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Then the pain hit her. She screamed, using the last of the breath in her lungs and couldn’t get any more.
From then, everything happened in a blur. Alex was aware of movement and noise. She saw event security guards piling onto the gunman and felt fleeting relief that the threat was at least under control, but that relief was swiftly outweighed by panic at her inability to draw breath.
“Alex! Alex, you’re going to be okay. Please, stay with me.”
Elizabeth was there, holding Alex’s hand. Alex clutched her hand tightly, terrified that she was dying. Everything hurt. She needed oxygen, but her body wasn’t cooperating. The edges of her vision were going black.
Elizabeth’s voice was echoing in her ears, begging Alex to stay. Alex wanted to stay, but she didn’t know if she’d be given a choice. Already, she felt like she was floating away, whether she wanted to be or not.
9
Elizabeth
Terror pounded through Elizabeth’s veins. There was so much blood. Alex’s breath was rattling in her chest as she struggled to draw in air.
“Someone call an ambulance!” Elizabeth screamed.
“Already on their way.”
Elizabeth didn’t turn to the speaker. She couldn’t take her eyes from Alex. “Please, stay with me,” she begged. She couldn’t bear to lose Alex. “I love you. Alex, do you hear me? I love you. I can’t live without you. I need you to make it.” She pressed a kiss to the back of Alex’s hand.
The corners of Alex’s mouth twitched and her breath rattled harder as she tried to form words.
“Don’t try to speak,” Elizabeth said quickly. “We’ll talk once you’re better. You’re going to be just fine, Alex.”
Elizabeth was vaguely aware of clicking noises all around her and shot an angry glare at the gaggle of reporters who had cameras aimed at her and Alex. “Give her some space!”
She knew that Alex wouldn’t appreciate having pictures of herself bleeding to death splashed all over the front page.
No. Not bleeding to death. She couldn’t think like that. Alex was going to be alright. She had to be.
Where was that ambulance? Elizabeth could hear sirens in the distance, but they didn’t seem to be getting any closer.
For the first time in a long time, she wished that she hadn’t gone into politics. If she had been a doctor, she could have done something other than sit here helplessly and wait holding Alex’s hand. If she wasn’t a politician, Alex wouldn’t have been in danger in the first place.
Alex took one more labored, rattling breath and didn’t take another.
“Alex! No, Alex, please!”
Elizabeth squeezed Alex’s hand so tightly she was probably leaving bruises, but Alex didn’t respond. Her hands shook violently as she tilted Alex’s head back and placed her lips over Alex’s, breathing air into her unresponsive body.
Elizabeth did maybe ten breaths before the paramedics rushed onto the scene.
She allowed herself to be shunted back, watching as they loaded Alex onto a stretcher and carried her into the ambulance. Elizabeth followed on their heels, ignoring the cameras clicking around her.
“Stay back,” one of the paramedics warned her.
It went against every instinct Elizabeth had, but she pressed herself to the opposite wall of the ambulance, giving them maximum space to work.
“We’ve lost her pulse. Charging paddles.”
Elizabeth pressed a hand to her mouth, doing her best to muffle a cry of distress as Alex’s body jerked violently under the shock of electricity. They shocked her four more times before a quick, unsteady beeping started up from one of the machines. Alex’s heart.
“We’ve got her back. Let’s get her out of here.”
They had arrived at the hospital. Elizabeth followed as they wheeled Alex straight to surgery. She knew that Alex was unconscious, but she couldn’t help talking to her.
“Just hold on, Alex. Please, my love. I need you. You have to come back to me.”
