*Mods, I'm reposting this. I hope it's okay. My last post got taken down, and I think I know why, so I fixed the problem. If it's still not okay, let me know. Thanks!*

I was terribly bullied as a kid. I was at the very bottom of the social ladder, and even the second most hated kid in school would make fun of me, trip me in the hallways, or spit on me. They would literally use my shoelaces to tie me to a tetherball pole and then play, badly. Sometimes a group of jerks would chase me around at recess and then beat the crap out of me if I got slow. They'd call me ugly for having a beauty mark on my cheek, and for any other thing they could come up with.

It was hell.

I tried telling the teachers. I tried telling the principal. The only thing that did was get me beaten harder. And no, my mother didn't really care. I just got the advice of "don't let it get to you", which has helped exactly zero bullied kids, ever. I tried telling her that I didn't feel good in the mornings, hoping she'd let me stay home, but that didn't work.

Let me make clear that I actually *was* asthmatic, and I still am.

I had a panic attack one day after getting pretty severely beaten for the umpteenth time, and it was a little hard for me to breathe. I knew it wasn't an actual asthma attack, but a light bulb came on, and I realized that I didn't have an inhaler there, and if I actually did have an asthma attack, I'd get to go home.

I didn't realize what would happen. I just thought my mom would take me home.

They called an ambulance. At that point, I freaked out and thought that I'd be in deep trouble if I didn't keep it up, so I did.

I spent a day and a night in the hospital before a doctor figured it out by setting a bit of a trap for me that I totally failed. He got understandably mad, told our insurance company, and my parents had to pay a giant bill because the insurance company wouldn't cover it anymore.

This was a very long time ago. I feel terrible for scaring the teachers, the EMS people, the doctor, the nurses, and my parents.

But on the other hand, I kind of get my little self. Nobody would help me. I totally went overboard with what I did, but... what else could a kid like me do?

So, yeah. I faked my way into a hospital.