Sean paced the locker room, struggling to breathe. He could hear the crowd roaring Rasputin's praises. Both him and Nate were working the crowd up with their routines. Covering his ears, he groaned weakly to try blocking them out, but it wasn't working. His whole body was shaking. With cheers like that, it had to mean that they had skated perfect programs. Which meant that one mistake or one simple wobble of his blades would cost him dearly. Sinking to his knees, he started to gasp for air. His asthma was coming back on him. Clutching the bench desperately, he leaned off the edge and tried to force air into his tightening lungs. He couldn't do this... The pressure was killing him. He felt like any second, he was going to pass out. The locker room door opened, but Sean couldn't look up. The edges of his vision were darkening, and he felt torn between breathing and throwing up. Nate rushed to him, dropping in front of him as he loudly stated out. "Oh my god! Sean? Are you ok?!"

Sean shook his head, clutching his throat. Nate coaxed him into sitting back against a locker for support, shouting out loud enough to be heard from every corner of the locker room and beyond. "HELP! WE NEED A MEDIC!" A passing staff woman peeked inside, and Nate shouted to her. "GET A MEDIC!" The woman rushed over to him, yanking her walkie off her hip as she reported it quickly in Russian. Nate cupped his face to keep him from leaning forward, telling him in a calm voice. "Sean, slow breaths. Come on, man. Take tiny breaths. Try to calm down. You're going to be alright." Sean grabbed Nate's arm, trying to calm down but his body was fighting him. His body just didn't understand why he couldn't breathe. He felt like a fish out of water. Nate stared directly into his eyes, making a show of taking long slow breaths for him to try and mimic. Focusing on Nate, he was able to take longer and longer breaths as his throat relaxed. Even when the medics burst in, Sean tried to block them out.

The medics and the woman spoke in fast Russian, before one shoved Nate away to put a mask over Sean's mouth and nose. Nate moved but refused to let go of his hand. Sean squeezed his hand as the Russian medic hand gestured for him to take deep breaths. The air being pumped through the mask was such a relief to his burning lungs. It had been years since he had an Asthma attack, but damn if it didn't make him want to carry inhalers again. Nate looked between the Russian and him, asking with worry. "Is he going to be ok?" The Medic gave him a thumbs up, patting Nate on the shoulder. Sean chuckled weakly at Nate's blank look. More ISU staff burst into the locker room to learn what had happened. The Medic's spoke to the staff in calm tones which made Sean feel at ease. If they were saying that he was going to die, they at least made him feel calm about it. Nate rubbed his arm, asking him gently. "What the hell happened, man?" Before Sean could answer, Nate tried to lighten the mood by asking him playfully. "You didn't drink the free coffee, did you? I know it's tempting."

Sean grinned, relaxing against the locker as he said through the mask. "No. It's the pressure... I... Mark..." Nate put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly. One of the staff members then moved closer to ask him in a thick Russian accent. "Mr. McLoughlin, do you feel ok enough to go on? We can give you a few more minutes, but we need to know." Sean pulled the mask down a bit, answering him still a bit shaky. "Ya. I can go on." The staff looked him over carefully like he doubted him, but reluctantly told him. "Ok. You've got ten minutes." The man got up to leave, and Nate discreetly muttered out to him. "Is it me... or is this sport just a tab unforgiving with its athletes? This should have bought you fifteen minutes at least. Jesus." Sean removed the mask, answering back softly. "They just want to keep things rolling. There is a lot of divisions to go through. Plus, we are competing around a hockey schedule." Nate scoffed, muttering out. "Fuck the hockey players, man... It's just boxing on ice... with sticks."

Sean chuckled, raising a hand for Nate to help him up onto his feet. Nate wrapped his arms around him, rubbing his back as he told him warmly. "You really scared me... Don't do that to me, man." Sean hugged him tightly, taking deep breaths as he replied calmly. "I scared myself... I don't think I can do this without Mark..." Nate waited until the last of the medical crew and staff left, before telling Sean sweetly. "You know he'd be here if he could. But... Maybe I can do something." Sean stepped back, asking curiously. "What do you mean?" Nate gestured for him to turn around. Sean turned around, listening to Nate tell him in a soothing voice. "Close your eyes." Sean closed his eyes, trying to keep himself relaxed. Nate pulled something from a locker, slipping what felt like a headset on him. Sean adjusted it better, keeping his eyes closed. Suddenly, he heard Mark's voice through the speakers. It was an audio recording of Mark talking in some interview, but hearing his deep voice was comforting.

Sean smiled warmly, inhaling as Nate's arms wrapped protectively around his shoulders. Sean stroked Nate's arms absently. Nate had a build so similar to Mark that he could almost imagine that it was Mark hugging him. After a minute or two, Sean pulled the headphones down. Nate released him, asking him nervously. "Did it help?" Sean nodded, handing the headphones back. Straightening himself up, he asked Nate with a wince. "My make-up still looks ok?" Nate looked him over closely, then moved to his bag saying innocently. "Just got to fix the clover. The strap of the mask fucked it up." Sean went to the sink to wash it off, before taking a seat on the bench facing Nate. While Nate went to work, Stacy burst into the locker room. Nate glanced back at her, jumping a bit startled as he said. "JESUS! This is a 'Mens' locker room, woman!" Stacy rolled her eyes, ignoring him to rush over and ask in a panic. "Is it true?! Are you ok?" Sean nodded, replying casually. "Ya. I had an asthma attack... but I'm ok now."

Stacy kneeled, telling him in a motherly voice. "Oh Sean... This never would have happened if Mark was here..." Nate narrowed his eyes on her, grumbling out. "Don't bring that up. I'm trying to motivate him." Stacy shot him a stern look, before snapping out lightly. "You're his competition." Nate poked her nose with the make-up brush, giving her a green dot on her nose as he sassily shot back. "Yes. And yet, surprisingly I can be his friend too. Funny how that works." Stacy squealed, rushing to the sink to wash off her nose, leaving both Nate and Sean to giggle a little. The announcer began to call Sean's name and he hesitated. Nate swatted his arm comfortingly, telling him seriously. "Go get'em, kid. I'm right behind ya." Sean staggered to his feet, heading to the locker room door. The door burst open to reveal a tired looking Rasputin and for a moment they just stared awkwardly at each other. He still wasn't sure where he stood with Rasputin. Rasputin swatted his chest firmly, uttering out a breathless 'Good Luck' in passing.

Nate scoffed behind him, chuckling out. "Good luck? Come on, man! Don't you know who this guy is? He makes his own luck! Take your luck back!" Stacy crossed her arms, stating out to Nate sarcastically. "Don't Leprechauns hoard 'all' luck? Why would he give free luck back?" Nate snapped his fingers, pointing to Rasputin as he chuckled out. "You're right! Give that luck back!" Rasputin rolled his eyes, grumbling out to himself. "Just get the fuck out. I need to change and meet Roslyn." Stacy ushered them out and Sean headed straight for the rink. As he approached the gate, he could feel all their eyes on him. It was clear that an announcement had gone out about his Asthma attack. Mostly because everyone was giving him sympathetic looks. Removing his skate guards, he stepped out onto the ice. Nate leaned on the wall, telling him confidently. "Don't worry about the scores. Rasputin's scores were bare minimum and I had to change a jump in my routine. So, take your time and just... do it for Mark."

Stacy took his skate guards, adding in sweetly. "All of Ireland is rooting for you. Make them proud. And may the ice rise up to meet ya... Have fun out there, Laddy." Sean gave her a confident nod, then turned to head out for the center of the ice. Sliding to a stop in front of the judges, he stared down at his gold bladed skates and took a deep breath. His whole body was a wreck of nerves, but rolling his shoulders to loosen them up, he draped an arm across his lower back and kept the other at his side. Turning to face the judges, he kept his head bowed to the ice. The lights dimmed to a soft blue and he closed his eyes to let everything else fall away. In his mind, he told himself that even if he lost this... he was going to go out fighting. Taking a calming breath as the music started, he let himself get lost in it. Raising his free hand up to shoulder level, he swung out his free leg a bit to make a graceful turn to face the audience. Stopping to lift his hand higher to point to the glass roof, he tilted his head back and slowly lowered his hand back down in line with his throat and chest.

Lowering his head as his hand passed his throat, he began backing up into a small circle before the judges just to get momentum going. He kept everything fluid as he moved to the changes in pitch. This wasn't just about his skating. This was about telling the story of Ireland. A legend the revolved around the first rising of the sun and he was going to do it right. Gracefully breaking the small circle to drift backward along the wall, he extended both arms out in front of him and raised a leg level behind him. This was to show how a life without sun felt. Cold, lonely, and even fearful. Once he was lined up by the straightaway of the wall, he raised his leg higher and dropped one hand to brush his fingers over the smooth ice beneath him. While his other arm moved to fold back across his lower back. Upon skating backward into the turn, he adjusted his leg down to where he could reach back with his ice skimming hand to hook a finger around the blade. Curling himself up as he went into a graceful semi-slow spin with his lower back hand raising up high.

At the next pitch in the song, Sean adjusted upright during his spin, pulling his leg up as high as he could behind him into a Biellmann spin. He had to keep these spins slow and really focus on the graceful transitions to keep them in time with the music. One last transition to go for the sunless part of the routine. Releasing his leg, he slowly brought it down as he went into a Layback spin with his arms held out in a circle over his chest. This was to signal the shape that was forming over the horizon. The dawn of the first day. After a few rotations, he slowly straightened up into a stop with his eyes focused high above the audience. This gave him time to shake off how dizzy he was, but also to show the anticipation as the sun rose. The lights shifted very slowly from a soft blue to a light soft whitish yellow color. Dashing around the next corner with a rising excitement, he got his speed up. Then just as he was making his way across the straightway before the crowd, he waited for the music to shift and leapt into a high Russian split.

Slapping his boots to the first beat, he grinned brightly as the lights flashed to a sudden bright gold color. The people in the stands cheered as the music picked up and it rejuvenated Sean with the energy he needed to continue on. Landing perfectly, he went into a series of small jumps that fanned his legs to the crowd. Going from one foot to another as he finished off the straightaway in front of the crowd. He had kept his legs up and aced them all as he landed in time with the beats! Then going into the turn, he raised his hands high and went into a tight vertical spin with his legs crossed. Breaking from the spin, he drifted backward to the next turn and then set himself up to jump confidently into a double axel. The crowd clapped to the beat and spouted cheers as Sean gained enough speed to drop into a sit spin with his hands forming a circle behind his back. When he rose back up slowly, he drifted backward before the judges straightaway. Raising his leg high behind him again, he lowered his hand to skim the ice with a bright grin toward them, then straightened up to leap into a Quadruple Toe Loop in front of them.

Landing perfectly with his arms and leg out, he winked to the judges and let himself naturally drift backward across the ice before going into an Ina Bauer. Riding out the In Bauer until it centered him at the far end of the rink, Sean straightened up. Quickly lifting his leg to grab his skate at knee level, he raised his free hand high and gave a small two rotation spin to face the length of the rink. Dropping his foot to stand properly, he took a deep breath. It was time for his Frozen Riverdance. As the music rose, Sean rose to the tips of his blades and clapped his hands high above his head to the beat, before taking off into his riverdance. The crowd cheered and clapped in time to the rapid rhythm as Sean did his foot sequence. Placing his hands on his hips, he touched the toe and heel of his blades rapidly to the beat as he moved across the ice. As the beats came faster and faster, he had to add in little twizzle spins to transition from foot to foot. At the far end of the rink, he did a flying camel spin, before dashing off toward the audience's straightaway.

Taking his time to set up properly, he leapt into a forward-facing split jump with his hands held out at his sides like wings as he arched his back. His long legs and arms always made his split jumps look good. He landed as perfectly as a bird and the crowd roared to life! Racing into the turn, he let his adrenaline go wild through him. Leaping into a triple Loop jump, he crossed his right leg over his left and completed the rotations. Relaxing himself in the landing, he nailed it! His excitement showed on his face as he quickly gathered the last of his momentum and turned around into the next turn to jump into a Salchow. Spreading his arms and legs out in the air, it was practically a leap for his own joy! Landing strong, he drifted backward to the center of the ice and went into one last vertical spin. Then slamming his golden blade down to stop himself as he faced the judges, he slid his foot back behind his other foot to cross them and raised his hands high in victory! The stadium broke out into wild cheers, but Sean felt torn between crying and passing out from exhaustion.

Lowering his arms to shoulder level, he gave the judges a bright smile as he bowed respectfully to them and then turned to bow to the crowd on all sides of the rink. Stuffed toys and roses were tossed onto the ice and Sean managed to snatch up a little Septic Sam before making his way back to the gate. Despite Mark not being there to hug him... Nate and Stacy more than made up for it by almost crushing him between them. Even still, he hoped that he had made Mark proud... Despite him adding a few more jumps to the routine to make up points. Now he just had to wait for his first set of scores in the Kiss & Cry. His first skate was done... but his second would be harder now. He had really burned himself out with that routine. To Be Continued...