Page 58 of Reset

Straightening his arms, he knelt up over her and, hands together, started a series of rapid pushes against her chest. Too much pressure and he’d crack her ribs, or worse, break one and puncture a lung. Too little pressure and it wouldn’t get her heart started.

Drips from his forehead landed on his hands. “Come on, come on,” he muttered as he fought to save her. “You’re young, you’re healthy, your bones shouldn’t break…” But all he could think of was her fragile ribs under his meaty hands.

He moved to her mouth, pushing air deep into her lungs. Now it was two breaths and thirty compressions per cycle.

“Focus, Ryan,” he said before sucking in a deep breath.

Fitting his mouth over hers while he held her nose closed, he pushed air into her. And then he repeated the process before quickly returning to chest compressions.

“Sarah,” he barked at her in a good impression of Callum, “don’t you fucking die on me.”

His head was pounding, and his limbs were heavy and awkward. Only adrenaline kept him going. Without it, he’d have been out cold beside her.

As he pushed at her heart, he strained for any sign she was breathing on her own.

There was nothing.

Yet.

He shifted back up to her face to breathe for her. Two more deep breaths pushed into her lungs. His life inside of her. No response. He returned to her chest and started compressions all over again.

“Please, Stats, you gotta breathe. I need you with me.” He pushed as hard as he dared, knowing that keeping her heart going was more important than giving her air.

Each tiny movement he made brought a round of protest from his muscles. Ryan knew he was fast approaching his limit, but he couldn’t give up. Not until the decision was taken from him and his body collapsed beside her.

All his training. All his experience. It was all for this one moment. For this one task—saving this woman. His woman. He felt it. Deep inside, where his emotions remembered even though his brain couldn’t. He felt for her.

“Please, baby, please,” he begged as he returned to her mouth. “Please breathe. Please come back to me.”

Yet again, he filled his lungs to bursting before pouring as much of it as he was able into Sarah. One breath. He took another deep breath, only to let it out in a rush of air when she made a gurgling sound. He felt her body move and almost passed out with relief.

But they weren’t out of the woods yet.

“You’ve got this, baby. You can do this.”

Quickly, Ryan rolled her to her side, holding her steady as she coughed up murky water from the pool. It was the most amazing sound he’d ever heard.

“It’s okay, Stats,” he whispered to her. “Everything is going to be okay.”

Her weak body spasmed violently as she convulsed with each brutal cough. It wasn’t long before the coughing turned into vomiting. And all Ryan could do was hold her, stroking her hair away from her face, as she retched and writhed in pain.

An eternity passed before she stopped, slumping into his arms. He heard her swallow and try to clear her throat. She needed a drink, but all of their clean water was in the bag at the bottom of the pool.

“I’ll get it for you as soon as I can,” he promised. He’d have gone back in right then, if he hadn’t been aware that his body was slowly shutting down on him.

Sarah sniffed and burrowed into him. Her movements dull and weak. She groaned softly, and he stroked her back.

“I’ve got you. You’re okay now.” He rolled the two of them away from whatever mess she’d made.

Lying on the cold, hard stone, he tucked her tight into his side, her head on his chest, her arm over his stomach. It still didn’t feel close enough. One hand on her back, he measured her breathing, reassuring himself that it was steady. Keeping track of any breaks in the rhythm.

His other hand caressed her throat until he found the spot where her pulse beat strongly against his fingertips. She cleared her throat again as she lay limp against him.

“Good, this is good. You’re doing great, Stats. I’m so proud of you,” he cooed to her.

There was no indication she’d even heard him. The stress and exhaustion of her experience had won, and she was out cold. Good. She needed to rest.

Slowly, Ryan’s own heartbeat began to slow. They were soaked, chilled from the water and the cool air, but he could hold her close, and together they’d stay warm.