that parking lot we passed on the way in and take her to the hospital.”
We’d been hiking for what, ten minutes before we found her?
So hopefully we could get her to the ambulance while she was still breathing.
Not exactly how I’d planned to spend my last night as a fourteen-year-old.
So much for finding Craig.
“She’s too heavy,” Bev said. “I gotta rest.”
Bev’s breathing suddenly sounded like a three-pack-a-day
smoker. No, wait. That wasn’t Bev. That was Amber.
“What’s wrong her?” Maya asked. “Why’s she breathing like
that?”
Analisa’s normally calm voice morphed into a Minnie Mouse
squeak. “Is she having a heart attack?”
I shook my head frantically. “She’s wheezing. Does anyone
have an inhaler?” My friends signaled ‘no.’ “We have to put her down and prop
open her air passage.”
As we lowered her limp, convulsing body to the ground, I
heard a sickening pop as a searing burn ripped through my left leg. No. No. No!
This could not be happening.
A string of words that a nice Two-Day-Catholic girl should
never repeat in public spewed forth from my mouth like ash from a volcano.
Speaking of which, my knee felt like it was made of molten lava – warm
and squishy to the touch.
Visions of physical therapy danced in my head as I tried to
bear weight and instead winced in pain. If it was what I thought, then I was
currently living my worst nightmare. Potentially career-ending devastation.
But I didn’t have time to think about that right now if we
were going to help Amber.
Bev grasped Amber’s hand and squeezed. “Don’t tell me we
have two invalids now.”
“I’m fine.”
But I wasn’t. Not really. The pain was debilitating, but I
didn’t really have a choice. We had to get the starlet to the hospital.
“Let’s go.” My fingertips grazed Analisa’s shoulder as I
steadied myself. I would not let myself cry. At least I was still conscious.
I looked down at Amber’s now nearly listless form, covered
in red welts. Wait a second. Did she have those before? Her skin was swelling
right in front of my eyes. Heck, in front of her eyes, too. Closed they were mere
slits, like the knife indentations pinching into the rising dough of a baguette
as it baked.
“I don’t think vampires cause that kind of reaction, do
they?” Maya had obviously noticed it, too.
That’s when I remembered I was wearing flip-flops. How did I
know? Because I felt a tickle on my toe, followed by a brushing sensation, but
was able to jump out of the way despite my hurt knee.
I bent over and took a closer look at Amber’s neck. I’d been
so focused on the punctures that I totally missed the tiny little red bumps at
the sting site earlier. I slung my off my backpack and dug around inside until
I found what I was looking for, then wound up and jammed it into her as hard as
I possibly could.
No, not a wooden stake to the heart. Total cliché. Besides,
even though she was my rival for Craig’s attention, we’d been trying to save
Amber, not kill her. Anyway, duh, everyone knows vampires aren’t real.
Analisa yanked the curtains closed after the doctor left. “I
still can’t believe how fast you reacted, Dani.”
“No kidding,” Bev said as she leaned against the exam table.
“I’ve been stung by a scorpion before but it was nothing like that.”
Maya tossed me my shorts. (I couldn’t wait to get out of
this ugly hospital gown.) “Amber’s lucky you were there.”
Oh, I forgot to tell you. We never did make it to the road.
The EMTs, who had to hike into the wilderness to find us, confirmed my
suspicion. Amber Alexander had a rare anaphylactic reaction to a scorpion bite.
Like all kids with peanut allergy, my EpiPen is more precious than an American
Express card – I never leave home without it.
Analisa smiled. “You saved her life.”
Yeah, I guess I did.
So she could go right back to kissing Craig.
Using crutches to take my weight off of the injury, I limped
away
We’d been hiking for what, ten minutes before we found her?
So hopefully we could get her to the ambulance while she was still breathing.
Not exactly how I’d planned to spend my last night as a fourteen-year-old.
So much for finding Craig.
“She’s too heavy,” Bev said. “I gotta rest.”
Bev’s breathing suddenly sounded like a three-pack-a-day
smoker. No, wait. That wasn’t Bev. That was Amber.
“What’s wrong her?” Maya asked. “Why’s she breathing like
that?”
Analisa’s normally calm voice morphed into a Minnie Mouse
squeak. “Is she having a heart attack?”
I shook my head frantically. “She’s wheezing. Does anyone
have an inhaler?” My friends signaled ‘no.’ “We have to put her down and prop
open her air passage.”
As we lowered her limp, convulsing body to the ground, I
heard a sickening pop as a searing burn ripped through my left leg. No. No. No!
This could not be happening.
A string of words that a nice Two-Day-Catholic girl should
never repeat in public spewed forth from my mouth like ash from a volcano.
Speaking of which, my knee felt like it was made of molten lava – warm
and squishy to the touch.
Visions of physical therapy danced in my head as I tried to
bear weight and instead winced in pain. If it was what I thought, then I was
currently living my worst nightmare. Potentially career-ending devastation.
But I didn’t have time to think about that right now if we
were going to help Amber.
Bev grasped Amber’s hand and squeezed. “Don’t tell me we
have two invalids now.”
“I’m fine.”
But I wasn’t. Not really. The pain was debilitating, but I
didn’t really have a choice. We had to get the starlet to the hospital.
“Let’s go.” My fingertips grazed Analisa’s shoulder as I
steadied myself. I would not let myself cry. At least I was still conscious.
I looked down at Amber’s now nearly listless form, covered
in red welts. Wait a second. Did she have those before? Her skin was swelling
right in front of my eyes. Heck, in front of her eyes, too. Closed they were mere
slits, like the knife indentations pinching into the rising dough of a baguette
as it baked.
“I don’t think vampires cause that kind of reaction, do
they?” Maya had obviously noticed it, too.
That’s when I remembered I was wearing flip-flops. How did I
know? Because I felt a tickle on my toe, followed by a brushing sensation, but
was able to jump out of the way despite my hurt knee.
I bent over and took a closer look at Amber’s neck. I’d been
so focused on the punctures that I totally missed the tiny little red bumps at
the sting site earlier. I slung my off my backpack and dug around inside until
I found what I was looking for, then wound up and jammed it into her as hard as
I possibly could.
No, not a wooden stake to the heart. Total cliché. Besides,
even though she was my rival for Craig’s attention, we’d been trying to save
Amber, not kill her. Anyway, duh, everyone knows vampires aren’t real.
Analisa yanked the curtains closed after the doctor left. “I
still can’t believe how fast you reacted, Dani.”
“No kidding,” Bev said as she leaned against the exam table.
“I’ve been stung by a scorpion before but it was nothing like that.”
Maya tossed me my shorts. (I couldn’t wait to get out of
this ugly hospital gown.) “Amber’s lucky you were there.”
Oh, I forgot to tell you. We never did make it to the road.
The EMTs, who had to hike into the wilderness to find us, confirmed my
suspicion. Amber Alexander had a rare anaphylactic reaction to a scorpion bite.
Like all kids with peanut allergy, my EpiPen is more precious than an American
Express card – I never leave home without it.
Analisa smiled. “You saved her life.”
Yeah, I guess I did.
So she could go right back to kissing Craig.
Using crutches to take my weight off of the injury, I limped
away
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