Cheryl Tardif - Submerged

She shone the light on the tank. The meter showed a nearly full tank. So then why was it so hard to breathe? Was she having a panic attack?

Something caught her eye. A sparkle in the water.

Marcus was coming for her.

She let out a wheezy cough and tried to catch her breath. A viselike undulation wove around her chest and ribs, squeezing her as though she’d been gripped by a monstrous boa constrictor. It wrung each breath from her body and left her gasping for air and shuddering with nausea.

She dropped the flashlight.

Whipping her head around, she searched for Marcus. His light beamed closer. He was almost there. Another minute maybe. She could hold on that long. She had to.

Seconds ticked by with a merciless slowness.

Then she saw him.

Marcus swam to the window and motioned with his flashlight and a small tool toward her seat belt. She nodded and pointed to her mask, hoping he’d decipher that she was having trouble breathing. The look he gave her made her realize he knew exactly the danger she was in.

He tugged on the car door. Once it was open, he sliced through the belt and eased it from her body. He jiggled the side lever for the seat, but nothing moved. Then he reached under her legs for the lever that would push her seat back.

She closed her eyes and tried not to think about the pain. She focused on Colton and Ella instead. They were safe. Maybe in the ambulance. They’d be warmed up and cared for, and that’s all that mattered.

She felt a small pop near her ribs. When she opened her eyes and glanced down, she realized Marcus had slid her seat back. She was free.

He wrestled the tank from between the seats. Sliding his arm through the strap, he anchored her tank next to his. Then he reached for her. She put her arms around his neck, clinging to him and crying as he pulled her from the car. With one arm around her waist, he dragged her through the murky water.

When they reached the surface, her eyes were drawn to multiple beams of bright light coming from the shore. Headlights. An ambulance and two police cars, lights flashing on all three, were parked next to a car. And all headlights pointed toward the river.

Treading water, Marcus removed his mask, then hers.

“The ambulance is here,” he said, his voice filled with relief.

“Yeah, your friend Leo said to tell you it’s on its way. I would have called you to tell you, but you were already in the water.”

He gave her a radiant smile. “Let’s get you to shore, Rebecca Kingston. Your kids are waiting for you.”

Accompanied by a flash of lightning and the crash of thunder, Marcus carried Rebecca from the river. He was greeted by Ashton Campbell and Gabbie Gros, two paramedics he’d known from his days in the field.

“Hey, Ash,” Marcus called out.

“What’ve you got?”

“She’s got at least one broken rib.” Marcus set Rebecca on the gurney.

The paramedics flew into immediate action, checking her vitals and assessing her injuries before wrapping an emergency blanket around her. Gabbie gave a blanket to Marcus too, and he draped it over his shoulders, shivering as his body fought to regain some warmth.

“My kids,” Rebecca murmured, her eyes delirious.

“Your daughter suffered an acute asthma attack,” Gabbie said. “We gave her oral prednisolone, oxygen and nebulized salbutamol.”

“Is she stable?” Marcus asked.

Gabbie nodded. “She’s out of danger. We have her and her brother on oxygen. Minor hypothermia.” She patted Rebecca’s arm. “And your son’s leg is sprained but no break. Other than that, there’s nothing to worry about. Your children will be fine.”

“You’re the one we need to worry about now, Mrs. Kingston,” Ashton said as they moved the gurney into the ambulance. “Marcus, we have to get moving. The storm is picking up, and we need to get her to the hospital.”

“Which hospital?”

“Hinton. Edson doesn’t have any beds. Cutbacks.”

Ashton motioned for Marcus to step aside.

“Wait!” Rebecca said, gripping Marcus’s arm. “You have to come with us. You saved us.”

“I can’t go in the ambulance. It’s not protocol.” Even as he said this, Marcus counted all the rules of protocol he’d already broken. There’ll be hell to pay later.

“I’ll meet you at the hospital,” he said. “I promise.”

Inside the ambulance, Ella and Colton lay side by side on a second gurney. With blankets piled high, their small faces were barely visible.

Colton raised a hand and waved. “You are a superhero.”

Marcus waved back. “Take care, buddy. I’ll see you at the hospital.”

“Taylor!” someone called out.

Marcus spun around. John Zur stood a few yards away, and the detective didn’t look very happy.

“Shit,” Marcus muttered beneath his breath.

He walked toward Zur, thinking of all the excuses he could use for his blatant disrespect for the rules. But there was just one excuse he could think of that made any sense. Rebecca and her kids had needed someone to help them, and Marcus had been the only “someone” available.

Zur studied him, seconds extending into minutes. “So what happened, Marcus?”

“You can see what happened, John.” I saved a woman and her kids. They’re alive because of me. I didn’t let them die like Jane and Ryan.

When Zur was finished lecturing him, Marcus glanced at his watch. 12:39. He couldn’t believe how his life had changed in the past twenty-four hours.

“Marcus!”

He returned to the ambulance. Inside, Rebecca was arguing with Ashton and Gabbie.

“Hey, don’t give them such a hard time,” he said with mock sternness. “You need to let them take care of you.”

“I needed to speak with you,” she said, lying back down.

“I’ll see you at the hospital. We can talk all you want then.”

She peered up at him, then smiled. “Your voice fits your looks.”

“What?”

“You look exactly as I pictured you.”

“What, soaking wet, shivering and chattering teeth? That’s what you pictured?” He laughed.

“You look like a decent man. A bit on the rugged side.”

The smile she gave him sent intense heat through his body. “Gee, I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not.”

“It’s a good thing,” she said. “On the phone your voice made me think of Russell Crowe.”

He batted a hand in the air. “Nah. I’ve been told I look more like Gerard Butler. Before he started working out.”

She laughed. “You’re not in that bad of shape. Otherwise you wouldn’t have been able to do what you did tonight.”

“Well, you’re even prettier than I pictured you. Even if you are sopping wet and your hair is scraggly.”

She touched her hair. “I’m not at my best, am I?”

He grinned. “Guess I’ll have to wait and see how you clean up. Now go.”

As he turned away, she shouted, “One more thing.”

“What’s that?” he asked, peering over his shoulder.

“Thank you! For finding us.”

“You’re welcome. Now lie down.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Hey, Marcus!” Gabbie called out.

“Yeah?”

“We miss you. When are you coming back?”

“I don’t think I am. My paramedic days are over.” And for once, he was okay with that thought.

“Get some rest,” he called to Rebecca. “Your kids need you to be okay.” So did he.

He watched as Gabbie and Ashton closed the doors, and the ambulance took off down the road. Zur and the other patrolman followed in their respective vehicles, lights flashing, no sirens.