FERRY-LOVE-BOAT

Chapter 8

The doors opened.

-Eve Johnson, 23, 35 weeks pregnant was trapped inside a fire scene for over two hours. - Andy was quick to speak as she pushed the stretcher out, I took the oxygen mask off my face to help and as I jumped out of the ambulance I saw Carina quickly listening to the woman's lungs.

-We had to carry her out of the building, she was in a lot of pain. - I said, not taking my eyes off the doctor in front of me. - She was having trouble breathing and I gave her my oxygen mask as we went down, but she inhaled a lot of smoke in the process.

-Did her water break? - She asked, pulling back the sheet to examine the woman's legs.

-I don't think so. - Eve finally spoke up. - I don't... I don't think so.

-I'm not sure, I didn't have time to examine her carefully. - Andy answered.

-Come on, I need to get to a room. - Carina said, and Andy and I began to push the gurney forward while she put her hands back on the patient's belly, moving the baby around or something like that. - Eve, were you doing prenatal care?

-Yes. - She answered and then groaned in pain.

-From 0 to 10, how bad is the pain now? - Carina asked as we entered one of the emergency rooms.

-6. - She answered.

-Okay, that's good. - She replied. - I need you to keep the oxygen mask over your face, okay?

And then she turned to the two of us.

-You can go. - She said dryly.

-Okay, good luck Eve. - Andy spoke and turned quickly, but I kept looking at Carina for a second longer.

-I'll... I'll wait for news... In the waiting room. - I spoke before I could really process my words. I wasn't doing this for the patient, I was doing this for the chance to talk to Carina again, but she didn't need to know that.

I left the room before she could give me an answer and went after Andy.

-The B-shift personnel should be at the station by now. I expect the reports on my desk on Monday. - I said.

-Won't you come back with us? - She asked, creasing her forehead.

- I want to know if Eve is going to be okay. - I said back.

-Eve, uh? - She rolled her eyes. - You should apologize.

-Well, I tried to do that, and she said "no." - I shrugged.

-I really didn't understand your comment that day, you never have that kind of attitude. - Andy walked beside me toward the doors that led back to the station's aid car.

-I was having a rough day. - I lied.

-She really made an impression on you, didn't she? - She laughed beside me. - For you to be trying to correct that, chase after her, after only seeing her once in your life.

-It's the right thing to do. - It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't my only motivation there. I coughed a few times.

-Maya and Carina, sitting in a tree... - Andy began.

-If you finish that sentence, you will be on bathroom duty for two weeks. - I immediately threatened, feeling my cheeks heat up at the teasing.

-Okay, okay! - She held up her hands in defense.

I watched as the ambulance moved through the parking lot and soon disappeared as it left the hospital.

Andy knew about Carina, she just hadn't connected the dots yet. After she just disappeared, without saying goodbye, without giving me an explanation, when she just decided she was too bored to keep doing whatever it was we were doing 10 years ago, Andy was the only person I shared my feelings with and that's what made us become friends - real friends - but I didn't know how to tell her that the woman I swore I was falling in love with so many years ago was actually back, was Andrew's sister, that I resented her too much when I saw her – freaking out in the process – and that's why I acted like such an idiot.

I kept feeling this flood of feelings and I have never been the best person to deal with feelings, all of this just left me confused and not knowing what to do. At the same time that I still felt bad for being abandoned, for being scorned so easily, I just couldn't get to sleep easily anymore because Carina's image kept popping into my thoughts, making my heart flutter and my stomach turn in my stomach due to my nervousness, making me physically sick at the thought of confronting her or talking to her again.

I went to the waiting room and well, I waited.

After many minutes I thought that she simply wouldn't come - after all, I wasn't related to the victim, I didn't even know if her relatives had been notified, no family had arrived, no one had asked for her at the main reception near where I was - and just as I was losing hope, I heard the elevator open.

Carina walked up to me, I looked at the clock and three hours had passed.

-She's going to be fine, I had to do an emergency C-section. The baby is fine too - She said, crossing her fingers in front of her body.

-Thank you for coming to let me know. - Thank you for coming back, that's what I wanted to say.

-You're welcome. - She answered quickly, and I coughed hard.