Fire On Fire (#Wattys2019)

Chapter-16

Natasha's POV

I felt the gears of my brain turning, seconds before it went into autopilot. My feet jolted into action, and I ran, straight towards the stairs. A crowd had gathered by now, and I flung myself into it, shouting at people to get out of the way, even as I felt Kim, Meg and Sebastian at my heels.

Dropping next to the body, I leaned forward, lining my ear above his mouth, and my right hand grabbed his lifeless, limp left one.

No breathing. No pulse.

I whipped up my head. "He's in cardiac arrest!" I shouted. "Find an AED!"

"A what?" Sebastian asked.

"Automated External Defibrillator. There has to be one inside. Go find it. Now." I turned my head towards Kim. "You. Call the hospital."

I leaned forward again and started CPR. Time stopped. I could hear the sounds around me, but they were muffled, as if someone had dunked my head underwater.

Natasha.

Somewhere close, a woman was crying. His wife, some subconscious part of me registered.

Natasha.

Sweat rolled down my brow, as my hands moved, not taking even a second's rest.

"Natasha!"

My head jolted upwards, to see Sebastian, as he dropped the AED next to me. I shouted at Meg to continue the CPR as I turned it on, and a recorded female voice started, giving step-by-step instructions on how to check for a pulse and position the electrode pads on the chest.

"I know, I know, shut up, woman", I muttered, as I attached the pads and plugged in the connector, and pressed the charge button.

"Everybody clear!"

Meg removed her hands, and I pressed the shock button, immediately resuming CPR thereafter, as I felt the sirens getting closer and closer.

___________________________________

Three hours later, I stepped out of the operation theatre into the hospital waiting room, Kimberly and her senior, Dr. Taylor Watson, HOD, cardiac sciences by my side. The eyes of the mayor's wife and daughter met mine, a flickering hope evident in their otherwise distraught faces. My gaze shifted to the couch beside them, where sat two men. They stood as we approached, and the one in front stepped forward, shaking Dr. Watson's hand before turning an appraising eye towards me. Standing around six feet tall, he had a drawn face with a square jaw, hollow cheeks and closely cropped hair.

"My name is David Ross," he said, extending his hand for me to shake. "I am the press secretary and senior advisor to the mayor."

"Dr. Natasha Usbourne," I replied as I took his hand.

"Ah, yes," he nodded knowingly. "Allow me to express my gratitude towards you for displaying immense acumen and presence of mind."

"It's what anybody would have done." I replied.

"Exactly my point, Dr. Usbourne," he said flatly. "Considering that I was told that the mayor had a cardiac arrest, and you are a neurosurgeon, I quite frankly cannot fathom the reason behind you still being here."

"He had a brain aneurysm, causing a haemorrhage. A cardiac arrest in such a case is a rare complication, but it is possible." I stepped forward, levelling my gaze with his. "So with all due respect, sir, you can either listen to me, or you can go inside and operate on the mayor yourself."