Page 40 of Beginnings By the Sea

“Do you need help with him?” I shouted over my shoulder as Miles ran back to the car.

“No! You work on her. I got this!” he hollered back.

I removed my medical kit, carefully inspected her wound, and applied a sterile dressing to protect it from contamination. Suddenly, her honey-colored eyes fluttered open wide with fear and confusion. She attempted to sit up, but I gently guided her back onto the ground. Immediately she glanced at her car and let out a pained cry.

“Oh my God . . . Brian! Where’s my husband? Is he okay?”

“He’ll be fine,” I murmured, continuing to bandage up her head carefully. There was also a gash on her shoulder which was oozing blood. The more she moved, the more she bled. “Just stay still,” I said, keeping my voice calm and soft. “Help is on the way. What’s your name?”

She closed her eyes and tears fell down her face and into her light warm brown hair. “Emily. My name’s Emily.”

I glanced over at Miles, who had Brian on the ground. My heart sank when I watched him take Brian’s pulse, and a pained expression passed across his face. Miles got into position and looked at me quickly; all I could do was nod. He started CPR and I sent a silent prayer to the heavens, begging for help.

“I want to see Brian!” Emily demanded, trying to look his way.

I moved into her line of sight so she couldn’t see Miles working on him. Tears stung my eyes, but I concentrated on her wounds.

“You have a wound on your shoulder that needs to be cleaned. I’m a doctor. Just stay still for me,” I ordered.

Emily was on the verge of a hysterical panic attack, and I could see it about to burst free. It was clear how much she loved Brian and couldn’t rest until she knew he was okay. I saw so much of myself in her because I would’ve been the same way. I could hear Miles faintly counting out his repetitions, which was the last thing Emily needed to hear. She needed to be calmed down before the wound on her shoulder opened further. I started to hum, and then, out of nowhere, I was singing the words to a Celine Dion song. With Gina singing them every day while at the office, it was hard not to remember them.

Emily stared at me as I sang to her while bandaging her shoulder. After a few seconds, she joined in, and it seemed to calm her. Soon, I had her wound dressed, but the blood was seeping through the cloth. Emily started to cry again, but I cupped her cheeks, gently rubbing her tears away.

“Shh, it’s okay. Tell me about Brian. Do you have kids?”

Emily nodded and closed her eyes. I took that time to look over my shoulder; Miles was still performing CPR.

“We’ve been married two years,” Emily whispered, grimacing in pain. The adrenaline of the crash had to be wearing off. She sniffled and opened her eyes. “We’re trying to have kids. I’m two weeks late and I was going to take a test when we got home.”

I slid my hands off her face and carefully held her hands. “That’s amazing news, Emily,” I murmured, trying to keep my own tears at bay.

Her lips trembled and more tears fell. “What if I’m pregnant? What if the baby’s not okay?”

I gently squeezed her hands. “Help is on the way. You’re going to be taken care of.”

Just then, I heard a strangled gasp for air, and my heart jumped. I quickly looked over my shoulder and Brian’s eyes were open, his chest heaving up and down. Miles had a hand on his shoulder and Brian turned our way, clearly searching for Emily. I moved out of the way so he could see her and she could see him. Their eyes locked and she let out a relieved sigh. She mouthed the words “I love you” to him and he did the same to her.

In the distance, the sirens blared, and it wasn’t long before the whole road was filled with ambulances, police cars, and fire trucks. Everything was going to be okay.

18

MILES

I watched Emily and Brian get loaded into their ambulances and whisked away with the lights blaring. Out of all my years as a firefighter, I’d never had to perform CPR on anyone. When I didn’t feel Brian’s pulse, I didn’t even hesitate. I knew what I had to do, and I was going to do everything in my power to save him.

Once the police officers and the medical crews heard my and Nyla’s side of the story, they left us on our own. However, before we could go, several news vans pulled up and they were directed to us after speaking with the police. I felt a bead of sweat roll down the back of my neck as the reporters crowded around us, shoving microphones in our faces. My mind was still reeling from everything that just happened.

One of the reporters, a tall woman with a shock of dark brown hair, leaned in close. “Can you tell us what happened here today?” she asked, her expression curious.

I hesitated momentarily before nodding, feeling Nyla’s comforting hand on my shoulder. “We were riding behind the victims’ SUV, and they must’ve been startled when some deer ran out into the road. They lost control of their car, and we watched it flip about three times before going into the embankment.” I looked over at Nyla and sighed before turning back to the cameras. “We pulled the victims out of the car and tended to them before the paramedics came.”

The reporter brought her microphone back to her mouth. “One of the officers said you saved the male victim, that you performed CPR on him. Is that true?”

I nodded in response. “I did. I’m a firefighter and I knew what I had to do.” Reaching down, I grabbed Nyla’s hand. “Dr. Nyla Clark here helped the female victim. She had some nasty gashes that Dr. Clark treated. I’m just glad we were able to help.”

The reporter nodded and beamed at us. “You two are heroes. The victims are lucky you were close by.”

She focused on the camera and wrapped up the interview. We answered a few more questions from the other reporters, which lasted over half an hour. The adrenaline I had pounding through me earlier had left me, and all I was feeling now was mental exhaustion. The same thing went for Nyla, judging by how she leaned into me for support as we walked back to my 4Runner.

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