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His initiative snaps me into action. I call out for people to give them space, pulling out my cell phone to call 911. The guy in the construction jacket starts physically moving the crowd back.
As I am talking to the operator, Micah assesses the situation and carefully positions her body to lay flat on the ground. Her hair is matted with blood but there doesn’t seem to be any active bleeding.
“I’m going to start CPR.”
Micah starts the compressions, and I keep the operator updated on what’s happening while we wait for EMS to arrive.
Another person darts out of the crowd and kneels down next to Micah. “I can help, I’m certified.”
The stranger listens to the count of the compressions, holding his fingers to her neck. They alternate giving compressions and checking her pulse like a well-oiled machine while I stay on the line. Just as we hear the sirens pull up to the edge of the park, the girl groans and opens her eyes.
Wow.
The moment she opens them I feel… sucked in. I’ve never met her before, but I feel a familiarity I don’t understand. Who is she?
She looks up at us in confusion as she struggles to sit up.
“Don’t try to move, it looks like you have a head injury.” The stranger tries to calm her, but she looks terrified and tries to scramble back.
Now that she’s awake, two other people have stepped up next to us. Five of us stare back at her with varying levels of care, worry, or astonishment. Do any of these men know her?
As if it could get more hectic, she starts ranting about running - they’re coming for her and they’re coming for us. She’s clearly in shock. There’s a confused jumble of activity as all five of us attempt to soothe her, but she’s insistent on trying to tell us to run.
She’s in a full-out panic by the time the EMTs arrive and load her onto a gurney. They’re taking her vitals and talking to the man that helped Micah do CPR when she starts seizing.
Her whole body is convulsing, strangled sounds coming out of her mouth followed by red-tinged foam. The paramedics hold her steady while one of them stabs a needle into her thigh. It takes a moment for the convulsions to stop before she passes out.
As if in a trance, the five of us follow the EMTs as they load her into the back of the ambulance. I’m overcome with the temptation to ride along with her, but I don’t have any connection to this woman or know anything about her.
The man who helped Micah do CPR is talking to the paramedic climbing into the driver’s seat, straightening his suit as he walks back to us.
“They’re taking her to Barnaby Falls Medical Center, and I’m going to follow. I’m parked over here if anyone wants to ride with me.” He barely pauses before turning on his polished heel and walking over to a sleek black SUV.
My logical brain tries to catch up to the rest of me, every inch of my being ready to chase after the girl in the back of that ambulance. My chest feels tight and I’m processing a rollercoaster of emotions I don’t understand. I take a second to look around at the other three men standing next to me, and it looks like I’m not the only one wanting to follow along and make sure she’s okay.
Micah is still watching the ambulance as it pulls out of the park, lights and sirens blaring. When he finally turns around, we share a concerned look before he looks away. With a sharp nod, he heads towards the SUV.
Despite my hope Micah would end up next to me, he jumps into the passenger seat while I tuck myself into the third row. A heavily tattooed guy wearing a black t-shirt, ripped jeans, and combat boots gets in behind the driver, and the guy in the construction vest sits behind Micah, pulling a dirty backpack onto his lap.
The vehicle rolls forward the second all the doors slam closed. I haven’t been to the hospital since the night my parents died. They were pronounced dead on arrival, and I had to identify them. Micah held my hand the whole time.
“Will they tell us anything, do you think?” I’m mostly thinking out loud, but it’s a possibility that needs to be considered. “We aren’t family or even friends, they’re not likely to let us back or tell us anything.”
As the words come out of my mouth, I come to the concerning realization that I am perfectly willing to stand and wait for as long as it takes to know she’s okay.
Our driver addresses us over his shoulder, “My father owns the hospital, so I think I can get them to make some reasonable exceptions. As long as we’re all respectful of her privacy, I think they’ll let us in to see her once she’s stable.”
“Oh. Okay.”
I can’t think of anything better to say. The suit and the luxury SUV make it pretty obvious that he has money, but I’d never met an Adley in the flesh. Their family basically owns Barnaby Falls, as well as a huge pharmaceuticals company and various other enterprises. This must be Bennet, the sole heir to the Adley empire.
As interesting as it is to find myself tied up with such an interesting person, I’m mostly curious about the girl and what prompted everyone else to follow the ambulance. Even as logic and instinct are competing inside me, I tell myself I’m just being a concerned citizen and nothing more.
Nothing more.
Luis
What am I doing in the back of this stranger’s car?
