Holding My Breath [Wattys 2016]

8 3 ~ R u s t y

Present Day ~ July 17, 2011

I close my eyes for a moment while I listen to people getting out and rushing around. I hear Blue and Colt calling to each other, but he doesn't move from my side. He only relaxes a little when everyone is out of the ditch and in his sight.

"Hey Rusty," I hear whispered in my ear. I groan. Blue laughs lightly, but I can hear some sort of shake in his voice. "Rusty, you need to stay awake. You're losing a lot of blood."

I feel him pulling me to my feet and I stand on my good leg, his arm around me for support. We start to head towards the back of the ambulance, but I stop short.

"Blue, I can't go to a hospital."

He looks down at me, then back at the EMTs rushing around and bringing people to the vehicle. "Yeah, you do."

"You don't get it," I say as we start walking again. There's something hard in my throat that makes my voice crack. "They're going to want to know my name. And the name of my parents. They might call the cops."

He gives me look. A look that holds everything in it. An apology, sympathy, and something else. But he just pulls me towards the ambulance with a half-smile. "I'm sorry, Rusty." He says but doesn't stop. "We'll figure it out, okay?"

"Blue--"

"We'll figure it out," he says again. "I'll help you."

I nod.

We get to the back of the vehicle and he helps me up into the back of it before jumping in behind me. It's still dark out, but I can see the sky start to lighten from gray to blue behind the clouds.

I watch as the EMT says something into his radio and soon another ambulance appears. I guess we can't all fit in one.

Sawyer gets in with Colton and Bailey, so it's just Blue and me in this one. The paramedic makes me and Blue sit down on the gurney as he starts to look us over.

He grabs some gauze and puts some kind of disinfectant on it before pressing it down on my leg.

"Shit," I cringe at the burning in my thigh. He presses the gauze down for a few more seconds. Blue's eyes widen and I can see he is fighting off a smile at my reaction.

I glare at him and he just laughs.

"Here," the EMT says, putting my hand on top of the gauze. "Keep the pressure on it until we get to the hospital."

I nod and he turns to Blue. He says some stuff into the radio but I'm too busy looking at my jeans and hands in the bright lights. My jeans are soaked, to say the least. My hands are stained red.

Caught red handed...

It's all making me panic. The blood and the fact that I can hear the sirens. I try to take deep breaths. It's just blood.

It's just that stuff that pumps through your heart and in your veins and...

I let out a shiver. Blue grabs one of my hands and, though I would never admit it, I'm thankful.

We get there a little while later. Up in the mountains, the nearest hospital is through the tunnel and well into the nearest "city". It takes at least twenty or thirty minutes.

I see everyone pouring out of the other ambulance and smile at the fact that Colton is holding Bailey's hand.

Awe, aren't they adorable.

Blue jumps out of the back. The EMT tries to get me to stay on the stretcher but instead I jump out after Blue, landing on my good leg, and he holds onto my elbow when I start to wobble. He's watching me carefully and gives me a look. One that says not to try and run for it. I mean, I know I won't make it far, and that I really do need help, but everything inside of me is telling me to hobble away as fast as I can.

But I don't. For a second I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Then I turn to Blue. "Fine, let's go."