"It hurts," Danny gritted out between desperate gasps for air. "Oh god. Oh god, I'm having a heart attack-"
Deirdre, who had gone running for Abby the second Danny started to collapse, dragged the woman back around the corner and Abby immediately went to kneel in front of him, beside Rachel.
"Daniel, just breathe," she said, her voice sounding much too calm for the situation.
"Abby-" he gasped, "don't let me die!"
"It's okay, you're not dying." To his friends, she said, "could you step back a little please? Give him some space. Deirdre, go get some water."
Danny curled forward towards his knees, a wail escaping his lips. "I don't want to die, I don't want to-"
"Danny, listen to me," Abby said, taking hold of his face. "You're not having a heart attack you're having a panic attack. Just try to breathe with me, okay? In and out."
"No," Danny cried, "it hurts, Dr Abby. Please, I don't want to die."
"Just breathe," she says calmly and despite the fear that she was wrong and he IS dying, Danny managed to at least try. He breathed when she did, in and out. In and out.
Danny pitched forward into Abby's arms, burying his face in her neck as he started to sob in earnest. Once in her arms, he continued to babble his fears into her shoulder, but they were unintelligible, even to him.
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Deirdre, who had gone running for Abby the second Danny started to collapse, dragged the woman back around the corner and Abby immediately went to kneel in front of him, beside Rachel.
"Daniel, just breathe," she said, her voice sounding much too calm for the situation.
"Abby-" he gasped, "don't let me die!"
"It's okay, you're not dying." To his friends, she said, "could you step back a little please? Give him some space. Deirdre, go get some water."
Danny curled forward towards his knees, a wail escaping his lips. "I don't want to die, I don't want to-"
"Danny, listen to me," Abby said, taking hold of his face. "You're not having a heart attack you're having a panic attack. Just try to breathe with me, okay? In and out."
"No," Danny cried, "it hurts, Dr Abby. Please, I don't want to die."
"Just breathe," she says calmly and despite the fear that she was wrong and he IS dying, Danny managed to at least try. He breathed when she did, in and out. In and out.
"That's right," Abby soothed him, "see, you're just fine. Keep breathing, okay?"
Danny pitched forward into Abby's arms, burying his face in her neck as he started to sob in earnest. Once in her arms, he continued to babble his fears into her shoulder, but they were unintelligible, even to him.