Page 95 of Deliverance

Lacing my fingers together, I place them over her chest as I begin doing compressions.

“Oh my god!” Maryia shouts as she runs into the room the next minute.

“Call 911,” I say as I keep up the compressions.

“C’mon, baby B. C’mon,” I say as I push harder and harder.

“Hello? Yes, there is a girl here. Unconscious. I-I don’t know what happened,” Maryia says.

“Overdose,” I grit out as I continue working on her.

“Uhm, I guess an overdose? I don’t know. One second,” Maryia says as she puts the phone on speaker.

“What did they take?” the operator asks.

“Oxycodone,” I say. “I found an empty bottle in her hand. I don’t know how much she took.”

I look at Maryia, gesturing to the flask in Bridgette’s hand. “Smell that.”

She frowns before stepping forward and grabbing it. I watch as Bridgette’s hand limply rolls onto the bed as Maryia smells the spout. Her face scrunches as she shakes her head.

“Vodka.”

“And I think she chased it with vodka,” I say.

“Are they breathing?” the operator asks.

“No! I’m doing CPR, but I don’t know how long she’s been down. Get an ambulance here now!”

“Ma’am, please take a breath. You need to stay calm.”

I can’t help but laugh bitterly. “Stay calm? Stay fucking calm! Someone is dying and you want me to stay fucking calm? Shove your calm right up your cunty ass and get me a goddamn ambulance!” I scream.

The operator is silent for a moment before she speaks.

“First responders are en route. Roughly ninety seconds out.”

I curse under my breath, shaking my head. For one hundred and three seconds, I sit there, pushing on Bridgette’s chest to the point where I’m worried I’ll break a rib. It doesn’t stop me, though. She doesn’t get to do this, she doesn’t get to pull this. I at the very least have to bring her back and tell her what a selfish bitch she is for trying to leave me all alone in this hellhole. Then I’ll let her go. Then I’ll let her make her choices.

Not likely.

Fucking finally, three EMTs rush into the room, setting out equipment as they assess the situation.

“How long has she been like this?” one asks me.

“I don’t know. I found her about two minutes ago. I think she OD’d on Oxy,” I say as I gesture my head to the pill bottle.

The paramedic looks at it before nodding and turning to one of the guys.

“Get me Narcan.”

The guy hands him the bottle before he steps up to me.

“Step aside, miss. We will take it from here.”

I shake my head as I continue.

“No fucking way. If I stop, her heart stops. Her heart can’t stop,” I say.