132. Panic

Josh’s pulse was a roar in his ears as he crouched on the cold basement floor, blood smeared on his hands, his mind spinning wildly. Ashley lay limp beside him, her temple still bleeding, her face growing paler by the second. Every breath she took felt like a miracle, and he could barely feel them beneath the weight of his panic.

He hovered, unsure what to do next. Chase them? Call for help? His instincts split in two directions—vengeance and protection—but he was paralyzed.

His fingers finally jerked toward his pocket. Phone. Ambulance. That was what he needed. But when the phone lit up in his palm, his thumb stalled. His breathing hitched. Would they arrive fast enough? Could he risk waiting?

No. He shoved the phone back into his pocket.

His eyes scanned the ground frantically, searching. His keys. Where the hell—

There.

Just beyond Ashley’s splayed legs, lying near one of the support pillars. He carefully laid her down again, eyes darting back and forth, afraid she might stop breathing the moment he looked away. Then he leapt for the keys, snatched them, and sprinted back to her.

He gathered her into his arms again, her head lolling against his chest. Her blood soaked into his shirt, warm and terrifying. The coppery smell hit him hard.

He yanked the rear door open first and tried to ease her onto the back seat. But the moment he let go, her body slumped at an angle that didn’t look right. Her head tilted sharply, too loosely.

"No—no, that’s not gonna work. Shit."

He gritted his teeth and hauled her back up, stumbling around to the front passenger seat. He adjusted the recline as fast as he could, gently lowering her into the seat and cradling her head so it wouldn't slam against anything. Seatbelt. He fumbled with the buckle, his fingers slick.

Her blood was everywhere.

Josh climbed into the driver’s seat, slamming the door shut, and pressed the start button to ignite the engine with shaking hands. When the engine roared to life, his foot immediately slammed on the gas pedal and pulled out in a reckless screech. Tires screeching against the cold concrete as the car lurched forward. 

He didn’t care about the speed limit. Didn’t care if cameras caught his plates. All he could think about was Ashley, unconscious in the seat next to him, her head tilted slightly to the side, resting awkwardly against the reclined passenger seat. Her pale face looked even more fragile under the car’s dim interior lights, and the crimson streak still trickled slowly from her temple.

He had wedged his right hand between the seat and her shoulder, trying to keep her steady while gripping the steering wheel with his left. It was a terrible position to drive in, but he couldn’t bear the thought of her head jerking with every bump in the road. He cursed every pothole. Every red light. Every second that passed without her waking up.

The city night blurred around him—neon signs streaking past, headlight beams scattering across his windshield, pedestrians mere shadows at the edge of his vision. 

He didn’t process any of it. Couldn’t remember which streets he’d turned on, couldn’t tell if he was still in his lane. The only things grounding him were the green hospital signs overhead, glowing in the dark like arrows from some higher power, pulling him forward. Lifelines.

Sweat clung to Josh’s skin despite the cold. His breath came in shallow bursts, heart pounding with every thump of the tires on uneven asphalt. He couldn’t look at her too long, not without his vision going blurry—not from speed, but from the tight, raw panic choking his chest.

Meanwhile Ashley still hadn’t woken up. Not once. Not even a groan.

At one intersection, he nearly ran the light. Brakes screeched. Ashley’s body shifted, her head leaning forward. Josh instantly reached out to steady her, his hand pressing gently against her collarbone to keep her in place.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered through clenched teeth, voice shaking. “Just hang on. I’m almost there.”

He didn’t know if she could hear him. Didn’t know if her breathing had changed. The gash on her temple looked deeper now, blood smearing the side of her face like war paint. Josh’s jaw clenched harder.

A car horn blared as he swerved around a slower vehicle, ignoring the angry yell that followed. His eyes darted to the overhead signs again. Two more turns.

He leaned over slightly, adjusting the seat belt around Ashley’s chest with one trembling hand. His fingers brushed her shoulder, and he hated the way she didn’t respond. Not a twitch. Not even a groan.

Josh’s voice cracked. “Don’t do this. Don’t leave me like this.”

He turned the wheel harder than he should have. The tires screeched again, and Ashley’s body leaned with the momentum. Josh cursed and reached out again to hold her steady, even if it meant swerving a little off course.

Every second stretched. Every breath she didn’t take felt like a lifetime. And the guilt—God, the guilt—clawed at his throat like it had been waiting for this moment. He had fought with her. Ignored her. Misjudged her. And now she was bleeding beside him and he didn’t know if she would ever wake up to yell at him again.

Finally, the hospital entrance loomed ahead. Josh turned into the emergency driveway so fast the back wheels skidded. 

“Ashley—”

He ran to her side, yanked the door open, and carefully unbuckled her seatbelt. Blood had soaked part of her gown. His fingers trembled as he lifted her again, cradling her like glass.

"Stay with me," he muttered, again and again. "Please, just stay with me."

A security guard shouted something, already running toward them. But Josh didn’t hear, not aware of the presence of that man. So he just rushed through the automatic doors of the ER, screaming for help.

“Somebody—please! I need help! A patient’s bleeding—she’s unconscious!”

The ER staff ran to him in seconds, voices loud and sharp, asking questions he couldn’t fully understand.

One of them came towards her and followed her to the car. One of them grabbed Ashley and unbuckled her seatbelt, then gently pulled Ashley out of the car seat, the other helped lift her onto the stretcher after she was successfully removed from the car. 

Josh's arms hung helplessly in the air for a moment as he watched it all with a roaring breath and gasps.

He stood there, breathless. His shirt and suit were slightly stained with Ashley's blood. His eyes wide as they wheeled her away.

He let them take her. Her body disappeared behind swinging doors, and all he could do was follow until a nurse stopped him.

“You need to wait here.”