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I came to in an ambulance. There was an oxygen mask on my face. The oxygen felt really good in my lungs. Brooke was on the stretcher next to me. Her eyes were closed and she was wearing an oxygen mask too. David and Carly were sitting there with tear-stained faces.
What had happened?
Then I remembered. The fire. The smoke. Brooke. The fear. The confusion. My head felt like it was spinning. I was nauceous and I thought I was going to die. I sat up, ready to scream for my life, even though I was safe.
"Eliza!" David exclaimed.
A familiar voice made me lose the urge to scream. I took off the oxygen mask and hugged David, crying hysterically into his shoulder.
"It's all right," he assured me, "you're fine, it's okay, it's okay."
His assurance wasn't doing a thing. I cried and cried and cried until I started coughing. A nearby paramedic held the oxygen mask to my face. I breathed that in for awhile, then pushed his hand away.
I knelt next to Brooke and took her hand in mine. It was limp.
"Don't leave me, Brooke, " I whispered, "don't leave us."
Moments after I said that, Brooke's blue eyes opened. She looked at me in confusion. I knew that she was feeling exactly what I felt.
"Brooke!" David exclaimed. He went to her other side and took her other hand in his.
"You're okay!" he said, relieved.
Brooke nodded. She took a few deep breaths of oxygen. It was good for her lungs. She tried to sit up, but she didn't have that strenghth yet. She did, however, reach up and pull David into a hug. David started to cry, which I had never seen before.
"I thought I'd lost you," he cried into Brooke's shoulder. She wrapped her arms around him and cried like I did. The whole situation was so scary. Brooke gently pushed David away. He was putting too much pressure on her chest, and her lungs were still weak. She took a few more deep breaths of oxygen and removed the mask from her face.
"How could I leave you?" she said weakly, to David. She gave a gentle, not whole-hearted smile.
"Eliza, you're okay," she said in a soft tone.
"I'm glad you're okay," I replied. I started coughing again. The paramedic handed me the oxygen. I felt weak and tired, so I laid down. Brooke's gurney was right next to me. She started coughing, so I gave her the oxygen mask. She breathed that in and pushed it away. She took my hand and held it until we reached the hospital. The paramedics wheeled us into a recovery room. Luckily, we were in the same room. I'd be scared silly without Brooke there. We had to stay overnight, just to makes sure we were okay. By the time my mom left (she was already there at the hospital when we arrived), it was about 12:45 and I was exhausted. Brooke was too. We laid there and didn't say a thing, because we were both crying, silently, but we didn't want the other to know.
What had happened?
Then I remembered. The fire. The smoke. Brooke. The fear. The confusion. My head felt like it was spinning. I was nauceous and I thought I was going to die. I sat up, ready to scream for my life, even though I was safe.
"Eliza!" David exclaimed.
A familiar voice made me lose the urge to scream. I took off the oxygen mask and hugged David, crying hysterically into his shoulder.
"It's all right," he assured me, "you're fine, it's okay, it's okay."
His assurance wasn't doing a thing. I cried and cried and cried until I started coughing. A nearby paramedic held the oxygen mask to my face. I breathed that in for awhile, then pushed his hand away.
I knelt next to Brooke and took her hand in mine. It was limp.
"Don't leave me, Brooke, " I whispered, "don't leave us."
Moments after I said that, Brooke's blue eyes opened. She looked at me in confusion. I knew that she was feeling exactly what I felt.
"Brooke!" David exclaimed. He went to her other side and took her other hand in his.
"You're okay!" he said, relieved.
Brooke nodded. She took a few deep breaths of oxygen. It was good for her lungs. She tried to sit up, but she didn't have that strenghth yet. She did, however, reach up and pull David into a hug. David started to cry, which I had never seen before.
"I thought I'd lost you," he cried into Brooke's shoulder. She wrapped her arms around him and cried like I did. The whole situation was so scary. Brooke gently pushed David away. He was putting too much pressure on her chest, and her lungs were still weak. She took a few more deep breaths of oxygen and removed the mask from her face.
"How could I leave you?" she said weakly, to David. She gave a gentle, not whole-hearted smile.
"Eliza, you're okay," she said in a soft tone.
"I'm glad you're okay," I replied. I started coughing again. The paramedic handed me the oxygen. I felt weak and tired, so I laid down. Brooke's gurney was right next to me. She started coughing, so I gave her the oxygen mask. She breathed that in and pushed it away. She took my hand and held it until we reached the hospital. The paramedics wheeled us into a recovery room. Luckily, we were in the same room. I'd be scared silly without Brooke there. We had to stay overnight, just to makes sure we were okay. By the time my mom left (she was already there at the hospital when we arrived), it was about 12:45 and I was exhausted. Brooke was too. We laid there and didn't say a thing, because we were both crying, silently, but we didn't want the other to know.
