19 - Samantha
My phone vibrates,but I’m currently laying on the couch with a mask over my eyes. I’m trying to block out everything in my vision, including light. Earlier, I was dressing to go to the game with Cynthia when my head started pulsing all over which made me slightly queasy. My vision got a little wonky too, which made Roxy nervous. Next thing I knew, she was taking my blood pressure. When she saw the numbers, she gave me the look. I wasn’t going anywhere.
Truth was, I didn’t feel up to it anyway.
She offered to drop Cynthia off at the game and come back. She did and has been watching over me ever since. To keep things easy on her and since I stubbornly refused to go to sleep, I’ve been camped out on the couch waiting to hear if we won. Roxy’s been hovering and I wonder if I did right by not texting Phillip ahead of time.
Roxy’s checking my blood pressure with the cuff again. I’m holding still, but I lift the edge of my mask to check my phone. It’s probably Cyn sending a score update. However, when I unlock my phone, it’s a missed call from Phillip with a follow-up text.
“He’s freaking out.” I hate how weak my voice is. I can’t see the letters to answer his text and drop my phone on the couch. Roxy is pacing, her phone to her ear making a face like that makes two of us, talking to someone, gathering a few things together in preparation to leave. Then she hangs up and checks the readout screen on the blood pressure machine.
“Ok, hon. We need to go.”
“What?!” I lift the mask again, half-crying, half-cringing at the light.
“I’m sorry, but your numbers just bought you a trip to the ER. You know the drill.” She studies me a second time, watching me barely lift my head. “Can you walk?”
Irritable and feeble, I lift my head. Despite being lightheaded with blurred vision, I stubbornly say, “yes.”
Roxy grabs her purse.
“Can’t we wait for Phillip?”
Roxy stops in front of me and touches my cheek. “No, sweet girl. I need to get you there. He’ll come when he’s done. I spoke to Beverly.”
Tears sting my eyes as I reluctantly nod, knowing he will come but hating the fact I have to go the hospital at all.
“Let me get you a sweatshirt, I know you get cold in the hospital.” Roxy retreats to hunt one up while trying to get her own nerves under control.
“I’m going to the bathroom.” But then I feel something warm run down my face. “Roxy!”
Roxy comes running back into the room, alarm in her features. “Ok, let me see.” She snatches a few tissues from the nearby box and quickly shoves them toward my face to catch the blood. “It’s a nosebleed. Hold this here. Keep your head forward but I need to get you to the car.”
With arms wrapped around to support, she lifts me to my feet. I mumble behind the wad of tissues, now blooming red and then my legs buckle, collapsing me to the floor.
*
Roxy is only able tokeep her from hitting her head.
“Samantha! Oh my God!” She scrambles to find her cell phone and with trembling fingers dials 9-1-1. Waiting for them to answer, she holds the tissues to her granddaughter’s face again, all the time tapping her cheek to get her to wake up.
“9-1-1, what is your emergency?”
Roxy rattles off a quick description and address then lays her phone on the floor, after having the presence of mind to switch it to speaker first. “Hon, please wake up. Sweetheart?”
“I’m still on the line with you, help is on the way.”
Roxy doesn’t talk to the dispatch person, she only has focus for her granddaughter.
“Check her airway, is she breathing?”
Roxy touches her mouth and watches her chest. “She’s breathing.” She pushes the hair back from her face. “Hon? You gotta listen to my voice. Stay with me.”
“Is the front door unlocked? Paramedics are almost there.”
Roxy gets up and scurries to the door, flinging it open before rushing back over to Samantha. “I hear the siren. The door’s open.” She speaks to the air, eyes bolted on Samantha who hasn’t yet woken up. She takes her hand in hers and looks up. “God, you can’t take my granddaughter yet.” She shakes her head as she hears the ambulance pull up. “Not yet.”