desertion

71

(again. let's ignore the shoe!)

MILES

The sirens grew louder, piercing through the suffocating silence in the pizzeria kitchen. Lydia was sitting on the floor, her knees tucked to her chest as Eddie hovered beside her, his hands clenched into fists like he was ready to fight the air itself. The rest of the team stood nearby, their usual composure cracked by the sight of her so vulnerable.

She was surrounded by us, people who cared about her—this big, chaotic fire station family—but they couldn't do anything. They didn't have what she needed.

The paramedics arrived, their boots clunking against the floor as they stepped into the kitchen. One of them, a woman with a calming presence and a steady voice, asked, "Alright, what's going on?"

The other, a tall man with a quiet focus, kneeled in front of Lydia, his gaze gentle as he studied her pale face.

Eddie stepped forward, his voice tight. "She's been zoning out. She dropped a plate, cut herself, and wouldn't respond for a while. She had two seizures about two weeks ago, and now she's been having these episodes where she just... stops."

The woman nodded, introducing herself as Savannah and her partner as Parker. Savannah crouched down beside Lydia and spoke softly. "Hi, sweetheart. I'm Savannah. Can you tell me if anything's hurting?"

Lydia's voice was barely above a whisper. "Nothing's hurting."

Parker took out a thermometer, quickly checking her temperature. He showed Savannah, and she nodded before quickly turning back to Eddie. "Has she been zoning out often?"

Eddie glanced at Delilah, who answered, "This is the third time in a few days." Eddie nodded in agreement.

Savannah frowned slightly, her brow furrowed in thought. "We were told she passed out," she said, looking back at Parker.

Parker nodded. "Eighteen-year-old female who passed out and is running a low temperature. That's what the call said."

Eddie shook his head. "She didn't pass out. She just zoned out."

Savannah's expression softened with understanding. "Alright. And these episodes started a few days ago?"

"Yeah," Eddie said, his voice quieter now.

Maddie entered the kitchen, her face etched with concern. "You should've called me," she said, her tone carrying a mix of frustration and worry.

Buck shook his head. "We thought about it, Maddie, but you've got Jee-Yun now. No need to add more pressure."

Before Maddie could respond, Lydia's breathing changed. It became shallow and fast, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and her eyes darted around the room in panic.

"Something's wrong!" I said, my voice breaking.

Then it happened. Lydia's body tensed, and she began shaking violently. Her head hit the counter behind her over and over as her muscles spasmed uncontrollably.

"She's seizing!" Parker yelled, moving quickly to lower her to the ground.

Savannah knelt beside him, guiding Lydia down as gently as possible. Parker slid his hand under her head to keep it from hitting the floor. The third paramedic arrived with a stretcher, but all I could focus on was Lydia.

Her small frame shook, her face pale, and I felt utterly helpless. Eddie was frozen, his hands gripping his knees as he watched his daughter seize. Buck had his arm around Eddie's shoulders, trying to keep him grounded.

After what felt like eternity, the seizure stopped. Lydia's body went limp, and she let out a soft, broken sound that shattered what was left of my composure.

The paramedics worked quickly, getting her onto the stretcher. Savannah spoke softly to her, trying to keep her calm, but Lydia wasn't having it.

"Leave me alone!" She yelled, her voice hoarse as she fought against their hands. "I can't go to the hospital again! Someone's going to get hurt—someone always gets hurt when I'm there!"

She thrashed on the stretcher, swatting Savannah's hands away as the paramedic tried to insert an IV. Her eyes were wide with fear, and I could see the raw panic in her expression.

"Lydia, please," Eddie begged, stepping forward, but she wasn't listening.

Savannah tried to soothe her. "It's okay, Lydia. Nothing's going to happen to you. We're here to help."

But she wasn't calming down. Parker exchanged a look with Eddie and Buck. "We need to sedate her? Can you two help hold her down for us?"

Eddie hesitated, his face crumpling, but he nodded. He and Buck moved to either side of the stretcher, gently pinning Lydia's arms and legs as she continued to thrash and argue.

"Stop. Please. I'm fine! Please." Lydia's voice cracked, tears steaming down her face.

"Lydia, please," Buck said, his voice trembling. "We're just trying to help."

Eddie's voice broke as he whispered, "Baby, please calm down. Please."

A single tear slipped down Eddie's face as Parker inserted the IV and administered the sedative. Slowly Lydia's movements grew weaker, her arguments turning into murmurs.

Finally, her eyes fluttered shut, and she went still.

Her grandmother, who had been sitting stiffly at the dining table, shook her head in frustration. "She needs to stop fighting them and let them do their jobs."

Hen turned to her, her voice angry and firm. "It's normal for her to be confused and frustrated. This is hard for her!"

Eddie turned to his mother, his voice sharp. "Sit down and leave her alone for once. She doesn't need this from you right now."

The room fell silent, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.

I stepped forward, brushing a strand of hair out of Lydia's eyes as she lay asleep. "It's going to be okay," I whispered, more for myself than her.

The paramedics began wheeling her out, and I followed, refusing to let her out of my sight. I didn't care what it took—I wasn't leaving her side.