Can't Help It

3.

Awsten

My fingers are at Quinn's neck.
Making sure there's still a pulse.
What happened?
Is Quinn okay?

I hear sirens.
The ambulance.
Soon enough I see an ambulance.
The ambulance quickly parks.
A male and a female climb out.
They open the back doors.
They pull out a bag and a bed.

They wheel it over.
The woman checks Quinn's pulse.
She then checks Quinn's breathing.
The man is setting up tubes and needles.

I take a few steps back.
I watch them work frantically.
Quinn's been out for about 10 minutes.
Too long if you ask me.

They then lift Quinn onto the bed.
They wheel it over to the ambulance.
They lift the bed in.
The man climbs in the back.
I follow.

* * *

We pull up to the hospital.
It feels like it's been forever.
It's really only been 15 minutes.
Quinn's still out.
Heart rates okay.
Breathing is shallow.

Still alive.

The woman comes to the back.
Her and the man lift the bed out.
They wheel the bed through the doors.

I follow.

They start yelling long words.
And codes.
I'm assuming whatever's wrong with Quinn.
Another 2 men come over.
They take the bed from the man and woman.
The woman then turns around to me.
She grabs my shoulders.

"I'm afraid that you can't go through."

"What's wrong with Quinn? What happened?" Will Quinn be okay?"

"Quinn will be fine. I promise you that. Although you're going to have to ask Quinn yourself as to what's wrong."

"Why? Is it bad?"

"I think they'd appreciate it if I didn't tell you."

I sigh heavily.
That's all I can do.
The paramedic won't tell me anything.
Which isn't helpful.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to wait out here. Could be a few hours."

I sigh again.

"Okay."

I walk over to the chairs.
There's very few people here.

There's a girl about my age.
She's got bright purple hair and lip rings.

There's a man and his child.
They both have chestnut coloured hair.

There's another man.
Probably in his 30s with light blue hair.

There's an elderly woman.
She's got faded pink hair.

And then there's another guy.
Probably a couple years younger than me.
His hair is 2 colours.
Half burgundy.
Half dark purple.
It's different but it suits him.
He also has multiple ear piercings.
And a nose ring.

I have a lip piercing.
Although it's not always in.
It is just now.
I didn't take it out last night like I usually do.