Open Heart Book 1 - Someone Like You

Chapter 2 (a) - Life Line (Primrose)

Primrose's POV:

"PLEASE....HELP ME....PLEASE..."

Primrose screamed in the middle of the sombre, empty corridor, as she desperately looked around for anyone who could help her. Primrose's breathing became slower, laboured and she struggled to swallow. Primrose looked back into Annie's room, where Annie was slumped down the bed, almost lifeless. Primrose was frantically trying to force herself to move towards Annie to help her, but she was completely paralysed and unable to move from where she was standing. It was as though Primrose's fight-or-flight response was stuck on pause and she urgently needed someone to reset it. Come on Primrose...you can do this...you must do it.

"CODE BLUE"

Primrose somehow managed to scream from the top of her lungs. Someone must hear my screams. This corridor is always normally buzzing with people and now that I need help, there's nobody. Just my luck. Primrose stands there yet again in silence, but all she can hear are her screams echo-ing down the corridor and her own thoughts. Primrose's mind starts to wander back to the unnamed woman that collapsed this morning in Edenbrook's main reception. I'm all alone...again. Primrose suddenly thinks about Ethan; her knight and shining armour and how much she wishes he was here right now by her side, gently holding her hand and whispering sweet prompts to help her through. Snap out of it Primrose. That woman survived thanks to you and now Annie needs to.

Primrose finds the strength from within to rush back inside Annie's room. She feels Annie's hands that are rock solid cold, almost as ice. Primrose stands again in silence and can feel her heart stop for a split second when the machine Annie is connected to delivers a flat, monotone tone. Annie is dying...she's dying... Primrose feels for her sterling silver Saint Christopher pendant buried deep inside her coat pocket and starts to pray. "Annie, you are NOT going to die on me. I am not going to have it." Primrose runs to the crash trolley and gets out a bag mask and begins CPR. 15 compressions to 2 bag puffs. Primrose can feel her eyes getting wet, as she delivers the compressions to Annie's chest. Concentrate Primrose. You must do two jobs instead of one; compressions and bag.

*Thud...thud...thud...*

The only noise present in Room 232 was the hard and quick blows Primrose was delivering to Annie's chest. I've probably broken her ribs, but if Annie lives, I don't care. Come on...harder... "10...11..." As Primrose delivers her 12th compression, she can see a shadow walking towards her. The shadow becomes brighter and brighter, until she realises it's Jackie. Thank you, God, thank you God for rescuing me.

"My Angel" Primrose beams at Jackie, as she stops the compressions to put her hands into a praying form.

"What?"

"Nothing..." Primrose says embarrassed, shaking her head and returns to performing CPR on Annie. "Where's the crash team? Can you go and find them please?"

"Primrose, Room 240 called a crash team before you did. Just continue performing CPR on her and they'll get here when they can"

"No, it could take too long...it shall take too long. She's going to die" Primrose's voice breaks off, as she looks at Annie lying stationary down the bed. Why is there only ever one crash team? We should have more. Primrose thinks back to her time working as a healthcare assistant in the Paediatric Trauma Ward. At that hospital there were two crash teams; one for adults and one for paediatrics. One team for paediatrics wasn't enough, as the trauma ward could have more than 3 crashes in 1 hour and the other intensive care wards were full of seriously sick children and babies. Time is what we don't have now.

"Help me, Jackie. I don't know what happened or what's wrong with her. We were just chatting and then out of nowhere she went funny"

"Funny? What on earth do you mean she went funny? What kind of expression is that?" Jackie snaps at Primrose, as she puts on her gloves and stands next to her at Annie's bedside. Primrose opens her mouth to speak but no words come out.