Inside the ambulance Nick watched as the crew worked on Ashley. He knew they were trying to save her life, but to him it looked like torture. And things only got worse.

“Kris, her pulse is thready. B/Ps going down!”

“Shit, no! Hold on girl.” Kris exclaimed.

“What? What’s happening?” Nick demanded.

“Nick, right? I need you to sit back out of the way. Ok.” Kris ordered.

“We lost the pulse, Kris!”

“Hold on, I’m almost in. Ok, bag and compressions while I get the Epi.”

Nick just sat wide-eyed, afraid to almost breathe. Everything was going so fast. People were moving everywhere, each hand doing something different it seemed. He could hear someone talking to the hospital somewhere in the truck, but he wasn’t sure where he or she was. He couldn’t believe he was just sitting here watching this little girl die. ‘No, she’s not gonna die. They have to do something!’ He thought to himself.

After another shot of Epinephrine and being shocked by the defibrillator Ashley once again had a heartbeat, but she was still not breathing on her own. About that time they pulled up to Tampa General ER and everyone jumped out taking Ashley with them. Nick blindly followed into the ER listening to Kris inform the doctors of Ashley’s condition thus far. They both stopped at the doors when the doctors and nurses wheeled Ashley into a closed room. All of a sudden there was more commotion behind them as the other two trucks pulled up with the parents. Kris ran to assess their progress but froze in her tracks when she saw one of the paramedics on the stretcher performing CPR on the Mother. “Oh, God!” Was all she could manage, because immediately after she heard a doctor ask how long the father had been unresponsive. She could hear the wind rushing in her ears and her breath caught in her throat as the flashback overtook her. Nick caught her before she hit the floor.

Kris woke to complete quiet and utter darkness. She was disoriented and afraid. All she could remember was the car accident. It seemed so fresh in her mind, like yesterday. Or was it today? Oh, no, the little girl. “Ashley,” she moaned.

“Hey there, you scared us,” she heard a familiar voice.

“Who, who’s that? Why is it so dark?” Kristyne was more than a little worried. She was cold and felt like she had been crying. When she reached up to her face she felt the wet cloth over her eyes and pulled it away. “Oh, not dark anymore,” she attempted to laugh but didn’t quite succeed.

“Want me to dampen that again? Let me go let someone know you are awake.”

“Wait! What happened? What time is it? How’s Ashley? Oh, God! How’s her parents?” She was going to ask more but his soft chuckle and crooked smile stopped her. More like froze her. It was him! Why didn’t she realize before?

“One question at a time. K? You passed out. Don’t worry, I caught ya. It’s only about 6:15am. Ugh! I’m not sure about Ashley and her Mom, they haven’t said anything to me yet.”

“And the Dad?”

“Ummm.” Nick looked down, afraid to say what he knew she already sensed. When he looked up Kris had her hand over her mouth and her eyes were brimming with tears. “Shit. They said he didn’t make it. Something about head trauma and blood loss. But they haven’t been back in to say anything about Ashley, so I take that as a good sign, right?” Where was this protective instinct coming from all of a sudden. ‘I must be really tired.’ Nick thought to himself.

Hearing the door open they both turned to see a girl Kristyne knew as her roommate, but she was a stranger to Nick. “Hey Kris. You gave us all a scare. Damn girl. I told you to take the night off.” Evie admonished approaching the bed, her concern for her friend shown clearly on her face.

Smiling, Evie could get her to smile even at the most inappropriate times, “Evie, I just saved a little girl’s life tonight. I wouldn’t have missed that for the most KICKIN party in all of Florida.” Evie just shook her head before looking at the very good-looking stranger sitting with her roommate.

“Hi, I’m Evelynn, Evie for short. Are you new to the crew? You worked with Kristyne tonight?” Greeting the stranger with her hand outstretched.

Nick shook her hand but looked at Kris, “No, I was right there when the accident happened. I rode with Kris, I mean Kristyne to the hospital in the ambulance.” A true smile came across his face. He finally realized why he had been having such a feeling of familiarity since catching Kristyne when she passed out.

Evie just looked from her friend to the still unnamed guy sitting there and back again. Something was definitely going on, but she didn’t know just what. “And your name would be?” She fished.

“Nick” they both answered at the same time.

“Ahh. Nick. Well Nick, Kristyne, I’m gonna go tell Dr. Marsellas that you are awake now. She was worried about you.” Heading to the door she stopped and looked back, “ Oh, Kris, both her and your Lieutenant have ordered you to take a few days off whether you like it or not.” Evie smiled at her friend before leaving the room, knowing Kris would never ask for time off herself.

“So, Nick, I guess you can go now. I mean, your friend did follow you here right?” She asked trying to fill the quiet quickly.

“Ummm, No. I mean yeah. I mean, well, I’m not going anywhere yet. How are you?”

“I’m fine, just a little overwhelmed…”

“No, I know about that. But how have you been? You just left. I had no idea if you were ok, if you made it home safely, if you were happy, nothing. I’ve been worried.” The words just spilled out before he could stop them. **sigh**

**sigh** “I’m......better now. Didn’t mean to worry you. I never thought you would. You know?”

Pulling his chair closer to the bed, “No, I don’t know. When I found you, you were a wreck. Then you just disappeared. What was I supposed to think?”

“You don’t know anything about me. All you saw was someone crying. So don’t presume to know what was going on in my world! I wasn’t a wreck!” She proclaimed a little too vehemently while pushing herself up to sitting.

“Whoa! I didn’t presume anything!” He yelled. Then softer, “You just seemed so alone, so lost. I wanted to help.”

“Well, I don’t need anyone’s help, ok.” Standing she left the room. Why did she react like that. He was just trying to be nice. But, she couldn’t afford to let anyone in just now. She had to make herself strong. Too much had gone on in her life to go back. Nick just starred at the closing door.

“What just went wrong?” He decided to go get AJ and head home. After all, he was expecting company today. **oooohhhhhhhh!** he groaned. “I need sleep.”

“Hey! Nick was it?”

“Oh, Hi, umm, umm”

“Evie”

“Sorry, long night. Kristyne just left a minute ago.”

“I know, she went to get her stuff from the lounge. She was kinda worked up.”

“Yeah, I don’t know what happened?” Nick was still puzzled and began rubbing his hand over the top of his head. “One minute everything was fine, the next she was telling me she doesn’t need any help.”

“Well, Nick, she’s had a hard time of things this past year and a half. She has always been stubborn, but now even more so. Don’t take it personally. So, accident aside, did you have a good holiday?”

“Mmm Hmm. It ain’t over yet. I got company coming over this afternoon for a pool party. Hey, she’s got a few days off, right. I bet she just needs to relax.”

“That’s what I’ve been telling her since she moved here 4 months ago. But will she DO it? No.”

“Well, now that she has no choice but to take a few days do you think you can convince her to come and hang out? I’m right on the water, so I’ll be taking my boat out and there’ll be a cookout. Not a big crowd, but ya’ll’d have fun.” He couldn’t believe he was inviting this girl into his home yet again.

“Ya’ll? As in Us?” Evie smiled at the prospect of another party.

“Yeah, I mean, I’d like for both of you to come. Do you think you can convince her?”

“Give me your address and I’ll think of something. She may not know where she’s going, but we’ll get there.” Evie chuckled, Nick smiled, and they both agreed that 1pm would be a good time. “See ya later, Nick.”

“1 o’clock.” Nick turned to go get AJ and try and get a few hours sleep before everyone started to arrive.

“Ready to go, Evie? I’m pooped.”

“Sure. What do you say we hit the beach tomorrow, I mean later today? Since you have the day off and all. Relax in the sun?”

“I could do with a little sun and surf. Sure, I have nothing better to do. Why not.” The two girls left both looking forward to the afternoon, but for completely different reasons.


<~Chapter 6 or Chapter 8~>

Karina 2003