WOULD YOU RESCUE ME?

52. A.M. of the First

Vanessa sat slumped against the cold tiled wall, her chest rising and falling unevenly. Her honey-brown eyes, usually so full of life and mischief, were now half-closed, staring vacantly at nothing. Astra knelt beside her, her hands trembling as they hovered just above Vanessa's arm, unsure whether to shake her or hold her close. Maya stood nearby, her own expression taut with worry, her sharp mind already calculating what to do next.

The silence between them was thick, broken only by Vanessa's shallow breaths. Astra turned to Maya, her emerald eyes shimmering with tears. It wasn't just fear; it was heartbreak, a crack deep in her chest as she watched the girl she loved like this. Maya, ever the practical one, caught Astra's gaze, and without hesitation, she said the words Astra was dreading.

"She took something," Maya stated, her voice low but firm, cutting through the tension like a blade. "She's high, Astra."

Hearing it said aloud made it real, undeniable. Astra froze, the tears in her eyes spilling over as she shook her head slightly, as if rejecting the truth could undo the moment. "No," she whispered, her voice breaking. But even as the word left her lips, she knew Maya was right. She'd known it deep down, but admitting it made her heart feel like it was shattering.

Maya crouched down beside Vanessa, her movements calm but urgent. "I'll check her pulse," she said, her tone more clinical now. She gently took Vanessa's wrist in her hands, her fingers pressing against the faint thrum of blood beneath the skin. Maya's expression tightened. "It's fast. Way too fast."

Astra covered her mouth with her hand, a quiet sob escaping her as she nodded in agreement. She felt the sting of tears trailing down her cheeks, her emotions a volatile mix of anger, fear, and despair. Anger at Vanessa for doing this. Fear of what might happen. And despair because she didn't know how to fix it.

Maya didn't stop there. She leaned closer to Vanessa, carefully prying open one of her eyelids with her thumb and shining the light from her phone into it. "Her pupils are blown," Maya muttered, her voice grim. "And her reflexes... they're sluggish."

Vanessa didn't even flinch at Maya's touch. Her head lolled to the side, resting limply against her shoulder as if she no longer had the strength to hold it upright.

That was the moment Astra couldn't take anymore. She dropped to her knees beside Vanessa, her hands flying to her girlfriend's face. "Vanessa," she pleaded, her voice trembling. "Wake up! Please wake up!"

When Vanessa didn't respond, Astra's panic erupted. Her palm connected with Vanessa's cheek in a sharp slap, the sound echoing in the small bathroom. "Vanessa, wake up!" she screamed, her voice breaking as fresh tears poured down her face.

Still, there was no reaction.

Maya placed a hand on Astra's shoulder, her voice urgent but steady. "Astra, stop!" she said firmly. "This isn't going to help. We need to keep her calm. She's breathing, and her pulse is strong, but if her heart rate doesn't slow down—"

Astra cut her off, her voice raw and choked. "What do we do? Maya, what do we do?" Her hands were trembling as she clutched Vanessa's face, the warmth of her girlfriend's skin a faint reassurance that she was still there, still alive.

Maya took a deep breath, her thoughts racing. She glanced at Vanessa, slumped against the wall, and then at Astra, whose tear-streaked face was filled with anguish. "We can't keep her here," Maya said firmly, her voice low but steady. "We need to move her somewhere quieter where she can lie down. This bathroom isn't helping, and if someone sees her like this..." She trailed off, shaking her head. "It'll just make everything worse. No one needs to panic, not her, not us, and definitely not the entire party."