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English
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Athenaeum
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Published:
2022-04-05
Updated:
2024-02-16
Words:
9,199
Chapters:
4/?
Comments:
34
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546
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A Pain In The -

Summary:

Crewel decides to teach the class about a type of potion that allows two people to be physically linked to each other. They'll experience everything the other person feels. He uses you and your lab partner as the example subjects. What he doesn't know, is that you have immense and debilitating chronic pain. This is a College/University AU where all the characters are adults.

Notes:

This is written as an absolutely unashamed self-indulgent piece.

The chronic pain case I'm writing about is 100% ripped from my own life, so I'll be going into detail about chronic pain that comes as a result of muscle pain relating to emotional trauma. This series will be centered on that specific window into the world of chronic pain, so I'm sorry if it's less relatable because of this!

The concept of the chronic pain is that the reader has had symptoms of it their entire lives, but their bodies crashed sometime in their late teens, early twenties. Outside of that, the majority of the piece is centered on the symptoms and how the characters handle that while coming to terms with it.

I've expanded this work to begin talking about symptoms other than chronic pain, like chronic fatigue. The design is to allow me to explore what it'd be like for various characters to experience these kinds of problems, while also getting to write about how it changes their perspectives on the reader. I got lotsa experiences to draw from, Many of which aren't always associated with chronic pain, so you'll get some that might be relatable, and some that're very unrelatable, lmfao.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1: A Problem Set In Motion..

Chapter Text

"I'm going to need two volunteers- Ah, you! And you." Crewel leads you and your lab partner to the front of the classroom. He holds two potions in his hands. "Today, we're going to learn about Tethered Potions. Potions whose effects are tied to each other. Sometimes, these potions can cause two individuals to share an experience." He hands each of you one of the potions. "Please drink."

Your lab partner and you are hesitant at first, but there's no getting around it. You both drink your potions and Professor Crewel smiles, turning to the class, about to speak- That is, until your lab partner clutches themselves and falls off of their stool.

The entire room stares at Professor Crewel, who looks baffled. The potion shouldn't have done that. But when he looks to you, you're absolutely fine. Crewel's eyes are calculating as your lab partner writhes on the floor. "... What are you experiencing, ___?"

"Uh, nothing?" You question, raising your eyebrow. Although, now that he mentions it, the more your lab partner rolls around, the more you begin to feel sensations. He can see you internally processing this. "Actually, wait. I can feel... I can feel the floor? On my shoulder and back?"

"And you don't feel any pain?"

"Not any more than usual."

There's the ticket. "Any more than.. usual..?" Crewel asks, beginning to help your lab partner off the ground.

"Ah.. I experience chronic pain. So if I'm supposed to be experiencing pain, it probably just isn't hitting my usual threshold."

"This set of potions isn't meant to cause pain - It's meant to cause the two who consume it to be physically linked. They experience everything the other is experiencing. It appears I've accidentally subjected one of the other students to your chronic pain."

You shoot a sympathetic glance to your lab partner. Though, you'd be lying if you said you felt bad right now. It's almost a little validating to know that your pain is that disruptive to someone who never experiences it.

"You two may take the remainder of class off. The potion's effects will last until the end of the day. I'll fill you in on what you've missed. I can't very well have a writhing student in my class. Please do take care of your partner."

You help your partner hobble out into the hall. Every move of your body causing them more pain as they experience the agony that it is just for you to walk.