One Step Closer to Gone: Amber

Chapter 4

    On our way back from dinner, we paused. Tyler had been lagging behind again.

    After dinner, everyone has to go to their dorms, but they can have friends over. Josh and Tyler would always come over.

   Anyway, Tyler usually brought up the rear as we'd walk through the halls together. This time, however, he was particularly slow.

   "Wait," Minzy stopped us. "Tyler's not up here with us. Tyler-" she turned around and gasped at the sight of and unconcious Tyler on the floor.

   "Oh my gosh! What happened to Tyler?!" Marli screamed in the middle of tthe hallway.

   "Marli, calm down. It's going to be okay," Josh said, trying to comfort himself more than Marli.

   Marli didn't say anything else, though she was just as worried as the rest of us.

                           * * *

   "Wow, he's really light. It's actually pretty surprising, huh?" Minzy tried to lighten the mood as all four of us carried Tyler's lifeless body into the girls' dorm.

   Earlier, Marli had offered to help me clean up my dresser, so when I reached into the top left drawer to get my Doctor's First Aid Kit, it was clean.

   I have a first aid kit with me at S.C.P. because my grandparents want me to take medical courses in college, so that I can be the family doctor one day. I doubt it will happen. However, I do know how to use the equipment in the kit.

   "Put him on my bed," I took charge. "And pull Marli's closer."

   They did as I told them. I sat down on Marli's bed and set the bag of equipment down beside me.

    I pulled out the stethescope and checked to see if his heart was beating. It was, but faintly.

   I then pulled out the pulse oximeter to check his oxygen levels. His O2 levels were at 90, which isn't good. I believe 97-100 is good.

   By the way, a pulse oximeter is a thing you put your finger in to check your oxygen levels and your heart's bpm.

   After I checked his levels, I pulled out an inhaler from the bag. I shook it up, then puffed it into Tyler's mouth.

   Minzy, Marli, and Josh gasped as Tyler's chest rose and fell with great force. He began to cough, so I helped him sit up.

   "Shh," I wrapped my arms around him. "You okay, Ty?"

   "Yeah... I'm fine," he began to sob silently.

   "Hey, it's okay. We're here, Tyler." Minzy reached over to pat his back.

   Marli still said nothing, but she placed her hand on his shoulder and smiled sincerely at him.

   I stopped hugging Tyler so that Josh could say something to him.

   "Tyler?" Tyler looked up to face Josh. "You're my best friend and you know I'd do anything for you. Look, we're not going anywhere. You have nothing to be scared of. Whatever we face, we face together. All of us."

   Tyler nodded and leaned into Josh's open arms.

   Josh turned his head to face Tyler, and he whispered, "I'll always be with you."