Behind The Church

XXXII

Kate

I opened the bedroom door to give Christina her food but was met with a sight of complete horror instead.

My fiancé was convulsing on the ground, vomit pooling under her head, trailing from her mouth as she shook violently. Her left wrist was bleeding and I drop the plate and shriek a blood-curdling scream that I'm sure people in the UK heard.

"Tina!" I screamed as I rushed to her side, grabbing her phone and calling 911.

"911, what is your emergency?" the dispatcher answered.

"My fiancé tried to kill herself!" I cried into the phone. Upon saying that, I heard Marley telling the kids to go out into the back yard.

"Okay, ma'am. What's your address?" she asked calmly, but I hear fast typing from the other end.

I have her the address and more typing was heard.

"You're fiancé is ChristinaJo, is that correct?"

"Yeah." I sob, trying to stop the bleeding on her wrist with my hand.

"And are you Kathryn?"

"Yeah." I answer.

Then I heard Esther's door, which was just across the hall from our room, open and Esther screamed when she saw the state Christina was in.

"And how did your fiance try to kill herself?"

"She's cut her left wrist open and I think she's overdosed on some medication because she's vomiting and convulsing." I explain.

"Is your fiance on her side? We don't want her to asphyxiate on her vomit."

"Yeah, she was on her side when I found her."

"Okay, paramedics are just a minute out. How are you holding up?"

"Not good." My body is shaking and I am crying profusely while Esther lies by the door, crying too.

"What're you doing right now, Kathryn?"

"I'm holding her wrist to stop the bleeding." I cry.

"Okay, you understand that you can't move until the paramedics arrive, right?"

"Yeah." I nod.

"Where are you in the house?"

"The bedroom in the left hallway with the double doors."

"Okay, paramedics should be there any second. Just breathe for me, okay?"

"Okay." I start breathing deep breaths as I hear the sirens approaching. Adrianna must've heard the commotion and came upstairs because I heard her shriek at the sight of the three of us. Christina still shaking on the ground and vomiting, her wrist trying to bleed through my hand, me, holding her wrist in my left and using my right hand to hold the phone up to my ear and Esther, crying and screaming on the ground outside our bedroom door.

"Oh, god. Is that the paramedics?" Adrianna asked. I nod weakly, still trying to breathe normally. She left to go let them in and probably lead them to us.

Two people, a man and a woman, rushed through the door, being careful not to step on Esther and came straight to Christina's aid. They told me to let go of her wrist so they could help her, but I refused.

"No, she'll bleed out!" I cry.

"Ma'am, we will take great care of your fiancé, but for now, you need to let go." the man tried.

"No! I can't leave her." I screamed in his face.

"Kathryn, is it? How are we supposed to help Christina if you won't give us the space to work?" the female said.

"I don't know!" I shrug pathetically.

"Kate, give them space." Adrianna told me. She had her hands on my shoulders and was comforting me. I nod and they prepared themselves to catch the bleeding. I let go and the man replace my hand with gauze, tighing it tightly around her wrist and then attaching a tourniquette around her upper arm.

I stood as the lady injected something into her right arm and Christina stopped convulsing. I sigh in relief as Adrianna guides me out of the room and to the kitchen sink where I could wash the blood from my hand.

"Where's Esther?" I breathe.

"Out the back with everyone else. Marley is taking good care of everyone."

"Okay." I nod, taking shaky breaths as I wash my hands.

"Is there anyone you want to call?" Adrianna asked.

"But the pandemic-"

"Fuck the pandemic. You matter the most right now. Who do you need?"

"Christina." I start to cry again.

"Okay, we'll get you to the hospital then. We'll wait for her there. Okay? How about your Mammy? Should we give her a call?"

I nod weakly and bury my face in her shoulder. She holds me tight and assures me that Christina will be okay.

"Unfortunately, no one can come in the rig with us, you'll have to meet us at the hospital." The female paramedic informed us as she and her colleague carried Christina out on a stretcher. Ready to load her into the ambulance once they make it down the stairs. Before I knew it, they were gone.

"She's gonna be okay. She'll pull through." Adrianna said, I think she was trying to convince herself too.

It was then that I realised that I was clutching Christina's phone in my right hand still, the call still connected to the dispatcher. My shaky had brings the phone up to my ear and I take an even shakier breath.

"Hello?" I said.

"Hi, Kathryn. Have the paramedics taken Chrsitina?"

"Y-yeah."

"Okay. How are you feeling?"

"Scared. I-I'm so s-scared." I stutter.

"I know. It's not an easy thing to deal with. But you did the right thing. You applied pressure on the wound and called for help. There was nothing more you could've done."

"I d-didn't even know th-that she w-was feeling like that."

"Oh, honey. I'm so sorry."

"It's n-not your fault."

"I know. This is my second call for Christina. Her little sister called about an incident with their dad a few years ago."

"I r-remember that day." I nod, biting the nails on my free hand.

"But Christina lived. And I'm sure she'll pull through again. Okay? Just have faith in her."

"O-okay. I'm gonna hang up now."

"Okay. Keep calm, for Christina. She'll be fine."

"I will. Bye. And thank you."

"It's no problem. Bye, Kathryn."

And with that I hung up the phone.