Between A Rock and… Another Big Rock
By Didi
Disclaimer: (Hate these things.) I do not own any of the recognized characters, places or things in this story. This is purely as pleasure writing and no profit shall be made from it. Any copyright infringement I may be committing is unintentional and without malice. I would be more than happy to STOP, just tell me. There, does that cover it all?
Rating: PG 13 for now.
Story Summary: The crew goes hunting underground.
Chapter Summary: The away team ventures underwater and finds trouble. Archer talks Mayweather and gets reassurances from Cutler.
Timeline: Set before the episode "Azati Prime" in Season 3.
Author's Note: Okay, I suck at action sequences so you will all have to forgive me if this chapter is boring as far as visual action goes. I keep trying but I can't seem to do it!
Acknowledgement: Steph, you are the best beta I could ever ask for. Thank you for your diligence and wonderful support. Take a bow, you deserve it!
Key: "Spoken" "Thoughts"
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
Chapter Ten – Water, Water Everywhere
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
Watching her hands cut through the water, Hoshi took a moment to assess her surroundings as she dove deeper into the cavern lake. It was dark, cold and slightly salty; and that was only the pleasant part about having to dive into the icy waters that housed the energy cell they needed. There was also freezing, dirty, shifting rocks and unexpected protrusions of hardened lava to look forward to. Overall, it was an experience Hoshi would have liked not to experience. But as swimming goes, it wasn't all that bad. The water was calm, no currents to fight and the depth easily defined—if you remembered to point the flashlight in the right direction. And she hadn't been lying when she said she swam like a fish. If Major Hayes had carefully studied her personnel files, he might have remembered that she was a champion swimmer back at the academy; one of her few accomplishments in the field.
Keeping half her attention focused on Sanchez's feet and the other half searching for any unexpected dangers, Hoshi felt slightly comforted by the almost familiar environment. The gentle resistance at her waist didn't hinder her at all, but actually helped to keep her focused on the task at hand and not wander off to explore the writings on the rock surfaces she passed.
Sanchez came to a stop so abruptly that Hoshi struggled for a moment, pin wheeling her arms in water, before momentum sent her crashing into the private's back. Hayes, aware of the distance shore and their object and how long it would take to get there, managed to prevent an underwater pile-up.
Taking precious seconds to glare, Hoshi proceeded to untie the knot around her waist one-handed as she studied the unit before her. Carrying the cell wouldn't be hard since it really wasn't all that big, it was getting it out of the water with its muddy bottom that was going to be the problem. She grabbed the ends of the ropes from Hayes and Sanchez and swam around the cell. For a firmer grasp Hoshi looped the thin cable carefully around catch-holds and avoided knobs that could break off under pressure. She handed the ends to Major Hayes to tie off before searching around the base of the cell.
Her fingers sank into the ground as she felt around the bottom of the storage unit. It was at least two knuckles deep. And she had been wrong, it wasn't mud, it was sand and water; just as difficult to deal with but less messy. The soft composition was going to make moving the unit difficult; it was more likely to sink then move if they were to shift it.
Sanchez got Sato's attention with a light tap on her arm. He pointed to his throat then upwards toward the surface then waited until her nod of understanding was given before heading off in search of much needed oxygen.
She went back to exploring the base of the unit.
Hayes finished the last knot, double checking its integrity when Sanchez gave his 'need air' signal. He was about to follow when the color blue appeared in his peripheral vision. Turning she was almost kicked in the face by Ensign Sato. Lungs now burning, Matt reached down and grabbed her arm pointing to the surface.
Hoshi nodded and resigned herself to the fact that Major Hayes wasn't leaving until she did. Kicking off using the unit as a springboard, they shot through the water toward oxygen. She surface much more gently than Sanchez and began counting, "Ein, zwei, drei, vier, fünf, sechs..." in German.
Hayes broke through the surface gasping for air. He had been under a little too long for his body.
"You were six seconds behind, Major," Hoshi informed him as she backstroked toward shore.
Treading water, Matt took in the smug little smile on the ensign's face and silently cheered her while simultaneously admitting defeat. He didn't like losing but damned if this isn't the most pleasurable loss he has ever tasted.
"We about ready?" Tucker asked as he held open the cloak for Hoshi.
"We're going to need a little modification," Hoshi said through chattering teeth. The icy water was warm compared to the surface. "The bottom is all sand." She shook her head and wished she were warm enough to attempt squeezing some of the water from her hair, her scalp felt numb. "If we try to move it now, it'll only go deeper."
Reed nodded his head slowly. "We'll have to line its path with rocks, give it a surface to grab onto."
Hayes spat salty water and concurred. "It'll scrape the hell out of the bottom of the unit but at least we can get it moving that way."
"Sanchez and I can line the path," Hoshi volunteered with a sneeze. Without thinking, she rubbed the tip of her nose with her hand then grimaced when she sneezed again. "Oh, that hurt."
"Maybe you should stay up here, Hoshi," Trip said with some concern.
Malcolm couldn't agree more. Not only was Hoshi's exposed skin covered in goose bumps, but her lips were also unnaturally pale, her nose an unbecoming shade of pink and she seemed to be having some trouble controlling her chattering teeth. "I'm sure Major Hayes and Private Sanchez could…"
Shaking her head because she was clenching her teeth tightly together, Hohsi took a moment to control the involuntary spasms. "I'm fine. Besides, it'll go faster if we all work on it." Taking a breath, she dropped her cloak and started back into the water. "Let's get this over with."
Sanchez made pathetically few groans as he followed Sato back into the water, muttering about packing swimsuits next time. Coates rolled her eyes and told him to "suck it up."
"Commander?" Hayes checked the cables. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure." Trip tugged firmly on the rope, testing it, his grip and how much he was going to have to dig his heels in. The shifting sand underfoot didn't bode well. "What's up?"
"How strong of a swimmer if Ensign Sato?"
"Can't say," Trip replied absentmindedly. "Never seen her dive or swim much; did hear a rumor that Hoshi-girl did the channel swim though."
"Channel? As in the English Channel?"
Tucker shrugged and looped the cable firmly around his waist, making sure to line it along his belt to keep from chafing his skin. "Ah guess."
Hayes gave a silent sigh of resignation. Contrary to what his crew may say, Matt enjoyed the simple pleasures of life. He liked sweets; one of the few pleasures he allowed himself though all the trainings, battles and long nights in the dark that marked his military career. He savored his desserts, looking forward to them every night. Anything from a simple chocolate chip cookie to a full quarter of Chef's famous pecan pie. He was really going to miss them.
-&-&-&-
"Any clues?"
"Not even a one." Mayweather stared at his lunch and made a face. Chef must be in a lousy mood, mac and cheese with potato salad was not one of the temperamental chef's favorite meals. "Alpha shift spent most of their time tracking movement from the Reptilian ships; nothing much to see though, looks like they're just hovering over the planet with occasional planetary scans."
"What did the captain say?" Cutler scooped up pudding with distaste. "How come Chef only makes lousy desserts when Hoshi's not around to suffer through them?"
"'Cause Chef plays favorites," Travis answered easily and without grudge.
"Figures," Liz muttered and continued eating. "So, the captain?" she prompted gesturing with her spoon.
"What about me?" Archer asked mildly as he sat his tray down next to his helmsman with a tired sigh. When the two crewmen jumped to their feet, he made a disagreeable face and waved them down. "At ease guys," he gave them an easy smile. "I thought only the MACO's do that."
Cutler shifted nervously as she retook her seat and watched the captain for a moment, wondering how much of her conversation with Mayweather he had overheard. "Is there something we can do for you, sir?"
"No, not really," the captain replied with a sigh as he scooped up cheesy mac with deep concentration. He hadn't slept well and it was beginning to show. "It's been too long since I've eaten in here and I thought it would be nice to find out what is going on outside my sphere of existence." Plus, it was time he tried to figure out what he could do to fix the relations he'd managed to royally screw up.
"Sir?" Mayweather looked questioningly at Archer.
Sighing, he asked without preamble. "Have I been too harsh?" There… nothing quite like blunt honesty to generate some answers.
Travis shot Cutler a panicky look.
Cutler cringed.
Judging the silent exchange correctly, Archer sighed. "I'm going to take that as a categorical 'yes.'" It was difficult to have one's fears confirmed.
Scrambling for some kind of retreat, Cutler cleared her throat and thought frantically. "Sir, it's not that… We do understand that…er… It's just… um…" she prayed for a hole to open up in space so she could crawl into it and quietly die. "Where's Hoshi when you need her?"
"You're friends with Ensign Sato, correct?" Archer asked Cutler as if reading her thoughts.
Startled, Liz could only nod mutely. "My career is so over."
"How is she?" Archer asked Cutler but address both ensigns knowing Hoshi and Travis' closeness.
Liz looked to Travis for help. "To lie or not to lie, that is the thirty-million dollar question."
Observant eyes watched the agonizing question being debated in silence between the two and decided to spare them. "Don't bother," Archer supplied with a grim smile, "I got it."
Mayweather sighed with resignation and prepared to put his head in the lion's mouth. "Captain, we all realize that time is a pressure and…"
"Don't excuse my behavior," Archer interrupted, patting the young helmsman's arms with gratitude for trying. "Yelling at your crew is not the proper way to handle stress. That's not what they teach you at the academy."
"With all due respect," Liz couldn't stop herself from putting in, "They didn't teach us about having to stop an unknown enemy from destroying Earth either. We're explorers, not warriors. This was never part of the initial mission plan. We're all coping the best we can, dealing with it as per our habits; you just happen to have a bad one." Archer responded to that with raised brows. It took her a moment to realize that she'd just spoken to the captain in a rather disrespectful manner. "Sir."
The edge of his lips curled up. He was nothing if not appreciative of honesty. "Something I'm going to have to talk to Hoshi about." Archer nodded his head. "No, you're right. Yelling isn't the way. But you still haven't told me how Hoshi is?" He hoped by evoking Ensign Sato's given name, he could dig out the truth about her.
Cutler nodded to Mayweather. "She's stressed sir."
Travis nodded his head in agreed. "Overworked."
"Not sleeping."
"Exhausted."
"She's cries a lot."
"She does thirty-hour shifts sometimes."
"Sometimes she thinks she can't get the job done."
"Other times she works herself so hard she literally drops."
"Then there are times when she loses her temper and yells at the rest of the communication team for not doing their jobs."
Mayweather remembered some of those times only too well. "Then immediately regrets it and tries to make up for it by working twice as hard."
Archer set his fork now, losing all his appetite for the already unappetizing meal. Talking to the doctor had given him some insights as to what he's been doing to his people; but listening to Travis and Liz Cutler, he was finally getting the extent of the damage. "Is it like this for everyone?"
"No," Liz said quickly. "Hoshi is a unique case."
Travis nodded his agreement. "An extreme case, she's got the whole communication department on her shoulders. It's not easy."
"No, I don't suppose it is," the captain sighed and shook his head. "And you didn't exactly make it any easier."
"Of course," Liz added lightly, seeing probably for the first time how much this mission had aged the handsome young captain. It was obvious that he truly was concerned with the amount of sorrow he had unwittingly visited upon her friend. "I don't suppose it is easy having this whole mission on your shoulders either, sir."
He smiled, appreciative of her thoughtfulness. "No, it isn't."
-&-&-&-
Breaching the calm surface, Hoshi reached up and slicked water and hair out of her face. Though she hadn't signed up for this, well…not really, she was actually beginning to enjoy this assignment. It had been quite some time since she last swam and it was beginning to come back to her how much she'd always enjoyed the exercise. And for the first time in a while, she was beginning to relax a little.
"How are we doing?" Trip asked from the shoreline where the rest of the away team patiently awaited.
"Almost there, sir," Sanchez hollered back, taking in great gulps of air as he tread water. Glancing at her, "I'm thirsty," he told her making a face.
Hoshi grinned. "Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink."
Major Hayes looked around before glancing at his chronometer. They were making pretty good time. "Let's get some water and get this started." Swimming for shore, he glanced back only once to make sure the others followed.
"Any luck?" Reed asked handing out cloaks to the chilled swimmers, careful to avoid looking at Hoshi too long.
"We're ready," Hayes replied with a nod then had to shudder. His skin felt like ice. "I'm going to lend some muscles up here. Sanchez will to follow the unit to navigate the movements. Sato will keep ahead and watch the progressive path."
"You're going to trust me to swim ahead?" Sato asked the major innocently as she thanked Trip for the water.
"You're already going to take my dessert, Ensign; now you're going to make me apologize too?" Hayes asked with a raised brow as he rubbed his skin dry of moisture with the coarse material of his blanket.
She laughed softly, shivering in the cold air.
"You okay, darling?" Trip asked, watching with some concern at her colorless pallor. Her lips were rapidly turning a less then healthy shade of blue.
Hoshi nodded rather than answer, her teeth chattering too violently for her to do so gracefully.
"Let's get back in the water before we become ice sculptures," Sanchez said as he tossed his water bottle onto his pack and shrugged off the cloak. "Last one to the unit gets to check the ropes."
Hoshi rolled her eyes and dropped her blanket, ignoring the fact that she was half naked again and this time no one turned away. Grabbing her flashlight, she walked into the water. "Do you want a signal to begin?"
"If you please," Reed answered, tugging on the knot around his waist and nodded his thanks to the ensign.
"I'll pull on one of the ropes," she called over her shoulder and moved further away from Sanchez's splashing about. "Get ready." Her slender form dropped out of sight as she stepped off the underwater ridge.
"You all right there, Major?" Trip asked as he picked up the extra rope.
"It's pretty cold," Matt complained without actually complaining. Yanking his pants on as fast as he could, he moved about rapidly to get his circulation moving faster. His feet felt like blocks of ice. "Prepare yourselves," he warned as he pulled socks on over sandy feet; he could deal with the discomfort but not the cold. "They should be getting to the unit pretty quickly."
Reed handed Hayes a ration bar. "They'll have to get into position first. We still have a little…" He glanced over as Romero gave a startled yelp and was yanked forward, nearly losing his footing.
Hayes almost grinned. "You were saying?"
Making a disagreeable noise that sounded much like a curse under his breath; Reed ignored the major and braced his feet, "On the count of three."
"One."
"Two."
"Three."
Sanchez flashed the light carefully on the reflective surface of the power unit, watching the blinking lights on the machine wink continuously at him. He mentally counted to three and slipped over the edge of the machine, positioning his body in the limited space between the metal and dirt. Now came the hard part.
Hoshi kicked her feet carefully to control her momentum as she watched Sanchez pass over the energy unit. She checked the spotted path they had created for the unit as she waited patiently for Sanchez to put himself carefully between the wall and the unit. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered if it would be wiser for her to have taken Sanchez's position since she was smaller and more agile.
Giving Hoshi a thumbs-up signal, Sanchez positioned his palm against the metal edges and braced his back against the lightly packed wall.
With both her hands firmly gripping the nearest rope, Hoshi planted her feet in the sandy bottom and pulled as hard as she could, hoping the water resistance didn't negate the force. She held on to the cable until she felt it go taut in her hands. Turning back to Sanchez, she gave him the okay signal a second before she felt the first major tug.
Sand was sent adrift as the unit moved an inch, the angled rocks carefully lifting the edge of the machinery onto the roughened and elevated path. The progress was agonizingly slow (removed "an" and "one"), inch by inch. The unit was heavy, of that she was certain, and the water was going to make the job even more difficult. But with six people on the ropes that should be…
She heard the rumbling first; uncertain where it was coming from and what had caused it. Fumbling with her flashlight, which had been aimed carefully at the base of the energy cell, she looked up in time to see the slab of hardened lava slide from its crumbling home… right on top of Private Sanchez.
Self preservation kept Hoshi from opening her mouth and screaming the warning that she knew would come too late anyways. Scrambling over the unit and trying desperately to see through the lifted sand, she felt her heart pound loudly in her ears as she searched for Sanchez.
Wiggling around madly, Sanchez called himself three times the fool for not having paid more attention to his surrounding areas. He should have known there would be movement around him the moment they attempted to disturb the balance around the power unit. "Idiot!" If he got out of this alive, he was going to get hell from the major.
"Oh god, oh god." Hoshi came around, floating gently just above the slab that was pressing upon Sanchez, trapping him against the bottom. Grabbing the edge, she knew she wasn't going to budge it even as she strained to do so. "Damn it!"
Grabbing her waist, he shook his head at her. "Thanks for trying anyways." He really wished he could have told her that.
"Think Hoshi, think! You learned all this in survival training." Fear made her mad and anger made her determined. Grabbing the edge of the rock, she pulled herself down and pressed her lips against his for a moment.
A little stunned, Sanchez thought, "Well, this is kind of a nice way to die," just before he felt the air pass from her lips to his. "Wait, she's giving me oxygen!"
When there was nothing left in her mouth and lungs, Hoshi pushed off using the energy cell as the spring board, then the side walls to propel herself toward the surface with little or no exertion on her part. It was just as well since she needed all her concentration to keep from opening her mouth and screaming at the burning pain in her lungs.
-&-&-&-
"STOP!" Hayes held up his hand.
"Whatya doing?" Trip asked, panting for breath.
Reed watched Hayes's creased brows for a moment. "Something wrong?" "Why aren't they coming up for air?" Hayes wanted to know as he stared out across the still water. "It's been too long even for Ho… Ensign Sato."
Distracted momentarily by Hayes use of Hoshi's given name, Cdr. Tucker had a belated reaction. "Damn!" Then without another word he tugged at the zipper of his suit to undress. "Malcolm, you and the rest stay up here. Hayes, you're come with…"
Hoshi let out a half scream as she sucked in air as fast as her lungs would allow, coughing and panting as she desperately tried to keep her head above water and not panic.
"Hoshi!" Ignoring that fact that he was going to be walking around in wet pants for the rest of the mission, Trip splashed into the water, ready to go after the ensign and pull her out of the water.
"Where's Sanchez?" Like the commander, Hayes wasn't thinking of later discomforts and had more important things to keep in mind. But as the water soaked his pant legs, he was aware enough to toss his shirt ashore before swimming out toward Ensign Sato.
Shaking her head violently, she attempted to tell them even as she silently counted the seconds that ticked away. "Wall…" she swallowed salt water that mage her gag. "Collapsed. Sanchez…" Swallowing hard, she forced her throat to stop contracting. "He's trapped." She gave them a final look before filling her lungs and disappearing under.
There was a moment of fear before training took over. Tucker grabbed Hayes arm before the MACO could disappear. "Tell Malcolm and follow us down." Taking a deep breath, Trip scrambled after Hoshi, who had the only flashlight between the three of them.
Too many years of following orders had Hayes swimming to shore before he realized that he was leaving the safety of one of his own to another. Relaying the message as discombobulated as Ensign Sato had, he dove blindly into the darkness trusting his instincts and recall to guide him.
Matt reached Sanchez just as Hoshi released her mouth from his, her long legs kicking the wall to speed her toward the surface even as Tucker worked the edge of the slab of stone that pinned the private to the ground. Unsure what had just happened, Hayes could only do what he could and shoved the questions to the back of his mind for later.
Reaching for the stone, Hayes grabbed it just as Tucker lost his grip upon it, his lungs unable to withstand the pressure any longer. Tapping Hayes on the arm, Trip pointed to his throat before swimming toward surface.
Hayes did a visual assessment of his down man as he attempted to shift the stone. Sanchez gave his commander an apologetic smile even as he wiggled about in the limited space Hayes had given him. After a moment, Sanchez shook his head in defeat.
They were going to need two people to lift the stone enough for Sanchez to attempt to get out.
Matt was running low on air when Hoshi returned again. Without so much as glancing at the major, she lowered herself over the flat stone as Sanchez lifted his face. To all the world they kissed; but it was obvious what was happening once one saw that Hoshi's body was quivering under the strain as she forced as much of the life-giving oxygen out of her reluctant lungs as she could. As she pulled away from Sanchez, Hoshi reached out and gripped Matt's arm, her eyes closed with pain.
With his arms around her waist, Matt mimicked her earlier exit routine and used the wall to help speed them toward the surface. Every passing second found Hoshi's fingernail digging deeper into muscles as she desperately tried to keep herself from taking a breath underwater. They reached surface just as Hoshi could not longer contained herself, sucking in water and air in the same breath.
"Hoshi!" Tucker swam over and patted the coughing ensign on the back as she shook violently. "Are you all right?"
Trying to nod her head, Hoshi took deeper breaths to calm the spasms in her lung as it attempted to fill her body with oxygen once more. Knowing every second counted, she focused on calming herself and allowed Major Hayes and Commander Tucker and keep her afloat. "What's the plan? I can't leave him down there without air too long."
"You get Sanchez," Hayes said close to her ear as he watched her for any sign of pain. What she did was not only dangerous but damn near fool-hearted, but it did buy them precious time that may not otherwise have. "Cdr. Tucker and I will get the rock. Give him half a breath," he said and shook her lightly as she took another bracing gulp of air, ready to continue. "Only half, you got that?"
She nodded more firmly this time.
"Ready?" Tucker asked his face pale with concern.
She nodded again, annoyed that she had to.
"On three," Hayes said.
Cold, tired and at the end of her patience, Hoshi gave a shriek of frustration. "Onetwothree!" Then gulped air and dove.
A more agile swimmer, Hoshi reached Sanchez first and found him only half-conscious now but still holding on. Getting behind him, she tilted his head back and forced some invaluable oxygen into his mouth as Matt and Trip got into position. Without looking at her, the two CO's nodded in agreement and put all their strength into moving the slab of stone, lifting it the three inches needed for Hoshi to hook her elbows under Sanchez's arms and drag his body out from its prison. Bracing her feet, she pushed off the soft ground, dragging the dead weight of the private almost by sheer force of will.
Hayes and Tucker caught up with her halfway to the surface, after they carefully released the stone and made sure it couldn't do any more damage. Each taking an arm, they pulled Sanchez from Hoshi's grip and hurried toward the surface; everyone now in need of oxygen.
They broke surface as one, three gasping and coughing for air and one now completely unconscious and limp.
"Oh Christ!" Trip swam for shore using one arm to paddle since the other was firmly around Sanchez's torso. "Matt, get Hoshi."
Weak from the multiple oxygen-retrieving trips, Hoshi didn't protest when Hayes hooked one arm just over her breasts and moved them toward shore. She was just thankful that she didn't have to do any more swimming for a bit, her legs felt like wet, cold soba noodles.
"Oh man," Kemper splashed into the shallow area and took hold of Sanchez as Cdr. Tucker tripped his way to shore, his body shivering violently from the cold. "Jimmy? Jimmy, can you hear me?"
"Shit!" Romero struggled to untie the rope around his waist and help to drag his friend ashore. "Jimmy! Wake up man."
Hayes got Ensign Sato ashore, helping her get to her blankets before moving to Sanchez. "Is he breathing?"
Kemper moved his face lower, his ear pressed almost to his friend's nose. "I can't tell." A hint of fear was just sneaking past his training.
Not waiting, Hayes shoved Kemper aside. "Start CPR." Putting hand over fist, Hayes found the breast bone and moved his hands into position. "One, two, three."
When no one moved to the head, Hoshi dropped her blanket to tip Sanchez's head back and clear his airway with her finger. She lowered her mouth over his, careful to cover his whole mouth and forced air into his lungs in one long, even breath.
"One, two, three."
She blew air again.
"One, two, three."
And again.
"One, two, three."
And again.
"One, two, three."
And a…
Choking and sputtering, Sanchez was rolled onto his side by Major Hayes as he coughed up the water and sand in his lungs. For one very long minute, the whole away team seemed to let out a unanimous sigh of relief as Sanchez attempted to recover some dignity and focus.
"Jesus Jimmy, could you have scared us any worse?" Romero asked with a shake of his head.
"You are so going to pay for that heart attack you gave me," Kemper said with a soft chuckle.
"Glad to liven up your lives, guys," Sanchez replied weakly.
Hoshi let out a broken sigh of relief as she sat on her haunches, forgetting the fact that she was cold, numb and sitting there in nothing but her undergarments. Her hands wouldn't stop shaking from fear and her lungs were still protesting mightily over the abuse they just took. "Oh man. This was a lot more excitement than I wanted."
"Sato!" Sanchez reached out and cupped her face, kissing her soundly on the lips, glad to be alive. "You are an angel." His face was beaming with gratitude.
Letting out a weak laugh, Hoshi shot back, "And you're an idiot!" then immediately burst into tears.
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
Teaser Line: Tucker grinned unabashedly. "Modesty's got no place when yah're up against practically. 'Sides, you ain't got anything we ain't got, and ah'm sure ladies will turn their backs; not that they'd mind a show or two." His grin only got wider as Hayes scowled at him. The man definitely needed to be teased more often; it was simply too much fun to watch. "So as Hoshi says, off with your pants."
Quick note: When I first learned CPR, I was taught to give three chest compressions and one breath. Later on, when I retook the course get certified, I was taught to give five chest compressions and three short breaths. To be completely honest, I never bothered to look it up to see what was the standard method use nowadays. My apologies if I've made a mistake. Thanks Steph for bring this to my attention.