Bondi Rescue one shots

Heat

Dean was striding ahead of her. He seemed to do so effortlessly, with a calm steady pace that ate up the miles. Her, on the other hand, was struggling. Moving forward fits and starts. Breathing heavily. Feeling her muscles cramp and burn.

"God it's hot!" She muttered under her breath.

Not a brilliant observation, since they were running, under a blazing sun. The ground was even as they ran on asphalt. She had to concentrate on each step. Dean seemed to float along. She envied him; his energy, his muscular body, his positivity.

"Gees, it's so hot!" She muttered.

Dean sensed her discomfort, slowing down, to let her catch up. Offered her water each time. Letting her catch her breath, nearly each time, by making small talk, so it wasn't obvious that he was babying her. Letting her keep at least a bit of her pride. Pride seemed to be the only thing keeping her going. She was a strong girl, he knew that.

Dean was dressed with a pair of black shorts and new runners. He ran shirtless. She had a pair of bathers on that she had 'borrowed' from her father, and a light purple tank top. A FTW cap pulled down low over her eyes. Her dark, brown hair was pulled through the back so it shaded and let the back of her neck breathe.

She was glad it was Dean who was there with her. He kept her with good company. Respecting her limitations. Respecting her pride. He toke care of her.

"It's hot, huh?" Dean mumbled under his breath as he slowed down to her pace. "Can't say it's winter!" She muttered back. He looked over at her. Sure she had been struggling until now, but she looked worse. Her face was pale compared to the exercise they were doing. "You ok?" He asked worriedly in his Australian accent. "I'm crook" She muttered nearly falling over a little rock. "Wanna have a break? Sit down for awhile?" He asked even more worried. She was never the person to admit feeling ill. "Have to... finish... this..." She muttered bitterly.

Dean ran a few steps in front of her. She tried her best to forget her body's scream and instead focused on his movements. The way his legs effortless moved at the speed of his running. The way his calves flexed. It got steeper as they ran towards a hill. He slowed down as they closed the meters to the top. She follow close behind, struggling with each step.

The burning heat inside her head was beyond a headache. It was making her feel weak and dizzy. Her breathing was ragged. Her stomach rolled with discomfort and she realised she had not eaten in more than 24 hours. had not slept well or long in days. Her legs became more and more wobbly.

Dean shot a look at her over his shoulder. Her eyes were unfocused. Her colour was mottled. Face blank. She looked like a zombie. Her legs had stopped moving and her chest was the only part of her that continued the actions. It expanded with each ragged breath.

"Liv? Olivia? You ok?" He asked worriedly. He had stopped just a few meters away from her. No reaction came from her. Dean walked closer and watched her face go completely white as if someone had pulled a plug. Black spots swam into her eyes. Tunnel vision. There seemed to be a voice calling her name, far away."Olivia!" She collapsed in a limp of heat. Her body fell down onto the hard asphalt, face first and her head bounced. Then she was still.

"Liv!" Dean yelled frightened. Dean acted in a moment of raw panic, which was very unlike his usual behaviour. He threw himself next to her and grasped her head. He held her head steady. She was still breathing, but swallow. He let her head go with one hand to check for her pulse. Thready. It wasn't good. He rolled her over into a recovery position.

"Heat stroke.." Dean mumbled to himself. Heat stroke. A potentially life-threatening condition, a flat voice recited in his brain. "Seek urgent medical attention immediately. Dizziness, unconsciousness, altered mental state, hot dry skin, weak pulse. It all can cause.. Stop! One thing at the time.." Dean murmured to himself. "Help! Someone call an ambo!" He yelled frightened. It wasn't the first time he saw someone have a heat stroke. But it was the first time one he cared about was lying defenceless, sick on the ground and he had no backup.

A few moments later an ambulance rolled up next to them. An older guy in paramedic outfit sat down next to Dean and Olivia. "Hi Dean.. Heat stroke?" He asked as he looked at her. She was paler than before, weaker. It wasn't a good sign. Dean just nodded. He held her hand, tight. He wouldn't let go. Not even when they moved her deadweight body onto a stretcher. Within minutes they were on their way to the hospital.

They moved her out of the ambulance, unconscious. Dean's sweaty hand still holding hers. The blazing sun and heat disappeared as they walked inside Sydney children's hospital. The cold breeze from the air condition seemed to satisfy the personal playing around with the kids.

"Oi! Mandy we need some help with Olivia here!" The paramedic guy said, loud, to a thin, blue eyed woman. She quickly raised herself off from the little wooden chair. "Right down to ya left, third door. Heat stroke, Dean?" She said and pointed down a little corridor. Dean nodded, still holding her hand, tight.

"Liv? I'm sorry.. Wake up and we'll take it slower.. You can still be a lifeguard!" Dean's voice said, but he were no where to be seen. The sound of Dean's sad and nervous voice dragged her unconscious mind back to the moment. Her eyes fluttered open. Dean let out a big breath and let his head hang for a second. He took her hand and flashed one of his famous white teeth smiles. Lifeguard on and off duty.