I appreciate that the operator needs to ask questions to assess the situation and how best to help Agatha, but she needs to hurry the fuck up.
I’m about ready to come out of my skin when she says, “An ambulance has already been dispatched and a patrol vehicle shouldn’t be too long either. Do you wish to remain on the line with me?”
I can feel some of my tension ease at her words, but I’m keen to focus my attention on Agatha. “No, I should be good until help gets here. Thank you for your assistance, ma’am.”
“You’re most welcome, sir. I hope your friend will be okay.”
Yeah, me too, lady. Me too. Tucking my cell back into my pocket, I take her hand in mine. It’s ice cold, and my heart lurches in my chest.
“Agatha? Agatha. Come on, gorgeous. Please open your eyes for me?” Not getting a response, I gently rub the limb, trying to dispel some of the cold.
The wail of an ambulance snags my attention, and I release a huge sigh of relief.
The patrol vehicle arrives ahead of the ambulance, and two officers hop out. One immediately goes to work on dispersing the crowd that has gathered, to make room for the paramedics to get through. The other comes straight to me, going to her haunches beside me where I’m kneeling.
“Can you tell me what happened here, sir?” Her name tag reads Mason.
“Yeah, my friend and I were going back to my car. We’d just stepped off the sidewalk when I heard a vehicle rev, turned to look, and before I could so much as call out, it slammed right into her, then fled the scene.”
“Did you happen to note anything about this vehicle?”
“Older model Lincoln Continental, black, heavily tinted windows. Only got a partial – niner echo yankee three seven. It turned the corner before I could get the rest.”
“Good eye. It’ll help us narrow it down. And we can request camera footage too,” she says, indicating those around us.
“Paramedics are here,” her partner adds with a chin lift in the direction of the approaching vehicle.
My hand tightens on Agatha’s. “Helps here.” I squeeze the words past a sudden lump in my throat. “I’m going to step back so they can attend to you, but I’ll be right here, okay? I’m not going anywhere.”
I doubt she can hear me; she hasn’t even moved yet, and I still can’t really see if she’s breathing, but I say the words anyway. I read somewhere that unconscious people can still sometimes hear you, and I don’t want her to freak out if she can.
Getting to my feet, I move out of the way to allow the EMTs to reach her. I dig my cell out again and dial Knight’s number. He answers on the first ring.
“You lasted longer than I anticipated. Need bail money yet?” Humor is ripe in his voice.
“Agatha’s been in a hit and run. I’ll be headed over to Riverton General with her, but I need one of you to come collect my car.”
There’s a beat of silence. “Not what I was expecting you to say. Sorry, bud. She okay? You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I don’t know about Agatha. She’s still out cold –”
“Sir, we’re ready to transport the patient.”
“Shit, Knight I gotta go. They’re leaving now.”
“Go, go – we’ll see you at the hospital.”
“Thanks, man. Later.”
They load Agatha into the ambulance, and I follow the gurney into the back, moving all the way to the front of the area so I can stay out of their way. Once the gurney’s locked in place, I wait for the EMT to finish hanging the drip bag and hooking her up to the monitors. I take her small hand in mind and hold on to it like a lifeline.
I have no words to describe exactly what I’m feeling, other than protective. I’m used to feeling protective over people. It’s my nature. It’s one of the reasons I joined the service. But this – this is a different kind of feeling. One I’ve not experienced before. One that makes me want to hold her close and shield her from life.
One that, interestingly enough, doesn’t freak me out the way it would have in the past.
The vehicle pulls up to the emergency entrance, and I follow the paramedic out. I watch closely as they unload Agatha, right on their heels as they wheel her into the organized chaos of the emergency room.
“Unconscious female, hit and run victim,” I hear one of them call out.
