He rolled his eyes as he stood, she must have been trying to break her own record in the shower. She wasn’t one for taking a two minute shower, but she wasn’t singing like she usually did. Shrugging he called her name. When she failed to answer, he’d pulled the covers back and made his way to the bathroom.
Pulling the door open, he stuck his head round. He could just about see through the condensation that had built on the double shower door, but there was no mistaking her figure slumped under the shower head. She was almost twisted to one side, her head hanging limply in the corner of the cubicle.
“Christ” he breathed, moving fully in to the room. The shower door swung open, and he barely noticed the water still running freely as he knelt beside her. He grasped her chin between his fingers, rolling her pale face towards him. He swept the sodden hair away from her eyes. Her soft lips were tinged with blue but she was breathing, very shallow, rasping breaths. Her chest almost vacuuming as she struggled to take in much air. Supporting her neck, he sealed his lips over her own and gently breathed in to her mouth.
“Talk to me” he begged, as he moved her to the centre of the cubicle, “please.”
Without thinking, he tipped her head back and tugged at her chin. He pressed his lips to hers and exhaled, in the hope it may help steady her breathing. Pulling back, he couldn’t help but notice the way her green eyes seemed to sparkle under the warmth of the bathroom light. The way her skin was so pale, it seemed see through and her lips had lost their pink hue, and now seemed to be greying rapidly.
He ran the back of his hand over her cold, clammy cheek and trailed his fingers down to her sternum. Leaning forward, he pressed his ear to her damp chest, her pulse was weak and jittery at best. Curling his fingers in to his palm, he applied pressure to the base of her sternum, almost digging his knuckles in as he attempted to stir her heart a little.
Biting his lip, he placed his right hand down, between her breasts, flat against her sternum. With his left hand on top, he noticed how his large hands swallowed the negative space, as he rocked his weight in to her pale chest. His hands sunk in to her cleavage, forcing her quivering muscle to contract with each compression.
His mind was racing but he was sure he had seen a defibrillator on the wall, out in the hotel corridor. He quickly sealed her nose and breathed in to her waiting mouth, before pulling himself up from his knees and making a run for the defibrillator.
Pulling a fluffy white towel from the bale above him, he dropped it on the floor, before moving her out of the shower and gently rubbing her chest down with it. He placed the first large AED pad in the centre of her chest and rolling her against his knee, he managed to press the second pad to the centre of her back. Once again, her eyes caught his. Unmoving, yet sparkling under the light, he found himself pinned by her vacant emerald stare. Gently stroking her cheek, he turned to the machine and hit the analyse button.
Nothing. The machine bleated instructions at him… no shockable rhythm… continue CPR. The words seemed to hang in mid-air.
“Fuck” he hissed, eyeing the AED.
He shifted, straddling her waist. The span of his hands seemed to cover the AED pad, as he pushed down against her sternum, easily falling in to a rhythm as he forced her weak muscle to beat.
Leaning over, he brushed his hand over her forehead. Keeping her head tilted, he grasped her chin, her ashen lips parting, as he pinched her nose. He felt a slight shiver run through him as his lips touched the iciness of her own. He breathed out, feeling her chest swell against his own. His lips were back on hers the second her chest fell still. He exhaled quite harshly, once again the only movement, his oxygen forcing her chest up against his own.
He leaned back, still astride her waist, rubbing his face with both hands. Why was this not working? She should be breathing on her own!
“Come on, beautiful” his eyes were stinging, tears threatening.
He placed his hands in the valley between her breasts again. Rapidly, he pounded her sternum with compressions. The motion was so forceful, wisps of air seemed to escape her lips between compressions.
Moving quickly from on top of her, he jabbed the analyse button, as the machine whirred to life, he pressed his lips to hers, one hand resting on her chest, feeling it move as he breathed for her.
The machine signalled that she was shockable. He gently kissed her forehead as he pressed the shock button. Her shoulders twitched slightly and she fell still. He sighed heavily, frustrated. The AED analysed her lifeless form once more, this time discharging 360J in to her quivering heart. The electricity squeezed her heart, gripping her body. Every one of her limbs seemed to tense, her shoulders magnetised, rising momentarily. A small grunt left her parted lips as her back hit the floor… still again.
Looking from her bruised chest to her expressionless face, he roughly pinched her nose and pressed his lips to hers, breathing sharp breaths in to her lungs, filling her chest repeatedly. His free hand pulled at the AED pad, removing it and replacing it with his fist, once again digging his knuckles in to her sternum, vigorously rubbing.
A choking noise rose from her throat as he breathed for her. He pulled her up against him, his hand still between her breasts, encouraging her heart back in to rhythm.
He laid a gently kiss in her still damp hair, “Never do that again.” He breathed, “Never.”
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