TW: Asthma attack, written by someone without asthma so probably not accurate. (I read the first Google result)

The only thing Ritchie could think as he struggled to breath was of how well the day had been going. Now, he was sat on the ground, trying desperately not to suffocate while Austin tried to find his inhaler and Michael was on the phone with 911.

God, he hates his asthma so much.

Everything had been going so well. The three had moved all of their stuff into the house that they would be staying in for the new school year when Ritchie, alone in n his room, felt himself get winded a lot faster than he should have.

He shouldn't have but he'd brushed it off. He didn't want to think anything was wrong when they were just settling in.

"Come on guys!" Austin called from down the stairs. "We can unpack later. We gotta break in the couch and the tv with a Chuck marathon!"

He heard Michael step into the hallway and laugh. "Is that really what you're focusing on? We really should finish unpacking before anything else."

Ritchie burst out his room and laughed shoving Michael into the wall as he sprinted past. "Shut up, nerd! Nothing's more important than Chuck!"

"Hey!" Michael yelped offended, before righting himself and giving chase. "Get back here!"

Long story short the three found themselves sat on the couch totally engrossed in the show. At least they were before, somehow, the popcorn they were eating found its way to the floor. And that lead to an argument  and inpromptu wrestling match between Austin and Michael. (In reality it was more like Austin tackling Michael and Michael trying to get him off.)

This is where things went wrong.

As Ritchie sat back laughing at his friends he felt a familiar tightness growing in his chest. His laughter quickly turned to harsh coughs.

Michael noticed first. "Ritchie? Are you okay?"

Austin, still on Michael, said up and turned to face the other.

Ritchie, amid his coughs, managed to shake his head and croak out. "Can't breath." Immediately Austin jumped up and turned before freezing and turning back around.

"Where's your inhaler?"

Ritchie struggled to answer as he gagged and coughed.

"Ritchie, where is your inhaler!?" Michael asked sternly from where he had moved to crouch in front of him.

Ritchie shook his head desperately. "Don't know..."

"Damn it!" Austin growled, looking panicked and concerned. It was clear from a single look at his face that he didn't know what to do.

Michael took charge and snapped him back to attention with a quick order. "Austin, go to Ritchie's room and search through boxes for his inhaler. Ritchie just focus on breathing, okay? I'm gonna call 911."

Ritchie didn't hear Austin's response, if he even gave one, but he did hear his footsteps stomping up the stairs. Michael stood and pulled out his cellphone, letting one hand lay on Ritchie's should as a small sort of comfort.

So now he could hear Austin rummaging through boxes on the floor above while Michael spoke in quick precise sentences to the operator.

Breathing was getting harder and soon he wasn't able to get enough air to even cough. He was letting out small quiet wheezes and it was making Michael panic.

Ritchie managed to make out Michael snapping at the operator. "Hurry it up! Please we're- I already told you we don't have his inhaler! Yes, we're searching!"

It seemed that wasn't going well.

Tuning into listening for Austin, he realized he was no longer in Ritchie's room and was in his own. Ritchie panicked further, realizing that must have meant he couldn't find it.

Only one thought was going through Ritchie's mind after this. Is this where I die? He managed to bring a hand up to his shoulder where Michael's hand still rested. He gripped it tightly, desperate for comfort, and Michael easily reciprocated the grip.

Austin was suddenly running past the couch into the kitchen, where he proceeded to rip open the first box he saw.

Michael's grip faultered for a second before returning full force. He had come to Ritchie's earlier conclusion as well.

None of them had any idea where it could be.

Soon enough, with Austin still desperately searching through every box he could find and Michael still on the line with 911, they could make out the sounds of sirens.

Austin jumped up and barely gave a passing glance to his friends as he ran to the door, ripping it open, and running on to the porch to flag down the ambulance.

Soon enough Ritchie found himself surrounded by paramedics and an oxygen mask pressed to his face. He greedily gasped in whatever air he could. Things after that blurred together and before he knew it he found himself in a bed in an emergency room.

He soon after had a doctor come in. He must have already known what happened because he didn't even really speak to Ritchie beside basic yes or no questions. Eventually Ritchie found himself being given some medication through an I.V. (He honestly wasn't sure what it was for but he was too exhausted to ask.) He also kept the oxygen mask on for a decent while.

After all that Michael and Austin were finally allowed to enter and see him.

Ritchie could tell he was probably a sight. He was in a hospital bed with an oxygen mask on his face and an I.V. in his arm. He weakly raised his free arm to wave at them.

Michael quickly pulled up a chair and sat next to the bed, Austin sat on the arm next to him.

"Hey buddy..." Michael started. "How you feeling?"

Ritchie shrugged before getting giving a thumbs down, not in the mood to try and speak past the mask. (And no way in hell was he removing it before he was given the all clear by a doctor. He didn't want a repeat of this incident.)

"Better than you were?"

Thumbs up.

Michael smiled tiredly. "That's good. You scared us there."

Ritchie shrugged apologetically before looking at Austin who had yet to speak curiously.

Michael nudged Austin who jumped, clearly having zoned out. "Oh, um..." He hesitated before quietly apologizing. "I'm sorry Ritchie. This is my fault."

Ritchie figured he must have looked confused because Michael quickly jumped in to explain.

"For some reason he thinks this is his fault."

"It is. If I hadn't suggested watching Chuck instead of unpacking Ritchie would have had his inhaler. Or at least we would have known where it was."

"Not your... fault." Ritchie managed to croak out before dissolving into more coughing, luckily far less intense than his previous batch.

"Hey! Don't speak stupid!" Austin yelled jumping to his feet.

"Do you want some water?" Michael asked also standing and hoovering nervously.

Ritchie nodded, his free hand reaching up to run b at his sore throat. His coughing must have hurt it more than he'd realized.

Michael nodded and quickly moved out of the room, leaving the other two alone.

Austin hesitates before quietly speaking. "You mean it? You don't blame me?"

Ritchie gave a comforting smile, although unsure if Austin could even see it, and shook his head. Austin relaxed and nodded.

They stayed in silence for a moment before Ritchie grabbed Austin's hand and pulled him so he would sit in the chair, and even after he was he continued to hold his hand. It was honestly to comfort them both.

Everything seemed to fully catch up to Ritchie at this point. He felt his eyes grow heavy and let his head fall fully back, onto the pillow. He dozed lightly, not quite asleep but not nearly awake.

As he did so he heard Michael return.

"He fell asleep?" Michael whispered

"Yeah." Austin whispered back just as softly.

It was silent before Michael spoke again.

"We can't let this happen again."

"Yeah, but what do we do?"

Let's each carry an inhaler. At all times so as long as one of us is with him, he should be fine."

"..."

"He will be fine. We're going to make sure of it."

That was the last thing Ritchie heard before falling fully asleep.

A/N: Damn I'm on a roll with the updates these last few days. Anyway this was written in like maybe half an hour to an hour so yeah it's not perfect but I like how it went. Not proof read, blah blah blah, you get the drill. Btw I'm not sure if Ritchie actually had asthma in Rosewood but for the sake of this story he did.

Also if you have any Rosewood or Wildthorne prompts you want to request, have at. I honestly I'm out of ideas atm. So yee, hope you enjoyed.