The man nodded. “Okay. Good luck.”
“Thank you, sir.”
The man drove off, casting a concerned glance back at us through his rearview mirror before turning the corner. All the while, I was painstakingly aware of the ticking clock and the fact that the woman was now hardly breathing at all.
Lucy was still whining, sensing the distress of the situation. “Easy, Luce,” I said as she approached the woman and began sniffing her ear. But then, she merely began licking the woman’s face, trying to help in whatever way she could.
I glanced down the street, hoping and praying the ambulance was on the way.
What’s taking them so long? I thought. The blood was pouring out and I was covered, but I had to remain calm.
I had been trained for this.
When two more minutes ticked by, I could no longer wait in good conscious. The woman needed assistance, and she needed assistance fast.
I c
hecked her pulse one more time, and then proceeded to start CPR. In the midst of my second round of administering CPR, I finally heard sirens approaching. Shortly thereafter, the ambulance blared down the street, bringing along with it all the chaos that emergencies created.
Upon hearing the siren, bystanders began to make their appearances. People came out of their houses, cars slowed down, and joggers ran backwards in order to keep the scene in view.
“What happened?” one of the paramedics asked while pulling a stretcher toward the woman.
“She fell and hit her head.”
“Hey! Don’t touch her!” another called out.
“I’m a nurse! She needed CPR immediately.”
“You’re a nurse?” the first paramedic asked.
I nodded.
“All right, come with us then.”
“But my dog…” Lucy leaned against my leg, frightened by the sirens.
The paramedic swore. “Bring the dog with you then. Just keep administering CPR!”
14
Evan
I thanked my lucky fucking stars that I had managed to wake up early and feel partially functional after the restless night, not the mention the beers I’d chugged before going to bed. As I expected, the doctors’ meeting hadn’t been about much, and I would have gladly skipped it had it not been mandatory. But just to ensure the effects of the beer didn’t resurface, I had downed two bottles of water during the meeting. Once the meeting was finally adjourned, I practically bolted from the table to get to the bathroom.
After relieving myself, I headed to the break room, deciding it was time for my usual coffee.
“Goodness, Tessa…Are you all right?”
I came to a halt. There was a huddle of nurses standing in the middle of the floor. Forgetting my coffee, I instantly headed over to them, my heart pounding somewhere in my throat.
“I’m…I’m fine…I…” Tessa’s voice trailed off. I could hear that she was out of breath even though she was still blocked from my view.
“Hey—look, I know it was an emergency and all, but the dog has to go. It can’t be in here.”
I pushed through the crowd, and finally, Tessa came into view. She stood there, covered in blood with a white-and-gray pit bull at her side.
“She’s not going to bother anyone. Just give her some space. You guys are making her nervous. I had to bring her with me. I had no choice…”