#lochnessshipping

Then there was the shouting, everything in Raihan’s body telling him something is horribly wrong. He turned around to see Milo emerging from the water with Nessa in his arms. Milo’s face reflects Raihan’s worst fears. The sweet farm boy looks horrified as he follows whatever instructions Sonia is directing him as he sets Nessa down on the sand. The ice is thrown to the ground, Raihan racing back to the group with Leon hot on his heels.

Raihan pushes past the growing crowd of people, falling to his knees beside Nessa’s prone body. “What the hell happened?” 

“I-I don’t know,” Sonia confesses, “we were splashing around and then something just.” Sonia takes in a deep breath, “she went under and wouldn’t come up. I-I had to…She’s not breathing Rai.”

The words still his own breath, teal eyes franticing taking in the frozen body. It didn’t make sense, Nessa practically lived in the water. It was like her second home. She was the best swimmer he’s ever known. So what happened?

He thinks he hears his name. Maybe feels a hand on his shoulder, but he can focus. He needs to focus on Nessa. She needs help. She needs him. There’s no time for him to wallow. He just hopes someone was quick enough to call for help.

 Raihan moves before he can begin thinking the worst, opening Nessa’ mouth and checking for obstruction that could conflict with her breathing. Sonia was sadly telling the truth as Raihan felt no puffs of air against his skin. He takes a deep breath, offering one quick glance around. Milo, Leon and Piers are working together to disperse the group of onlookers. Sonia’s on her phone, tears rolling down her cheeks. He feels a wetness on his own cheeks, quickly wiping at them before continuing. 

“You’re not leaving me, Ness,” he mutters, clasping his hands together and pressing the heel into the center of her chest. 

“Come on,” he continues, counting his compressions. 

Twenty-six.

Twenty-seven.

Twenty-eight.

Twenty-nine. 

Thirty.

He tilts her back and lifts her chin, pinching her nose shut as he places his mouth over her and blows. Nessa’s rises once and breathes more air into lungs in hopes of awakening her. 

Raihan sits back, worried eyes on her still chest. 

“Damn it!” He starts again. 

Hands clasp. Thirty chest compressions. Two breaths. 

No rising chest. 

He cries and curses, but doesn’t stop. He tries again and again, wondering when the paramedics will arrive. Hoping with everything in his being that if he can’t save her, they can. 

It’s not until he’s blown air into her lungs for a fifth time that things change. Raihan just sat back when Nessa’s body jolted, water gurgling up and out of her mouth as she tried to expel the water from her lungs. He’s quick and careful, Leon rushing over to help as they turn her to cough up the rest of the water. 

He hears a faint ‘thank god’ from behind him belonging to Sonia.  

“You did it, Rai.” Leon offers a comforting smile as he helps get Nessa situated in Raihan’s arms. “The medics are here.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Raihan’s only half listening to his best friend, eyes on the woman he loves more than anything. 

Nessa’s eyes are still closed, her chest heaving as she works on catching her breath. He holds her tightly, a shaky hand coming up to brush wayward hair from her face.

He smiles as she finally opens her eyes, blue clashing with his. A weak smile graces her lips, “Rai.”

“Hey, save your energy,” he says softly. The medics are asking to take her and he really should let them, but he also doesn’t want to let her go. “You scared me, you know. Guess those lessons you always dragged me to paid off.”

She tries to talk again, but he stops her. He promises she can talk all she wants after the doctors give her a good look over to make sure she’s fine. For now, he lets the medics take her, watching as they carefully put her on a stretcher. He’s surprised when they ask if he wanted to ride along with her. They don’t need to ask twice.

Raihan almost feels bad about leaving the other four to clean up as he climbs in with Nessa. Almost. He takes her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze and offering his best smile as he looks down at her. They’ve put a breathing mask over her mouth to help her as they begin the drive to the hospital.