Summary: Chandler experiences stomach pains and is taken to the hospital. What is wrong with him? Will he be ok? One-shot. Mondler-centric.

Disclaimer: I own no one. They all belong to Bright/Kauffman/Crane.

AN: Hello everyone. I hope this board is still active. I know that it's been several years since I've posted here. The truth is that I took a break to work on an original novel that I would like to try to publish. I have finally finished the first draft and will be starting the editing process soon. I also have a good start on the followup novel. I will try to keep everyone posted about my progress on my profile page. For now I would like to get back to writing fanfiction because this is where my passion for writing developed. I have missed everyone on this board.

Sorry for all the rambling. PLZ R&R!

Chandler slowly walked up the steps towards the apartment he shared with Monica. He opened the door and saw Monica sitting on the couch with Rachel and Phoebe as they all watched a cheesy movie on TV.

"You're home early." Monica looked back at him. "I thought you were going to the Knicks game with Ross and Joey."

"I went for a while," he told her. "But I left early. I think I ate too much."

"So are Joey and Ross still there?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah. They wanted to leave with me, but I told them to stay and watch the rest of the game."

"You go lay down and I'll bring you in some ginger ale or something for your stomach," Monica told him.

"Ok." Chandler walked into their bedroom and slowly climbed into bed.

A little bit later Monica walked into the bedroom and saw Chandler almost asleep. She set the glass of ginger ale on the bedside table as he looked over at her.

"I brought you something to drink." She told him.

"Thanks," he said softly.

"Just try to get some sleep. I'm going to finish watching the movie with Rachel and Phoebe."

"It's just a stomach ache. I'll be fine." He told her as she walked back out to the living room.

An hour later, the door opened again and Ross and Joey came in carrying a couple of souvenirs from the game. They saw the ending credits from a movie on the TV screen as the girls turned back to look at them.

"How's Chandler doing?" Joey asked them. "We brought this stuff back for him since he didn't get to watch the whole game."

"He's sleeping, I think," Monica told them. "He said he ate too much at the game."

"I didn't think it was that much, but he looked awful when he finally decided to leave," Ross told them.

"He'll be fine," Monica told them.

"We'll go so we don't disrupt Chandler," Phoebe told Monica. "I hope he feels better."

"Thanks for coming over tonight." Monica walked them to the door. "I'll make sure Chandler gets these souvenirs."

"We'll check in with him tomorrow," Ross said as they all left and Monica locked up behind them.

Monica looked up as the bedroom door opened and Chandler came out and rushed to the bathroom. She waited outside the closed door to make sure he was okay. The door opened a few minutes later and Chandler slowly came out.

"Are you ok?" she asked him.

"I thought I had to go, but I guess I didn't," he told her. "My stomach is all messed up."

"Come on. Let's get some sleep." She walked with him back into the bedroom and they got into bed.

Chandler barely got any sleep that night. He kept having to get up because he thought he needed to use the bathroom, but it was always a false alarm. He eventually set up camp on the couch with a can of ginger ale and spent a restless night there until Monica woke up around seven. She walked out and saw him clutching his stomach as he watched some pointless program on TV.

"How are you feeling?" she asked him. "Any better?"

"Not really. It may be a little worse." He told her. "I already called off work."

"I'll call off too so I can help you today."

"Mon, don't do that."

"Chandler, this is more than a stomach ache."

"I'm telling you, I'm fine." Chandler managed to get out before he doubled over in pain again.

"You were saying?" she knelt beside him as he slid off the couch and held his stomach.

"It's not that bad," the pain finally subsided.

"I'm taking you to the emergency room," Monica stated as she started towards the bedroom. "No arguments."

"Fine," Chandler mumbled as he heard the door open and looked back to see the other four coming in.

"Chandler? Monica?" Ross called, not able to see him yet.

"Yeah," Chandler managed to get out and they all walked to him.

"Are you ok, dude?" Joey asked him.

"No, he's not." Monica came out of the bedroom. "I'm taking him to the hospital. I already called the doctor. He's going to meet us there."

"Ok." Chandler started to get up when another scream erupted from him.

"This is really bad," Rachel looked at Monica.

"Do you think it could be his appendix?" Phoebe asked.

"Maybe." Monica watched as Chandler attempted to stand by himself.

"Appendix? As in surgery?" Chandler looked at them.

"If it comes to that, you'll just have to get over it," Monica told him as she helped him walk out of the apartment.

Monica helped Chandler into a cab and climbed in beside him as she shouted directions at the driver. Chandler held his stomach tightly as he tried not to scream out. They reached the hospital and Chandler practically crawled into the waiting room. A nurse was waiting for them and helped get Chandler into a wheelchair and pushed him down to an examining room.

Monica followed them in as Chandler attempted to stand up and walk the few steps to the exam table. Monica went to help the nurse as he struggled to shuffle his feet along the floor.

"Here," Monica guided him to sit and he winced in pain.

"The doctor will be in shortly," the nurse told them. "Try to stay comfortable, Mr. Bing."

"Try being the keyword," Chandler mumbled.

"We'll find out what's going on soon," Monica assured him as she slowly sat next to him.

The nurse started taking Chandler's vitals and stuck a thermometer in his ear as Monica noticed him shaking.

"Are you cold?" Chandler nodded as the nurse recorded his vitals.

"You do have a slight fever, Mr. Bing. The doctor is finishing up with another patient then he'll be in to examine you."

"Thank you," Monica smiled as she left the room.

"I think I need to use the bathroom," Chandler said softly.

"Are you sure?"

"No," he shook his head. "But-"

"Mr. Bing," they looked up as a doctor came into the room. "I'm Dr. Rosen."

"Good to meet you," he said softly.

"I see you've been having some stomach pains."

"Yes," he keeled over again as he moaned in pain.

"Can I answer the questions for him?" Monica looked at the doctor. "I'm his wife."

"So then do you know when the pain started?"

"Yesterday early evening," Monica told him. "He came home early from a basketball game. He slept most of the night but he kept getting up to go to the bathroom because he thought he had to go but he didn't."

"Yesterday morning," Chandler gritted his teeth through the pain. "It started as a dull ache in my lower back. I thought I just pulled a muscle."

"Did it spread anywhere else?" Dr. Rosen asked him.

"To my side. It wasn't constant. It just came and went." Chandler screamed louder as his pain intensified.

"How's his posture when he tries to walk?" Dr. Rosen looked at Monica.

"He's slouched over for the most part, but that didn't start until this morning."

"Mr. Bing, I would like you to lay back on the bed for me,"

Monica got off the bed and Chandler slowly lay back on the bed, wincing in pain as he did so. Monica stood off to the side and watched as the doctor pressed down on Chandler's abdomen.

"Son of a-" Chandler screamed out as the doctor stepped back to mark something in the chart.

"It's ok," Monica helped him sit up as she turned to the doctor. "Could it be his appendix?"

"I don't think it is based on where the pain is located," Dr. Rosen looked at them. "I'm going to order a CT scan and an ultrasound to see what we're dealing with here."

"I'm not pregnant," Chandler cracked and Monica rolled her eyes.

"At least you haven't lost your sense of humor," Monica told him.

"I'll go order those tests," Dr. Rosen started out of the room.

"I'm going to use the bathroom," Chandler slowly slid off the bed and started the walk to the bathroom.

Monica followed behind him just in case and waited outside the door for him to finish.

"Mon," Chandler called out and she could hear the distress in his voice.

"What's wrong?" she slowly opened the door and peered inside.

"You need to get the doctor or the nurse in here,"

"Why? What's going on?"

"There's blood,"

Monica glanced into the toilet and saw the faint red color and rushed out of the room. She found the nurse that had checked Chandler in and told her what had happened. She followed her back to the room and Chandler was coming out of the bathroom.

"I didn't flush it," he told them.

"Here," Monica helped him back onto the bed.

"I'll let the doctor know," the nurse came out of the bathroom with a specimen cup filled with what had been in the toilet before it was flushed.

"So you were able to go this time," Monica looked at him after the nurse left the room.

"It wasn't a lot," Chandler sighed. "I wish they knew what was wrong with me so we could go back home already."

"I would prefer them to be thorough," she told him and he nodded.

Several hours later, Chandler was settled into a room donned in a hospital gown and hooked up to an IV. The bed was locked in a semi-upright position as he lay on his side on the bed, fading in and out of sleep. He shivered in his sleep as the blankets were pulled all the way up over his shoulders and covered his face partially as he slept fitfully.

After they ran the tests, they found that Chandler had kidney stones which was the reason why he was having difficulty going to the bathroom. It was also discovered that he had developed a kidney infection, the reason why they found blood in his urine. Thankfully he ended up passing the stones not that long after, but they wanted to keep him there until his fever went away.

Monica placed the back of her hand against Chandler's flushed cheek as he slept, feeling the heat radiating off him. She looked up as the door opened and she smiled as their friends filed into the room.

"Hey," Rachel spotted Chandler sound asleep on the bed. "We got worried when we couldn't get through to you. So we decided to come down and see if we were able to find you. Do they know what's wrong with him yet?"

"Kidney stones," Monica told them.

"I remember that pain," Joey winced, remembering his own experience with kidney stones a few years ago. "He looks to be in better shape than I was."

"He already passed them a couple of hours ago."

"So why is he still here?" Phoebe asked.

"He developed a kidney infection," Monica told them. "There was blood in his urine. He also has a low-grade fever."

"Do they have him on antibiotics?" Ross spotted the IV pole with the medicine bags hanging from it.

"Antibiotics and saline," Monica told them. "He's also dehydrated. He told the doctor that he hasn't had anything to eat or drink since before yesterday morning because it just made him nauseous."

"How long do they want him to stay here?" Joey asked.

"They want his temperature back down to normal before they release him. You can see that he's shivering in his sleep."

They turned their attention to Chandler and they could indeed see him shivering and shaking slightly in his sleep. Monica placed her hand on his shoulder and it seemed to calm him instantly. His eyes slowly opened and he smiled at Monica just watching him.

"How long was I out?" he asked her softly.

"A bit," she told him. "Everyone showed up while you were asleep."

"What?" he turned his head and saw their friends gathered around his bed.

"They were concerned when I didn't call and give them an update."

"Hey buddy," Joey moved closer to the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Out of it," he said softly. "But at least I'm not in pain anymore."

"So how'd you handle it?" Joey glanced at Monica before turning back to look at Chandler. "Passing the kidney stones?"

"About as well as you did when you had to go through it," Chandler told him. "I'm just glad that the pain is over."

"I understand," Joey nodded.

"Are you hungry?" Monica asked. "Do you want to try eating something?"

"I don't know," he sighed as he turned over on his back and glanced around at the other three standing by his bed.

"You haven't eaten anything all day, and I'm assuming that you didn't eat anything for most of yesterday either."

"I'm just afraid that I'm going to throw it back up,"

"If you don't eat, you'll get even sicker. Then you'll just have to stay here longer."

"Start with something small," Rachel suggested. "How about some crackers and ginger ale? They have that down in the cafeteria."

"They won't let you out of here until your fever goes down and you can keep something down."

"Fine, I'll try some crackers."

"We'll be right back with those for you," Phoebe and Rachel started out of the room as Chandler sat up on the bed a little more.

"Easy," Monica adjusted the pillows to make him more comfortable. "You're still going to be sore for a few days."

"So bedrest I take it?" Chandler looked at her.

"That's right," Monica told him. "You'll get through it."

Phoebe and Rachel returned a few minutes later with their arms full of snacks that they thought Chandler would be able to handle and keep down. Monica brought the rolling table over and they placed everything down on it as Joey slowly adjusted the bed for Chandler.

"Start slow," Monica offered him a package of plain crackers and a bottle of ginger ale.

"Just stop staring at me," Chandler took one of the crackers and slowly took a bite.

They all sat around the bed having idle chat as Chandler worked on keeping the small amount of food he had just eaten in his stomach. After finishing off several more crackers and the rest of the ginger ale, Chandler slowly drifted back off to sleep.

"We should go," Rachel looked at the others. "It's getting late."

"They'll probably try to kick us out soon anyway," Ross said as they all stood up.

"Call us with any updates," Rachel told her.

"I will," Monica promised them as they all slowly filed out of the room.

Monica sat beside Chandler's bed the next few hours as he slept on, occasionally shivering and shaking in his sleep. He would awake briefly to take a few sips of ginger ale and a couple of bites of something that Monica would offer him.

Monica slowly awoke as she saw the sun just starting to rise out the nearby window. She looked over at the bed as she heard a noise and saw Chandler slowly sitting up on the bed. He was looking a little disoriented as he looked over at her.

"Hey Sleepyhead," she smiled at him.

"How long was I out this time?" he asked softly.

"About an hour," She moved to sit on the bed next to him.

"What time is it?"

"Almost seven in the morning,"

Can we go home yet?" he sighed.

"Well you've managed to keep everything that you've eaten down," she felt his cheek. "And I think your fever is gone. So maybe we'll be out of here and at home soon."

"I hope so,"

The two of them continued to lay on the bed beside each other as they waited for the doctor or the nurses to come back in and check on him. Twenty minutes later, there was a knock on the door and they watched as it opened and the doctor and nurse came into them.

"How are we feeling, Mr. Bing?" Dr. Rosen asked him.

"Better," he told him as Monica got off the bed to give them room to examine Chandler.

"Has he eaten anything?" Dr. Rosen looked at Monica as the nurse stuck the thermometer in his ear.

"He's been eating some plain crackers and ginger ale," she told him. "I made him eat some a few hours ago. He's been eating them off and on in between when he was sleeping."

"And he's kept it all down?"

"Yes,"

"His temperature is back down to normal," the nurse told them.

"Everything looks good," The doctor went through Chandler's chart. "I'll sign off on your release."

"Thank you," Chandler sighed.

"You will need to be on bed rest for a couple of weeks. You will be sore from passing the stones and from the infection."

"I'll make sure he rests," Monica told them.

"I called in a prescription for some pain killers, to be taken on an as-needed basis,"

"So I can go then?" Chandler started off the bed after the nurse took his IV's out.

"I'll get your release papers ready," Dr. Rosen started to follow the nurse out of the room.

Chandler found his belongings on one of the chairs and went into the bathroom to change back into his clothes. He walked back out a few minutes later and saw the nurse there waiting with a wheelchair as Monica finished gathering up all their belongings.

"The doctor just left," she told him. "I signed your release papers for you."

"Thanks," he slowly sat down in the wheelchair. "Let's get out of here."

"Right behind you,"

The nurse helped them get loaded up into a cab and shut the door after Chandler was settled.

They stopped at the local pharmacy to pick up Chandler's prescription and headed back to the apartment. They slowly started the walk up the stairs towards the apartment. As they reached their floor the door to their apartment opened and all their friends smiled at them.

"You're back," Phoebe smiled at them.

"Sorry I didn't call you to let you know that they were releasing him," Monica told them as they all followed them into their apartment. "He wanted out of there as soon as possible."

"Don't blame you man," Joey told him as they put their things down.

"I'm going to take a shower," Chandler told Monica. "Get the hospital smell off me."

"All right. I'll get the couch set up for you. That way you can watch TV so you're not completely bored while you're on bed rest."

"Thanks," he smiled at her as he disappeared into the bathroom.

"So how long is he on bedrest?" Ross asked.

"A couple of weeks," Monica told them. "He's still sore from passing the stones along with the infection."

About twenty minutes later, Chandler emerged from the bathroom and made his way to the couch. He slowly got himself situated across the couch and winced as his side started to hurt him again.

"Here," Monica came over to him with a heating pad that she had just warmed up in the microwave. "This should help."

"Thanks," he held it to his side as he lay back and looked around. "Where is everyone?"

"They had to get to work," she told him as she brought over a plate of toast for him. "They'll be back here after they're done."

Chandler nodded as he ate the toast and lay back. Monica joined him as she handed him the remote. He turned on the TV and found some comedy show.

"So are you glad to be home?" Monica took his plate from him and took it to the sink.

"Definitely," he sighed. "This couch is more comfortable than that hospital bed was."

"Well I didn't like seeing you in that bed in so much pain," she sat beside him. "I'm so glad you're home too."

"And that you get to take care of me," he smiled at her.

"Yes, that's part of it."

"Well, would you like to take a break and watch some very pointless television with me?"

"I would love to," she got settled in next to him and they turned their attention to the TV.

AN: Sorry if this ended a little abruptly. I hope that you all liked this little Mondler one-shot. I would like to post more fanfiction on here. It just might be long periods between posts because of my job and I have a church mission trip coming up at the end of next month. It feels so great to get back into this though.

PLZ R&R!