Page 69 of Chasing Honor

“She my fiancée. We’re coming.”

I didn’t give the first fuck I’d lied, there was no way Honor was leaving my sight. I still didn’t have answers, and, as badly as I wanted them, nothing mattered but Honor being okay. After the stretcher was locked in place, he helped me into the back and pointed to where I needed to sit.

“Carson, baby, keep your eyes closed.”

“I’m scared. Is Honor okay?”

“She will be, Squirt.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

The doors slammed shut, causing me to jolt, and I hoped like hell I hadn’t just made a promise to my daughter I couldn’t keep.

Chrissy had a stethoscope pressed to Honor’s side, below her armpit, her eyes were closed. I still had no idea how the fuck Chrissy happened to come upon the accident. Just when I was going to ask, all hell broke loose.

“Undo her collar,” Chrissy demanded. The EMT finished taping the IV he’d inserted and opened the brace exposing Honor’s throat and neck.

“The trachea is deviated to the left,” Chrissy said as her fingers palpated Honor’s throat.

“What’s happening?” I asked.

“I need a decompression needle. Give me a ten-gauge cath.” Chrissy cut open Honor’s shirt and glanced around the surrounding supplies before she found the bottle she was looking for and squirted a brown liquid over the right side of her chest. The paramedic ripped open the packaging and handed Chrissy a long-ass needle.

What the fuck was that for?

“Call it in,” Chrissy instructed.

“Calling County General. This is MediStar Bravo-Two-Zero-Seven.”

“Country General, go ahead please.”

“County, we have a priority trauma. Female patient, mid-twenties. Motor vehicle accident, air bags deployed. Absent breath sounds on the right. Tracheal deviation. Multiple injuries to head, face, left leg below the knee. Possible dislocation of the ankle. Heart rate is . . .”

I stopped paying attention to the paramedic and shifted all my attention to Chrissy.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

Chrissy didn’t stop poking around Honor’s collarbone and with the most compassion I’d ever heard from her she began to explain.

“Honor’s right lung has collapsed. Air is collecting in the chest cavity causing pressure to build. Once that happens it causes the right lung to shift left, leaving no room for the lung to fully expand. Her heart is also being compressed and is under stress. I need to relieve the pressure and expand the lung before she dies.”

Dies? Oh, Fuck. I squeezed Carson tighter, and tried to keep my panic at bay. This could not be happening.

“In,” Chrissy called out. “I have air. Give me a chest tube.”

“Heart rhythm lowering.”

“ETA less than two minutes. Prepare to unload,” the driver yelled.

“Ethan, when we stop. Stay where you are. Let the doctors take care of her.”

“I’m going with her,” I argued.

“The doctors need to concentrate on her. Let them work. We’ll get Carson checked out, and when there’s news someone will find you.”

“There’s no we,” I seethed.