Finally, there was a door. She pushed on it heavily, coughing manically as the smoke ripped through her lungs. She fought for breath as she continued to battle with the door. Her breathing was becoming wheezy, each inhale and exhalation becoming more and more painful.
The door finally swung open, Rachel tumbling out of it. The students and staff gasped as Rachel lay in front of the building on the stone steps, coughing and spluttering, her breathing heavy.
Eddie heard the doors bang open, his heart thudding loudly as he saw Rachel curled up on the floor, coughing. He could hear her wheezing from where he was stood.
"RACHEL!" Eddie yelled, wasting no time and dashing over to her
He was beside her in seconds, scooping her into his arms, carrying her away from the burning building and over to the car park. She could make out his silhouette in her smoke-filled vision. She continued to cough violently resting her head against his chest. Eddie ran over to the car park, kneeling down and placing her in his lap.
She was wheezing heavily, unable to get a single breath out no matter how hard she tried. She'd thought getting out of the building and into the fresh air would help, but it hadn't. It felt like someone was sitting on her chest, like someone had lit a fire in her chest that had spread to her lungs. It felt like she was suffocating, the air being sucked out of her. Her heart was beating at a hundred miles per hour, hammering against the wall of her chest.
Eddie stared around, hoping an ambulance would turn up soon.
Rachel was wheezing heavily, her eyes filled with fear. This was one of the worst asthma attacks she'd had to date.
To Eddie's horror, her lips were stained with a tinge of blue. He knew immediately it wasn't a good sign. He had to act now.
He racked his brain, desperately trying to remember everything he'd read and learnt about Asthma since Rachel's attack two weeks ago. Nothing of any use was coming to him. She needed her inhaler.
He suddenly remembered she'd passed her bag to him on the way out to look after. Her inhaler had to be in there.
He stood up, carrying her in his arms to where he'd left her bag. He knelt down on the floor again, laying her in his arms so she was comfortable. He unzipped her bag, searching through it. He almost cried in relief when his eyes fell on her inhaler. Without a second glance, he grabbed it, pulling the cap off, shaking it before handing it to Rachel, helping her to use it.
After at least 6 puffs of the inhaler, it didn't seem to be making much difference. Her breathing was still significantly wheezy and heavy, she couldn't inhale properly. Eddie persisted with it, encouraging her to take puffs from the inhaler every 30-60 seconds. It wasn't helping this time.
She reached for his hand weakly. Her airway was closing up, she could feel it. The world around her was spinning as she lay in Eddie's arms. His face was blurring in and out of focus as he pleaded with her to stay with him.
"Come on, Rach. Just hang in there, please?"
She let out a small whimper. Her body was begging to give into unconsciousness. The fight within her to stay awake was dwindling by the second. She figured if she was going to die now, at least she was safe in the arms of the man she loved.
Eddie saw her eyelids starting to flutter closed. He needed her to stay awake.
"Rach, please! Don't you dare leave me! I- I need you… I- I love you" he pleaded
Rachel opened her eyes slowly, pleading with herself to stay awake. Those three simple words Eddie had just spoken had ignited something within her heart. He loved her, he felt the same way about her as she did about him. She couldn't give up now.
Eddie sighed in relief when she opened her eyes. A small, weak smile spread across her pale face. She was exhausted, but she was fighting.
"You're ok. The ambulance will be here soon, yeah?" He rambled, stroking her hair softly with his free hand
She nodded slightly, resting her head further into the crook of his elbow. He shook her inhaler, handing it to her so she could get some more medicine into her lungs. It didn't seemed to be doing much, but it was helping somewhat.
The sirens of the ambulance could be heard in the distance now. They were growing closer and closer. Eddie looked down at Rachel, who was taking another puff of her inhaler. All he had to do was keep her awake until the paramedics arrived.
"That's it, Rach. You're doing great" he reassured
The ambulances finally arrived. Eddie ran over with a weak Rachel in his arms. As she was loaded onto a stretcher, he explained to the paramedics what had happened. They rushed her away into one of the ambulances. Eddie followed, waiting outside nervously.
After ten agonising minutes, Rachel had been stabilised and he was finally allowed in to sit with her. She was unconscious, an oxygen mask placed delicately over her face, to help with her breathing. He could tell it was helping already. The wheezing in her breath was more subtle, and she was inhaling and exhaling more fully than before. He sighed in relief.
He took her hand into his own as the doors of the ambulance closed. She didn't stir.
