The undying sound of calamity, the bearer of a deadly message, the harbinger of tragedy.
It filled the air, to the smallest atom. Froze both men just long enough for the adrenaline to be released in a flush. Loki had stood closest, seized her, shook her. "Caroline, Caroline - "
Nathaniel cried. Tom had stood beside his crib, protecting him with his life - but he couldn't help him now. He dashed to their side. Loki moved his arm, and before Tom could crash down to his knees, the surroundings dissolved into something else.
They found themselves inside the chamber - Caroline's repurposed infirmary. Loki had teleported them there, it was the first time he had used this power since Tom was 'born'. He had to find hold at the wall for a split second, the teleportation had messed with this equilibrium. This was urgent, so much both knew, and every second was vital.
Loki crashed her down on the bed Tom had lied in only moments ago and pressed the CPR lever. The bed fell into a horizontal position on which they could work.
"Tom, reanimation, now!" Loki's eyes glowed with fear and determination. Tom had the theoretical knowledge as well, but he trusted Loki had acquired more experience over the time. As if in a dream, his legs carried him to the bedside. Loki was preparing whatever syringes and medication were available.
Tom pressed up and down, with all the power he had. He believed to hear a crack from underneath his hands, and although the sound nauseated him, he went on incessantly. "What's happening?"
The intravenous access had grown insufficient, as Loki noticed upon trying to flush some saline solution through. It accumulated and formed a bulged underneath her cold skin. He yanked it out and began setting up a new one, his hand trembled. Loki had never missed a vein before, and he certainly couldn't do that now.
"Sudden cardiac death."
Another crack. Tom forced his eyes shut for a split second to take a vital breath. "What, what do you - why that?"
A new access lied properly in her arm. Loki had had to redirect the needle one too many times, but at least he was getting blood and the flush was sufficient. He proceeded to inject xenoraline, turning quickly to prepare a pacer. Caroline had flatlined - contrary to popular belief, this cardiac malfunction was not to be defibrillated.
Loki had not heard Tom, his mind only knew one thing - survival. This one life he couldn't seem to cease losing, never remaining too long safe in his grasp. She was slipping away - the longer this took, the smaller her chance. He couldn't do it alone - they needed each other, more than ever.
His head snapped to Tom. "Has she ever told you about a familial predisposition? Cardial insufficiency, syncopes, anything of the sort?"
Tom shook his head almost violently. "Are you even sure this is sudden cardiac death?"
"As sure as I can be. You said so yourself - there is nothing to go on."
"Electrolyte imbalance?"
A minute since the last injection had passed. Another shot. "The monitor would have shown."
In between chest compression and desperate ventilation, Tom decided. "Doesn't matter."
"I agree."
The third xenoraline shot accompanied by an antiarrythmic substance into her system. For one brief moment, they believed to see a flutter on the monitor, a raising and lowering of this painfully straight line. Then nothing.
Loki had prepared the external pacer in the mean time. He nodded his head to Tom, sweat dripped from his chin. Tom withdrew his hands from Caroline's torso so Loki could place the device. Their longing eyes rested on her for a torturously short moment - yearning for the slightest change of the line. Motionlessness, the beep jarring and mocking, and they could only wait so long.
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The Sacrifice: Fallen | Loki | Book 2
Fanfiction"A man gone insane, after his wife left him for another man, set fire to his home and hanged himself." He tied my hands behind my back. "Go to hell." I choked slowly. The oxygen in air was decreasing rapidly. Caroline. "'Tis quite a shame. To dest...
