The Lifeguard Hates You (Completed)

August Chapter 28

When I get the call that there's a mountain lion on the property I immediately think it's some kind of prank.

Of course we're prepared for this kind of thing, but it's supposed to be that sort of emergency plan that no one ever has to use. So while I had the plan memorized, that didn't mean I planned on ever having to use it one day. It just meant that Shawn and I had to get our hunting license and keep it current, and go to target practice once a month.

We used it as bro-bonding time. I wasn't supposed to ever have to shooting anything living.

But as more calls pour in, all saying the same thing, I know I'm going to have to act.

Firstly because there very clearly is a mountain lion on our property, and if all the reports are right, it's chasing a person.

Now mountain lion's don't go around attacking humans unless they're protecting cubs or territory. If it's chasing a human this far it's sick and looking for easy prey. Either way, I was going to have to deal with it.

We closed down the pool, told all our patrons to come inside, which meant locking the doors to building so nothing could get in.

While Shawn was overseeing that, I went up to Lacey's office, not entirely surprised to find it empty. I wasn't there to inform her anyone, she'd be useless in this situation, no, what I need was the rifle.

Though both Shawn and I have a licence, there's only one gun on the property. Rory and Candy were given the option, but Candy didn't want to shoot anything and none of us wanted Rory holding a gun.

Any gun, for that matter.

So it was going to be one of us with the rifle, and knowing Shawn he was going to put this all on me.

I came back down the stairs and Shawn came rushing towards me. At first I thought that maybe I was wrong, he did want to shoot something today, but nope. I was not that lucky.

"Jay... Jay... Rory... it's... it's... hurry up!" he practically shouts at me and I find myself freezing.

"What?"

"It's fucking Rory, Jay! It's fucking Rory!"

"What's Rory?"

"The mountain lion!" he practically hollers, but that makes no sense because Rory isn't a mountain lion. "The mountain lion is chasing Rory!"

My heart drops into my stomach and for a moment I swear I can't breathe. No. No wait a second... it can't be Rory. Rory's on a camping trip!

"I... no... how do you know?"

"I literally just saw her go into the guard hut and that thing is right outside the door."

I follow him through the indoor pool to the doors to the pavilion. Sure enough there's a mountain lion at the door of our guard hut. Our guard hurt doesn't lock from the inside, it locks from the outside, which mean, if she went in there, that she'd have to brace the door. But Rory is not strong, so when I see that this mountain lion has bashed the door open I'm panicked. But when I realize that it's standing over something... or someone... probably Rory though I'm still hoping it's not her, trying to drag it out of the hut, I'm now afraid, and pissed off.

I load the rifle, unlock the pavilion door, take one step out and then take a shot. I'm not aiming to hit it, I'm aiming to scare it away.

The first shot does worry it.

It lets go of it's quarry, settling into a crouched position, attempting to figure out where I am. I take aim and shoot again, still aiming to miss. This time is scares it entirely, though now it's focused on me.

I shoot a third time, a little closer to it this time, and it's decided that it doesn't want me and takes off.

I'll have to call the rangers to come down and do a thorough search to make sure it's gone but my first thought is to see who's injured inside, and praying to god that it's not Rory.

I hand the rifle to Shawn and then rush towards hut. I get there and I can see right away that it is Rory and I'm just filled with so many questions.

Starting with how the actual fuck had this happened?

How had she gotten all the way back to Earth and Body? She was literally thirty minutes away from us by car!

But then I notice the blood and my heart drops. Oh my god, that's so much blood. Jesus what had it done to her?

I scramble to her side, trying to shake her awake, but it doesn't work. I'm trying to pinpoint where the blood is coming from, running my hands up and down her trying to find the injury. None of this is proper procedure, I'm not even wearing gloves, so I'm just smearing blood all over her, but I'm so panicked I'm not thinking straight.

I've never been too panicked to do proper first aid before, even when Rory was injured. But this was something else entirely. It looks like she's already bled out.

I can't even find a pulse.

I'm saying her name, over and over again, and my voice is starting to waver. I'm dangerously close to crying, and that's embarrassing, even if it is a natural reaction. I'm literally positive that I'm watching the girl I'm falling in love with die, if she wasn't dead already.

I was pretty sure losing her to Toronto was going to kill me. I always thought losing her was going to be to another man or an amazing job. Her actually dying was something entirely different.

"Oh god, please, please don't... don't leave me," I whisper, my bloody hands cradling her head. "Please... I'll... I'll do the long distance with you... I promise. I'll give you a label, any label you want. And... and... romance and everything else you want, just please, please don't die on me."

"Jay... look," Shawn said.

I turn back to him and find him pointing at something just above Rory's head. He looked up and find an empty clear plastic jug by her head.

It was the fake blood we kept on the top shelf. It must have fallen. Must have knocked her out.

"It looks like it chewed up her leg, but that's about it."

I let out a shaky breath.

With the panic finally leaving me, I manage a steady enough had to check her pulse. This time I find it, and I'm happy to find that it's steady and strong. Then I check her breathing. Also there, also strong and steady.

I pick her up then and cradle her to me, holding her tightly to my chest.

"I'm going to call an ambulance, alright?" Shawn says, but I shake my head.

"It'll be quicker if I drive," I tell him. "Wrap her up, you'll be in charge until I come back. Make sure you call the rangers, they'll need to come down."

Shawn nods, moving to do as I ask as I let her go.

It's only for a brief time, I tell myself. Because her care is more important than my comfort.

Besides. After this I won't be letting her go again.