“Help!” Someone screamed. “I think he’s having a heart attack. Help!”
I barely heard the words over the music and laughter of the people surrounding us, but Sofia had obviously heard them too. Her head swung around frantically as she searched for the person in trouble with her eyes wide.
“There.” My free arm shot up and pointed at a youngish girl standing over the body of a man about fifty yards away from us.
People were already starting to swarm toward them. Those who were closest began to form a loose circle around. Sofia dug her feet into the sand and ran off faster than I’d have imagined possible with the masses around us.
“Is anyone a doctor?” she yelled as she ran. “We need a doctor over here. Call 911.”
Realizing that she was never going to reach him with so many people huddling around the scene, my own butt kicked into gear. When I reached her, I shielded her with my body and grabbed her hand, forcing our way through when the dumbasses didn’t move fast enough.
“Get out of the way,” I ordered in my loudest, most authoritative voice. “Coming through! She can help. Get the fuck out of our way.”
Chapter 28
Sofia
With Lincoln helping me barrel our way through what felt like hundreds of onlookers, we made it to the woman who had screamed for help in less than a minute. It still felt like way too much time had passed, but we’d moved as fast as we could.
“Get back,” I cried as Lincoln shoved the last remaining people out of our way. “We need space. Linc. Make them move.”
I knew he didn’t have to listen to me, but I also knew he would. Releasing the iron grip he’d kept on my hand, he turned around and put out his arms.
As he worked on getting the people to back the hell up, I dropped to my knees on the sand. The man lying in front of me had silver hair and a gray tinge to his skin. I estimated him to be in his late fifties or early sixties, but he seemed fit enough.
Come on, sir. Work with me, okay?
“Is he your father?” I asked the woman without looking up at her. My hands moved of their own accord, flying over him to check his vitals.
“Yes,” she replied, her voice tight with terror. “Is he going to be okay?”
“I don’t know yet, but I’m going to do everything I can.” I touched my fingers to his clammy throat. “I’ve got a pulse. It’s weak, but it’s there. What his name?”
“Michael,” she said shakily.
“Thanks. Michael? My name is Sofia. I’m a medical student, but I’m going to try to help you, okay? We’ve called for a doctor, but so far, no one has come forward.”
There was no response from him, but I kept murmuring while I worked. His daughter told me to go ahead, and I took her word as his. Truth be told, I was just as fucking terrified as his daughter. I’d never had to do anything like this by myself before, and I suddenly wasn’t sure I could.
“What can I do?” Lincoln called from where he was still trying to keep the crowd at bay.
I looked up to catch him glancing at me over his shoulder, his brown eyes hard with determination. There was also a worried crease between his brows, but he was calm and in control.
“Get an ambulance. There are always ambulances nearby at events like these.” At least I hoped there was one. I might not have graduated yet, but even I knew there was only so much I’d be able to do for this man without any equipment.
Lincoln nodded and fixed his gaze to mine for the smallest fraction of a second. He gave a tiny, almost imperceptible nod before whipping his phone out of his pocket and doing as I’d asked.
All my anxiety and self-doubt left me the moment I saw that nod. Somehow, I knew it was meant to reassure me, and the look in his eyes confirmed it. How he’d known I needed it, I didn’t know.
But I supposed he was used to chaotic situations where life or death hung in the balance. Whatever it was, seeing and feeling that reassurance from Lincoln cleared the haze from my mind.
Everything I’d learned about heart attacks and first response came flooding back to me, and I systematically worked my way through it. Every time I was unsure about something, I’d look up and he’d already be there for me. Even as he kept the ever-growing crowd from crushing us and as he barked into his phone.
I had to admit he was fucking fantastic in a crisis, but I had no time to think too much about it. I merely played with it in the back of my mind whenever I started feeling flustered.
Within either minutes or hours, I saw blue and red lights flashing and heard sirens piercing the sounds of the festivities around us. Not once did I stop performing CPR, keeping my count and my focus until a paramedic fell to her knees beside me.
“Thanks, doctor,” she said. “We’ve got it from here.”
“I’m not a…” I trailed off when I realized she wasn’t listening to me at all. Her partner was offloading a gurney, and with Lincoln’s help, policemen were managing the crowd.
As I stood up, I met the wild, tear-filled gaze of the victim’s daughter. Her body trembled like a leaf, but she managed a wobbly smile as she reached out to squeeze my hand. “Thank you so much. We’ll never forget this.”
“Good luck,” I said, returning her squeeze before letting her go to follow her father and the paramedics to the ambulance.
“You did good, Sofia.” Lincoln’s deep voice rumbled in my ear as a pair of muscled arms wrapped around me from behind. I recognized the feel of them immediately and sank back against his powerful chest. “You think he’s going to be okay?”
Covering his
