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Still, I nod, not wanting him to get more worked up than he already is. His breathing is loud, and his nostrils flare. He’s barely holding in his fury. He’s about to tear into someone.
The room whirls with tension as Dr. Smith rushes in, closely followed by Dr. Agosti and Santino.
The doctor rushes to my side, and Tiero stands, sending death glares his way.
“This is not an iron infusion. Check on my wife and get someone to analyse what it is immediately…” I vaguely make out his words as he keeps barking orders.
“The IV was only in for a minute. Her vitals are within range,” Nurse Anne informs the doctor as he prods and pokes at me. No idea what he’s doing, my awareness zoning out. He shines a light in my eyes, startling me.
“Have the results back here in the next ten minutes or I swear to God I’ll…” Tiero’s voice drifts to the background, my pounding heartbeat echoing so loud in my ears, it drowns out everything else.
My breath is shaky in my chest. It’s coming quicker by the second. The air thickens, bearing down on me.
I can’t breathe.
Fear fractures my thoughts. It’s like a storm inside, blurring reality, leaving me adrift.
I’m gonna die.
I’m gonna die, and join ma and da in heaven. Peanut… I’ll never get to meet her.
Tears want to break free, but my body is too tense to let them spill over.
Oh god! This is it.
Aiden steps forward, his worried eyes solely on me.
The world spins around me, and I claw the sheets. Aiden falls to his knees in front of me and takes my good hand in his, trying to make eye contact with me. But my vision is unfocused… blurry… there are two of him.
“Ella… Sunshine… you’re having a panic attack.”
I am?
No. It’s the poison in my blood… what if these are my last minutes on earth?
“I don’t want to die yet,” I whisper.
“You’re not going to die. We won’t let that happen, okay?” He pushes a strand of my hair from my damp face and tucks it behind my ear.
“Remember our breathing exercise? Let’s do it together right now. Focus on my voice, Ella. Everything is going to be fine. Now take a deep breath in for me… good girl. Hold it… hold it… hold it… very good. Now let it out slowly.
“You’re doing so good. Again. Deep breath in… hold it… and out…”
We do this over and over and over again.
Slowly, ever so slowly, my heart rate slows and my breathing becomes less choppy. My vision somewhat clears. At least there’s only one of Aiden now.
“You’re doing so good, Sunshine. So good. I’m so proud of you. One more time.”
He’s so calm, so caring. If I went by his voice alone, he’d have me fooled that he was unaffected by what’s happening. But his eyes tell a different story. The concern and fear I see there are unmistakable.
I force a smile. I hurt him so much yesterday. Guilt fills me all over again and tears well up in my eyes. This time they fall.
“I’m so sorry, Ade,” I hiccup.
“You have nothing to be sorry for. This wasn’t your fault.”
He thinks I’m talking about my meltdown.
