Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 67468 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67468 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
“None of y’all,” I said when I saw the boots of one of my friends. “Y’all were too close to her.”
The boots backed off as fast as they’d arrived.
“I’m a doctor,” a cool voice said.
I looked up into the eyes of a beauty.
Any other time, I might’ve checked her out. She was that gorgeous. But not when the girl that I cared about a shit ton more than I was willing to admit was fighting for her life.
“She’s allergic to dogs,” I said stiffly.
“Anyone have an EpiPen?” I heard her yell loudly. Authoritatively.
“She should have one,” I grumbled, feeling her up and finding fuckin’ nothing.
The goddamn stubborn ass.
“I have one,” I heard said hesitantly.
The doctor took it, did something with the cap, and stabbed Alice through the clothes so fast and violently that it surprised even me.
The doors to the bar slammed open, and I heard people running.
“Move!” I heard said.
My hands that’d been on Alice’s face left, and I backed up on my knees until my back was to the disgusting bar.
My eyes took everyone and everything in.
Bags were tipped over. People were standing around staring. The doctor was giving precise details as to what was going on, and the group I’d been hanging out with were at our table, looking on with worry.
I looked away so they didn’t see the absolute destruction going through me right now, and stood up when they transferred her to the backboard and then to the gurney. The first person I saw was Wake’s worried face, followed by Etienne’s.
Things happened so fast after that that I barely had time to understand what was happening.
She was dying. Then, it was as if whatever was given to her started to work.
She stopped struggling to breathe, but only just barely.
She was on the gurney, no longer blue, but definitely a long ways off from okay. At least, that’d been what I thought. But then things started to decline.
Her eyes rolled back into her head, then she was seizing.
When the medics went to leave, I went with them, making eye contact with Karen to let her know that I’d be going and not her.
The ride to the hospital scared the absolute piss out of me.
She coded twice because they couldn’t get her airway open enough to intubate her.
Just when the medic said they’d have to cut her throat open to ‘trach’ her, the medic was able to pass the smallest tube through her airway, allowing oxygen into her lungs.
For the rest of the drive, they breathed for her.
The hospital was thirty minutes away. So for thirty minutes, I watched her struggle.
Luckily, though, there was some marked improvement.
By the time they arrived at the loading bay doors of the hospital, I was halfway convinced she was going to make it.
I followed behind the gurney, so close that there was no way they’d tell me I wasn’t allowed to come. They’d think we were together. That she was mine.
And I allowed them to think that as they asked me questions, making assumptions about the two of us.
I must have looked haggard and rough, because the doctor said I could come to the opposite side of the gurney. “Hold her hand. She’s terrified.”
I looked down and saw her eyes were open. And when she caught sight of me, it was as if she’d visibly relaxed.
“You’re okay,” I said as I leaned down into her face. “You’re okay.”
Her eyes were practically screaming at me not to leave.
“I won’t,” I promised. “I’ll stay right here until you tell me to go.”
And that was exactly what I did.
It took them an hour to get the swelling down enough to where they thought that she could safely breathe on her own.
When she took her first breath of unassisted air, I thought my heart might leap straight out of my throat.
The relief on both of our faces was evident when she finally looked at me. “You’re okay.”
“I know.”
It was fuckin’ horrible that she even had to deal with this kind of weakness.
That’s when her family descended. When I resettled my feet, she held on to my hand tight.
“Stay?” she rasped.
I wouldn’t have left even if she wanted me to.
• • •
The next morning, I woke to Matilda’s voice in my ear.
I blinked open my eyes to find her standing at the end of Alice’s bed, tears pooling in her eyes and her hands shoved deep in her pockets.
I sat up to find Alice smiling at her, sitting up in bed, wearing my sweatshirt.
At some point during the night, Karen had dropped off Alice’s things. Including my sweatshirt.
Alice hadn’t wasted any time putting it on, and had been wearing it ever since.
I didn’t blame her. It was set to morgue in her room.
“I’m sorry I almost killed you,” Matilda whispered forlornly. “I thought that it’d be okay for me to bring the puppy in there. I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t know. I took a shower and scrubbed really hard before I came here this morning. The only animal I’ve come into contact with today is our donkey.”