Three Words

Chapter 20 - Tobias

I don't understand what is happening.  Why is George on the ground with Tris pressing her fingers to his neck?  How did they get down there?  Why are they down there? This has to be some kind of sick joke.  I feel frozen.  Tris yells, "Tobias, call 911!  He's having a heart attack!" 

I understand the words that have come out of her mouth, but the order they are in doesn't make any since.  What does she mean he's having a heart attack?  George is one of the healthiest people I know.  He can't be having a heart attack.  Suddenly, Tris' desperate voice pierces the fog of my brain.  "Tobias!  Now!"  'Now.'  I have to act now.  I fumble for the phone in my pocket as the reality of what is happening slams into my chest. 

I look over at Amar as my fingers shake trying to dial the number.  Amar is white with shock, looking at Tris who has started doing chest compressions on George.  His hand twitching toward him. 

I hear a woman answer the phone, "911.   What is your emergency?"

I begin running my fingers through my hair, trying to steady my hand, looking back to Tris, "Yes, my friend is having a heart attack.  He needs an ambulance immediately."  I give the address and all the information I know about George to the woman on the phone.

"Is someone doing CPR right now?" The woman asks in a calm, but urgent voice.

My eyes haven't left Tris' form.  She continues to work on George, counting out compressions.  Amar has manage to get on the ground next to George's head, giving breathes when Tris gives him a signal.  A waitress comes running up to Tris holding a yellow box.  Through the compressions, Tris starts giving the waitress instructions. 

"Yes, and they have a um...a chest...um..."  'What the hell is that thing called?!'

"Do you mean a defibrillator, or an AED?"  The woman says trying to be helpful. 

"Yes!  That thing!  They're putting it on him right now."

I hear typing in the background at the new information, "Ok sir, the ambulance should be there shortly.  Do you want me to stay on the phone?"

"No," I say a little too forcefully.  I know I shouldn't be short with the woman, but I honestly don't give a damn about my manners right now. 

I hang up, and rush over to George, getting across from Tris.  I haven't had CPR since health class in high school, but I'm sure if I watch I can figure it out, and take over if Tris gets tired. 

I analyze her every move, trying to take in how far she pushes, how her arms are locked, the position of her hands, and most importantly, how many compressions and how fast she's giving them, trying to commit the information to memory.  I try to ignore the fact that George is the one she is working on; trying to fool myself to think that it's someone else's body.

She's pressing hard enough that I can hear the grinding of broken bones.  My mind wonders how hard this is on her, but I know she has to be the one to do this.  I'm completely useless at this point until I can memorize the steps so I can take over if she needs me. 

I look up into her face, seeing a fierce determination.  Her eyebrows are knitted in concentration, as she counts out compression after compression.  I doubt she even notices my presence or her own discomfort. 

Tris' hands suddenly are off George as the AED the waitress brought starts talking, but I can't understand what it's saying, I'm too focused on Tris.  Her breathing is accelerated from pushing on his chest, though her eyes continue to stay glued to his form.  I'm about to ask why she stopped, wondering if I need to take over, when George's body suddenly goes stiff.  His back and limbs going rigid in a way I've only seen on Tv, but even that doesn't prepare me for what the real thing looks like.