One of the paramedics is talking into a radio and the other is checking her pulse. Neither of them look concerned enough, and I don’t know how to fucking react to that. Is it a good thing they’re not overtly concerned or are they just fucking useless at their job and have no idea what they’re doing?
"Why isn't she waking up?" The question tears out of me as the ambulance doors close. I’m right beside her.
The older paramedic looks at me briefly and then refocuses on Quinn. "She's getting oxygen."
Fuck him, that's not an answer. "Why isn't she waking up?" I snarl at him.
I know they're trying to help. I know it, but every instinct I have is screaming at me to pull her away from them and fix this myself. The problem is I can't.
For the first time in a very long time, there is absolutely nothing I can do, and that terrifies me more than anything else.
"Sir, she's had a severe reaction, her body is taking time to recover. She’s breathing better with the oxygen."
Severe, like that's supposed to make me feel better.
I tighten my grip on Quinn's hand, it's cold. Too fucking cold.
"Quinn."
Nothing.
"Baby."
Nothing.
The panic in my chest keeps building,
I watch every rise and fall of her chest, every beep from the monitor makes my head snap up and every movement from the paramedics has me bracing for bad news.
I have never felt more useless in my entire life, and all I can think is that if she dies, I won't survive it.
"Sir." I look up at the paramedic calling me. "We're here."
The ambulance doors open, and everything starts moving again.
Her eyes open as we’re moving toward the hospital not much, just a sliver. They're unfocused, but they’re open.
"Quinn." I lean forward, so I’m in her line of sight. "Hey. I'm here."
Her mouth moves under the mask. No sound comes out, but I’m sure she says my name.
"I know," I say. "I know. I've got you."
Her fingers tighten around mine. I tighten back just as she's pulled out of my grasp by the nursing staff.
"Sir, if you'll wait—" the nurse says, her voice full of authority.
"No."
"Sir, the team needs space to?—"
"I'm not waiting." I take a step forward.
"Lorenzo." Ciro says softly, his hand on my shoulder. "Let them work."
I stand back and watch as the doors close behind the nurse as she follows where Quinn’s just been taken.
Silence, that’s all I hear. Rage and panic are bubbling under the surface. How the hell did this happen? God, how did we end up here?
