since she could remember, Juliet looked at her father and saw weakness staring back at her. 

“Your parents couldn’t protect you, sweet Juliet,” he began. His eyes had a detached look in them, like he wasn’t really standing in front of her. 

Juliet swore her heart stopped at his words.

“They didn’t have what it took to survive. They didn’t have the determination to keep you safe,” Elijah continued, raising his bible in the air as he spoke.

Nausea washed over her. 

“I saved you. I saved you from them . And then I spared them any more suffering.”

He paused to inhale a deep breath, as though his words were suffocating him. But he wasn’t finished. 

“You looked so much like her, with your brown eyes and curls. And your cry, when your parents died, God, it sounded so much like her’s.”

Juliet didn’t know how much more of this she could take, the nausea was overpowering her. 

“I knew at that moment that you were mine, that you were my second chance. I could take you in, protect you, make sure you were never taken from me. Never stolen away.”

The ringing in Juliet’s ears returned, and she leaned forward and vomited all over the floor. 

Juliet was shaking when she returned to her body, when the firm grip of her memory released her. Every inch of her body trembled. 

She lay on the ground staring at the ceiling, like she had done so many times in her father’s basement. 

But he wasn’t her father. Was he? 

Juliet couldn’t figure out if her mind was playing tricks on her, or had it been trying to protect her this whole time by shielding her from this memory.

He wasn’t her father, not truly. 

The man who had hit her, suffocated her, branded her, kept her locked up for days, weeks at a time… wasn’t actually her father. 

He had kidnapped her.

Juliet felt a similar nausea rise in her at that moment. 

Her real parents were dead. 

She began to crawl on her hands and knees towards the stairs, ignoring the blood trailing in her wake. Her knee wasn’t broken but the skin was burst. 

But Juliet felt no pain. Her mind was too consumed by its own horror. 

She had to get out of here. Juliet reached the stairs and, by some miracle, stumbled up them and closed the basement door. She leaned against it, ensuring it was closed and that nothing else down there could hurt her. 

Her body felt like it was shutting down.

Her whole life, Juliet had wondered if she was like her father. They shared blood, after all, how could they be different? She lay awake at night, terrified for the day she would become like him. 

She gasped out a choked sob when she realised that everything she knew was a lie. 

He was a madman, a psychopath. And she was his victim. 

Juliet slid down the door when her legs gave out on her. 

She’d had parents, real parents who might have loved her. Did other people know? In her father’s community surely people would have questioned him when he returned with an infant who he had no relation to. Wouldn’t they? 

Someone there had to know where she came from. Someone in her father’s community had to know the truth about her. 

Juliet’s mind was racing and her blood roared in her ears as she stood on trembling legs. 

She couldn’t stay here, in Jackson. Juliet needed closure, she craved it now. 

It was the only thought in her mind as she sped up the stairs and changed into the clothes she usually wore for patrol. Ten minutes later, her bag was packed and her boots were laced. 

Juliet thought of nothing but a hazy imaging of her parents. She flinched every time her father’s face entered her mind, gloating about the way he had killed them. 

She would go back there and find out who her parents had been and where she came from, then she would return with the closure she so desperately needed. Juliet would move on, she would be with Joel, everything would be okay. 

Some distant part of her brain screamed at her to slow down, to think things through, to sleep on it. Her muscles urged her to change her mind, to tell someone, to stop being so reckless. 

But how could she tell someone what raged in her mind? No one would understand. 

Juliet had just learned that she wasn’t actually destined to become her father’s daughter, she was never supposed to have been raised by him, never supposed to have been hurt by him. 

She had been stolen, her fate had been altered. 

And so she had to steal it back. 

………………………….

The streets were dead as she raced through them. Most of the town’s residents were still at the dance, leaving the path to the stables clear of any onlookers. 

Juliet kept her mind focused on her task. She couldn’t allow herself to think of anything else, anyone else. She would come back, she knew the way. 

The stables appeared before her quicker than she had expected but Juliet didn’t allow any fear to enter her body. She sprinted to her horse, apologising to her as she readied her for travel. 

Juliet could feel wet tears on her cheeks but she ignored them. 

Her horse was almost ready when she heard the stable doors open. 

Juliet kicked her bag out of sight and planted herself against the wall as she held her breath. 

Irritation pulsed through her. Every delay was another second where she didn’t know the truth about herself. 

Juliet gasped when a face appeared before her. 

A very angry face. 

“What the hell do you think you’re doin’?” he demanded, breathing heavy. 

“Joel,” Juliet whispered.

_______________________________

@amyispxnk @casa-boiardi @http-paprika @shotgun-shelby @weeping-werewolf @mysaviorjoelmiller @chlojoceycom

[tarzantips]

What Does the Beginning of Monkeypox Look Like?

Recently, there has been concern over monkeypox, an uncommon viral disease. Knowing the initial symptoms is essential for prompt action and management.

Let’s read more into the initial stages and explore what are the first signs of monkeypox.

What Does the Beginning of Monkeypox Look Like?

1. Fever and Headache

The sudden elevation of body temperature is frequently suggestive of the start of monkeypox. A common first sign is a fever, which is frequently followed by a chronic headache. Attention is necessary because these mild symptoms could first be confused for other frequent illnesses.

2. Fatigue and Muscle Aches

As the infection spreads, people may become fatigued and develop widespread muscle aches. It is possible to confuse these symptoms for the flu or other viral diseases. But the confluence of fever, headache, exhaustion, and aches in the muscles ought to cause concern and necessitate more research.

3. Swollen Lymph Nodes

In its early stages, swollen lymph nodes are a hallmark of monkeypox. These tiny, bean-shaped structures are essential to the immunological response of the body. The armpit, groin, and neck areas are where the swelling is most frequently visible.

4. Skin Lesions

The development of skin lesions is one of the unique monkeypox symptoms. Like chickenpox, these lesions usually begin as elevated bumps that develop into blisters. The body's parts may be affected by the lesions, which may be broad.

5. Respiratory Symptoms

In addition to respiratory symptoms like coughing and shortness of breath, it can also cause these. It is important to pay attention to these symptoms as they may indicate how the virus is affecting the respiratory system.

6. Eye Redness and Sensitivity to Light

Some people who have this may get increased light sensitivity and ocular redness. These ocular symptoms may add to the overall clinical picture and might be especially uncomfortable.

7. Gastrointestinal Issues

The early signs of monkeypox can include vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain. When paired with other distinctive indicators, these gastrointestinal symptoms add even more complexity to the diagnosis.

Read: The Advantages of Home Remedies over OTC Medications

Monkeypox Prevention and Seeking Medical Attention

The health of the population depends on stopping this from spreading. Maintain proper hygiene by washing your hands frequently with soap and water. Steer clear of animals that might be viral carriers, particularly in areas where disease is common.

It goes without saying to get medical assistance as soon as possible if you or someone you know has any of the aforementioned symptoms. Make contact with your physician, let them know about your symptoms, and offer any pertinent travel or exposure history.

Early detection lowers the danger of transmission to others by enabling the implementation of suitable isolation measures.

Diagnostic Tests and Monkeypox Treatment

A thorough patient history, laboratory testing, and clinical evaluation are all used in the diagnosis of monkeypox. For confirmation, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, virus cultures, and blood tests are frequently used.

Although there are not many particular antiviral drugs for this disease, supportive care is essential. This could involve taking care of symptoms, avoiding bacterial infections that spread, and drinking enough water. Hospitalization may be required in extreme situations.

Public Health Measures

Coordinated public health measures are needed to stop the spread of the virus during monkeypox epidemics. This entails tracking down contacts, isolating afflicted people, and launching vaccination drives in areas where the illness is endemic.

To increase awareness of preventative actions and early symptom recognition, public health education is also important.

Is Monkeypox Curable?

Yes, although monkeypox is a dangerous sickness, it is usually a self-limiting disease, meaning that it often resolves without the need for special treatment. The majority of this disease victim recovers completely in a few weeks. Yet the disease's severity might vary, and in certain situations, medical attention can be required.

Monkeypox cannot be specifically treated with antivirals; nevertheless, supportive care can be given, such as symptom and consequence management.

Early Detection for Timely Treatment

Understanding the initial indications of monkeypox is essential for prompt detection and suitable medical attention. The key is to identify the combination of fever, headache, exhaustion, muscular aches, swollen lymph nodes, skin lesions, respiratory symptoms, eye redness, and gastrointestinal problems, even if these symptoms may match those of other prevalent illnesses.

For an accurate diagnosis and course of treatment, it is imperative that you or someone you know get medical help as soon as possible if you notice these symptoms. Recall that early identification can have a big impact on how cases of monkeypox turn out. Remain educated and watchful.

(more)

[choco-cherry-chunk]

Sorry for taking a while to post the next part of the story - visiting home atm. But I hope to post soon!

Until then, consider The Captain finally snapping over certain things setting off his morning sickness during pregnancy and making it the problem of the other members in Button House. He tries to muscle through after learning about the pregnancy and actually telling others, but he finds himself absolutely destroyed by nausea. He makes efforts to seem presentable and operate as usual, but one minute, he’s rolling in the face of Fanny’s perfume, the next, he’s gagging and struggling not to completely vomit while Robin is caring for some plants in the kitchen with some homemade remedies.

He finally snaps when Mary and Annie delightedly share a new recipe they’ve made involving cabbage and sausage with the members of Button House. He’s several rooms away when he smells it and scrambles out of the front door to be sick in the middle of the drive. He comes back inside to host a meeting and goes off the rails with his frustrations about stenches of paint, odd recipes, ashes, conflicting colognes, and everything else under the sun. He obviously can’t control other people’s actions, but that’s never stopped James from trying and, as one would expect, the other don’t necessarily all take it to well. How does one imagine they would “return the favor”?

[usfreehealthcare]

natural remedy for gastroparesis

Gastroparesis or stomach paralysis is a condition in which the movement of the stomach (due to spontaneous muscle contraction) does not work properly. When the stomach muscles are strong and healthy, they push food forward along the digestive tract in preparation for release into the intestines.   In gastroparesis, this mobility is limited or absent at all, and therefore the contents of the stomach are not emptied completely. In this way, the natural digestion process is disrupted and the conditions for symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, increased blood sugar, etc. are provided.   Currently, there is no definitive treatment for this problem and only the symptoms can be improved. We recommend to start with home treatment of stomach paralysis and traditional medicine. If they are not effective, go to drug therapy. Because most home remedies are safe and without side effects.

Treatment of gastroparesis with home and natural methods

According to statistics, the probability of contracting gastric paralysis is about 50 cases per 100,000 people. Women are 4 times more prone to this problem than men. Although experience has shown that home remedies are really effective in managing gastroparesis, it is very important to seek medical advice from a gastroenterologist and a neurologist. Because the complications of this disease, such as dehydration, malnutrition, and blood sugar fluctuations, can negatively affect the overall quality of life. In the following, we will mention the most important home remedies for stomach paralysis. Change in eating habits Here are some tips on how to eat that you can pay attention to in order to improve the condition and reduce the symptoms of gastroparesis. Things like: Eating smaller meals Eating smaller meals in several sessions will make your stomach completely empty and reduce bloating. Proper chewing of food the more food is chewed, the easier it is digested in the stomach. So, spend time chewing your food properly to help with digestion. Avoid lying down during and after eating When you lie down after eating, you stop the digestion process and slow down the digestion, because digestion needs gravity to function properly. In addition, lying down after a meal also helps the reflux of stomach acid into the esophagus. Drink fluids between meals Avoid drinking fluids with meals, as they take up space in the stomach and can slow digestion and cause bloating. Instead, drink fluids between meals to stay hydrated. Regular practice of yoga Yoga has been found to stimulate the normal function of the liver and pancreas to regulate blood sugar levels. As a result, if the blood sugar level increases or decreases, it can improve the symptoms of gastroparesis. On the other hand, it has been found that performing abdominal exercises and yoga breathing exercises are useful as a means to better control gastroparesis. To do them, place one hand on your stomach and the other hand on your chest and focus on your breathing with your eyes closed. Inhale and exhale slowly through your nose and sometimes try to pinch your nose and tilt your chin to let all the air out. Slow down your breathing while concentrating. Another movement is to rotate the spine while sitting on a chair. Place one arm behind the chair and look behind you while inhaling and exhaling slowly through your nose. Return to center and do the same for the other arm. Another movement is to bring your arms towards your back with the help of interlaced fingers and extend them until the chest opens and the ribs are pushed out. Make sure to keep your attention on your breath in this situation. Daily use of aloe vera for home treatment of stomach paralysis Aloe vera helps the process of digestion and regulating bowel movement. In fact, as a natural laxative, it is effective in supporting the proper functioning of digestion and relieves bloating and stomach pain. We recommend that you take a cup of aloe vera juice every morning before defecation for the home treatment of stomach paralysis. You can make this mixture by mixing two tablespoons of aloe vera gel with a cup of water or orange juice in a blender. Before meals, you can drink aloe vera juice. Avoid consuming more than two tablespoons of aloe vera gel per day. Add apple cider vinegar to your diet Apple cider vinegar helps to alkalize the body, which is effective in improving stomach pain, heartburn and bloating and improving the digestion process. Dissolving a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a cup of warm water and consuming it 15 to 20 minutes before meals is all you need to improve the symptoms and home remedies for gastric paralysis. Avoid undiluted apple cider vinegar, as it is too acidic and can damage your teeth. Stomach paralysis diet Paying attention to diet is another key measure that can help improve gastroparesis. In fact, knowing what to eat and what to avoid is important. In the following, we will refer to the complete details of the diet of gastric paralysis patients. Suitable foods in gastroparesis diet Common foods include fruits and vegetables in the form of purees and smoothies, canned peaches and pears, well-cooked fruits and vegetables, juices and soups. Because in the condition of stomach paralysis, the stomach does not have the power to digest well and we have to help this problem by chopping or heating the food. Of course, consulting a nutritionist can help you determine more suitable foods. You should be careful with your fiber intake, because its increase in gastric paralysis can cause constipation and bloating. Therefore, consumption of low-fiber foods is recommended. Try to eat more carbohydrates and starches such as corn tortillas, cookies, toasted grains, sweet potatoes (without the skin) and white or refined bread, crackers, bagels, pasta or rice. To provide protein and calcium, low-fat cheese, custard, boiled eggs, minced or pureed meat, low-fat milk and milkshakes, plain yogurt and frozen yogurt, skinless chicken, oysters, tofu, and fish. Tons are great. When following a gastroparesis diet, it is best to go for coconut oil, as it contains essential fatty chains that can aid in digestion. In general, it's important to eat softer foods because they're easier to digest and put less stress on your digestive system. This issue is more important in following the gastric paralysis diet for children. Prohibited foods in the gastroparesis diet Experience has shown that avoiding certain foods can help reduce symptoms because they are difficult for the digestive system to digest. To begin with, it is better to know that fatty and trans-containing foods delay gastric emptying. On the other hand, choosing the right fats such as unsaturated fats can help digestion. So be aware of the types of fats you consume. As mentioned, consuming too much fiber can make symptoms worse, so low-fiber foods are a better option. High-fiber foods include fruits such as apples, berries, figs and oranges, vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds, beans and lentils. Also, avoid eating foods that are not easily chewed, because they are harder to break down through the digestive process. These consist of corn, seeds, and nuts. Avoid eating unhealthy foods such as fast food because they can cause blood sugar levels to fluctuate. Finally, cut back on alcohol as it significantly slows down gastric emptying. Treatment of gastroparesis in traditional medicine In addition to emphasizing the points mentioned about diet in gastroparesis or delayed gastric emptying, traditional medicine experts also emphasize the use of ginger as an anti-nausea herbal medicine. Drinking peppermint or chamomile tea may also be helpful. On the other hand, placing a warm pad on the abdomen or a warm water bath may also help reduce abdominal pain associated with gastroparesis. Recently, traditional medicine has been able to prove the beneficial effects of acupuncture and acupressure for the treatment of gastric paralysis. In fact, these alternative solutions use the manipulation of trigger points on the body, either with pressure or with needles, to treat gastric paralysis with traditional medicine. Some studies have also been able to show relief of bloating and other digestive symptoms in patients who have done acupressure or acupuncture. Usually, the wrist, forefoot and under the kneecap are the most effective trigger points for the treatment of gastric paralysis in traditional medicine. Always talk to a traditional medicine practitioner before doing acupressure or acupuncture, as they know more about the key areas of the body to heal stomach and digestive problems. When should we see a doctor? We recommend that you see a doctor or traditional medicine specialist as soon as you experience the symptoms of stomach paralysis. Because any delay increases the possibility of complications of this disease. Read the full article

[chiropractorinmacomb]

Natural Ways to Treat Migraines at Home

Migraines aren’t typical headaches. If you’ve never had one, consider yourself fortunate. These headaches make it extremely difficult for many people to enjoy hobbies like exercising, reading, or regular activities like going to work every day. A migraine is a specific kind of headache that can cause intense pain and nausea. They can also last anywhere from a few hours to several days. Since it seems migraines are becoming common for many people, we wanted to give you some tips on treating them at home before you need the emergency room. The good news is, your chiropractor in Macomb, MI is here to help you ease your pain so you can smoothly get back on track with focus and precision.

How to detect a migraine

As we mentioned, a migraine is no regular headache. Most of us get tension or sinus headaches from time to time. Migraines are far different, so if you experience any of these symptoms, you may want to talk to your functional medicine physician to see if you may be experiencing migraine headaches. (2)

Visual changes like blurred vision

Nausea and vomiting

Sensitivities to smells, lights, or sounds

Eye pain

Seeing stars or flashing lights

Tunnel vision

Dizziness

These aren’t all the symptoms that may indicate you have a migraine, but they are some of the most common ones. The headaches typically start with a dull ache and worsen within a few minutes to hours later. They are throbbing or pounding and often worse on one side or the back of the head. Many people have pain behind one eye. (3)

Traditional treatments

If you’ve had these headaches, you know that traditional treatments often don’t work or take so long to start working that they leave a lot to be desired. They can also come with some pretty nasty side effects, like chest and jaw tightness, dizziness, mental cloudiness, and increased blood pressure. (4)

Some of the most commonly prescribed medications for migraine headaches include Sumatriptan, Nurtec, and Zomig. There are many medicines and pharmaceutical companies are always coming up with new ones. (5) Some medications can cost hundreds of dollars, depending on insurance and pharmacy choice.

Holistic remedies

Before you take pharmaceutical medicine, there are many other treatments you can try first. We have patients that have had great success treating migraines with holistic methods and some of these may surprise you.

Dietary changes

We know, you always hear us talk about changing your diet, but that doesn’t always mean what you think. Some people are sensitive to additives and their migraines are triggered by specific foods. Once they remove these foods, their headaches diminish or stop altogether. Some of the most frequent food issues are:

Processed meats

Alcohol

Chocolate

Caffeine

Cheese

Now, we aren’t telling you that you can’t have any sweet treats or an occasional drink. The problem is that you may be sensitive to too much of it. Processed meats include nitrates and other preservatives that can trigger your migraines. Certain cheeses contain histamines that do the same thing.

Some migraine medicines contain caffeine so people often think the more the better. In small doses, caffeine can ease the pain of headaches, but in larger amounts, you can begin getting headaches when you don’t have it. Some of us have noticed this when we don’t get our morning coffee fast enough.

Take magnesium

Magnesium can be a huge game-changer in many ways. Studies have shown that supplementing with magnesium can help migraines because it is involved in many biological processes. (6) Since many of us are deficient in this mineral, adding a quality magnesium supplement to your daily routine can dramatically affect how you feel, including reducing the number of migraines you experience.

Get your vitamins

Let’s face it, most of us don’t get the vitamins we need. Our diets aren’t always the best and we have busy schedules that hinder us from cooking healthy meals. Vitamin D and B vitamins may reduce the frequency and severity of migraine headaches. (7) You can increase these vitamins naturally by eating more meat, eggs, and plain yogurt. You may also want to supplement with a multivitamin that helps ensure you are getting enough of the nutrients needed, along with a healthy diet.

Drink more water

This may seem like low-hanging fruit, but most people don’t drink enough water. According to the American Migraine Foundation, about one-third of people suffering from migraines may also be dehydrated. (8) Getting more water isn’t hard, especially with water bottles that make it easy to carry and track fluid intake. Sometimes mitigating a migraine can be as simple as drinking some water.

Adequate sleep

You know that rest is crucial for many activities, but it can also be a migraine eliminator. Many of us need a dark room to recuperate when faced with a migraine. One of the ways to prevent these attacks is by ensuring you get proper sleep. Aim for at least seven hours of quality sleep every night and see how you feel. Keep your room dark and cool and refrain from checking your phone or other devices at least one hour before bed.

Yoga

Some people find yoga to be an add-on therapy for migraines. A study showed that yoga can play a role in managing and even stopping migraines. Some of this may be because it can reduce stress, which has a direct impact on these painful episodes. (9)

Manage stress

This one is huge for many of us. In today’s society, we are inundated with stress from all angles. Most of us have busy work and home schedules and it seems harder to find time to unwind and destress. If you’ve ever been under extreme stress and noticed that your headaches worsened, it could be the root cause of your migraines. Find ways to manage and reduce stress that works for you. Some simple ways can be taking walks in nature, using essential oils, like peppermint and lavender, taking a warm bath, and getting a massage. If you feel the tension building and a headache is starting, try a natural painkiller before reaching for something with harmful side effects, like over-the-counter medications.

Natural ways to alleviate pain

When dealing with painful migraines, you always want to try natural methods first to avoid all the side effects that accompany most medications. If you’ve been with us a while, you know we believe that true health only comes naturally and we have spent years studying and learning the most effective ways to treat patients with clinically relevant doses that make a difference. We want to help you drastically improve your health and we know that when you suffer from migraine headaches, you can’t live life to the fullest. We can help and would love to assist you on your wellness journey with resources and tips to get you moving in the right direction. Contact your chiropractor in Macomb, MI to learn more about natural medicine and how you can reduce or eliminate those painful headaches starting today.

[ramachannel270]

Are You Dealing with สะอึก (Hiccups)? Here's What You Need to Know

สะอึก, or hiccups, are an involuntary spasm of the diaphragm that can be both annoying and persistent. While most hiccups resolve on their own, understanding the causes and remedies can help you manage them effectively. Here’s what you need to know:

What Causes Hiccups? Hiccups can occur due to various factors such as overeating, drinking carbonated beverages, consuming spicy foods, sudden temperature changes, or emotional stress. Sometimes, they can also be triggered by medical conditions.

How to Stop Hiccups? While there is no surefire way to stop hiccups, several home remedies may help, including drinking water slowly, holding your breath, breathing into a paper bag, or swallowing a teaspoon of sugar.

When to Seek Medical Help If hiccups persist for more than 48 hours or are accompanied by pain, difficulty breathing, or vomiting, it’s essential to consult a healthcare provider, as it could indicate an underlying health issue.

Can Hiccups Be Prevented? To prevent hiccups, try eating smaller meals, avoiding sudden temperature changes, and managing stress. It’s also helpful to eat slowly and avoid overeating or drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.

For more information about สะอึก, visit Rama Mahidol’s health channel.

[mangalprabhuhospital]

How to Stop Diarrhea in Infants?

Baby’s poop can be of different colors, textures, and odors, depending on their age and what they are eating (breastmilk, formula, or solids). It’s usually softer than an adult’s poop and can vary in frequency. However, if you notice stools that are too watery, loose, and more frequent than usual (three or more) in 24 hours, it could indicate diarrhea. Let’s check out the causes, symptoms, and treatment for pediatric diarrhea in Navi Mumbai.

Common Causes of Diarrhea in Infants

Here’s what may cause diarrhea in infants:

a) Viral Infections:

A viral infection is the most common cause of diarrhea in babies. Rotavirus and other viruses can spread easily by touching contaminated surfaces. Fortunately, vaccines are available for viral infections.

b) Bacterial Infections:

E. coli, Salmonella, and Shigella are common bacteria that can cause diarrhea with fever, stomach cramps, and vomiting in infants. Some are found in undercooked foods, and others may spread in certain environments, like daycare.

c) Food Allergies:

Your baby could be lactose intolerant or have a cow’s milk protein allergy. If they consume these foods or the breastfeeding mother consumes lactose-rich products, the baby could experience diarrhea.

d) Teething:

When infants start teething, they develop the habit of chewing on nearly everything they get. This can introduce germs to their mouth, leading to episodes of diarrhea. Teething also leads to excessive saliva production, which, when swallowed, can cause loose stools.

Recognizing Symptoms of Diarrhea

The most common symptom of diarrhea in infants is dehydration. It can happen pretty quickly (within 2-3 days or sooner) if the baby consistently passes loose, watery stools. Depending on the cause of the diarrhea, the parents might notice other symptoms, such as:

Blood in the stools

Vomiting

Fever

Abdominal pain

How to Stop Diarrhea in Infants? Home Remedies and Care Tips

Immediate care and medical attention (in severe cases) are required. However, these tips are often effective for mild diarrhea:

i) Adequate Hydration:

Continue offering breastmilk and formula to your baby to keep them hydrated. Breastfeeding provides many essential nutrients and antibodies that help your baby recover quickly. If required, you can offer a few sips of ORS to maintain the electrolyte balance and restore the lost fluid.

ii) Appropriate Dietary Adjustments:

Diarrhea can be a problem in babies who have just started solids. Adjust their diets by focusing more on applesauce, bananas, toast, and rice, which are lightweight on their digestive system. Avoid fruit juices and other sugary foods until their digestive health improves.

iii) Importance of Hygiene:

Diarrhea can lead to frequent diaper changes, which can cause a diaper rash. To avoid that, keep your baby’s genitals clean and dry. Give them diaper-free time.

When to See a Doctor

Mild diarrhea resolves on its own with time. However, if things get out of control and you notice excessively watery stools multiple times a day, it’s best to see a pediatrician in Navi Mumbai. Dehydration is a common complication of diarrhea and can be life-threatening if left untreated. So, take care of your baby’s hydration and maintain good hygiene at home.

[claracare]

How to Stop Throwing Up: 7 Home Remedies For Vomiting

[sabrinahealth]

How to Stop Throwing Up: 7 Home Remedies For Vomiting

[astuteanalyticablog]

Understanding Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome: A Complete Overview

Opioids are a type of drugs that are commonly prescribed to treat pain. Opioids contain both opiates and synthetic opioids like oxycodone, hydrocodone, and methadone, which have identical effects. When the usage of opiate drugs is stopped, it may build various withdrawal symptoms and collectively these symptoms are known as opioid withdrawal syndrome (OWS). 

The surge in opioid addiction cases and the involvement of both governmental and private institutions propel the market growth. The general population currently experiences a wide spectrum of severe and chronic ailments, such as cardiovascular, neuropathic, and other conditions. In addition, according to a research report by Astute Analytica, the global Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (OWS) Market is likely to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.4% over the projection period from 2022 to 2030. 

Treatment for opioid withdrawal syndrome and home remedies: 

Most people should seek a doctor's assistance to stop using opioids because it can be challenging to do so safely. They do some things: 

Give the patient medications like buprenorphine or methadone that can help with symptoms and cravings. Their doctor will gradually reduce the dosage until they no longer require it. 

Give the drugs to settle the stomach if a person experiences nausea or diarrhea, and advise them to drink more liquids to make up for the water their body is losing. 

Give the medicines to manage the blood pressure if it's high.

Methods for controlling opioid withdrawal: 

Yoga, meditation, and other mind-body practices can help people manage their pain while they're going through opioid withdrawal. 

By drinking enough water, a person can avoid becoming dehydrated. This might happen when they're going through opioid withdrawal, especially if they feel unwell, vomit, or perspire. 

Asking for assistance is crucial. Inform their close friends and coworkers that people may need more assistance if they are experiencing opioid withdrawal.

Medicines used to control the opioid withdrawal syndrome: 

Some medicines may help control the opioid withdrawal syndromes and enhance the person's comfort during the process. These consist of: 

Diazepam:  It lowers the feelings of anxiety and irritability. 

Clonidine: It treats symptoms such as irritability, sweating, fast heartbeat, and high blood pressure 

Metoclopramide: It assists in controlling the vomiting or nausea.

How long does opioid withdrawal syndrome have an impact? 

The kind, dose, and duration of the opioid taken, as well as how long a person has been using it, will all affect when and how long a person's withdrawal symptoms from the opioid start.

For instance, a person may suffer withdrawal symptoms 6 to 12 hours after taking their last dose if a person taking prescription opioids that are quick-acting, like oxycodone, or if they're using the narcotic heroin. After two days, the symptoms often peak and then subside after a week or so. 

A person may experience withdrawal symptoms one or two days after taking their final dosage of methadone or another opioid that releases slowly in their body. The symptoms can linger for three to six weeks, but they are typically not as severe as those caused by fast-acting opioids.

Content Source: Understanding Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome: A Complete Overview

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