Page 42 of Something to Believe In
The sirens grew louder. Axel brushed his fingers along Mads' cheek. She was cool to the touch, and she closed her eyes. "Mads, baby, please stay with me.”
She made a rattling sound as she tried to drag air into her lungs. "Should I unbuckle her seatbelt? She can't breathe."
"Are you in an upright position?"
"Yes."
Someone pulled his door open, and he turned. An EMT asked, "Are you alright?"
"Yes. Help her. Maddyn. She can't breathe."
In all his years, his heart had never beaten so fast. Fear, real fear, raced through his body. With Maddyn's head lying against the seat, she kept trying to drag air into her lungs, and he was helpless. There wasn't anything he could do. Not a thing.
An EMT opened her door and put an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth. "Breathe deeply, ma'am."
The EMT unbuckled her seatbelt. Another EMT jumped in the backseat behind Mads and checked her for neck injuries. She could lift her arms and move her legs, though she was weak. Once he was sure they could move her without causing additional injuries, they lifted her from the vehicle.
Axel jumped out and ran around to be nearby. His stomach twisted, and he felt as though he'd vomit watching Maddyn's limp body lifted onto a gurney. The EMTs were calling out to each other, and he stared at her, feeling as helpful as a broken drumstick.
He could hear the faint voice of the 911 operator and turned to see Mads' phone lying on the seat. He picked it up. "Hello, this is Axel. EMTs have Mads."
"Are you alright, Axel?"
Tears sprang to his eyes. "I..." He swallowed. "Yeah." His voice was faint.
He ended the call and followed the EMTs as they moved Mads to the ambulance. "I'm sorry, sir, you can't come in. We'll be taking her to the hospital here in Blossom Springs."
He nodded and prayed Mads would open her eyes. As they lifted the gurney into the ambulance, she did just that. He stared at her. "I love you. I'll be right behind you."
She nodded. It was weak, but he saw it. Quickly, he hurried to the SUV, ignoring the smashed-up back. Pulling out onto the road, he waited for the ambulance. Looking the other way, he didn't see Lacey's vehicle. Hopefully, the police had caught up with her.
The ambulance pulled onto the road, and Axel followed behind it. His mind raced with thoughts of what he'd do if she didn't make it. He'd be lost. He never loved anyone like he loved her, and she'd been in his life for so many years. They'd finally found their way to each other. He just couldn't lose her now.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Maddyn woke in the hospital. The first person she saw was Axel, sleeping in a very uncomfortable-looking chair, his head hanging to the left. She inhaled and regretted it as pain squeezed her lungs. She focused on small breaths.
Turning to look out the window, she saw the sun had set. A quick glance at the bedside table showed a box of tissues. Nothing else. Not her phone. She didn't know what time it was, so she closed her eyes.
"Are you alright?"
Axel's deep voice replied. "I'm fine. How is she?"
"She'll be fine. Sore for a while. She had a phrenospasm. Which is a spasm of the diaphragm. In layman's terms, it's called getting the wind knocked out of you. She will have bruises from the seat belt, and she will feel sore when taking deep breaths for a while.
She stared at Axel, who locked his eyes on hers. He stood, though he moved stiffly, and came to sit on the side of her bed.
"How are you feeling?"
She smiled, though she knew it was weak, then she said, "Well, I had a phrenospasm. I'm sore."
His smile spread across his handsome face, then he laughed. "You're the best."
He leaned down slowly and kissed her lips. She took a shallow breath. "Are you sore?"
"I'm sore. But not hurt. I think I tensed every muscle I have. You'd think after all the drumming I do, I'd be okay, but I'm not immune, Mads."
She reached for his hand and squeezed it. "None of us are, Babe. I guess you're human like the rest of us."
