Frank plunged in.
The cool water lapped at his body as he swam downwards, hoping desperately to avoid the huge explosion he knew was taking place just a few feet above him.
He felt something strike his head and he tried to keep his mouth closed but the force of the strike was so strong, he let out an "oomph".
Breath escaped his lungs and bubbled out into the water. Precious oxygen! He couldn't swim any longer, his head a spinning whirlwind. Spots swam before his eyes--he thought they were fishes. He tasted salt, and knew he'd bit his tongue. He could see a streak of red in front of him.
Wildly, he remembered that when someone is struck very hard on the head, they bite down. His tongue hurt. The spots were fading to grey; some were black.
He couldn't help but suck in a large quantity of water. The world went black and he knew no more.
******
When Frank's body floated to the surface, facedown, Jake and Millara swam out to retrieve his body. The explosion which had rocked the waterfront warehouse had taken out all of the drug gang.
It had also taken out Frank.
"Millara! Do you know CPR?" a scared Jake asked as he dragged Frank's body towards the river's bank.
"Yes, and hurry! There still may be time!" Millara said as she helped Jake swim with Frank's body back to the bank.
Millara's foot struck the bottom and she and Jake lumbered up the riverbank.
"He is heavy," Jake grunted.
"He is dead if he is heavy," Millara answered as she rolled Frank onto his stomach, straddled him and began to push on his back, hoping to get him to choke up the water.
A small stream of water trickled out of Frank's mouth.
Millara rolled him over onto his back, pushed his head back, opened his mouth and breathed into his mouth five times.
Jake, watching, pushed on Frank's chest once. Millara breathed into Frank's mouth five more times. Jake pushed on Frank's chest another time, hard.
Time seemed to stand still as Jake and Millara tried to save Frank's life. They worked in tandem, Millara breathing for Frank and Jake pushing on Frank's chest.
A choking sound emerged from Frank's throat. Quickly, Millara turned Frank's head to the side and a thick stream of water was coughed out of Frank's mouth. He spluttered. But to Millara's and Jake's immense relief, he took a breath and was breathing on his own.
Frank's eyes remained closed. Jake was on the phone, calling 911 for further assistance. Millara applied pressure on the three inch cut on the left side of Frank's head.
Frank opened his eyes. "Millara?" he asked, groggy.
"Yes, baby, I"m here."
"Kiss me. Tell me you love me."
"I love you," she whispered as she kissed Frank's full lips until Jake's foot nudged her.
"Ahem," Jake said. "Sorry to bother you two lovebirds but I think the patient needs his wound stanched again."
Frank closed his eyes and sighed. He'd been hurt but he'd survived, thanks to his love, Millara. In the background, as his eyes closed, he heard the sirens coming.
The cool water lapped at his body as he swam downwards, hoping desperately to avoid the huge explosion he knew was taking place just a few feet above him.
He felt something strike his head and he tried to keep his mouth closed but the force of the strike was so strong, he let out an "oomph".
Breath escaped his lungs and bubbled out into the water. Precious oxygen! He couldn't swim any longer, his head a spinning whirlwind. Spots swam before his eyes--he thought they were fishes. He tasted salt, and knew he'd bit his tongue. He could see a streak of red in front of him.
Wildly, he remembered that when someone is struck very hard on the head, they bite down. His tongue hurt. The spots were fading to grey; some were black.
He couldn't help but suck in a large quantity of water. The world went black and he knew no more.
******
When Frank's body floated to the surface, facedown, Jake and Millara swam out to retrieve his body. The explosion which had rocked the waterfront warehouse had taken out all of the drug gang.
It had also taken out Frank.
"Millara! Do you know CPR?" a scared Jake asked as he dragged Frank's body towards the river's bank.
"Yes, and hurry! There still may be time!" Millara said as she helped Jake swim with Frank's body back to the bank.
Millara's foot struck the bottom and she and Jake lumbered up the riverbank.
"He is heavy," Jake grunted.
"He is dead if he is heavy," Millara answered as she rolled Frank onto his stomach, straddled him and began to push on his back, hoping to get him to choke up the water.
A small stream of water trickled out of Frank's mouth.
Millara rolled him over onto his back, pushed his head back, opened his mouth and breathed into his mouth five times.
Jake, watching, pushed on Frank's chest once. Millara breathed into Frank's mouth five more times. Jake pushed on Frank's chest another time, hard.
Time seemed to stand still as Jake and Millara tried to save Frank's life. They worked in tandem, Millara breathing for Frank and Jake pushing on Frank's chest.
A choking sound emerged from Frank's throat. Quickly, Millara turned Frank's head to the side and a thick stream of water was coughed out of Frank's mouth. He spluttered. But to Millara's and Jake's immense relief, he took a breath and was breathing on his own.
Frank's eyes remained closed. Jake was on the phone, calling 911 for further assistance. Millara applied pressure on the three inch cut on the left side of Frank's head.
Frank opened his eyes. "Millara?" he asked, groggy.
"Yes, baby, I"m here."
"Kiss me. Tell me you love me."
"I love you," she whispered as she kissed Frank's full lips until Jake's foot nudged her.
"Ahem," Jake said. "Sorry to bother you two lovebirds but I think the patient needs his wound stanched again."
Frank closed his eyes and sighed. He'd been hurt but he'd survived, thanks to his love, Millara. In the background, as his eyes closed, he heard the sirens coming.