Stay With Me - A KathNiel Story

Chapter 14

"Okay, we need to get her inside - she's ice cold," Richard said, a sense of urgency in his voice and he dropped Kath's shirt again, pulling up the duvet so it would help warm her up on the short distance from where she was to the dorm room. Because of where she was lying, it was obvious that she was trying to make it to the woods at the back of the dorm building, but she had to cover a large patch of grass at the back of the building before she would get to the trees. She never would have made it across the grass, not in her state and without anything to hold onto to support herself as she attempted to walk.

"People will be getting home from their classes now, we have to be careful." Miles breathed, but her eyes were on the young woman who was slowly dying in front of her.

"I'll carry her," DJ said and Richard nodded, standing up with Amanda and he swung the medical bag over his shoulder.

"Be careful, don't move her middle section too much," Richard instructed, helping DJ to pick Kath up bridal style so that the unconscious girl wouldn't move too much.

"N-No..." Kath's voice was barely any louder than a whisper, but they could see a few tears falling down her face, mixing with the sweat that was building up on her skin.

"I know you must be in a lot of pain, sweetie, but we're gonna make it better. Just keep fighting, okay? Stay awake." Miles urged, holding tightly onto Amanda's hand as they made their way to the front door of the dorm building. DJ held Kath tightly against his chest - she was extremely light, which was ringing all kinds of alarm bells for him. She was too skinny, too weak to fight whatever infection was wrong with her. It was very quickly destroying her from the inside out. It was as if he could feel the life being drained from her body.

Amanda held the doors open for them all, rushing up the stairs until they got to Miles's room and then very quickly shutting the door once everybody was inside. DJ laid Kath back on the bed carefully and with Richard's help, adjusting the pillow so that she'd be more comfortable.

"We need to get a cannula in - one with access to multiple lines. She needs so much help." Richard urged as he rushed to the bathroom to find antibacterial wipes for her skin and Amanda rifled through the bag, pulling out what he needed and ripping them out of the packets.

"It'd be easier if you two waited out in the living room - this room is too small for all four of us to be in here climbing all over each other to try and help her," Amanda spoke softly, but there was an edge of desperation and urgency behind her words.

"No... n-no..." Kath mumbled from the bed, her fingers twitching in a way that told Amanda that she was trying to move, but was simply too weak to even lift her own head from the pillow.

"We'll be right out here, Kath, okay? We'll be right back." Miles promised, tears running down her face as she walked out of the room with DJ just as Richard rushed back in having found the wipes to disinfect Kath's skin before they'd push the needles into her.

"She'll be okay, right? She won't... she won't die... will she?" DJ breathed, feeling like a child when he asked a question he knew Miles wouldn't know the answer to. They both sat on the couch, trying their hardest to keep their tears under control for the sake of Kath - if she was still partly conscious, they didn't want her to hear their crying and get any more scared than she already was.

Time seemed to pass by extremely slowly as Miles and DJ waited for any kind of update, but they jumped up as the door to the bedroom opened and Amanda motioned with her head for the two of them to step inside. Miles gasped at the sight of Kath and Richard placed a comforting hand on DJ's shoulder as his eyes burned with tears seeing her for the first time. Kath's shirt had been cut off to give them better and easier access to the wound, which had been covered with gauze and the sweat that covered her face and neck had been dabbed away, a bowl of cold water on the nightstand - an attempt to bring down her temperature. She had a cannula in the back of her hand, but with three line access points - two of which were being used.

"Fluids, since as she can't eat or drink... and the other is antibiotics. We're certain we caught it early enough to help her, but... with her being as skinny and weak as she is from being on the streets, we can't be sure." Amanda said sadly. DJ's eyes were locked on Kath as he fought back his tears. He broke away from Richard and pulled the chair from the corner of Miles's room to the bedside and he sat, holding Kath's hand very lightly in his own.

It was only as he felt her cold skin against his that he finally let himself cry.

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