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I ignored whomever he was and kept pushing.
“They’re just hurting a corpse,” another voice volunteered.
My gut recoiled, and I kept pushing.
“This is just a waste of time.”
Was it? Was I fighting for something that was already over?
Worse than the freezing lake, my despair was making it hard for me to breathe. I arrived too late. I couldn’t get to her in time. I’d failed one of the best things that’d ever happened to me.
Spiraling inside my head in desperation, my pushing became erratic, and I was weakening.
Snapping in anger, Mia turned around, pulled one of the men from the waistband of his pants until he dropped on his knees beside her, and palmed his neck, pulling his face closer until their noses were almost touching. “If you jerks are u-unable to shut your f-freaking trap, b-be useful or g-get the hell away from here.” She looked at me and ordered, “K-keep pushing. She’s not d-dead until she’s w-warm and d-declared dead. And I’m not d-declaring anyone.”
I tried to resume the maneuver, but I was lost in my head, consumed by grief and the obvious scenario I wasn’t ready to admit.
Something—rather someone—pulled me from my drenched, freezing shirt, and Mia’s angry face showed up right in front of me. “I t-told you I’d take over if you l-lost control. Pull it t-together and work.” Slapping my hands away, Mia took my position on Lisa’s chest. “I’ll do the p-pushing, and you blow.”
I shook my head and felt like a heavy hand was gripping my heart. “She’s gon—”
“Blow!” she boomed. Mia commenced pushing on Lisa’s chest and yelled over her shoulders, “And you f-fuckers do something, or g-get the help you can’t provide. B-bring jackets, t-towels, anything warm.” Snapping out of my stupor, I breathed into Lisa’s mouth right before Mia resumed pushing on her chest. “We’re not l-losing anyone else. Not t-today.Not today.”
She pushed with purpose, and I regained my focus. It was so cold, I couldn’t even feel my lips, and I tried to convince myself the rigidness of Lisa’s body was due to the weather, and nothing more. We were getting Lisa back. I wouldn’t accept any other outcome. She was coming back.
After a couple more times, I blew again inside her mouth, and her chest rose right before she started coughing, with lots of water coming out of her mouth. I positioned her so she was lying on her side and didn’t choke on the water she was expelling. And for the first time, I breathed in relief.
Mia threw her body back, lying on the snow with her hands over her face in relief and disbelief. After Lisa’s coughing stopped, I pulled her up to cradle her into my chest. She looked around, lost, as if not understanding what was happening.
With our adrenaline crashing, the cold was becoming noticeable to Mia, Lisa, and me. Our bodies shook, and our teeth clattered loudly, yet I couldn’thelp smiling. I dropped a kiss on Lisa’s cold forehead and left them pressed there, breathing her in.
Aaron and Ben ran to us, both of them holding what seemed to be coats. When I saw the bruises on Ben’s neck, I was once again awash with late terror and relief at what we could’ve lost.
He kneeled close to us and pulled Mia sitting up by her arm. After he helped her pull her undershirt off, he threw the coat over her shoulder and hugged her against his chest as she shook and clutched his arms, while he rubbed her arms and back to keep her warm.
Aaron did the same to me and Lisa, taking off our soaked clothes. He draped the other coat over Lisa and took off his jacket to place it over my shoulders, rubbing our backs and pressing us closer to infuse some warmth until the ambulance came for us.
I peppered Lisa’s face with kisses and held her tighter. I peered up to see Mia and Ben watching us with relief. If Mia’s red nose and red eyes were any indication, the droplets running down her face weren’t only from the lake.
Just like mine weren’t.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
“You should eat more of your soup. It’ll keep you warm.”
I was wearing so many clothes, it was even hard to move my arms. I had a blanket over my legs and a beanie on my head. Yet for Danny, that wasn’t enough. He was sitting on my hospital bed, facing me as I leaned against the headboard.
I smiled at him in reassurance. “I’m plenty warm.” He didn’t seem convinced, wearing a worried look on his handsome face. “I’m fine, I swear. I’m warm, I’m healthy, and I’m full. You should follow your own advice and eat as well.”
“I will after I’m sure you’re fine.” He reluctantly left the bowl of soup on the rolling table and leaned closer to caress my face. “If you feel anything different, please,pleaselet me know.”
I nodded and motioned him closer with my hand. “Come sit next to me.” He carefully fit his big frame at my side and pulled me into his chest, playing with my hair. “When can we see Fee again?”
“As soon as we get home.”Home. I knew he didn’t mean my parents’ house. “Mom texted. She said Sofia was so sad that she couldn’t come here. But I thought it’d be better if you had your time to recover first, so Mom will spend the night with her, and they’re planning a play date at the Bryants’ tomorrow. If we stay in the hospital for more than a couple of days, I’ll see a way to let her come visit us.”
Since my death scare in the lake, my being so long without breathing, and Danny, Mia, and I having hypothermia, the doctors decided it’d be best if we stayed a while under observation. Danny tried to convince the hospital staff we should all be in the same room, but it’d be too crowded, so Mia was somewhere else. And since we were taken directly to the hospital, we hadn’t had a chance to check on Fee again.
“I miss her.”
