Page 34 of Everything We Left Unsaid

“Nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?”

“I need an ambulance. NOW!”

“What’s the address, sir?”

“Damn it! I don’t know. Can’t you just trace the call? My girlfriend’s grandmother is having a heart attack,” I explain breathlessly. “I’m doing CPR right now. She needs to get to the hospital!”

“What is the victim’s name? I may be able to pull her address that way.”

“Ama. Umm, Ama... shit, I don’t know her last name. My girlfriend’s name is Abby Harris. They live together. Can you find her that way?”

The emergency operator’s voice is calm and reassuring. “I know exactly where you are, sir. I’m sending an ambulance now.”

“Thank you.” I’d breathe a sigh of relief if I could stop long enough to catch my breath.

“I’ll stay on the line with you until the EMTs arrive.”

“Okay.” Not that it matters. My phone is lying next to me on the floor and I don’t intend to stop chest compressions long enough to end the call. Thank God I took that class at the Y last spring, or Ama would be in even more trouble.

Within minutes, the squad guys are knocking on the door. I yell for them to come in and one takes over for me while another places a mask on her face and begins squeezing oxygen into her lungs. I rush to Chloe and pull her out of her high chair, holding her tight as she cries.

“We have a pulse,” EMT number one announces.

“Oxygenation is good,” EMT number two adds, glancing at his portable monitor. “IV is in place. Let’s get her in the truck.” They load her onto the gurney and wheel her out. I follow them onto the front porch.

“Were you present when she went down?” Number two asks.

“Yes.”

“You’ll need to get to the hospital. They’re gonna have questions for you.”

“Okay,” I respond numbly. They close the door and peel out of the driveway, racing to her salvation. I hope I did enough to give them a head start.

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