The Sound of You **on hold**

Chapter 17

Dawson

"911, what is the location of your emergency?" I give the lady on the phone Adelaide's address and tell her to hurry with some help.

Adelaide has her hands clamped over her ears and there are tears streaming down her face. I'm calling her name, trying to get her to come back to reality, but nothing is working. For a minute, I thought she was having a seizure, kicking her legs out, but laying straight as a board. But now she's curled up in the corner of her room, and she sounds like she can't breathe. My pulse is racing. I'm starting to panic and I don't know how to help her. She screams every time I put my hands on her.

The call taker asks me to make sure the door for the house is unlocked for when paramedics get here, so I open the bedroom door and Stella bolts into the room, laying herself next to Adelaide. When I get back to the room, nothing has changed. The call taker asks a bunch of questions about Adelaide's behavior which I answer as best as I can.

"It sounds like a panic attack. Help is on the way, but while we wait, let's try to get her through it." She says. She asks me to ask Adelaide to count backwards from ten. Adelaide doesn't react. She suggests I ask Adelaide to tell me what she sees and hears. Nothing is working! This call taker is fricking stupid. Why aren't they here yet?!

"Nothing! She's not responding to anything! I really don't think she can hear me."

"Does she like music?"

Music. Yes! I'll play something on my phone. I look around the room, and I bolt to the living room to look for my phone. Where is my damn phone?! Then I stop in my tracks. I'm a damn idiot. I'm on the line with 911 on my phone that is in my hand.

I know what I have to do. And it has to work, because I don't know what else I can do. I put the call on speakerphone, and I set it on the bed. I kneel next to Adelaide and clear my throat.

"Cold is the water, it freezes your already cold mind, already cold, cold mind," I start singing slowly, hoping she can hear me. "Death is at your doorstep," She stops rocking, and I think this may actually work. I gently touch my hand to her arm, and she doesn't scream or jerk away this time. "And it will steal your innocence, but it will not steal your substance."

Her breathing starts to deepen. She's no longer gasping violently. I keep singing. She sniffles and rubs the palms of her hands roughly against her eyes. She finally opens her eyes and looks at me, and I let out a sigh of relief. Then she starts crying harder and she turns away from me. I pull her into my arms and I pull her into my body, my legs straddled around her on her bedroom floor.

"Is she breathing better?" Comes the voice from my phone.

Adelaide's head jerks up. "Who is that?" She chokes.

I grab the phone to speak into it, "Yes." Then I mouth to Adelaide, 911.

"No!" She yells hoarsely. She grabs the phone from me, talking to the 911 lady. "Hi. This is Adelaide. I'm fine. It was a panic attack, but I'm okay. Please don't send an ambulance."

"They're already almost there." Says the voice in the phone.

"Please, tell them not to come." She says between sniffles. "I really am okay now. There's nothing they can do for me. I'm sure they're needed somewhere else."

"Okay Adelaide, but I'm going to call you back in ten minutes to follow up and make sure you're still okay. Okay?"

"Thank you!" I yell at the phone before Adelaide hangs up.

Adelaide gets up and goes to the front window to look outside, probably to make sure no paramedics are coming up her walkway. Stella scratches at the door and Adelaide doesn't move, so I let her outside. Then I start towards Adelaide, saying her name gently.