PLAYING WITH FIRE

Chapter 29 : Fear

The light-hearted atmosphere suddenly shifted into concern as Maya's vitals started to drop.

Carina watched in alarm as Maya's heart rate began to slow and her breathing became shallow.

Andy reacted just as quickly, calling out for a nurse. "We need help in here!"
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Carina was already by Maya's side, her eyes glued to the monitors next to the bed. "Maya, can you hear me? Come on, stay with us."

Teddy hurried back into the room, immediately taking charge. She checked Maya's vital signs, her face etched with concern.

Teddy spoke quickly, her voice calm but urgent. "Her heart rate is dropping, and her oxygen levels are dangerously low. We need to stabilize her, now."

Carina's heart pounded in her chest as she gripped Maya's hand tightly, terrified of what was happening.

Andy stood next to Teddy, feeling helpless but wanting to assist in any way she could. She looked at Carina with worry. "What's happening? Why is she crashing?"

Teddy was too focused on stabilizing Maya to answer. She barked out orders to the nurses who rushed into the room. "We need to intubate her, now. Get me a crash cart, and prep the OR just in case. We can't afford to wait."

Carina's grip tightened even more on Maya's hand, her voice trembling. "Please, Maya. Stay with us. Don't leave me..."

Nurses swarmed around the bed, working diligently but urgently to follow Teddy's orders. A sense of organized chaos filled the room as the nurses prepared for the worst.

Andy watched, her heart thudding against her chest. She'd seen a fair share of dicey situations as a firefighter, but seeing her friend in this condition rattled her to the core.

The nurses intubated Maya, and a flurry of activity ensued. They attached her to a ventilator, pumped her full of medications, and began prepping her for potential transport to the OR.

Throughout it all, Carina stayed by Maya's side, her eyes never leaving her girlfriend's face. Her heart ached as she watched Maya's unconscious form struggle to stabilize.

Each passing second felt like an eternity. Nurses darted around the room, monitoring Maya's vitals and adjusting equipment. The constant beeping of the machines was the only sound to break the tense silence.

Andy stood back, watching helplessly. She could only imagine the terror and worry that Carina was feeling at that moment.

After what seemed like an agonizingly long period, the beeping of the monitors evened out, and Maya's vital signs began to stabilize.

Teddy finally spoke up, a serious look on her face. "She's stabilized for now, but we need to get her to the OR immediately. I'm not sure what caused the sudden crash, but until we operate, we won't know the extent of the damage."

The mention of "damage" sent a new wave of fear through Carina's heart.

She gripped Maya's hand even tighter, her voice barely above a whisper. "What do you mean? What kind of damage?"

Teddy's expression softened, but she didn't sugarcoat her words. "It's hard to say until we get in there. Could be internal bleeding, organ damage, or something else entirely. All we know is that her body went into shock for some reason, and we need to find out why, fast."

Carina said "You said in the beginning she was just having throat surgery because of her pneumonia."

Teddy nodded, her brow furrowed. "Yes, that's correct. From what we could tell, the surgery was supposed to be relatively straightforward. The recovery period was going normally until this sudden crash."