WHEN THE WORLD ENDS

CHOKE

Rebecca watched little Madison curled sleeping in her bed.

The delicate girl had curled up into the tightest ball she could and hadn't moved once since she had fallen asleep. It didn't even look like she was breathing. Rebecca was so concerned that every five minutes she would get up out of her chair, lean carefully over the girl and press her ear near her mouth, just to check that air was still coming out.

She couldn't imagine how surreal it must have been for a child. It was hard enough for Rebecca to contemplate the events of the day and she was a fully-grown woman. Rebecca was scared. Madison was terrified.

The little girl flinched suddenly, kicking the covers off her in a violent attempt, almost as though they were strangling her. She must have been having a nightmare. Rebecca sprung to her feet almost instantly and was by the girl's side, stroking her hair gently and letting the curly blonde strands run through her fingers. She pulled the covers back up, neatly placing them over Madison once again. The nightmare seemed to end and she calmed, her breathing returning to its regular, soft pattern.

It had been three hours since the city was plunged into darkness.

Hospital nurses had done their rounds, handing out as many torches and spare batteries as they could find. But the lights weren't the main problem. Not by a long shot.

Without power, the hospital's machines had shut down. Doctors and nurses stood there helplessly whilst patients were dying all around them. Life support machines cut off, and with it life inside the hospital dwindled. Rebecca had already counted seventeen beds that had been wheeled away down the corridor: lying in each was a cold, pale body. It was heartbreaking. She had meant to find Greg and see if he was okay but she didn't want to leave Madison alone. That had happened to the poor girl one too many times already.

Rebecca was about to drop off into sleep for the first time that night when something caught her attention. It was a loud crash, like somebody falling to the floor. Then another dreadful noise that sounded like...

Choking.

Rebecca jumped up and darted in the direction of the noise. She didn't have to run far before she came across a blue curtain drawn shut. The noise was louder now and it echoed in her ears, fuelling her surges of adrenaline. The curtain was drawn so she couldn't see past it. But she could see the trail of blood that was trickling underneath it.

She rushed forward and drew the curtain back, gasping when her eyes fell on the poor unfortunate on the floor. It was a young boy, probably only in his teens. It was only as Rebecca knelt down beside him that she recognised him.

She saw those hideous flashbacks running through her mind again as she searched desperately for the right memory. She found it: the boy that was on the street with the video camera. The same boy that had been hit by a car. The same boy that she had tried to save right before the crash. The boy that she was about to save again.

She jumped back up and run to the wall, practically slamming her fist into the emergency help button. She grunted when she remembered...no power. She could've called for help but she just didn't have the time. This boy needed her and he needed her fast.

Kneeling back down, she dug back into her mind to recall the first aid courses she had done in school. It didn't help her much. She didn't know what to do. CPR? Recovery position? Mouth to mouth?

The boy coughed, more blood spluttering from his mouth and landing on the floor. Rebecca panicked even more and a small squeal escaped her mouth. She paused only for a second to take a deep breath and calm herself down.

She placed both hands on the boy's chest. She was only going to get once chance at this. The boy didn't have much time: his choking grew more and more violent as time progressed and his eyelids had slowly begun to close. Rebecca started applying force.

Up and down. Up and down. Up and down. Up and down.

More blood was forcing it's way relentlessly up the boy's throat. Was that a good sign? Did she need to be clearing it out? Or was the blood loss going to kill him instead of the choking?

Regardless, Rebecca carried on, not knowing what else she could do. She pressed harder in the hopes of clearing out the blood quicker. Tears had started to swell in her eyes, hanging on the end of her eyelashes and threatening to fall. She sniffed them back and with them, her weakness.

Slowly but surely, the ginger kid with the video camera started to stabilise. No longer did his whole body shake like he was having a seizure. No longer did waves of blood gush from his mouth. No longer did his eyes dart around the room rabidly.

Rebecca removed her hands and listened carefully. He was breathing, not choking, breathing. She had done it. She had saved this boy's life.

Again.

Sorry this chapter was kind of short and a little rushed. Just wanted to say thanks for all the support on this story so far, particularly when I've only just started! XD