by E. L. Todd
“Please stop blaming yourself, Blaise.”
“I will if you will.”
She squeezed his hand but closed her mouth.
“I’m sorry I woke you.”
“You know I’m always here for you.”
He nodded. “You’re my best friend. I don’t have anyone else.”
Alexandra couldn’t reciprocate the statement. Now she had Paul in her life again. And for the past month, they had become much closer, closer than they were when they were initially together. When she thought about him, she felt confused. But she felt even more confused about Blaise.
“I should ask Martha to shoot both of them,” Alexandra said.
Blaise chuckled, the frown finally disappearing. “I would appreciate it.”
She smiled.
“Thank you for coming.”
“I’ll always come.”
Blaise rubbed his fingers across her hand. They sat in companionable silence, looking at the stars in the sky. “I talked to Danielle today.”
“Oh.”
“She said she wouldn’t tell you the truth.”
Alexandra felt her heart race. “Isn’t that convenient.”
“Please don’t start,” he whispered.
She closed her lips.
“She said she wouldn’t help me because she wants to get back together. I tried to convince her otherwise but she wouldn’t buy it.”
Alexandra didn’t know what to say.
“In retaliation, I said I wouldn’t protect her anymore. If her crazy ex comes after her, I really don’t give a shit what happens to her.”
She took a deep breath and looked at their joined hands.
“The only thing I have left is my word, Alexandra. And I’m not a liar. I realize everything is working against me, but please put your faith in me. You’re the love of my life, the only woman in my heart, and the only person in my bed. Please come back to me.”
She pulled her hand away. “I’m sorry…”
“Please,” he whispered.
“I can’t. I can’t stop picturing you with her…”
He sighed. “It meant nothing, Alexandra.”
She shook her head. “I won’t change my mind. I need something more than that.”
“Danielle told me she would confess everything if I slept with her again. But I said no because I would never do that to you. I could have just did it and never told you about it. Doesn’t that mean something to you?”
“Once again, there’s no proof that’s even true.”
He covered his face. “I can’t win with you…”
“Blaise, you should forget about us and move on.”
“I’ll never move on from you. I’ll be as patient as I have to be.”
“I’ve moved on…”
“Fuck no you haven’t. You never will.”
Alexandra thought about telling him about Paul but decided against it. Blaise was already having a horrific night. There was no reason she should make it worse. She stood up. “I should go.”
He didn’t move from his spot for a long moment. The silence stretched on. “Okay.”
“Goodnight.”
Blaise stood up. “I love you.”
“Please don’t say that ever again.”
He stared at her. “I said it all day and you didn’t mind it then.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“It was because I didn’t say it with my lips.” He turned back to the house. “Can you do me a favor?”
“I don’t know…”
“Text me when you get home.”
“I’m not your girlfriend, Blaise.”
“You’re always mine, Alexandra. Do as I ask.”
She nodded then walked to her truck. She felt his eyes drill into her back the entire time. When she finally pulled away, the tears started to fall. It was getting harder to be around Blaise and not fall for him all over again. But the pain of his betrayal came back to her. All she was doing was hurting herself. She needed to stop seeing him.
When she drove down the road, she saw lights up ahead, but they weren’t facing her. They were crossing the road and onto the field. When she came closer, she realized they were car lights. She stopped the car when she understood what she was looking at.
The car was flipped on the side of the road. A tire was still spinning and faint tendrils of smoke were drifting into the air. Her heart hammered into her chest as she jumped out of the car.
“Hello?” Alexandra yelled. When she came closer, she realized there was someone in the car. They were hanging upside down, their seatbelt holding them in place. She immediately pulled out her phone and called for help.
“9-1-1.What’s your emergency?”
Now that the adrenaline was working in overdrive, she felt incoherent. She couldn’t say what she needed to say. “Uh…there’s a car accident. I need an ambulance.”
“Where are you, ma’am?”
“Uh…I don’t’ know. I think I’m on Beecher Street.”
“Are there any buildings nearby?”
“No, please hurry.”
“Were you in the accident?” the operator said.
“No, I just pulled over and saw the flipped van. There’s someone inside.”
“Okay. Stay right there and don’t approach the car. An ambulance will be there in fifteen minutes.”
“Fifteen minutes?” she asked incredulously.
“Please stay on the line, ma’am.”
Alexandra stared at the car, watching more smoke rise from the engine. “There’s smoke coming out of it.”
“Okay,” the operator said. “Stay back.”
“I have to do something.”
“No,” she said firmly. “Stand back. You could do further damage or damage to yourself.”
Alexandra felt torn. A spark ignited from the engine then disappeared. Her heart raced. “I can’t stand here and do nothing. Fifteen minutes is too long.”
“Ma’am, stay back.”
Her heart raced as her choice formed before her. She wasn’t sure how she would get the victim out but she had to try. “I’m putting the phone down.”
“Ma’am, no.”
Alexandra shoved it into her pocket then ran to the vehicle. The van was completely crushed on the driver’s side. The opening in the window was too small for her to crawl through. But she got a look at the woman. She was hanging upside down, her eyes closed. Her blonde hair hung down. Alexandra reached inside and felt her carotid artery. There was a heartbeat, faint and weak.
Alexandra ran to the other side and tried to the door. It moved slightly but it was jammed. She yanked on it with all her strength. It squeaked as it stretched. The smoke kept rising from the engine, reminding her she was low on time. Alexandra screamed as she felt her skin burn from pulling so hard. She finally got the door open enough.
“Hello?” Alexandra said. “Are you awake?”
The woman didn’t stir.
Alexandra fumbled for the safety belt until she found the clip. She unbuckled it and caught the woman before she fell. She weighed more than Alexandra by forty pounds. The weight knocked the wind out of her. After a moment of pain, Alexandra dragged her out carefully, trying to protect her spine and neck as much as possible. Her leg was broken at the thigh. Alexandra knew she needed to get pressure on the wound before she bled out.
She dragged her across the passenger side, starting to feel the smoke enter her lungs. Alexandra coughed as it burned. She knew Blaise would be furious with her if he knew what she was doing. She finally got the women to the edge and dragged her across the grass away from the van. When they were safe, Alexandra tore off her jeans.
The woman’s eyes fluttered. “Sam?”
“My name is Alexandra. I’m a nurse. I’m going to help you. Just stay calm. You’ve been in an accident.”
“No,” she mumbled. “My baby.”
“Your baby?” Alexandra felt her heart fall.
The woman moved her arm toward the car. “Pl
ease…”
Alexandra looked back at the van. More smoke was rising. It looked like it might explode at any moment. But if there was a child in there, Alexandra couldn’t stand by and do nothing. She took a deep breath then sprinted to the van. When she looked through the back window, there was a child in the car seat.
“Fuck!” Alexandra tried get through the window but it was too crushed. She had to go through the passenger door again. As fast as she could, she crawled through then reached toward the child. She looked like a toddler, age two. Alexandra pressed her fingers against her wrist and felt the pulse.
She yanked the seat belt off then grabbed the child. She was unconscious and her head was swaying. Alexandra protected her as much as possible as she crawled out. The smoke was becoming too much. She couldn’t breathe. It burned her lungs every time she tried. Her eyes started to droop, feeling the blackness settle. But she kept going until she reached the grass.
She carried the child back to her mother, coughing violently. “I got her.”
The woman was unconscious again. Her leg was bleeding profusely. When Alexandra touched the child, she realized she wasn’t breathing. She had to choose between the two. But she made her decision within a moment.
She laid the child on the ground and pressed two fingers to her chest. She did CPR as required or infants. Her mind went into autopilot as she did everything she was taught. She breathed into the child’s mouth, tilting her head back and exposing her throat. Nothing worked. Alexandra didn’t know what to do. The pulse was becoming weaker. There was only one thing she could do.
She sprinted back to her truck and grabbed a pen from the glove box. She came back to the child but her hand shook. This could kill the child as well.
“Come on, Alex. You can do this,” she whispered to herself. “You can do this. Just make a clear passage.” She steadied her hand then created a hole in the neck, sticking the hollow tube of the pen as far it would go. She started to breath directly into the girl’s lungs. There was much too soot for the child to breath on her own. After a few puffs, Alexandra pulled her shirt off and placed it around the woman’s leg. She applied pressure with one hand while continuing to breath into the girl’s lungs.
When the car exploded, she felt the heat on her skin, but they were far enough away to be protected from the burn of the flames. Alexandra tried to think of other things while she tried to save two lives at one. She thought of her Aunt Martha. That was the only thing that kept her calm.
When the ambulance arrived, the paramedics sprinted toward her. She kept going like they weren’t there. They prepared the intubation kit then took over, placing the tip in the girl’s throat along with a ventilation bag. The other medics came to the woman, picking her up and putting her on the stretcher.
“What happened here?” the officer asked Alexandra.
She watched them wheel away both victims into the back of the ambulance. “Uh…I was driving and I saw the crash. I pulled them out and started CPR.”
He nodded. “Was the car burning?”
“Smoke was coming out the engine.”
He nodded. “Did you see the crash?”
“No…I just saw the car on the side of the road.”
“What you did was really dangerous.”
Alexandra watched the ambulance drive away. “I need to follow them.”
“Hold on. I have a few more questions.”
“You can ask me at the hospital.” She stepped away from him and headed to her car.
She sped to the hospital, following them to the emergency room. When she walked inside, no one paid attention to her. The young girl was placed into a room while they continued to keep her on a ventilator. The woman was immediately rushed to surgery.
“Alex?”
“Huh?”
It was Betty. “What are you doing here?”
“The crash…”
Her eyes widened. “You were the one who pulled them from the burning car?”
“It was just smoking.”
“Honey, you need to sit down for a second.”
“Alexandra let her guide her to a chair. “Are they going to be okay?”
“I think so,” Betty said. “But they wouldn’t have been if you didn’t pull them out. That was a stupid but brave thing to do.”
“I couldn’t let them die…”
Betty patted her on the back. “You’re a hero, Alex.”
“No, I’m not,” she said quickly. “I’ve never been more terrified in my entire life.”
She smiled. “Which is what makes you even more brave.”
Alexandra took a deep breath. “I hope they’ll be okay.”
“I’m sure they will.” Betty continued to rub her back.
When Alexandra looked down at herself, she realized she was covered in ash and dirt. Blood covered her clothes.
“Dear, your phone is ringing.”
“Huh?” She fumbled in her pocket. She answered it without looking at the screen. “Yeah?”
“Are you home?” Blaise asked irritably.
“Oh…I’m at the hospital.”
“What? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, I’m fine. There was an accident. I did CPR until the ambulance came.”
He sounded frantic. “Are you hurt?”
“I said I was fine,” she said in a dazed voice.
“I’m coming.” He hung up.
“Your boyfriend will be very proud of you,” Betty said.
She put her phone back in her pocket.
“Are you the woman who saved my family?”
Alexandra looked at the middle age man standing in front of her. He looked panic and frightened. He eyed her clothes, seeing all the filth.
“I think so…”
Betty smiled. “She’s just in shock.”
The man pulled her into a hug and held her tightly. “Thank you so much. Bless you, bless you.”
“I just tried to help,” she said quietly.
“I owe you my life. If you ever need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
“I’m okay right now.”
He nodded then walked away.
Betty took her to a seat and fetched her some water.
Blaise sprinted down the hallway, searching for Alexandra. When he finally found her, he ran to her. When he saw the blood and dirt, his eyes widened. “What the hell happened?”
Betty returned and put a hand on his chest. “Keep her calm. She’s traumatized.”
He kneeled before her and searched her body. “Are you bleeding?”
“No,” Alex said.
“What happened?”
Betty looked at him. “Your girlfriend pulled two people out of a burning car and saved both of their lives. She gave CPR to an infant and applied pressure to a broken femur at the same time. She’s a damn hero. That’s what happened.”
Blaise stared at her, admiration coming into his features. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“I couldn’t do nothing,” Alexandra said quietly.
He kissed her forehead. “You’re amazing, Alexandra.”
“I don’t know about that…”
Blaise looked at Betty. “Is she okay?”
“She’s fine,” she said with a smile. “She’s just shaken up.”
“Can I take her home?” Blaise asked.
Betty nodded.
Blasé took her home but Alexandra didn’t remember the drive. The events that just happened flashed before her mind. It was like it was still happening. Blaise held her hand but she couldn’t feel it. She was numb everywhere.
Chapter Twenty One
“Let’s get you in the shower.”
Alexandra stood in his living room, staring at the empty fireplace.
He touched her arm gently. “Come on. I have some clothes for you to wear.”
“Okay…”
He led her to the bathroom in his bedroom. The water was already running and steam filled the small room. She crossed her arms over her chest
as she stood still. The steam fogged the mirror.
Blaise moved to the door and watched her. When she didn’t move or speak, he came back to her. He grabbed the hem of her shirt and lifted it.
Alexandra didn’t realize what was happening. She kept thinking about the sound of the explosion. It rang in her ears, high and blaring. Blaise closed his eyes as he reached for her bra and unclasped it.
When she felt it fall to the floor, her logic came back to her. “What are you doing?”
“Getting you in the shower.” He kept his eyes closed then pulled off his shirt. He handed it to her. “Put this on.”
She held it in her weak hands then pulled it on.
“Are you covered?”
“Yeah,” she whispered.
He opened his eyes and pulled her jeans off then removed his own, standing in his boxers. “Let’s get inside.”
“Okay.”
He opened the door and helped her walk in. When the warm water fell on her skin, she felt slightly better. The sound of the cascading water blocked out most of her thoughts.
Blaise grabbed the soap and started to rub her skin. Her arms and neck were covered in grime. There was blood under her fingernails and he washed it away. She watched him attend to her, taking care of her when she couldn’t take care of herself.
“I thought you would be angry.”
He squirted shampoo into his hands then rubbed his fingers through her hair, dissolving the dirt and blood. “Why would I be?”
“Because what I did was so stupid and reckless.”
His hands stopped. “You saved two people, Alexandra. I admire you for being so brave. Not many people would have done that. And there was a child. What else could you have done? Of course I’m not mad.”
She sighed. “I thought you would be pissed I risked my life.”
“Well…that does scare the shit out of me. But I try not to think about it. It worked out in the end.”
Alexandra nodded.
“And it only proves your worth, Alexandra. You should be a nurse or a doctor. It’s clearly what you were meant to do.”
She took a deep breath. “When I intubated that baby with a pen, I could have killed it. It was just luck that it worked out.”
Blaise closed his eyes for a moment then reopened them. “No, it wasn’t fucking luck. You know what the hell you’re doing. That’s why it worked out.”