Chapter 4 Seventeen Forever

Simon already had his hand on the emergency kit. All he had to do was take out the epinephrine. Maybe then, I would still have had a chance.

But our dad called for him again from the press area.

"Simon, the reporters want you to explain the situation as a doctor," he said. "People are accusing us of holding back emergency resources for Selena. You need to clear that up."

Simon looked back at me.

My oxygen level had dropped to 74, and my lips had turned a deep bluish purple.

Reese's voice sharpened. "Dr. Mendoza, she can't wait another minute!"

I thought he would stay with me.

Instead, he closed the emergency kit. "I'll say a few words and come right back."

I grabbed his sleeve with both hands.

The first time I had an allergic reaction as a child, Simon had stayed beside my hospital bed all night without sleeping. He had told me that if he ever saw me struggling to breathe again, nothing else would matter. He would give me the medicine first and worry about everything else later.

Now he gently pulled my fingers from his sleeve, one by one.

"Mom and Dad spent more than twenty years building their reputation," he said quietly. "We can't let everything fall apart today because of you."

Then, he picked up the emergency kit and walked toward the reporters.

Reese immediately started after him, but my mom blocked her. "That kit is for the entire school. You can't keep it here just for Selena when other students still haven't been cleared."

Reese stared at her in fury. "She's wearing a red critical-care band! She needs it!"

For a moment, my mom looked down at my wrist. Something flickered across her face, but before she could respond, someone called out from the press area.

"Ms. Lambert, is it true the nurse's office keeps special imported emergency medication just for your daughter?"

My mom went still.

My EpiPen had always been kept at school because of my severe allergy. My name and medical information were printed clearly on the box.

But that morning, my mom had taken it out of the nurse's office and locked it in her own office. She had not wanted anyone to think I was receiving special treatment simply because I was the principal's daughter.

With what little strength I had left, I pointed toward the administration building.

Reese understood immediately.

She asked, "The EpiPen is in your office, isn't it?"

My mom did not answer at first. Then, she pulled out her keys, but instead of handing them over, she tightened her fingers around the key ring.

"Every camera out here is watching us," she said. "When the interview is over, I'll get it myself."

I opened my mouth, but only a faint wheeze came out.

Reese suddenly snatched the keys and ran.

"Hey!"

My mom started after her, but my dad's voice stopped her.

"Ms. Lambert. Dr. Mendoza. Over here, please. We need to address this together."

My mom hesitated, looked toward the administration building, then straightened her blouse and turned away from me.

She joined them in front of the cameras, and the three of them stood side by side while the reporters gathered around.

My dad assured everyone the school would never give anyone in his family special treatment.

My mom said that as a teacher, every student mattered to her just as much as her own child.

Then, Simon spoke as a doctor. "At this point, every critically ill student has already been transported. The students still on campus are stable."

The crowd applauded.

At that exact moment, I slipped from the chair.

No one noticed.

My vision blurred until almost everything turned white.

…

Across the school grounds, Reese reached my mom's office and unlocked the door, only to find the desk drawer locked too.

She tried one key after another, but none of them worked.

Finally, she grabbed a heavy trophy from a shelf and brought it down against the lock. The first blow did not break it, so she swung again.

This time, the lock snapped.

Reese yanked the drawer open. My EpiPen was buried at the back.

My name was printed clearly across the box, along with the warning for my severe nut allergy. 'Use epinephrine immediately if the patient has trouble breathing. Do not delay.'

Reese grabbed the EpiPen and ran.

My mom's office wasn't far from the courtyard, but Reese fell twice on the way back. By the time she reached me, I could no longer hold my head up.

"Selena, look at me!" She dropped to her knees beside me, pressing the injector into my thigh. "The medicine's in! Stay with me, okay?"

Even so, I still could not breathe properly.

Reese checked my pulse, and her expression changed. She immediately started CPR, pressing down on my chest again and again.

Across the courtyard, the interview was still going on.

One of the reporters smiled at my dad. "We understand your daughter was also affected today. Aren't you worried about her?"

My dad faced the camera calmly. "She's the principal's daughter. She understands that sometimes she has to be stronger than everyone else."

My mom added proudly, "Selena can be stubborn sometimes, but when it really matters, she knows how to do the right thing."

Then, Simon gave a faint smile. "She's mostly anxious. Once we finish here, I'll go get her and take her home myself."

None of them knew that on the other side of the courtyard, Reese was already performing CPR on me.

The final ambulance pulled onto campus, and the medical team rushed over to take over. They gave me another dose of epinephrine and continued CPR while the alarms from the equipment echoed across the courtyard.

With each compression, the red wristband shifted against my skin. The word "Critical" printed on it was impossible to miss.

But despite everything they did, the line on the cardiac monitor began to flatten.

Then, my dad's voice came over the school loudspeaker.

"All forty-seven students involved in today's emergency have now received appropriate medical care."

At 4:17 p.m., my heart stopped for good.

The crowd applauded.

In the end, my family had proven exactly what they wanted everyone to believe: they had never put their own daughter first.

Out of all 47 students, I was the only one who would stay 17 forever.