My first experiment in hybrid storytelling. Enjoy :)
The plans had been brewing for month. Each had tickets for the way there, trips intersecting at a layover where they would fly together the last leg of the journey. Or, at least that had been the plan. His flight had been delayed by weather and it would cause him to miss the connection by a mere 20 minutes, but he encouraged her to fly ahead and he would meet her at their destination. She hated flying alone but the temptation of a week spent together on vacation was intense.
Travel is exhausting even for the most veteran travelers. By the time they arrived at their remote beachfront hotel, she was spent. He felt grimy from the trip and retreated to the comfort of the shower while she sat at the edge of the bed relaxing.
Despite being at rest for the last several minutes, her heart rate was still elevated. She had felt winded most of the day but had chalked it up to anxiety and the physical stresses of travel. Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest and she forced herself to take slow, deep breaths. Her smart watch vibrated that her heart rate was too high. She pressed a hand to her chest to rub at the painful spot. The sound of the fan and shower grew distant. Her heart shuddered and skipped as she lost consciousness, sliding quietly off the edge of the bed just as he turned off the shower.
He had taken a long time in the shower, lulled by the warmth of the hot water. Steam billowed around him as he stepped out, wrapping a fluffy white hotel towel around his waist. A creature of habit, he reached for his shave kit to retrieve his toothbrush and toothpaste only to find it wasnât on the cabinet. He had forgotten it in his bag by the bed.
âLily?â he called out, âI forgot my shave kit in my duffle bag. Can you grab it for me?â He waited for a moment but didnât hear her through the bathroom door, so he opened it. âLily?â
With no reply he stepped further around the corner the bathroom was tucked around, eyes surveying the room. âLil?â She was nowhere to be seen. It wasnât unlike her, really. She, too, was a creature of habit, and her first habit on entering a hotel was to fill the ice bucket. He smiled as he made his way to the bed, but the smile faded quickly. His eyes fell on the empty ice bucket still on the table, and then he saw her crumpled form on the floor at the edge of the bed. âLil!â
In two long strides he covered the distance to her and knelt at her side. She was face down, and he quickly rolled her to her back, shaking her shoulders. âLil? Lily!â he called, trying to rouse her. Her face was pale, lips blue. His water-wrinkled fingers dug into her neck as he felt for her pulse.
Unsatisfied, he pressed his ear to her chest, but the way her shirt and bra were bunched up made it impossible. He forcefully ripped the shirt off her and tried again to hear. Her heart thudded irregularly in her chest, a dangerous combination of skips and beats.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/cifaxqo39s8ib3t/Racing.wav?dl=0
He forcefully ripped the shirt off her and tried again to hear. Her heart thudded irregularly in her chest, a dangerous combination of skips and beats. He adeptly worked her corset-like bra off, breasts tinged with blue as they fell loose. He balled his fist and slammed it hard between her breasts, then a second time, hoping to correct the arrhythmia. He didnât bother to recheck her pulse, not yet. If it did or didnât work didnât matter. She wasnât breathing.
He drew up on his knees and traced the curve of her ribs, finding his landmark. The fingers of his right hand laced between those of his left, his arms locked, and he began swift, deep compressions. Her breasts bounced and abdomen rippled as he forced her blood to circulate. He counted under his breath, focused intently on his task.
It was something he would never have expected to do. Not to her. Not like this.
They had done this many times before though, when they were free of responsibilities and able to play. Itâs how they had initially met and this intimate dance of life and death was by now an old pastime. He knew the way her breasts bounced under his hands. He knew the way his breath felt going in her lungs. He knew the way she would relax her gaze and hold the pose, seeming unconscious as she gave everything to the illusion, the play. But never like this.
The thought pulled at him. Most of what they had between them were non-functional props, but some did work. Finishing the round of compressions, he dove for his bag, fingers hooking the handle and dragging it closer. He unzipped the bag in a fluid motion and found the few bits of functioning equipment. He put the battery operated pulse oximeter on her finger, nail beds having already grown blue, and turned it on. He wasnât sure what he expected, but it chimed with a tone he had never heard before. He attached the mask to an Ambu bag and sealed it against her colorless face, squeezing air into her lungs. Her chest rose and fell, not as high as before, but it was adequate. He had a digital stethoscope which he also set aside and dug out the AED.There were a single pair of pads in the kit, along with loose electrodes for the ecg. He didnât bother with the ecg. It was notoriously unreliable and he didnât know how to read it anyway. That was her expertise.
There were a single pair of pads in the kit, along with loose electrodes for the ecg. He didnât bother with the ecg. It was notoriously unreliable and he didnât know how to read it anyway. That was her expertise.
He tore the adhesive aed pads from their backing. Following the illustrated instructions, he adhered them to her now bare chest, and switched on the device. It took a while to warm up and he took the opportunity to begin a new round of compressions, again counting under his breath. âAnalyzing rhythm, everyone stand clear.â
He leaned back, breathing hard, while the device analyzed. âShock advised, chargingâ
The device whined as it charged. His own heart hammered uncomfortably fast as he watched her laying motionless before him. The tone shifted abruptly. âShock advised. Stand clear and press the shock button.â The yellow triangle flickered. He reached out and smashed the button.
There was no delay. A dull thud sounded between them, quickly giving way to silence. The shock wasnât like the movies. Her torso didnât spasm, chest didnât jerk or bounce. Her eyes continued to stare unfocused.
Her chest didnât rise and fall. He pressed his lips back to hers and filled her lungs with his hot breath. Another breath and his hands were back on her sternum, compressing in time with the metronome. âCâmon Lil,â he growled.
He felt the burn begin to build in his shoulder blades, water from the shower being replaced with beads of perspiration. He grew hot and the towel began to fall from where it had been loosely tied around his waist. He didnât care. His focus was singular as he tended to his task. https://www.dropbox.com/s/ib17phldz2uhiu3/RP%20part%20b.wav?dl=0
With the round of compressions completed, the AED instructed him that it was analyzing rhythm again and to stand clear. He couldnât. He pressed his lips to hers again. âBreatheâ. https://www.dropbox.com/s/evnzs5xmx19c6eb/Rp%20part%20c.wav?dl=0
She looked frail. Helpless. His heart pounded frantically. âShock advised. Chargingâ
That had to be a good sign. When the tone changed, he pressed the button again. There was a slight twitch timed with the dull thud. The device announced the shock was delivered. He pressed his fingers to her neck.
Her heart was beating. It was fast but regular. His eyes stung abruptly.
His hands scooped up the Ambu bag and he pressed the mask back to her face, repositioning her head at the same time. He squeezed the bag hard and probably too quickly, filling her lungs over and over again, the valve hissing with each exhale. âCome on Lil, breathe baby.â
Her eyes blinked slowly and he paused bagging her. Her breaths were weak and shallow but independent. âThatâs it,â he coaxed her, squeezing the bag slower, in time with her breaths. Her eyes tracked to his face slowly, drawn by his voice. âBreathe. Iâve got you.â
Lily closed her eyes briefly, overwhelmed. Her everything was sore. âLil...? Open your eyes Lily.â She complied with his urgent command.
He provided a few more squeezes from the bag then set the bag aside by her head in case he needed it again. He picked up the stethoscope and fitted the ear pieces into his ears. Without bothering to warm the diaphragm, he pressed it to her chest, listening intently. With the sound of her heart beating in his ears, he pressed his fingers to her pulse points, feeling. https://www.dropbox.com/s/93u0ioy19obb47p/Stemskips.wav?dl=0
Her pulse was still fast, maybe too fast, but he was reassured by the sound, the feel. He closed his eyes. Her cold fingers brushed his cheek gently, wiping away his tears. He smiled slightly and leaned into her touch, turning his lips to her fingers.
They didnât talk for a long time. He sat, listening to her heartbeat. Her breathing. He checked her blood pressure. It was low but improving. Her pulse slowed eventually, still elevated but not dangerously. The pulse oximeter stopped its warning tone when her heart rate and oxygen returned to acceptable ranges.
He could have made a joke. That was his style, but no words were adequate. After several more minutes on the floor, he scooped her into his arms and held her close before helping her into the bed. She left the pads in place, just in case, knowing it would likely leave a mark. Bruises were already forming on her chest too.
With her settled on the bed, he laid down beside her, not bothering to dress or cover himself. He pressed his ear back to her chest, crying silently. He shook with the post-emergency adrenaline crash. She held his head against her gently while he processed what happened, her silent touch a comfort. He had pulled her back from the brink, both of their hearts thumped in the same sinus rhythm. He wasnât sure what happened, but she was safe. That is all that mattered.
Her breathing became deep an even as she slept. He finally allowed the last of his tension melt from his shoulders as he relaxed, her heart still beating his beer his ear. He closed her s eyes, lost in her sounds and in moments he was asleep too.
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