“I want to help,” Rina blurted out.
“I need you to take care of your sister,” Carina stated, trying to sound
in control.
Tia reached out, cupping both sides of Carina’s face. In the softest
voice Tia whispered, “I need you to take a breath. We’ll find him.”
The park was huge with a river nearby. A thought clicked to mind.
“Bruce and Johnathan use to go fishing up the river.”
“We can send your father—” Carina’s mother offered.
Carina shook her head. “No! I need to be the one searching for him.”
“Oh, Carina. Stop all this worrying. You’re scaring the girls,”
Carina’s father muttered. “I remember when you and your sisters use to—”
“I won’t stop worrying,” Carina sneered. Anger spilled out of Carina
and she was no longer able to contain it. “He lost his father and now he’s
out there because I told him he’d be in trouble if he continued his poor
behavior. I made my son too afraid to come to me. And I won’t chill or stop
all my worrying…” Carina said in a sarcastic tone “…until he is in my
arms.”
“Perhaps you shouldn’t have flaunted your new inexcusable lifestyle
in your child’s face,” Carina’s father bit back.
“Hey,” Tia called out. “I think you should go.”
“This is family—”
Carina cut her father off. She wasn’t naïve as to why Piero’s son
called Johnathan that insensitive word. It had everything to do with Carina
being with Tia but she’d never apologize for it. “Actually, Tia is my
family.”
Carina noticed Sandra coming their way without good news. “I think
I know where he went. I need you to take my girls and I’ll call as soon as
we have him.”
“Mom,” Rina complained.
Michelle began to cry again.
Tia bent down, kissed Michelle’s forehead, and reached out for Rina
to take her hand. “You know I have everyone’s back. I need you two to have
each other’s and let your mom and I bring Johnathan home.”
After a moment, they both nodded.
Carina sighed in relief, hugged her girls, and then watched Sandra
guide them away. Without bothering to say anything to her parents, Carina
pointed to the car. “It’ll be faster by car.” Tia nodded and they were off.
*
Tia
It took them 10 minutes to arrive at the other end of the park. The
Willamette River was long, but Bruce had only taken Johnathan to one spot
near this park. They walked briskly, glancing everywhere. The park was
less occupied with people, only a few pulling their kayaks out of the water.
Further up were large boulders that resided against the river’s edge.
Tia felt so overwhelmed with the need to find Johnathan that her body
shook with adrenaline and anxiety.
“I can’t find him,” Carina said, voice cracking.
“We will,” Tia said, reaching over to grab Carina’s hand and look
along the rocks. Kids liked to climb down too close to the edge. Just as they
were about to turn back and head in the opposite direction, Tia shouted,
“There he is!”
When Carina’s eyes landed on her son sitting along the rocks she
sighed. They were 30 feet from him when Carina decided to call out his
name. “Johnathan!”
His small frame straightened and he turned to face his mother. Fear
sprung in his eyes until he noticed his mother’s wide smile.
Tia could see that Johnathan expected his mother to approach with
anger and frustration over him running off. Instead he was greeted with love
and relief.
Johnathan stood with tears in his own eyes.
They were only a few feet from him. “Come here, sweetie.”
Johnathan tried to step around one of the bigger rocks but his legs
were too small. Without warning he lost his balance. It was as if the world
was suddenly moving in slow motion. Carina screamed as Johnathan’s body
fell into the river.
“Call 911!” Tia shouted. Tia didn’t think; she just reacted. Out of pure
instinct, Tia moved across the rocks and dove into the water. Her body was
numb to the temperature, only focused on finding Johnathan. She could
hear Carina in the background but couldn’t make out any words. Jonathan
hadn’t resurfaced and Tia submerged under the dark and murky water.
Tia’s arms stretched out blindly for Johnathan pleading with the
universe to help find him. When she came up for air, Tia could see Carina
hunched over the water, tears in her eyes. People gathered around offering
to help Carina, while some pulled out their phones to record. Thoughts of
the night Bruce died flashed briefly in her mind. Tia couldn’t afford to give
up. Taking in another long inhale, Tia went back under knowing she
wouldn’t come out of this water until she had Jonathan in her arms.
The water was about 10 feet deep where Tia swam so she decided to
move further out to follow the current. Tia stopped counting how long she’d
been under, relying on the dire need to find Johnathan to keep her breath
held. Tia couldn’t see and the water stung her eyes. She decided to close
them and rely on faith and instinct to guide her to Johnathan. Her body felt
as if her insides were being compressed from a lack of air. Tia mentally
fought through the panic and swam lower, stretching her arms, when
suddenly her fingers enclosed around what she hoped to be Johnathan’s
arm. He didn’t resist as Tia pulled him close, his body pressed against her.
Tia worked hard to swim to the surface, pleading for Johnathan to be alive.
Tia gasped for air the moment her head reached the surface. Warm air
touched her wet face. Tia made sure Johnathan’s head was above water and
began swimming toward Carina’s screaming voice.
“Take him,” Tia said, coughing harshly. She held him up as someone
helped Carina pull Johnathan from out of her arms.
When Tia could finally see clearly, she looked up to find Piero’s hand
and took it. Tia’s body moved with determination to reach Carina who laid
out Johnathan beside her. She was checking his airway.
“I don’t think he’s breathing,” a random voice said in a horrified tone.
Tia dropped to her knees, immediately beginning CPR. She knew he
wasn’t breathing. She’d checked for a pulse right before Johnathan was
pulled out of the water and hadn’t felt a breath come out of him when she
purposely placed the palm of her hand over his mouth.
“Carina, two breaths after I finish a round of 15.” Tia guided her,
counting her compressions in her head.
Tia stopped and Carina moved into action, providing her son with
mouth-to-mouth airway breathing.
“Tilt his head back a bit more,” Tia guided Carina properly.
As soon as Carina finished with the second breath, Tia began CPR
again. She could hear sirens and knew that paramedics would be on scene
in the next minute. Tia twisted to see an ambulance pull into the park. It
was Medic Unit 72, a crew she knew well and trusted.
Tia stopped compressions again and allowed Carina to give two
breaths. Tia jumped back into action, looking across Johnath
an’s body to
Carina who was sobbing and running her fingers through her son’s hair. Tia
couldn’t let Carina lose Johnathan too. “He’s strong. We got this,” Tia
rasped out to Carina, needing her to keep her faith.
Carina nodded. Tia stopped just as the medic crew walked up, pulling
out a bag valve mask and an oxygen tank. They cranked it up high and
connected the tubes, placing it over Johnathan’s mouth and nose.
“Tia we should take—”
“No,” Tia shouted. “I can keep giving compressions. One of you work
on airway and set up an I.V.,” she ordered.
One of the crew pulled out an AED, and Carina sobbed looking from
each medic to Tia who stopped long enough for them to cut off Johnathan’s
clothes and dry him off. They placed small defibrillator pads over his chest
and covered him with a blanket. Tia looked up at Carina unsure if she
should let them work on Johnathan without her so she could comfort Carina
or continue helping.
Instinct drew Tia back into action right in time to continue
compressions. For every press into Johnathan’s chest Tia made, she pleaded
for him to wake up. She couldn’t lose him too. This time she was here and
could help.
Anger took hold of her as she stopped and stared down at Johnathan’s
unmoving body. Tia blinked out tears and when it was her turn again, she
began talking to Johnathan. “I love you. Wake up. Your mom and sisters
need you. I need you.”
The paramedic to her left patted her shoulder. “We’re checking for a
rhythm.”
Tia moved back far enough to keep a safe distance incase Johnathan’s
heart needed to be shocked. She focused only on Johnathan, not listening to
anything.
“He’s aspirating,” Tia said calmly, tilting his body to the side. Water
poured from his mouth and puddled on the ground beside him. Tia and
another medic straightened him and checked for a pulse. “He’s breathing,”
Tia said in sudden relief.
“Tia…” one of the medics whispered to her.
She nodded. “Go,” she said, slowly standing and moving out of their
way.
Carina moved to her side. “I want to go—”
“I’ll drive us to the hospital,” Tia encouraged. She knew there was a
chance for Johnathan to go into cardiac arrest while on the way to the
hospital. When it came to intense calls like this, medic crews preferred not
to have parents in the ambulance in case they freaked out. Carina watched
them place her son on a gurney and hesitated. Tia held Carina’s face. “Look
at me.”
“No,” Carina argued. “If I can’t go, then you go.”
Tia wanted to be with Carina but she knew Carina needed her to be
with Johnathan. If Tia could give her any comfort then she would.
“I’ll take her,” Piero said, motioning to Carina.
Carina watched her son be loaded into the ambulance and Tia could
see what she feared most at that moment. Neither of them got the chance to
say their goodbyes when Bruce was killed. That couldn’t be their fate again.
“I’ll see you soon,” Tia promised and moved toward the ambulance,
alerting them she’d sit up front.
They nodded and she hopped inside, looking through the rear-view
mirror as Carina watched them leave.
Chapter Twenty
Carina
Watching Tia leave with Johnathan was one of the hardest things
Carina had to do. So many thoughts ran through her mind. She tried not to
let fear cloud her and reminded herself to stay strong. Piero had guided her
to his car and before Carina could pay attention to her surroundings, they
were at the hospital.
Carina climbed out of the car and walked through the double glass
doors of the emergency room. It was the same one Bruce had taken his last
breath in. She noticed Tia standing in the waiting room pacing around.
Carina ran up to Tia, gripping her arm. She needed to know where her son
was. “Johnathan?” she asked, afraid of Tia’s response.
“He did well in the ambulance. Woke up. They’re still working on
him though,” Tia assured.
She looked exhausted and drained. Carina looked her over and
frowned. “You need to get out of these wet clothes,” Carina advised.
“I’m fine,” Tia said, shrugging off Carina’s concern.
Carina pulled Tia away from the doors where a doctor would step
through to bring them news. “Please, Tia. Don’t have me worry about you
too.”
Tia looked at Carina, finally acknowledging her words and nodded.
Without warning she began coughing heavily. After several long seconds,
Tia took a few slow, deep breaths and groaned. “Okay. I’m okay,” she said.
“I’ll get some scrubs from one of the nurses.”
Carina watched Tia walk up to the nurse’s station, getting let through
and guided to where she could change out of her wet clothes.
“Carina!” her mother’s voice rushed out, walking quickly toward
Carina as she sat down. Her father and sisters followed closely behind.
“Where’s Rina and Michelle?” Carina asked.
Sandra reached in for a hug. “With my husband. They’re okay. Just
worried about their brother.”
“What happened?” Carina’s father asked, needing to know the details.
Carina didn’t have the strength to tell them anything. All she could
think about was her son. Occasionally, she looked toward the door,
expecting a doctor to come out at any minute. The memories of the last time
she was here passed through her mind. Seeing the look on the doctor’s face
right before telling her that Bruce had died.
Carina hadn’t realized she was shaking until her mom wrapped her
arms around her in comfort. The argument from earlier seemed to no longer
matter. Accepting her mother’s support, Carina twisted, finally allowing
herself to breathe just a little. Only enough to see her through this.
Her head jerked up when Tia walked back toward her with a small
smile on her face. Everyone looked to Tia as if she had answers. In a ragged
sigh, Tia’s smile widened as her eyes lingered on Carina. “He’s okay. They
said he’s asking for you.” As if the world was finally becoming stable again
Carina collapsed into Tia’s arms, sobbing with relief. Tia held her tightly.
“He’s okay. They’re running a few tests and will be out soon,” she
whispered in Carina’s ear.
The family gathered around them and celebrated.
Carina and Tia finally chose to sit, eager to see Johnathan. Carina
rested her head against Tia’s shoulder. “Thank you,” she whispered for only
Tia to hear.
“I wasn’t going to quit. I would’ve kept swimming…” Tia’s words
fell silent.
Carina lifted her head and stared into Tia’s eyes. “I know.” Their lips
touched as a tear slid from Carina’s eye.
“Thank you for saving my grandson.” Carina’s father spoke. He stood
a few feet from them, looking at Tia with polite intent.
Tia nodded. “I love Johnathan and I’ll always be there for him and the
girls.”
“And my daughter, it seem
s,” he stated. His tone wasn’t rude but he
didn’t smile.
Carina was sure it’d take a while longer before her father either
learned to accept her relationship with Tia or stayed stuck in his ways.
A doctor came out into the room and everyone stood as he
approached. Soon Carina and Tia were headed into Johnathan’s room.
When they walked inside Johnathan’s eyes widened, happy to see them.
Carina moved around the bed quickly and hugged her son for the longest
time. She’d lost one person in this hospital and was thankful not to lose
another.
“Mom, you’re squeezing me too hard,” Johnathan complained.
“No such thing,” Carina said, cheerful. Happy tears fell.
Tia moved to the other end of the bed, giving Johnathan a long and
hard kiss on his forehead.
“Gross,” he whined through the oxygen mask placed around his face.
“You scared me to death,” Carina said. She knelt close to him,
looking him in the eye. “I never want you to fear being honest with me. I’ll
always love you know matter what you do.”
Johnathan nodded, eyes watering. “Love you, Mom!”
“Love you too!” she said softly.
They talked to Johnathan for some time until the family started to
visit one by one. It was late when everyone stopped coming and clearing
out for the evening. Johnathan was asleep in the bed.
Carina looked toward her son every time he stirred and smiled with
much relief.
Leaning back into the chair in Johnathan’s room, Tia wiped her eyes
as if fighting off sleep.
“Maybe you should—”
Tia didn’t let Carina finish her words. “I’m not leaving you or the
kids. Work and my apartment can wait.”
“Actually, I was going to say maybe you should stay home with the
girls tonight.” Carina smiled weakly. “They’re only allowing one person to
sleep here tonight and Johnathan can leave in the morning at the earliest.
Besides, I know Rina and Michelle are worried and want to be home. They
need you.”
Tia’s brows lifted. “Oh,” she said, surprised by the suggestion. “I
thought we were keeping sleepovers only for nights we were alone.”
“That was your suggestion, remember?” Carina pointed out.
Tia nodded. “I suppose you’re right.”
Endless as the Stars Page 18
