Page 43 of Striker
“You can’t leave me yet, Levi. We are going to get married, have lots of babies and grow old together. I’m so sorry I left. Oh God, I’m so sorry!”
I could hear the sirens in the distance as the darkness started to creep in. “Shhh, Little Lark. It will all be okay.”
Goose and Maverick kneeled down to check on me and Lilah. “Come on, man, you got this. You’ll be okay, we need you.” Maverick was cool, calm and collected as he softly spoke to me. Goose was unusually silent, but his reassuring hand on my shoulder let me know he was still there.
My body was starting to shake, but I still pulled Lilah into me to give her one last kiss. “Take care of my Pop for me. He’s gonna need you, Lilah.” I started to black out when Lilah shook me and yelled my name.
“Levi Walker! Don’t you dare die on me!” The red lights from the ambulance were shining through the holes in the old barn and I could hear shouting coming from outside.
“Come on, man, stay with us! The EMT’s are here! Come on, Striker!” Goose’s voice was filled with anxiety as he stood up and paced back and forth, running his hands over his face.
The EMT's came rushing over with a stretcher and tried to talk to me. “Lilah! Lilah, don’t leave me!” I could feel her small hand in mine as they loaded me up and wheeled me to the ambulance.
“I’m right here, baby, don’t worry. I got you. I love you more than anything, Levi Daniel Walker.” I brought her hand to my lips and kissed her.
Looking up into her beautiful green eyes I whispered, “I love you more than anything, Lilah Rose Crawford.” Then the blackness took over and she was gone.
Chapter 27
Lilah
The EMT’s wheeled Strikerthrough the Medical Center doors. Doctor Hank was waiting by the door with a pair of scrubs for me. As I threw them on, my head nurse, Amanda, came rushing over as the machines attached to him started to beep.
“We’ve got a code blue!” Nurses came running with the defibrillator cart. I pushed them out of the way as I turned on the machine. I put the pads on Striker’s chest and stepped back to let the machine do its job. As the defibrillator shocked him, his whole body shook.
The machine beeped and the robotic voice came over. “Continue CPR.” I threw my hands on his chest and administered compressions.
“Come on, Striker!” I bent down and placed my mouth on his while I pinched his nose shut. I blew twice, then went back to chest compressions. Tears were running down my face as I raced to save the love of my life. The defibrillator had stopped and Doctor Hank pushed me up onto the gurney.
“Keep going, Lilah! All the way to the operating room!” I alternated between chest compressions and rescue breaths, while they wheeled us through the center. Amanda pulled me back as she intubated Striker.
“Goddamnit, Levi! Wake up! I need you!” I could hear my Mama yelling and Striker’s Pop barreling through the doors.
“That’s my son! Let me see him!” Amanda stood in the middle of the hallway with her arms crossed.
“Listen up, Mr.Walker. You want us to save your son? Then, get back in that waiting room and stop causing a scene. Mrs. Crawford, your daughter is fine and is performing her duty right now. Now both of you get back in that waiting room and shut your yaps!”
