Page 103 of The One
A wound in her stomach, where the blade of the motor had sliced across the length of her abdomen.
It was deep.
Too fucking deep.
There was another one on her chest, where I could see bone.
I didn’t know how to make her stop bleeding.
I didn’t know how to fix her.
“Penelope!” I shook her arm. Her shoulder. Her face. Why was her skin so pale? “Open your eyes and look at me!”
I needed to do something.
I needed to get her to wake up.
Is she breathing?
I put my ear to her nose.
The softest puff of air hit my earlobe.
I could help.
I could get her breathing.
I’d taken a CPR class in high school.
I knew that I needed to open her mouth and angle her neck back and press my lips against hers. I pinched her nose and exhaled all the air from my body into hers.
I waited.
Seconds that felt like a fucking eternity.
Nothing.
No airflow.
No opening of her eyes.
No waking up.
I gave her a second breath. This one was even longer—I was sure of it because I’d filled my lungs to capacity and let it all out.
Come on, Pen.
Wake up.
Open your eyes.
Open them for Lainey.
I started compressions, counting out loud after each one. “One, two, three.”
“Do you need help?” someone asked. “Should I call the Coast Guard?”
I didn’t know where the voice was coming from. I didn’t know who was speaking.
