Another take from the end of series ten. This is not a happy fic, you have been warned...
"She's arresting!" Erin shouted.
"Quickly!" Harry yelled as Dimitri crouched next to Ruth. Ruth lying prone who at the moment didn't have a beating heart. Harry was very close to pure panic when the adrenaline was injected in her. It had absolutely no effect. It took a few seconds for Harry to realise that she wasn't coming back. He couldn't help it, he cried as he kept holding her, rocking her slightly in his arms. How could it be that this beautiful, intelligent woman who made his world turn had died? It couldn't be possible. Ignoring the blood he cradled her face and kissed her as he laid her gently back down on the ground. Her lips were still warm and soft.
"Oh Ruth," he whispered, unable to hold himself together, the love of his life laying lifeless on the grass. His happiness five minutes before had lasted mere seconds, and now here she was in his arms as she was always meant to be. Just not alive. "Please God no." His tears were dropping onto her beautiful yet still porcelain skin and he gently removed the traces with his hand.
"Harry, move," Dimitri said firmly from somewhere above his right shoulder.
"Go away," Harry whispered in a broken voice, his body covering hers. He didn't want anyone but him touching her. Sasha should have attacked him, not the woman he loved. One thing he knew was he had to be the last person to touch her and Dimitri could go to hell. Then he felt hands moving him slightly away from her. He was about to struggle when he realised what they were doing. Dimitri gave her a second shot of adrenaline and gently lifted her hand, feeling her wrist for a pulse.
"My God, its there," Dimitri said. "Its horribly faint but its there."
"She still isn't breathing though," Erin said. Harry wanted to kick her because that was stating the obvious. Without thinking about who was watching he set his lips to hers once more and pushed air into her lungs, willing her to do it on her own. He kept going for the next couple of minutes until the helicopter landed. He kept a tight grip of her hand but move so they could help her. Harry knew some basic first aid but this was miles beyond them and he wasn't too worked up to be unable to see it.
Almost immediately a plastic tube was shoved down her throat. Harry winced, seeing it obstruct her face as one paramedic kept squeezing the bag in and out, breathing for her. A pressure dressing was put on her chest wound and then she was loaded into the helicopter, Harry following all the way. One of the paramedics opened his mouth to say there was limited space but Harry gave him a look of pure ice and nothing was spoken. Harry sat next to her as the paramedics asked a lot of questions about her injury. Harry didn't like the look they shared when he told them she'd been without oxygen for several minutes. But they kept going. "Come on Ruth, you'll pull through this, I know you will." Harry repeated to himself as a mantra.
It didn't take long for them to arrive at the hospital and Harry was devastated when Ruth was taken from him so quickly. All he could do was wait and pray. And he wasn't a praying man, but for her he'd make an exception. For her he always did.
"How is she?" Harry asked as soon as he saw her being wheeled from the operating room into her own private hospital room. She still had a plastic tube down her throat which wasn't a good sign.
"I don't know, I'm just the orderly. The doctor will be with you soon," he said as he made sure all the machinery she was attached too was in working order.
"How long until he gets here?" Harry asked, trying not to focus on her pale face.
"Five to ten minutes," the orderly replied. "I'll leave you with her." Harry pulled up a chair and sat next to her, holding her hand tightly.
"Hi sweetheart," he said in what he hoped was a calm voice. "You look better than before." He kissed her hand and then debated what to say to her. He could normally read a look in her eyes and instinctively knew what was right. "You've had me worried, but right now, all I want you to do is squeeze my hand, can you do that?" No response. "Okay. Well, I'm going to talk to the doctor about you in a minute. I'll be back." Harry kissed the corner of her mouth not obscured by the breathing apparatus and left the room. He had indeed seen a white coat outside the window.
"How long until she wakes up?" Harry asked with no preamble whatsoever.
"Mr Pearce, we've fixed the wound in her chest and re-inflated her left lung. That injury is completely repaired. However, before she got to the hospital she was without oxygen for too long. We need to do some extra tests to double check, but I am telling you she isn't going to wake up from this."
"You don't know Ruth," Harry said shaking his head. "She's a fighter and she will come through this.
"We will of course check, but after injuries like this… there is no brain function, so even though the body is alive, she isn't there anymore. I'm sorry."
"Don't talk about her like she's gone," Harry said harshly. "She's lying right there. My Ruth is not dead!"
"Mr Pearce, I am sorry," the doctor repeated slowly. He knew that news like this wasn't often accepted easily and this was the part of his job he always hated. "We will run the tests as soon as possible."
"Not yet," Harry said. "I want to spend some time with her, because you're wrong. I know you are, Ruth doesn't give up."
The doctor nodded sadly as Harry returned to the woman he loved and always would. He said nothing to her at all as he gripped her hand gently and running soothing circles over her with his thumb. He just needed her presence to reassure him slightly. As silent tears fell down his face.
Part two coming soon. Harry says his final farewell...