Many people gathered on the bridge, and more people were arriving. A first-aid team arrived as well.
The moment she emerged from the water, someone saw her.
“Look!
Someone’s there!”
Debbie was too tired, and when her fingers slipped from the concrete and she sank into the water again, she heard several people jump into the river.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtHer chest burned like fire. She had no strength left at all; she closed her eyes and stopped struggling.
‘Carlos, I’m sorry…’ Then she lost consciousness.
Debbie was awakened by the cold. She blinked, but the light was so blinding that she closed her eyes to stop the headache she felt coming on.
She heard people talking in her ear. Opening her eyes slowly again, she saw the blue sky.
‘Am I still alive?’ she thought.
“She’s awake!” said a strange voice.
“Is the ambulance here? She woke up!”
“Girl, are you all right?”
Debbie nodded by instinct. But she felt very cold, both physically and mentally. She was shivering, and for sreason, she was getting hot flashes. She wasn’t sure why.
Someone helped her to her feet. She then noticed that she was wearing a man’s coat. It was part of a uniform and had patches on it as well as a nbadge. It must belong to someone on the first-aid team.
Underneath, she was still wearing her wet knit shirt.
She heard the ambulance approaching, and smen gathered around her when it arrived. She was bidden to Lie down on a stretcher and was carried into the ambulance by several men.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmIn the hospital
Sitting on a bench in the corridor, Debbie looked up and down the intake hall. The wards were fully occupied, and even the hall itself was overflowing with patients. A nurse bound her head, and then set her up with an IV. The IV rack had wheels, so she could walk with it if she had to.
“Miss, we need you to contact your family. They need to pay for your treatment!” the nurse demanded in a loud voice with a wad of test results in her hand.
Debbie was still not entirely with it, and didn’t hear the nurse at first. Not until the nurse called her several times did she cback to her senses.
“Pay the bill now, or you can’t have another bottle of IV fluid,” the nurse said impatiently. She was practically yelling, like Debbie was deaf or something. Debbie opened her mouth, but before she could respond, a familiar voice met her ears.
“I’LL pay. How much is it?” She raised her head to see Hayden.
‘We have to stop meeting Like this, ‘ she thought.
Behind him was Portia, staring at her with burning eyes.