No One But You

“You’d do that to me?”

“Hey, you snooze you lose my friend. Simples.”

“Christ, sometimes you’re as bad as Willow.”

“Speak of the devil, she was in the emergency room the other evening. I was going to see her but I was run off my feet and by the time I got a moment she was gone.”

That was news to me. Willow hadn’t mentioned anything to either me, Dorian or Jamie. If she had said anything to them, they hadn’t said anything to me. Strange.

“Are you sure it was her?”

“Positive. She was wearing those ridiculously flared jeans and she had that reddish pink blouse that I love on. Plus, I’ve spent enough time drinking with her to know it was her.”

That’s exactly what Willow had been wearing when she’d left Jamie’s the other night. “Are you sure she wasn’t waiting for someone?”

“She could’ve been, but she looked terrible. Her hair was all over the place and her make-up was messed up. I only saw her from a distance, but I know her well enough to know how flawless she normally looks. Oh shit…”

The room went completely and eerily silent for a fraction of a second. It was like we could feel the chaos coming. Almost like you could feel the ground shifting and the air particles vibrating frantically around you.

And then all hell broke loose.

My heart slowed even as the adrenaline pumped harder through every one of my veins.

My fidgety hands stilled and every joint loosened.

My eyesight became clearer and vivid.

Every single one of my synapses was firing and making me alert to everything going on around the room.

“Raj, bag. Beth, start compressions.”

I watched as Raj followed my instruction and then Beth carried out the compressions for the next few minutes. Both she and Raj working together as everyone else in the room continued with their own roles. Nothing ever stayed still for long. Time never stopped completely. We never stopped.

“No rhythm.” The ODP said over all the machinery and Beth’s partially mental count.

“Come on, girl!” She murmured as she continued compressions.

“Still nothing.” Raj’s eyes met mine, pleading. “We’ve been doing this for eight minutes now.”

Shit. Please don’t die on me. It’s still pretty much Christmas. Hold on, please hold on.

“Adrenaline, Alan.”

The ODP prepped the syringe before handing it to Raj and taking over the ventilation mask.

“Ms. Cavendish, we’re not getting anywhere.”

“Do not stop Mr. Agarwal. Adrenaline.”

“Quincy!”

“Don’t fucking stop Raj!”

He froze momentarily like a deer in the headlights. His eyes narrowed on mine.

“Adrenaline administered.”

“Thank you. Beth? You okay?”