Butterfly Girl
Page 19
As Louis and I walked through the sliding glass door into the ER, it was eerily quiet. I wouldn’t dare say the Q word out loud. According to Louis, Charlie, and Alexis—all who were emergency medical personnel—saying the Q word would bring about some kind of disastrous tornado of events. Then the devil himself would drop out of the sky and a fireball of havoc would wreak onto the emergency room. So I wouldn’t say the word. But it felt creepy. It was too quiet.
Tiffany waved to Louis and me once we approached the triage window. The wooden door to the ER swung open so that my friend and I could enter the main part of the department. I distributed coffee cups to Tiffany, Carolyn—who was the charge nurse tonight—and of course, my sister. Charlie happily grabbed the cup out of the cardboard carrier, and without even saying thank you, she was giving goo-goo eyes to Louis.
I searched for the woman who was firmly rooted in my heart as I continued to hold her large hot chocolate in the last occupied cup holder of the cardboard carrier. But before I was able to lay eyes on my butterfly girl, I heard her. However, the voice of the woman I loved screeched through the air after a thunderous crash and a loud slap resonated against the tiled floor. “I need some help over here!”
Hearing my girlfriend yell that she needed help sent me running in the direction of that voice faster than rest of the ER personnel. I didn’t recognize the area of the department where she was. But as I ran to Lex, I saw a man in a white coat collapsed on the floor next to her.
“I feel like we’ve done this before,” Louis said to Charlie very nonchalantly. I remembered hearing the story of the old man who had collapsed in front of them in the grocery store. They seemed pretty calm for recognizing that bad luck presented itself in front of them at least twice now.
“We make a good team, Coleman.” She gave Louis one quick wink while Tiffany and Carolyn rolled a stretcher close to the fallen man.
“Ohmigod, Dr. Collins!” Tiffany shrieked as she recognized the man on the ground as the physician on duty in the ER that night.
“Cam, help me lift him onto the stretcher,” Louis said, and I complied. I grabbed his legs while he scooped his arms through the doctor’s armpits, and we hoisted him onto the gurney.
The six of us quickly rolled the stretcher into an exam room and began to perform CPR and advanced life support measures. As an athletic trainer, I was trained in CPR, but the more advanced skills involved in saving someone’s life were foreign to me. I could ice down injuries and wrap an ankle, and even diagnose a concussion, but a collapsed player without a pulse needed a paramedic as fast as humanly possible.
So without a doctor able to act as the leader in this situation, that left Louis to assume the role. He was calm and organized a coordinated effort. He assigned each of us roles and communicated effectively. Dr. Collins wasn’t breathing and didn’t have a pulse, so my job was to provide chest compressions. Charlie attached a heart monitor to the physician’s chest. Whatever heart rhythm was identified on the screen required a jolt of electricity to shock the heart back into a normal, effective rhythm. After a failed attempt, Tiffany inserted an IV catheter to administer him life-saving drugs. Lex was at the head of the bed, providing rescue breathing through a mask until Louis was able to slip a breathing tube into his windpipe and provide life-sustaining breaths and oxygen directly into his lungs.
Carolyn had called someone on her portable phone and was busy writing down the tasks we had completed. She offered to switch out compressions with me, but I felt bad having a woman do such physical labor. Fortunately, I was physically fit, but I still imagined I would be sore the next day. I was sure I wouldn’t need to work out my arms for a few days.
Louis instructed me to hold off on compressions to get a good reading on the cardiac monitor again. He called for everyone to remain clear of the patient while he delivered another jolt of electricity.
This time, the nurses and Louis seemed pleased by the resulting heart rhythm that danced across the monitor. Charlie pressed two fingers on the doctor’s neck and reported, “He has a pulse.”
After a simultaneous sigh of relief from the four nurses and Louis, I was instructed that I didn’t need to resume compressions. Several minutes passed by, but everything seemed to move so quickly that things proceeded in a blur of rapid events. I heard talk about myocardial infarction, and cardiac cath lab, and calling staff in to open up a vessel in his heart.
Then, before I could even conceive how much time had elapsed, what time it was, or what was even happening, a team of people in scrubs wearing masks and surgical caps collected the stretcher and pushed Dr. Collins out of the ER. There were hugs exchanged and cheers exclaimed. Charlie and Louis kissed. Lex and I did as well. Carolyn informed us that another physician was on his way in to complete the shift. Apparently, the ER was on a divert pattern until the next doctor arrived, so no other patients could enter by ambulance or helicopter. There was some concern on what to do if a walk-in patient arrived, but the general consensus was to cross that bridge when it presented itself.
The oncoming physician thanked Louis profusely for his help. It was close to one in the morning, and I had to work at six forty-five, but I was too wound up to relax enough to go to sleep. So I invited Louis back to my apartment for a beer.
“You were amazing tonight. I don’t know how you maintained your cool. I’m not sure how any of you did,” I said to Louis as we sat in my apartment, each taking long swallows of beer.
“It’s my job. I’m just glad we were there when he collapsed. He just as easily could’ve fallen while in the bathroom, and it could have been a really long before he was found.”
“Well, out of all the crazy stuff I’ve seen you do, tonight definitely takes the cake. You saved that doctor’s life.” We’d received word that Dr. Collins survived the cardiac catheterization procedure and was able to have his occluded heart vessel re-opened.
Our phones simultaneously vibrated with an incoming text. It was the group chat with Charlie.
Charlie: The crisis response team came into the ER for a debriefing. Tiffany had a hard time getting herself together, so Carolyn sent her home after the debriefing.
Cam: You okay?
Charlie: Yes. Of course. My boyfriend is freaking awesome, so I’m basking in that right now. I’ve been listening to how he’s a hero over and over again.
Louis: [smiley face with tongue sticking out]
Cam: Great. Now he’s going to have to sleep on my couch. His head won’t be able to fit out the door to leave.
Louis: I’ll force it if I have to. I can’t wait to see you at home in a few hours.
Cam: [puking emoji] Did you both forget I’m on this group chat?
Alexis: [GIF dancing] I love that I’m on the group text now too!
Charlie: [laughing emoji]
I hadn’t realized Lex was on the group text. It was definitely a different dynamic now. It had been Charlie, Louis, and me for so long. Then it was just Charlie and me for the last five years. It was so good for our threesome to be back together, but with the addition of Lex, we had definitely transitioned from being three friends to two couples. I was okay with that. I felt like Lex was going to be part of our group from now on.
The following weekend was Labor Day weekend. The four of us decided to take a road trip to Williamsburg. It was only a three-hour drive, and we planned to visit the large amusement park there. Lex had never been to a carnival before I took her to one. There were lame-ass rides there, but she enjoyed herself, so I was excited to see what she thought of true roller coasters.
We arrived at the amusement park early on Friday evening. The crowd wasn’t too bad, so we were able to ride a few roller coasters without having to wait terribly long. The air was humid, so the moisture hung low and thick. My clothes clung to my torso, and the hanging moisture had the hair surrounding Lex’s face spiraling into little ringlets while the bulk of her hair remained pulled back into a ponytail. Her blue eyes remained wide with excitement the entire time we st
rolled through the park. I held her hand the traditional way as we walked, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells.
People-watching had been a long-time hobby of mine, so there were throngs of people for me to observe. I watched their body language and their mannerisms. I noticed Lex frequently fidget with the small purse she wore across her chest. I hoped she realized that I wouldn’t ever let anything happen to her. Luckily, I told her that her bag would be searched before entering the park, so she would need to take out her pocketknife. I was certain that added to her inability to completely relax.
She was a people watcher, too. She was very attuned to how close someone was, and even if she wasn’t looking, she was completely aware of someone’s presence. With a crowd of people surrounding us at every turn, she was probably on a little bit of sensory overload. Her body language was somewhere between excitement and cautious. So I stopped walking and pulled her into a hug. Louis and Charlie continued their pace.
“I love you, Butterfly,” I spoke directly into her ear as I leaned down with her against me. I wanted to make sure she heard me through the noise of the crowd.
She pulled her sparkling blue gaze up to me and displayed a broad smile. “I know.” Then she placed her cheek on my chest and squeezed me tighter. “Thank you for everything.”
I broke away from our embrace long enough to drag her away from the passing crowd to an area near the restrooms by a fountain statue. It was the kind of fountain that displayed a statue of a woman dressed in cloth spewing water out of her extended arms into a surrounding pool of water.
“If you haven’t figured it out by now, I want to show you the world. I want to be there for all your firsts.” I linked my thumb with hers in the way that was so special to us. “I can only pray that I make you as happy as you make me. You are my world.” I looked into the depths of her eyes, and I could see the slightest quiver in her facial features. My God, I didn’t want to make her cry. “I love our story. I love that I had the pleasure of being your first friend as a child, and I love that I get to be your first boyfriend. My parents adore you. Louis wants to look after you. And Charlie has her first female best friend. You make life perfect.” Before I could finish my last thought, she was stretching up on the tips of her toes so she could and kiss me.
It definitely wasn’t a chaste kiss. She kissed me like no one was watching. Maybe she was aware people were watching but didn’t care. I certainly didn’t care at that moment. I would gladly welcome her warm tongue into my mouth whenever the opportunity presented itself.
“Cam, I love that you have shared your life with me,” she said when she finally broke away. She wasn’t crying. She was smiling brightly at me. “My life sucked for a long time. You were the shining star in my darkness so many years ago. And now, you have let me spend some time in that wonderful life you have. You have shown me what friendship is by sharing your friends with me. You have shown me what it’s like to have a family by sharing yours with me. And most of all, you have shown me love. I had no idea what love even was until you shared your heart with me. I’ll never be able to tell you how very important you have become to me. But I will show you that I love you every chance I get. Because I do love you. I love you with every fiber of my being. I love you with the intensity of a rocket being launched into outer space. I’m eternally grateful that you have shared your life and your love with me.”
I lifted our hands and kissed her fingers.
“I’m never going to walk away again. You’re stuck with me now.” Lex’s lips pulled upward into the most adorable smile just as my phone vibrated in my front pocket. Lex pulled her cell out of her purse at the same time as I reached for mine. We received a text simultaneously.
Charlie: We are in line at the teacups. Hurry so we can ride together!
Cam: We’ll be right there.
Louis: Where did you disappear to anyway?
Alexis: Went to see a fountain.
Louis: ???
Charlie: [puking face emoji]
I loved my circle of friends. Lex and I slipped our phones back into place, and I clutched her hand tightly as I led her to the teacups as quickly as I could maneuver through the walkways surrounded by people and vendors. We met up with Charlie and Louis in time to ride in the same cup together. Louis and I spun the teacup so fast that I thought Charlie might vomit. If Lex was nauseous, we never would’ve known. She was laughing too hard to let on.
Once the park closed for the night, darkness began to surround us. With only the light of the full moon and the surrounding stars, we strolled out of the park as two couples holding hands. After a late dinner, we went to our hotel rooms for some much-needed rest. Charlie and Louis had a room on the same floor as us but further down the hall. Lex and I walked into our room with our weekend luggage and took note of the two beds. She shot me a quizzical look.
“I hope you’re planning to sleep under the covers with me.”
I dropped my bag and moved to stand next to her in two strides. “This hotel was out of rooms with kings, so I had to settle for two queens. But make no mistake, I wouldn’t care if this room came with twin beds. I would still be sleeping under the covers in the same bed as you.”
She sighed with relief. I was so happy that she wanted to sleep alongside of me. Lex showered first, and then it was my turn. When I got out and slipped into clean shorts, I saw the woman I love collapsed on top of the quilt with her eyes closed. I reached for the blanket folded at the foot of the mattress and pulled it over her. Then I turned off the light and slipped beneath the same blanket. I would forever be a happy man if I could sleep next to Lex every night for the rest of my life.
The next morning, my girl was sleeping so soundly I hated to wake her. After several minutes of me watching her sleep, she must’ve felt my eyes on her because she awakened on her own.
After a quick kiss and a change out of our pajamas, we rode the elevator down, and met Charlie and Louis on the first floor of the hotel where they offered a breakfast buffet to guests. After gathering two plates of food, we joined Charlie and Louis at a table to eat breakfast. The two of them were nearing the end of their meal, but they stayed and talked with us a few minutes before getting up to leave.
“Hey, bro, give us fifteen minutes and we’ll be ready to go. We need to go back upstairs for a little bit,” Louis said, giving me a suggestive wink. Gross.
I swallowed a bite of my eggs and tried my best to keep the vomit creeping up my throat at bay. Louis grabbed my sister’s hand and literally skipped away from our table. I was going to try really hard not to throw up.
“Where are they going?” Her question was innocent enough, but was she really that naïve?
“They’re going to have sex.” I hoped my bluntness would quickly cut off any further discussion on the matter.
“Does that bother you?” Again, her question was innocent, but really?
I gently placed my fork on the plate. “I’m super happy that my best friends are in a relationship. It has definitely been awkward at times, but I try to convince myself that seeing the two of them go off on their own isn’t any different than it used to be when we were kids.”
“How so?” She seemed genuinely interested, and she leaned in toward me as if she didn’t want to miss a single word of my explanation.
“Those two had a great time keeping things from me. They would go fishing or exploring or swimming—just the two of them—when we were little. They thought I didn’t know about it. At first, I was kind of bummed that they didn’t include me in everything they did together, but I realized that there were times when Louis and I were alone together, or Lean Bean and I were alone together. Sometimes it was just better to pair up, rather than always have a threesome. But, then again, the saying is, ‘two’s company, three’s a crowd.’”
“That was very mature of you,” Lex said solemnly while taking a bite of cantaloupe. I enjoyed watching everything about her. The way she slept, the way she ate, the way she smiled at only me.
“I think we need to go back up to our room for a little while.” Her blue eyes gave me an expression I’d seen once before…the night of our almost first time. I wasn’t sure if I should react to the desire coming from across the table. I wanted to, but I didn’t want to cause her pain, either.
“Are you sure?” I asked, uncertain what her response would be.
“I’ve never been so sure about anything in my life.” She clasped a tighter grip on my hand. “I want you to show me how much you love me.”
I tried to be cool, but my insides swirled relentlessly. I pulled her to a standing position, released her hand, and carried my plate to the dirty station. She was right next to me. Even when I didn’t see her, I sensed her presence just like I have always been able to do.
We walked toward the elevator and rode quietly to our floor. Still without saying words, I swiped the key card into the slot of our room and swung the door open. We stood facing each other once inside the room after the door clicked shut behind us for a brief moment in an attempt to throttle the intense desire crackling around us.