Page 81 of Misery and Ecstasy

“Okay, thank you,” she says to the operator before looking at me.

“Paramedics are on their way.” She squeezes my hand reassuringly. “There’s nothing for us to do but wait.”

“Thank you.” I nod to her as I finally hear the sound of sirens in the distance.

“She’s going to be okay.” When Olivia speaks, it sounds as though she’s trying to convince herself just as much as she’s trying to convince me.

Five minutes later, the paramedics arrive.

It’s the longest five minutes of my life.

Olivia meets them outside and leads them up to the bathroom. I hear her explaining to them what happened as they approach.

“Sir, I need you to step out of the bathroom so we can get in there and do our jobs.”

Reluctantly, I lay McKinsey’s head against the tile floor and get out of their way. Olivia and I stand shoulder to shoulder as we watch them work on the doc.

They find a pulse, but it’s weak.

Her breathing is shallow, so they give her oxygen.

My heart breaks into a thousand pieces, watching her lay there, helpless to do anything.

Finally, they get her situated on a cot and strap her in so they can move her safely downstairs and onto a stretcher.

“I’m riding with you.” I rush to catch up to the paramedics before they lift her into the ambulance.

“Sorry, we have someone in training today, so there’s no room in the back.”Oh, come on.“But you guys are more than welcome to follow us there.”

Fuck.

“Come on, Draven.” Olivia pulls me away from the ambulance when she notices me getting angry.

“Fine, but I’m driving.” I wait for her to argue with me, but she doesn’t.

Thankfully.

“Check in at the desk in the ER,” one of the paramedics calls out to us once they get McKinsey loaded in the back. “They’ll tell you what room she’s in as soon as she gets one assigned to her.”

With panic strangling my chest, I drop into the driver’s seat of my car.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

MCKINSEY

“How’s her oxygen?”

“And her pulse?”

I don’t recognize the voices in my ears.

My arms and legs feel heavy, my body rocking gently against some sort of cushion beneath me.

There is something uncomfortable over my mouth. I try to reach up to grab it, but my arm will only go so far.

“Ma’am, can you hear me?”

Slowly opening my eyes, the scene before me bleeds into view. I don’t understand what I’m seeing.

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