Page 68 of Chasing Honor

“I think so.”

“How’s Honor?” I asked Chrissy.

“She’s in shock. Elevated heart rate. Decreased breath sounds on her right side.” Two more paramedics ran over with a board and collar, stopping her from continuing.

“Miss, you need to move.”

Chrissy ignored the EMT’s order and continued.

“I’m Doctor Christina Krier, my ID is in my bag. Shallow, rapid breaths. Asymmetrical chest movement. Heart rate elevated. She needs to be transported now. Give me the collar.”

“What does that mean?” I asked, not letting go of Carson’s hand.

No one answered as they worked. What the hell was going on with Honor? Before I could ask again Chrissy moved from the front of the car and ripped off blood covered gloves tossing them on the pavement as she moved toward me. Fuck. The front of her shirt was cover in blood too.

“Let me check Carson over so you both can ride with Honor.”

“I’ll be right here, Squirt.” I let go of Carson’s hands and stepped back.

Chrissy took my place in front of Carson, and worry superseded any anger I felt because Chrissy was touching my daughter.

“How you feeling, sweetie? Does your head hurt or your tummy?” Chrissy asked and flashed a pen light in Carson’s eyes before she used her fingers to press around Carson’s neck and throat.

“Nothing hurts,” Carson answered.

Chrissy’s hand moved over every part of Carson before she stepped back and looked at me.

“You can take her out. She’ll need to be checked over in the ER, but there are no signs of trauma. She’s extremely lucky.”

I wanted to yell at Chrissy for telling me Carson needed to be checked over by a doctor, as if I were some sort of idiot who wouldn’t know a visit to the ER was necessary. Instead, relief mixed with fear about Honor, and I remained quiet while I removed Carson from the backseat.

“How’s Honor?” I asked Chrissy again.

“She’s critical.”

“Critical? What’s wrong?”

“Her right lung has collapsed and—”

“Will she be okay?” I cut her off.

Chrissy didn’t answer, she didn’t have to, the anguish that marred her face told me everything I needed to know.

“We need to move, Doctor,” the EMT said and locked the stretcher in an upright position, giving me my first look at Honor.

“Jesus Christ.” I turned and held Carson’s face close to my chest uncaring my radio was probably digging into her cheek. It was better than her seeing Honor.

Blood covered her face and ran down, disappearing under the neck brace she was wearing. The stretcher was moving, but not before I noticed the huge gash on her forehead the EMT was dressing as they ran to the waiting ambulance.

“Head wounds bleed a lot, Ethan. The laceration looks worse than it is.”

Laceration. Head wound. Collapsed lung. Please God don’t take her for me.

“We’re moving,” a man yelled as he loaded Honor in the back of the rig.

I took off in a jog, hoping I wasn’t hurting Carson in the process, but there was no way I wasn’t going with Honor.

“Officer,” the paramedic stopped me.