drowning

10

Ava.

"Ouch." I could suddenly feel everything.

"I'm sorry, Ava." Ashton told me, himself holding a needle in my hand, the paramedic handing him tape.

Why was I here?

"Ashton" I spoke, seeing his eyes search mine.

"What's going on?" I then asked.

He held my face gently.

"You're in shock, Ava. You're having some blood pressure problems and it's messing with your head. I'm giving you medicine now, but it's best to just try to relax."

What?

Ashton.

"In shock from what?" She asked as we came to an abrupt stop, making her look away from my eyes.

Working seconds the doors opened, revealing Luke

"Blood pressure is 150 over 100, heart rate in the 120s, experiencing some shock-" a paramedic continued speaking as I jumped out of the ambulance with them, feeling her grab my shirt, making me look to her.

"You're okay," I told her calmly.

"My chest hurts."

"I'm worried about a heart attack." I announced to Luke.

After giving her medicines, running an EKG and any other test Luke felt necessary, everything coming out a little elevated but not at risk of a heart attack.

I left her for a short period of time, going to find Jacob.

When I found him, my heart broke.

His head was covered, confirming the worst.

"Oh buddy," I spoke, exhaling.

I failed him.

"I'm so sorry."

Just ask I was preparing myself to leave the room, I got paged 911 back to Luke.

I walked in and Ava was sobbing.

I had never seen her even cry before, so this caught me extremely off guard.

"Why did you leave me?" She cried, looking straight to me. 

Was she talking to me?

"Ashton!" She cried out after a second of me not responding.

"I'm sorry." I told her calmly, moving to her, hugging her.

"How about we don't do that again, you stay with her so that her blood pressure stays down." Luke spoke firmly, making me nod.

After I calmed her down, I noticed her looking to the dried blood that still covered her.

"Want to shower once we get you in your room?" I asked her, knowing we were making her stay for observation.

"I don't think I can- I feel so weak-" "it's the medicine," I told her calmly.

"I can either help you or a nurse can-" "I don't want you to leave me." She spoke firmly.

"Okay." I told her.

I wasn't going to.

We soon got her into a room, my body never leaving her for a second.

Luke unhooked her monitors and IV, knowing she needed and wanted to shower.

A nurse soon joined us, her body panicking the minute she thought I wasn't staying.

"I'm going to be in the room with you, the entire time." I told her carefully.

That eased everything.

As a nurse helped her undress, I held her arm gently, feeling her body shaking from the medicines.

"Don't look." I heard her whisper, and I instantly looked away.

It was a challenge, but I helped her and the nurse the entire time without looking.

Once she had shorts and a bra on, she told me I could look again and I immediately made eye contact with her.

"Can you be honest with me?" She asked me.

I looked to her, nodding.

"He's dead, isn't he?"

The nurse opened the door, leaving to give us space as I held her body weight for her, feeling her holding my shirt in her hands

"You did everything you could, and then the paramedics did absolutely everything they could." I watched her look away.

"I should've been more there for him."