It was hard to see what he was doing among his quick movements and flying chips, but soon chairs seemed to emerge. He worked his way up to larger tools confidently, and when he paused after picking up the longest saw, people didn’t seem to notice anything.
As I’d never seen anything do this kind of thing before, I did wonder. He let it run for a few seconds without cutting. Then he applied it to what was likely going to be the block for the table, and there was a shower of sparks before I saw the blade separate from the saw and embed into his thigh.
I was moving even as the screams started and got to his side just as the man from the microphone and another man got to him.
I helped him sink to the ground and got a tourniquet going. “Raymond, don’t touch the blade,” I said, but was too late. He pulled it out, and blood sprayed. That was really bad. Then he passed out.
I quickly tightened the tourniquet, as I registered a police officer next to me rattling off instructions into her phone.
“She’s a paramedic,” Carolina was next to the police officer, explaining about me.
The two men were keeping people back as I applied pressure. I put my jacket over him as I noticed signs of shock. He was breathing, but likely had fainted.
I reached into the wound and pressed on what I thought was spraying the blood. I was pulling things out with my free hand to close it up but had a feeling nothing would be strong enough. My fingers would have to do until real paramedics got here. I kept checking his pulse and breathing.
***
Soon paramedics arrived and carefully took over from where I was holding what turned out to be his artery.
“Good job, miss,” the older woman on the team said. “You likely saved him. What department do you work for?”
“I just finished school and am applying for jobs.”
“Apply with us,” her partner said. “Come to the hospital and we can check you for any cuts among all that blood.”
I looked down. I looked like something from a horror movie, as blood had sprayed all over me. “No cuts, but I promise I’ll double check. I don’t want to take your time; but thank you. I will think about applying if you have openings.”
The nodded and waved at me as they hurried off with the patient. I noticed the two men my sister said were sponsors of the event going with them. I pointed out the saw to the police officer and told her what I’d noticed about it separating. She had her team collect the pieces with gloves and gave me her card in case I remembered anything else.
She gave me a silver blanket to cover myself as Carolina helped me pack up what was left of my jacket and gear.
***
“Nice job, miss.”
“Thank you!”
People called out all the way as we walked to Carolina’s car back at the diner.
“That’s my sister!” Carolina kept saying, despite my efforts to shush her.
She called the police while I showered at her place to find out about Raymond. They couldn’t tell us much, but shortly after I came out and was combing my damp hair, Carolina got a text from Raymond’s wife, thanking me. She wanted us to know he had regained consciousness but about to have surgery.
We were exhausted and went to bed in my sister’s cozy apartment. I fell asleep as soon as I stretched out in her guest bedroom.
Chapter two
Burris
“That Anelya was impressive,” Greg said to me as we leaned against the wall outside of Raymond’s cubicle in the ER.
I nodded. I’d never forget the way she looked, covered in blood, holding his leg together calmly, rattling off his information as help arrived. “She handed the saw to the police.”
Greg shook his head. “So you think it was another sabotage incident.”
“That’s too many of these coincidences. We have to talk to the police now.”
He nodded, his mouth a tight line. “Raymond could have been killed, or lost his leg.”
