A/N – Thank you to everyone who had read, followed, commented and made this story a favourite. I'm glad its striking a cord with some of you. I couldn't sit on this chapter so here it is.
I hope that you enjoy..
Thank god for air conditioning.
That was the first thought that entered Riley's head as she exited the Boeing 737 onto the airbridge, walking with her carry-on bag to the terminal.
Welcome to Reno, Nevada, the chief hostess announced as they landed. A pleasant eighty degrees this evening…
The rest droned on as Riley lost interest. Her original flight had been cancelled due to an issue with the plane, so she and her cameraman, well camerawoman Michelle transferred onto the later afternoon flight that arrived at six o'clock, just as the sting of the sun was starting to leave. She still was not a fan of the sapping heat, something that Lucas still teased her about, although Vallejo wasn't as hot as Reno that was for sure. As she started to walk towards baggage collection, her phone vibrated. She moved her carry-on bag and looked at the screen.
Zay.
Wonder what Zay wants, she thought as she swiped to answer.
"Hey you. That was lucky I just got off the plane."
"Hey. Yeah I spoke to Lucas and he said you were delayed."
Riley frowned at the call, it seemed unusual that Zay was just ringing for a friendly chat, especially when it was well after nine at night in New York.
"Is everything alright Zay?" she asked, a note of concern starting to seep into her voice. Zay was her partner's closest and oldest friend. So much had happened to him in the last five years, it hurt just to think about it. He was slowly coming back to his old self after the death of Charissa, but there was always something there with him now, a piece of him that would always ache for what others took for granted.
"Yeah everything's good Ri. If fact I'm ringing to involve you in a conspiracy. A conspiracy that if successful will make a lot of things right. Are you game?"
Riley stopped walking, Michelle who was walking next to her looked to Riley to see what was wrong. As she noticed that Riley was on the phone, she pointed to the luggage that she was continuing on to retrieve. Riley looked around herself before speaking again.
"What are you up to Zay?" she asked slowly, not sure where the conversation was heading. She could hear a smile forming with her friend as he continued.
"I just had dinner with our mutual friend. Said mutual friend has not been coping with something that has been eating at said mutual friend for a few years now so it turns out, with said feelings of denial, regret and longing all coming to a head a week or so ago."
Riley sat and thought. Well it wouldn't be Farkle. He was a hard one to lock down for anything nowadays, especially with his work that she was about to do the press releases for. It wouldn't be Smackle either, she had drifted away over the years and lived in Chicago. So, it left only one person, her oldest friend.
"What's going on with Maya," she asked as she sat down. Maya was the closest, dearest friend anyone could have. As they grew into adulthood, life had changed putting work, study and distance in between them, but they still had that cemented base of trust and friendship from childhood. Riley was so proud of Maya studying medicine, something that no one would've thought that Maya would even dare to contemplate, let alone complete and be very successful with.
But Riley had been there the day that fate kicked Maya forward into medicine. It was a day that they would never forget.
GMWGMWGMWGMW
Just before they started senior year, Maya, Riley and Auggie were heading down to the local park. Auggie had been bugging her parents for hours on that fateful Sunday morning to go down and see his friends who were playing soccer. So, in an effort to keep Auggie happy and in turn get some peace, Maya and Riley offered to take him so they could sit in the sun and gossip about their impending completion of their senior year, and the boys that they had set their hearts on.
Riley and Lucas were becoming quite the twosome. Although Riley was still spending a lot of time with Maya, Maya also knew that things would move slightly for them. And she was ok with that. During the past few months, she had begun to notice the slight changes in the friendship that herself and Farkle had. It was only subtle things to begin with, such as more involved texting and messaging just between the two of them, to the fact that Farkle would always open a door for her, allowing her to enter first with a lipped grin and an ever so slight blush as she walked past. Maya also knew that Smackle was smitten with Farkle as well, but Farkle while pleasant to her, was pushing away from her after their initial flirtation with each other of the previous year.
Maybe it was something that would happen, said Maya to Riley as they walked down the side walk.
It was at that time when everything changed.
Auggie spotted his friends at the park. In his eagerness, he looked down the one-way street making sure it was clear to cross before taking off in a run to cross the street to join the game. Between checking the road and starting his run, a car moved off from its kerb side parking, accelerating heavily to take advantage of the gap in the traffic; the same gap that Auggie was using to cross the street. The driver of the silver Tahoe didn't see Auggie until the last second, unable to pull up in time. The SUV struck Auggie mid stride on his left-hand side, throwing his body into the side and rear of a parked van. The strike against the van rendered Auggie unconscious as his limp body fell onto the road in front of the two girls.
The driver threw his door open and shouted out.
Riley froze and screamed.
Maya stopped, and everything just seemed to go into slow motion.
And then suddenly, everything fell into place with a flooding warm sensation flowing from her head to her booted feet.
She shook Riley and focused her.
"Call 911... NOW!" she said sternly.
Maya raced to Auggie's still body and checked him over. She couldn't see any bones protruding, but he wasn't waking up or moving either.
She curled her fist and used her knuckles to rub onto his chest bone. It would cause pain, cause an involuntary reaction from him and maybe waken him up. An easy way to check if he was unconscious without shaking him. If it didn't, then it was time for CPR.
"Auggie !, It's Maya.. you need to open your eyes kiddo !" she said sternly, her voice surprisingly calm.
The driver approached them.
"I'm sorry...I didn't see him coming! He wasn't there when I pulled out !"
Maya looked at him with her trademark stare.
"Sir, its ok. It was an accident. But I need your help. Do you have a blanket or anything in your car?"
The driver looked at her for a moment and shook himself.
"Yes…yes I do. I'll go get it.." he said as he went to the rear of his car.
Auggie gave Maya no response so she leant down to see if he was breathing, turning her head to the side, her cheek near his mouth. She couldn't feel the soft breath of expired air coming out so she knew he wasn't breathing. She quickly felt for his pulse.
Nothing. Shit!
She searched again just to be sure and finally felt one...
Oh, thank god ! her mind screamed.
Ok let's get this breathing sorted. She knew the risks, she remembered the first aid they were taught in school. It was one of few classes she paid attention in. If Auggie wasn't breathing then it might be because something was blocking his airway. But Auggie might've injured his head or his neck.
She remembered her class.
Remember, the paramedic who came in to teach them said, you are a first aider, not a doctor or a paramedic. It's better to tilt the head back, supporting the head, neck and chin with your hands and give that patient a fighting chance at life. If the patient's lips are going a tinge of blue, then they are not getting oxygen and they need action, now!
Maya looked at Riley as she finished the 911 call, Riley's eyes red with tears, her face white and filled with fear. They locked eyes, and communicated silently.
Maya turned to Auggie and slowly tilted his head back. The driver of the vehicle returned with the blanket.
"What are you doing! He might have a broken neck !" he exclaimed. Maya gritted her teeth biting back a string if swear words.
"If I don't, he'll suffocate and die. End of STORY !"
She looked back down and saw the Auggie's body quietly suck in a breath as she tilted his head and jaw back, the tongue lifting out of the way of the breathing canal. He continued to slowly begin his rhythmic breathing.
"Ok…. he's breathing." announced Maya as the adrenaline coursed through her. She could feel herself shaking, and wasn't exactly a cool day either. You've got this Maya she thought to herself.
"I can hear the Fire Department coming..." said Riley as she bent down to hold Auggie's hand.
"Auggie !, can you hear me ?!" she cried.
Two police officers on horseback arrived to render assistance, hearing the commotion and noticing the crowd that was forming.
"How's he going?" asked one of the officers. Riley answered as Maya continued to watch and monitor Auggie, checking his pulse again.
"He's breathing now. My friend just saved his life." She cried.
The officer looked at Maya and smiled.
"Well done young lady. You seem to have a talent there." As he stood up and pushed the crowd back for the arriving ambulance.
GMWGMWGMWGMW
Riley knew that after that day, Maya had found her calling. Zay's voice brought her back to the present.
"She saw the article in the New York Times about Farkle. She's…well she's been struggling with what happened those years ago and the article has done her in so to speak."
Riley listened to Zay's words carefully. What he was saying didn't surprise her if she was to be honest with herself. Everyone had accepted Maya's responses and words after things had turned sour between Farkle and Maya. But even after all years she had a niggling feeling that something just wasn't sitting right, and now it all made sense. She knew that Maya was hiding something. The last time they spoke Maya was not herself, and this explained it.
How could she have missed it.
"Don't go there Riley. I can hear you thinking. She's been hiding it from herself as well."
Zay paused a moment to let that sink in.
"She only coughed to me after a couple of beers." Said Zay quietly, knowing exactly what Riley was thinking. Zay also knew that Riley struggled with the distance. Riley stood back up with her carryon bag with renewed determination.
"Ok. What do you need me to do?"
Zay smiled in New York, flopping down into one of his sofa chairs.
"Maya has finally psyched herself up enough to seek him out, to talk to him. Now either this will put her feelings to bed once and for all or if I read things right…especially with that article in the Times and from other whispers I've heard…they'll finally get themselves together once more…"
Riley smiled into the phone.
"You're an old romantic ya know,"
"I've seen the look in her Riles and I tell you, it's meant to be. I stopped doubting that feeling because I've had it, and you've got it."
Riley thought for a moment about herself and Lucas, and she wholeheartedly agreed. When you knew, you knew and there was no fighting it.
"So, find out when Farkle is arriving in Reno. Get to him if you can and say you want to catch up, old times ya know?"
Riley nodded into the phone.
"That's easy. Farkle arrives Sunday morning. Press conference is Monday, scheduled for lunchtime. When does she arrive?"
Zay smiled.
"Ah thank god. She arrives tomorrow evening JetBlue flight from JFK."
"I'll pick her up. Where's she staying?"
"She doesn't know I've rung…"
Riley smiled as she met Michelle at the car rental counter. Zay was wanting to make sure this ad-hoc plan was going to work out.
"Zay you conspirator you…" She heard a laugh in her ear.
"Don't laugh too loud. You're the one that's just volunteered to pick her up. I don't know if she's booked a hotel or anything"
Riley smiled as she followed Michelle out of the airport.
"Don't worry, I'll ring her, we'll figure it out."