Vector felt like king of the world. Vanilla agreed to meet again this Friday! She even said she looked forward to it. He was secretly worried if she would agree after getting more looks from other patrons the last time. Originally, the people at the local cafe likely noticed that they were still in the platonic stage, just talking without anything out of the ordinary. As they saw each other more, there was invisible tension that caused the both of them to trip on their words and look away from each other more. That was where Vector sadly noticed people at nearby tables staring more but usually looking away embarrassed as soon as they were caught. Although mammals and reptiles dating were slowly becoming more commonplace, there were still more pushback from people about it than Vector would like, especially from the older generations that were more stuck in their ways.
He managed to pass out Chaotix business cards to a bunch of people. Sure, they were random reporters keeping Sonic, Tails, and Amy occupied, but that was still potential business. Mingling with someone from media also acted as a goldmine of future advertisement. It was the first time he ran out of business cards. Chaotix might not had been as popular as Sonic's more established friends, but the agency had slowly been gaining attention over time, especially the last few months, as they aided Sonic and his main group of friends and tangled with Eggman more. While there was still room to grow in PR, they had a staple number of cases for the last couple months, probably the first time ever.
Vector was talking to a reporter outside the circle of people around Sonic. He managed to slip in deeper with Tails and Amy, who were both starting to get impatient about getting held up. It was admittedly tricky to maneuver around where they stood. To move around, they had to carefully slip past the small gaps between people hanging around. There was no way Vector would make it in the innermost circle that surrounded Sonic. No one gave any inch. People had to either lean over or roughly shove their way through due how packed it was. Vector may had been strong enough to push people if he wanted, but there was no way he would be that rude without good reason. Just because he was abrasive at times didn't mean he wanted to risk hurting anyone. Besides, shoving random people around with cameras would not look good for him or the agency.
Even though Tails could fly over everyone, he seemed too nervous about being rude and leaving anyone wanting to talk to him, fan or reporter. He started looking uneasy like he was getting internally worn down socially. He was a sweet kid who wasn't as extroverted as people like Sonic.
Amy wore a strained smile, not wanting to be rude either. However, she started giving shorter answers without changing her pleasant tone, shifting her gaze around. Vector wasn't sure if Amy was checking if the crowd was dying down or a convenient escape route. Her gaze occasionally lingered in the general direction of Sonic, who couldn't be seen past the tightly packed people around him.
Tails got leeway to wander over to Amy to lean into her ear to whisper.
"I like meeting people, but I don't know how much more I can handle," Tails whispered to Amy. "I'm getting hungry too."
Amy's cheery smile dropped a bit as she waved. "Yeah, me too. It's really bad this time. I'm not sure how we'll get out here."
"I could fly us out," offered Tails.
"Not yet. We should see if we can get to Sonic first. He's in the worst of it."
"I'm sure he'll be fine," replied Tails. "He has tricks to getting out of something like this. Worst case scenario, if he takes too long, I can come back after you're dropped off to reserve everything. What was the place you were talking about again?"
"It's this nice bistro by the shore."
Vector squeezed past some people to get to Tails and Amy.
"Say, what happened to Espio and Charmy?" Vector asked.
"They got lucky, I guess," said Amy.
"Or Espio's ninja training came in training," said Tails.
"Maybe both," said Amy. "Either way, I think they went ahead of us."
Vector scowled, briefly looking over in the direction further down the road.
"Espio better have listened to me this time," said Vector. "I don't know 'bout you two, but I'm thinking of heading out. Just wish people would move more."
Tails rubbed his chin with his thumb and index finger, eyes on the buildings rooftops behind Vector. Tails got his signature determined look whenever he got an idea.
"I think I can get us at the top of those buildings over there," said Tails.
Vector and Amy looked in the direction of his gaze. They saw a mix of midrise buildings made from orderly red brick to cracking stone close enough to only to have the occasional narrow alleyway. All the buildings were under 10 floors, so it wouldn't be a stretch for Tails to fly up there. There was one problem, though.
"You sure that's not too high?" Amy asked, looking at the buildings doubtfully. "And you can you lift all of us up there?"
"Well…" Tails looked at Amy meaningfully. "Maybe you and Sonic, but…" Tails glanced at Vector sheepishly. "I would probably have to make a second trip for Vector or you two."
Vector wasn't offended. He knew he was one of the heavier ones in the group due to his muscles and size. Lifting him along with Amy and Sonic that high up would be challenge.
"I would move Vector first," suggested Amy. "If you go straight for Sonic, they'll notice more and know what we're up to by the time you came back."
Tails nodded then started taking off the ground. Vector grabbed Tails hands as he flew above him, letting himself be lifted off the ground and above the crowd. Listening to Amy, Tails dropped Vector on top of the closest building first. As Tails went back for Amy, there was a little ruckus raised in the crowd, unhappy about Amy getting out of talking range. Once Amy was set next to Vector, Tails took a deep breath. Getting Sonic was where they would have the media crowd's attention.
At a faster speeder than he used for Amy and Vector, Tails swooped off the building and straight for Sonic. Despite how hard if it was for Sonic to see past the people surrounding him, he saw Tails coming, He and Tails had to make similar escapes before. Sonic jumped up as high as his legs would go and caught Tails' hands. Tails helicoptered more frantically to escape the now restless crowd. There was too much shouting to hear what was being said, probably more questions Sonic didn't answer. Cameramen aimed to catch their great escape.
"What took you so long, buddy?" Sonic joked as Tails dropped him off in front of Vector and Amy.
Tails landed, breathing heavily. "Had…a hard time…seeing an opening at first."
Right after Tails was done panting, they parkoured down several buildings until they reached the intersection that they could see the hospital that Charmy and Espio were heading to. They looked in dread as they noticed that there were first responders scrambling to navigate all the destruction around the building. Luckily, the building was mostly in tact except some broken or cracked windows. Overturned cars, street lights, and other large objects that should belong in the street littered the parking lot surrounding the building. Even at a distance it was easy to see a number of ambulances, police cars, and firestrucks struggling to get around the chaos. Eggman was rampaging before found him. It seemed he did even more damage than they thought.
"If it's this messed up, Espio likely won't get in for ages," Vector admitted, burying his face in his hand.
"Is there another hospital nearby?" Amy asked, looking at Tails for assurance.
"Maybe…" Tails said, unsure of himself. "I'm not familiar with Skyline City. I never been here before we chased Eggman here."
"There is another," Vector said, looking unhappy. "It's further downtown, but…"
"It's further away?" Amy said, trying to finish Vector's sentence.
"That too," replied Vector.
Everyone looked at Vector questioningly, who remained silent as he looked around on the street they were one before being ambushed earlier. Being higher up had its advantages.
Vector said, "I'll probably have to call Espio to warn him that—"
Sudden beeping interrupted Vector. The group exchanged a look, trying to figure out who was responsible. Out of a pouch he kept on his belt, Vector pulled out a ringing green flip phone with a couple scratches on the case. Vector looked at the outside screen to look at the caller ID.
"It's Espio," said Vector.
"Nice phone, Grandpa," Amy jabbed jovially, making Tails laugh. Sonic struggled to hold back his own laugh.
"Shudup," Vector replied. "Not everyone can afford those fancy computer ones."
Vector opened the phone. Even with the phone in still in the crocodile's hand, a loud crying that was unmistakability from Charmy could be heard. Sonic, Amy, and Tails perked up, concerned. Vector's heart sank, scared of what he was about to hear but desperate to find the answer. Vector swiftly put the phone up to his ear. The mammals leaned in to hear the phone call better.
"Charmy, what's wrong?" Vector asked, in a rare gentle tone from him. "Why do you have Espio's phone?"
More incoherent blubbering followed. All that could be heard was "Espio" and "hurt".
"Charmy," Vector kept his tone steady. "Slow down. Let's start with the location. Where are you?"
"W-we we-were w-walking," Charmy cried. "I-I don't kn-know wh-where we ar-are. N-near a hair saloon, I think."
As Charmy said the last sentence, Sonic, Amy, and Tails moved to the edge of building to look around below to see if they could figure out the location.
"Es-Espio j-just fe-fell over," Charmy continued. "I-I dunno what to do. N-no matter h-how many tim-mes I shake him, h-he's not m-moving!"
"Hang in there," Vector assured the young bee. Vector started parkouring on other buildings as his eyes desperately scanned the street.
Just when Vector was going to ask Charmy for more details, he spotted a suspicious gather crowd. Vector narrowed his eyes to see better. It was hard to see, but the height Vector was at made it possible to see what looked like Charmy and someone the same shade as Espio on the ground.
"Tails!" Vector spun around with his hand out to Tails, who had been following along.
Without a word, Tails picked up Vector and steered into the crowd. As they got closer, Vector saw a building that looked like a modest hair saloon. Tails carefully dropped Vector off in the middle of the crowd, startling a few bystanders. With a quick thanks to Tails, Vector rushed over to Charmy and Espio. Charmy was still crying, but an elderly koala wearing a pink blouse and long green skirt let him cry into her lap as she sat with him.
Thirteen-year-old Vector was so bored, glaring with disdain at the dummy on the floor, his arms crossed over his chest. He was so sick of this. How many times was his mother going to randomly force him to review basics? He already completed the actual class twice, under his mother's insistence.
"Remember, hun, once it's safe to approach the victim, you must act quickly," said Vector's mother as she crouched on the wooden living room floor next to the dummy. "Depending on what's wrong, every minute can count."
As much as it hurt Vector to see Charmy so upset, he had to hurry and focus on Espio first. Vector rushed over to Espio, who was lying on his side and eyes shut.
"First, have someone call the emergency number if there's someone nearby. If you're alone, call them yourself."
"Has anyone called for an ambulance yet?" Vector shouted, briefly looking over his shoulder at the crowd.
A male robin in a sharp business suit stepped into Vector's sight on his left. In one hand, the robin held a leather suitcase and a cellphone to his ear in the other.
"I'm on the phone with them now," replied the robin.
Next, see if the person is really unconscious. Shake them if you have to."
Although Charmy likely already done it plenty of times, Vector gave Espio a few quick shakes, yelling Espio's name. As Vector expected, Espio was still. Out of the entire Chaotix, Espio was always the lightest sleeper by far. If Espio could hear Charmy or him, he would had responded if he was able to by now.
"If they're still not moving, put them on their back," Vector's mother said, waving her hand toward the dummy already on its back. "Try to do it on a hard and flat surface."
Vector flipped Espio onto his back. The concrete sidewalk below them would work fine for the surface. Luckily the recent Eggman attack didn't hit anything on this block.
"Now time to check the breathing and pulse real quick. As you should remember, agonal breathing doesn't count as breathing."
Vector removed a glove off his right hand, set it aside, then put his bare hand in front of Espio's mouth. To Vector's dread, he felt no warm air, agonal or otherwise.
Vector's mother gave Vector a focused look that hinted Vector couldn't look too disinterested.
"Now show me: which artery do you use to check the pulse?" she asked.
Holding back an eye roll, Vector went over to the dummy to point to the spot, choosing the fingers he used to do it carefully.
Using his index and middle finger on his bare hand, Vector pressed on the carotid artery on the neck. Even before Vector pulled out his phone to measure the heart beast per minute, done by multiplying each beat made in 15 seconds by 4, he could tell the pulse was weak. It was better than no pulse, but it was still dire.
Amy and Tails landed in the middle of the crowd near Vector, startling some onlookers. Before Amy and Tails could say anything, the robin with the cellphone sighed heavily.
"They say they're coming but having delays," the robin uneasily told Vector, holding the phone to his ear. "The ambulances at the closest hospital are overwhelmed, so a different hospital had to send some. It's probably from all that ruckus with Eggman earlier."
That was not what Vector wanted to hear. He would likely have to by some time. If Knuckles or Sonic were here, they could blast nearby road blocks to make things easier.
"Good job! If they're not breathing and their pulse isn't great, time to go to the CAB's of first aid. First, for C, work on compressions. Vector's mother, still on her knees by the dummy, put the heel of one hand in the middle of the dummy's chest and put her other hand on top of it.
"Remember, chest compression, chest compressions!" Vector's mom chanted, looking at Vector while she still repeatedly pressed roughly into the chest. "The longer you wait, the more oxygen they lose. Don't be afraid to put your weight into it. You might break a few ribs, but it's better to be injured than to be dead. Pop quiz: how many compressions to start with?"
Vector snorted. "Thirty?"
"You got it."
For a few seconds, Vector hesitated. With his super strength and his higher weight compared to Espio, there was a good chance he would injure his frailer friend. But, as his mother mentioned before, having some broken ribs was better than being dead.
I'm sorry, Espio, Vector thought.
As his mother showed him, Vector stacked his hands on top each other, palms down, over Espio's chest. Using his strength and weight but holding back enough to not go too far, Vector sunk his hands into Espio's chest deeply enough to cause recoil in the body.
The sounds Vector sometimes heard from Espio's chest, either just be the cartilage in his ribs absorbing blows or his bones cracking, made Vector sick to his stomach. The thought of the losing Espio always drowned out the doubt the grounds gave Vector, though.
Everyone, including Amy, Tails and even distressed Charmy, watched in awe, too confused or scared to know what else to do but act as onlookers.
Vector repeated the deep pushes thirty times without any changes from Espio.
"Check the A, airway to prevent anything blocking it even the tongue, if the first compressions don't work. See if anything is blocking the airway by moving the their head like this…"
As Vector remembered, he gently grabbed Espio's forehead with one hand to tilt his head back and used his other hand to lift the chameleon's jaw to open his mouth. He never learned CPR regarding an anthro with a long tongue like a chameleon, so he hoped he was doing this right. Vector's fear and anxiety made him almost forget the next step.
"Now for B, breathing, you do the rescue breaths." Vector's mother continued. "Do you remember how to do this?" She nodded to the dummy and looked at Vector expectedly.
"Mom, really?" Vector groaned.
"Yes, 'really'."
"No, not again, eww!" Vector whined. "C'mon, Mom, how many times do I have to retake this class? I could be out hanging with my friends now."
"Enough times that I can tell you can do this without thinking too much," his mother sternly said. "You won't believe how many I've seen people die because they don't get oxygen soon enough. Sometimes you have to do unpleasant things in exchange for saving a life. Do you remember what Matrix said at the last class you took together?"
Vector groaned. He paused a while, knowing that he was going to lose an argument. "He said, 'People that judge are too small-minded to realize the severity of the situation.'"
Once again, Matrix was right. Vector wished he was there to help, whether he did CPR himself or comforted Charmy. Even acting as moral support would help so much. With a heavy heart, Vector had to remember, once again, he had to be the one taking charge alone.
Pinching where he believed Espio's nose was, Vector pressed his mouth to Espio's lips and blew long and heavily. In the corner of his eye, Vector watched to see if Espio's chest rose from the rescue breath, happy to find it working. He released Espio briefly to take another deep breath and make another similar breath into Espio, which also made Espio's chest rise.
Vector started giving Espio another round of 30 compressions again.
Tired of feeling helpless, Tails flew as high as he could to watch for the ambulance in the distance. Amy was left to get closer to Vector, shaking.
"Is there…is there anything we can…" Amy struggled to speak.
"Ask the crowd if they anyone has an AED device nearby," replied Vector, gaze and hands focused on Espio. "You can find them in public places, sometimes."
Amy silently nodded and ran to the nearest person to start.
Vector heard something fast moving nearby. Fair or not, he felt a fire burning in his chest he had to actively swallow. He knew exactly who it was, and there was no way Vector was going to let himself get distracted. He couldn't afford it now, whether he wanted to be nice or not.
"What happened?" Sonic pleaded with Vector in a panic, spotting Espio on the ground. If Vector didn't have his own problems, he would be alarmed from the unusual tone from the normally chill hedgehog. "I thought…Espio was going to the…is he going to be…"
Vector ignored him, continuing with the chest compressions.
"Espio passed out on the way," Tails shouted down at Sonic, too high up to talk in a normal volume. "The hospital he was heading to seems to be overwhelmed from Eggman's mess. I'm trying to watch for the ambulance."
Sonic desperately looked around, trying to figure out what to do. "How about I—"
A siren in the distance interrupted Sonic. Tails motioned for Sonic to follow him down the street. Sonic followed Tails down the street until he found wrecked, abandoned cars blocking most of the road. Just when Sonic was about to spin dash into the vehicles to clear them, one vehicle was being lifted by a metal claw. Omega tossed the car to the side and grabbed another abandoned car. Now that Sonic and Tails could see further down the road, they were able to spot Knuckles punching some overturned cars and metal dumpsters to the side of the road.
The ambulance zoomed past where Knuckles cleared a path.
Sonic and Tails, outpacing the ambulance, returned to the crowd to act as crowd control. There suspiciously seemed to be more people since the last time they were there. Sonic and Tails were able to get the crowd to part wide enough for the ambulance to pull to a stop a few feet from Vector and Espio. Sonic and Tails waited until two paramedics, both rabbits, stepped out of the ambulance before joining Amy to the side, who talked to a bunch of people empty handed. Knuckles was slower, so he got there right around he time they joined Amy. Knuckles, after explain how he knew the kid, took Charmy's hand and led him with the rest of the group.
Sonic, like lead in the pit of his stomach, noticed that there were media people with mics and cameras that either somehow caught up or those not involved in the earlier mob that happened to stumble upon the scene. No wonder it took prodding from him and Tails to get them to move. He was even worried he would have to wait on Knuckles to scare them away.
The paramedics ran over to Vector and Espio, one carrying a machine and the other paramedic clutching a large bag. Vector didn't even notice them until one tapped him on the shoulder.
Vector flinched, his eyes full of fear and desperation. A complex swirl of emotions moved so strongly that it felt like his outside was going to crack. His heart was pounding so loudly, he had trouble hearing what the first responders said the first time.
"What?" Vector asked, finishing a compression.
"We got this, so please move aside," the paramedic holding the machine, an older woman, commanded more than asked.
Vector's limbs felt heavier and made it slower to move than he liked. He still forced himself to stand up and sidestep of the way, still watching intentally. One paramedic was on Espio's left, performing chest compressions. The paramedic, squatting by Espio's head, was administrating oxygen through a ventilation device that required squeezing a pump over Espio's mouth. The paramedic on the right, multitasked between checking Espio's vitals and putting the defibrillator pads on Espio's chest.
Vector's mouth was dry as a desert, but he forced himself to speak up anyway. "He's…I gave him compression and rescue breaths for—" Vector checked his phone for the time. "—2 minutes. His pulse's weak and wasn't breathing. I…also already checked the airway."
"How long did it take for you to start CPR on him?"
"It took me a couple minutes to run over here. I was on the phone with someone with him when it happened."
"Clear!" a paramedic handling the defibrillator shouted. After other paramedics stopped touching Espio to avoid the electricity, she shocked Espio with the machine, sending the teens body into recoil.
The sound and Espio's movement caused Vector to jump. As much as Vector hoped, that shock didn't waken Espio.
Espio just needs another shock, that's all, Vector trying to assure himself. Yeah, they got equipment I didn't.
The paramedic on the left returned to giving chest compressions, allowing the rest of the crew to return to their own tasks now that the patient could be touched again.
"What was he doing when this happened?" asked the paramedic, snapping Vector out of staring at Espio. "Did anyone see this happen?"
"I-I wasn't," said Vector, his voice shaky. He swallowed to steady his voice. "But…"
Thinking quickly, Amy led Charmy over to the scene. Charmy's tears were rushing down his face, but he didn't fuss.
"Just tell the nice people what you saw," Amy gently coaxed Charmy.
Charmy sniffled. "We w-were walking to the hospital. He stopped suddenly. Then I heard him breathe heavily. And then…then he fell. I tried to catch him, b-but...his arms moved too much. I…dropped him halfway. I couldn't hold on."
Vector was shocked to find this new detail out. Vector faced Charmy, patting him on the head.
"You tried," Vector assured. "He could have hit his head even worse if you didn't catch him when you did. How did his arm move exactly?"
Charmy rapidly shook his arms. "Kinda like this. Like a…like a…what's it called? Where you shake all over? That looked like what he was doing,"
"Like a seizure?" Vector replied.
"Yeah! That's it."
"Does he have a history of seizures?" the stern female paramedic asked.
Vector shook his head. "At least none that I know of," Vector admitted. "I had him in custody for only a couple years, but I never seen it happen or mentioned."
"That's not too much of a stretch," the female paramedic replied. "If someone gets their oxygen caught off, like cardiac arrest, it's possible for someone to convulse similar to a seizure. Does he have a history of cardiac arrest? Any medications or substances?"
"First time I've seen him pass out like this. He doesn't take anything. He also doesn't do any drugs or anything like that," Vector replied.
Espio was one of the most health conscious people he met. Despite being a teen, an age known to be tempted by various vices, he showed no interest in alcohol, smoking, or drugs. When they healthier foods were an option, either from the modest container garden Espio grew behind the agency or they could afford it, Espio stuck with the healthier options like veggie dishes or even raw vegetables (While Vector tried to make sure Charmy got some balance in his diet, he didn't like as much vegetable as Espio.). Espio was the guy in the group who sometimes ate salad when eating out by choice instead just avoiding more calorie heavy options.
"Clear!" Vector heard the defibrillator paramedic shout again.
Vector only had to hear the shock to start feeling sick. Charmy squeaked, startled. Amy didn't make any noise herself when it happened but looked noticeably paler. Whispering to Charmy, Amy led the kid away, not wanting him to see anymore. Vector was so thankful to the pink hedgehog. He would need to remember to thank her later.
He just needs one more shock, Vector thought. That will be the one.
"Any injuries or recent illnesses we need to know about?" the questioning paramedic asked.
Vector felt so stupid for not mentioning the incident that likely caused it. He threw a quick irritated glance in Sonic's direction without thinking about it. Sonic immediately looked more regretful, his eyes focused on the ground. However, as angry as Vector was with Sonic, he wasn't going to throw him under the bus with a bunch of people standing around like this, especially when cameras were nearby. Glancing back at
"He got hit really hard in the chest by…" continued Vector, pausing to think of a plausible story, going out of his way to avoid looking anywhere near Sonic. "…something fast during the fight with Eggman. Other than being sore and having the air knocked out of him, he got up fine. To be safe, I made him head to the hospital, which was where he was heading when we got separated. He, well…passed out on the way."
The male paramedic nodded. "Yeah, if the impact is bad enough, it can knock the heart's rate off balance. Sometimes it even bruises the heart's muscle or other parts, which can cause a delayed reaction like it did for your friend."
"Does he have a history of passing out?" The male paramedic asked, still working with the oxygen.
Vector's mind came up blank. He really wasn't sure. Espio wasn't always forthcoming about himself.
"Well, you see…" Vector started, pausing to swallow a lump in his throat he didn't realize he had. "…he's been living with me for only two years. I didn't see any incidents since then, though. I'm sorry. I don't know. It was actually...my big brother had him for a year before then. That's all I know."
Sonic, Tails, Amy, and Knuckles, who were close enough to overhear the conversation, were taken aback. They didn't even know Vector had a brother, let alone that Espio lived with the brother before. As curious as they were, it wasn't the time or business to pry.
Another ambulances stopped right by the crowd, unable to get through all the people standing around. Thankfully, a paramedic carting a IV was bold enough to plow through anyone that didn't get out of the way.
"Oh, thank Chaos," yelled the paramedic giving Espio oxygen. He looked at the paramedic talking to Vector. "I just wish we could've gotten one of those from the beginning."
"Most of the ambulances are short on equipment from Eggman attacking," the paramedic told Vector. "So we couldn't bring everything. We had to wait a bit."
Eggman. That was one person Vector didn't have to feel guilty badmouthing. Not to mention the one person he didn't have to feel guilty about decking next time saw him.
I swear, if he's responsible for Espio—" Vector stopped himself, refusing to even think the word. No, he's going to be fine. He has to be.
The paramedic with the IV handed it to the paramedic on the right monitoring the defibrillator. The new paramedic moved near Espio's feet, the only spot not blocked by someone, and watched the other paramedics, looking ready.
The paramedic with the defibrillator grabbed Espio arm and pulled off his left glove with the speed of someone who had way too much practice. What greeted her was a hand she didn't expect.
Author's Note: I hope I got the CPR stuff right. I'm not a first aid professional by any means, so I did my best to research the topic. Since Vector had been taught in CPR before, I had to have him check extra things that plenty of resources nowadays might not include (A lot of manuals are more aimed toward people inexperienced in first aid). If anyone sees any issues, please let me know so I can fix it as soon as possible. It would be nice if any of this info in this chapter somehow helped some reader, even if the chance of that happening is less than 1 percent.
While double checking some parts about CPR and first aid involving it, I found the American Heart Associated changed the ABC's of first to CAB on 2010. I will admit I was surprised considering a lot of first aid books I read about it still use the ABC. On top of CAB being current, there are studies that show CAB seems to have better results, so I stuck with this one instead. It seems to reduces the time spent not getting oxygen to the brain that used to be spent checking other things.