Josh found himself returning to consciousness when he left Sylvana in the dream desert beside the campfire of ashes. Stiffly he threw off the bacta-sheet as he rose to a seated position on the pallet in the Red Home's medbay. He recognised it as such for two very distinct reasons. One being the thrumm of the bacta tank holding Lady Leannan in the corner. The other being the steady beeping of a heart monitor.
Beep... beep... beep... beep....
Why have they broken out the Machine That Goes Bing? He looked in the direction of the sound and his heart jumped into his throat at what he saw. There, on a pallet, a sheet covering her in a morgue-like fashion, but for the restraints holding her down, lay Sylvana. Her arms lay over the sheet at her sides, one splinted. White bandages swathed her head like a turban and mask, while a set of leads ran between herself and the steadily pulsing machine.
I did that to her... Josh looked down at himself, Did I use the last of the bacta patches or something...? Can't have...
Oh right, she's allergic to bacta. He was reminded then, of all that had happened before. The conversation, the sparring, the taunting, the fighting... the fireside. That last piece puzzled him. Why would he have dreamed such a conversation as they'd had?
Beep... beeeep beep beep beeeep... beeeep... beep beep... beeeep beep... beeeep beep beeeep beep... beeeeeeeeeeeeeeee....
Oh my God!, "Somebody help here!" he shouted into the ship. They couldn't have been left behind, not with her in that condition.... The condition that he and his rock had left her in.
Now she was dying, and it was his fault. He jumped into action, dashing across the short distance to where she lay. "Dammit dammit dammit dammit dammit DAMMIT!" she wasn't breathing.
Fifteen, two, he reminded himself as he threw off the restraint across her chest and began cardiopulmonary resuscitation in an attempt to revive the woman.
He began to sing softly to himself to keep the rhythm. "Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way. Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh, hey...." he paused to give her a breath of his air.
Where was everybody? Granted, only seconds had passed, but it was already feeling like an eternity.
Beep... beep... beep... beep....
Arrek had left for a walk, and a cigarette, in hopes to calm his fraying nerves, as Nick and Kristy were left in the common room. She was finally beginning to calm down, but adrenaline from shock still raced through her delicate nervous system.
The sound of the heart monitor was hypnotising, and Kristy began to doze off against the Australian, his arm around her as she leaned her head on his shoulder, and his hand played absently with her loose hair.
Beep... beeeep beep beep beeeep... beeeep... beep beep... beeeep beep... beeeep beep beeeep beep.... beeeeeeeeeeeeeeee....
"Oh shit!" Nick exclaimed just as the frantic shout of a thought-to-be-unconscious captain rang along the corridors. He sprang to his feet, startling Kristy to full wakefulness as her warm pillow suddenly disappeared. He was already dashing from the room when she recognised the ominous tone for what it was.
Beeeeeee....
Nick ran into the medbay, his first sight of Josh over Sylvana eerily familiar. This time, however, he was trying to save her life, rather than snuff it out.
He dashed to the cabinates to grab electroshock paddles, and a resuscitation bag. The grimace on Josh's face told all too well the pain, mentally and physically, coursing through him.
Each knew what the other was doing, and no words had to pass between the two of them as they worked. Nick tossed the bag over as he dialed in the first charge.
Without looking, Josh caught the bag, fitting the mask over Sylvana's mouth to give her air as the paddles charged. A moment later, Nick placed them on either side of her heart and when Josh wordlessly cleared away, kerchunk, her body jerked against the shock.
Kristy arrived then. "Get over here," Nick told her, "Take the bag from Josh, and squeeze it every five compressions.
Too terrified of what was happening to protest, even if she'd wanted to, Kristy did as she was told while Josh provided the compressions.
Beeeeee....
Sylvana still hadn't come around. After three more sets of compressions, Nick told them to "Get clear!" Kerchunk, The dying woman's body jerked up against the electric shock, but to no avail. Josh and Kristy returned to their attempts to revive her.
"C'mon Syl, don't give up. I'm sorry, please... c'mon...." Josh spoke to her lifeless, cooling form.
Beeeeee....
"Third time lucky. This better work," Nick muttered. "Get clear!"
"Oh God, please..." Kristy whimpered as she backed away. For the third time, Sylvana's still form spasmed against the electric shock coursing through her heart.
Breathless, the trio waited a moment to see if they'd succeeded.
Beep beeeep beep... beep... beep beep beep beeeep... beep beep... beep beep beep beeeep... beep... beeeep beep beep. Beep... beep... beep... beep... beep....