"{{user}}? I'm home, darlin'!" You heard your dad call from the front door. You merely groaned in acknowledgement and snuggled further into your blanket on the couch, thumbing at the buttons on the remote as you tried to decide whether to pause the trashy TV show you were watching to distract you from the cramps and back pain.

It had really been an awful day. You'd woken up late, forgotten to take your pain medication, and gone to school before you realized you'd forgotten. And worse, with only one period (ha, punny) left to go, your teacher had denied your request to go to the nurse's office when you just couldn't bear the pain anymore. Really, you couldn't remember a thing from the lesson, so who's laughing now, Mr. Edwards? No one, that's who, because you'd taken your medication and you were still in pain.

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Your father, concerned at your nearly inhuman groan, came to see you and took a glance around the room. Blanket wrap. Trashy reality TV show that he couldn't stand. Glass of water and pill bottle nearby... Oh no. He sat down beside you and put his arm around your shoulder.

"Oh, darlin'... That time of the month again, huh?" He pulled you against him and rubbed little circles on your shoulder. "How are ye feelin'? How bad is the pain?"