Chapter 84
Tegan came running towards the scene. She felt anger and fear rush through her veins as she saw the man's fist connect with Sara's mouth. She screamed like a lunatic "You fucker! Get away from her! Get away from her!" she screamed and jumped onto the man's back and hung onto him like a monkey pulling his arms desperately trying to get him to stop swinging for Sara's face. She started hitting his head with one hand. The man tried to shake her off like a pesky fly. Tegan was already gasping for air as her airways started to feel the effects of the bit of running she did. All the man's attention was now away from Sara and on the girl clinging to his back. He swiftly raised his elbow and pulled it back fast hitting Tegan hard in the rib cage. Charles and some cops came running around the corner.
Tegan felt her grip loosen as pain shot through her body. Another elbow jab... Tegan fell to the ground gasping. "Fuck!" she breathed holding her ribs. Sara jumped up and started punching the man as hard as she could in his stomach. "Ahhhh you fucking asshole! She's sick! Don't you touch her! Don't you touch her!" screamed Sara as Charles pulled her away and the cops grabbed the man and tied his hands behind his back "Tegan! Tee!" shouted Sara as Kate ran over to where she was curled in pain on the sidewalk. "Dammit Sara!" screamed Kate. "Tegan.. are you okay... Tee?" asked Kate. Tegan sat up in pain "Yeah... yeah... I'm fine... Sara! Sara... are you okay... you're bleeding!" she said out of breath. "Yes... I'm sorry... I'm sorry Tegan" Sara stared sobbing. "Charles, help Sara with that cut please" said Kate. Tegan sat with her head between her legs trying to control her breathing as her chest got tighter and tighter with every breath. "Tegan... where's your inhaler... Tee" said Kate. Tegan started patting her jeans pockets and her eyes went wide. Kate started patting too. "Linds... bag" wheezed Tegan. "Charles... run... Lindsey's in the car two blocks away... we need Tegan's inhaler... run!" said Kate with eyes wide. "Tegan just lie back" she said and got Tegan on her back. Tegan looked scared as she fought for breath. "It's okay buddy. I've got you just try and take deep breaths okay" said Kate softly stroking Tegan's hair. A beach patrol van pulled up and two lifeguards jumped out. "Thank God" mumbled Kate. "Do you guys have any bronchodilators with you? An asthma inhaler? Or an epi pen?" said Kate calmly. "M'am we've got this, step away" said the young life guard. "I'm a doctor! Move!" screamed Kate. Sara was still sobbing. "Sar... Sara.." wheezed Tegan. "Sara's fine Tegan just breathe" said Kate. A wide-eyed lifeguard handed Kate an inhaler. Kate quickly checked the label and squeezed the medicine into Tegan's lungs. Tegan visibly relaxed, Kate pushed another puff into her mouth and put her fingers in Tegan's neck to check her pulse. Tegan gulped it in eagerly with her hands over Kate's "Okay Tee... relax" she said. "Guys do you have oxygen with you?" asked Kate. The lifeguard handed her a bag with oxygen. Kate turned it open and put a mask over Tegan's face. "You have got to stop your heroic antics Tegan" she said and shook her head. Tegan smiled under the mask. "Just relax, breath the O2 for a while Tegan you're okay" said Kate. "Guys... can you get me a BP here please" asked Kate. Charles drove to right next to the scene and Lindsey jumped out of the car "Tegan!" she said and fell to her knees next to Tegan's head. "I'm okay... I'm fine, all good" said Tegan pushing the mask away. Kate got up from her knees and walked to Sara where she was sitting on the pavement sobbing with her knees pulled up and her head on her arms. "Sara... come on get up" she said sounding half concerned and half angry. Sara looked up "Is she okay?" she asked looking traumatised. "Yeah... she's fine" said Kate and sunk to her knees. "Let me see your mouth Sara" Kate whispered. "No... just take care of Tegan" she said with her head back on her arms. "Tegan's okay" said Kate as she inspected the cut on Sara's bottom lip now gushing blood. One of the lifeguards handed her some gauze. Kate frowned as she smelled alcohol on Sara's breath. "Keep that on your lip" she said. She looked into Sara's pupils. "Follow my finger Sara" she said. Sara was pretty out of it. "How much did you have to drink?" said Kate. Sara just shook her head. "Sara!" said Kate loudly. "I don't know... a lot" said Sara slurring and looking as if she was about to topple over.
"We're going to have to take them into the station" said the male cop. Kate shot up. "Hi... Sophia right?" she said to the female cop recognising her from the few times she took statements at the hospital, including the time she took Sara and Erin's statement's after their abduction. Women swooned over Kate, straight and gay, and the guys didn't seem to mind her either! She had some sort of magic mojo yet she was so unaware of her own charms. She led them away out of Sara's earshot. "Guys... I want to ask you if you could let this one go... as a personal favour to me. The twins both need some medical attention. I don't know but I'm sure this guy will let it go too. He's not going to want to spend the rest of his day in a jail cell and I'm sure you don't want to be caught up in paperwork for something that you know is going to be thrown out of court very fast! Please guys. I will take personal responsibility for Sara" asked Kate sweetly. "Let us talk to him" said the male cop. Sara crawled over to Tegan. "Tee... you fucking lunatic..." she said through tears. "BP's 95 over 60" said the lifeguard. Kate nodded looking satisfied. "You're the lunatic! Are you okay Sara?" said Tegan sitting up in pain. Sara started sobbing again... "It's over Tee... it's over... Emy is over" she cried. Kate looked at her with pity in her eyes and bit her bottom lip. This wasn't pleasant to see. "I'm sorry Sar, I'm so, so sorry... You're okay sis... You're okay, I've got you" said Tegan softly in her ear as she hugged her tight. A crowd was forming around them now and people were taking snapshots. "Let's get out of here please!" said Tegan. Kate took her pulse again and palpated Tegan's ribs. "You're going to need an x-ray of these ribs" said Kate. "No fucking way I'm going to the hospital again today" said Tegan loudly although it seemingly hurt to raise her voice. Kate shook her head as she and Charles helped Tegan to her feet. She took Tegan's face in her hands and looked into her pupils. "Get in the car Sara" she said as she led Tegan to the door. Sara was still moping around. "I said get in the car Sara" said Kate steadying Tegan. Sara walked around the car and stared out at the beach. Everybody was preoccupied with Tegan. Sara started walking towards the beach. She turned around to check if somebody saw her. She started running as fast as her highly intoxicated body could carry her, that wasn't very fast or very straight. "Fuck! Sara come here" screamed Kate and started sprinting after her. It didn't take much to catch up to Sara who fell down on her knees in the sand and started vomiting violently. Kate rubbed her back. "It's okay Sara... you're going to be just fine. I'm right here... I know... I know it hurts" she whispered as Sara fell back against her chest sobbing again.
Tegan tried to get out of the car but Lindsey was clinging to her and Charles blocked the door. "No! Tegan no! Calm down! Kate's got her" said Lindsey. Tegan's face was filled with pain, she had never seen Sara like this and it killed her. She sat in the car and watched as Kate led Sara to a water fountain and started cleaning her face and cupping her hand so Sara could get some water to rinse her mouth with. Kate had her arm around Sara's shoulder and led her back to the car. They stopped outside and Tegan could see Kate talking to Sara with her face in both her hands. The door opened and Sara slid in next to Tegan and Lindsey. "Linds... would you mind sitting in front this time babe" asked Tegan. Lindsey didn't look impressed but she did what Tegan asked. Kate started the car and pulled away. Everybody was quiet. Tegan moved closer to her sister. Sara smelt really bad, a mixture of alcohol and vomit. Tegan put her arms around her anyway and put Sara's head on her shoulder. Sara started shaking again with emotion. "It's okay... I've got you" repeated Tegan over and over. Tegan's ribs hurt but she held Sara tight. Tegan could feel Sara's breathing go slower as she slipped away. "How are you doing back there Tee?" asked Kate softly. Tegan just nodded and gave a thumbs up careful not to wake up Sara. Tegan noticed that they were driving to the hospital and not home. She kicked the back of Lindsey's seat and mouthed "hospital?" to Lindsey when she looked around. "Sara needs stitches for that lip and I want to get an X-ray of your ribs. It'll take 20 minutes. Please Tegan don't give me shit now" said Kate. Tegan threw her head back annoyed and pursed her lips in anger.
Tegan's x-ray showed some badly bruised but not broken ribs. It was very painful and made it difficult to breathe. She was given pain killers and put on some oxygen in the ER while Kate sewed up Sara's lip and ran some blood tests and put her on a saline drip to prevent dehydration. She was obviously still very intoxicated and vomited another three or four times. "Teetee... I failed again... why is my life so fucked up... nobody loves me... I thought she was the one... but she wasn't she was just... ahhhgg" cried Sara. Kate shook her head and checked Sara's pulse. "Take it easy Sara... relax for me" she said softly. Sara was still crying uncontrollably. "I can't reason with her when she's like this" said Tegan. "Sara... it's okay... it's okay" said Kate and Sara started relaxing under her touch and drift off. "Kate... I smell like puke... can we please get out of here" said Tegan. "Sure... Sara's out like a light anyway she's not going to wake up if we carry her around. Listen Tee... Those bruised ribs will feel painful every time you breathe in. You may feel you can only take shallow breaths, but it's important you try to breathe normally and allow your lungs to expand fully. I'll give you some meds to make you as comfortable as possible. Try not to move your arm around too much. I'm going to be keeping a close eye on your pulse ox during the next few days" she said. "And by the way, I'm very angry that you didn't have your inhaler with you. Thought we had a deal" said Kate and shook her head.