Taryn fell forward onto her elbows, and Shaw didn’t hesitate. His body seemed to know what to do before his brain caught up. He ducked under the rope line and took off at full speed, dodging princesses and superheroes and all manner of characters as he made his way to her. His blood rushed in his ears, and he scanned the landscape for a medic.
He didn’t see any obvious help before reaching her. When he got to the edge of the pond, he dropped to his knees. “Jamez, Jamez.”
She didn’t respond at first.
“Taryn.”
She looked his way, panic pinching her features.
“Tell me what’s wrong. Are you hurt?” he demanded.
She squeezed her eyes shut and clutched the neck of her T-shirt. “Chest. Hurts. Can’t breathe.”
Shit. “Okay, I’ve got you. Stay calm for me. I’m going to get you up. We’ll get you help.” His voice came out calmer than he was feeling as he took her arm and helped her to her feet, but his mind was already laying out a plan. He’d seen the ambulance parked near the start/finish line. He just needed to get her there. He tried to help her step out of the pond, but she faltered. Before he could think too hard about it, he bent and lifted her off her feet, dirty water dripping off her legs and shorts.
Her eyes went round, but she didn’t have the breath to protest.
“I’m going to get you to the medics. Just try to slow your breathing. You’re probably hyperventilating or having an asthma attack or something,” he said as he jogged toward the sideline and out of the way of the runners, carrying Taryn and trying not to jostle her more than necessary. He wanted it to just be hyperventilation. Real chest pains were far scarier to contemplate. But either way, time was of the essence.
“My friends,” Taryn gasped.
“I’ll find them for you later,” he said between breaths as he ran.
If people noticed Iceman from Top Gun carrying a woman to the finish line, no one came to help. Maybe they just thought it was part of the event. He reached the ambulance, panting and sweating.
A man and woman in EMT outfits were leaning against the ambulance, chatting, but as soon as they saw Shaw, they both hopped into action.
“What’s wrong?” the woman asked, rushing forward.
“She collapsed on the course. Chest pains. Trouble breathing,” Shaw said.
The woman nodded, no nonsense. “Let’s get her inside.”
Shaw followed her to the back of the ambulance, climbed in, and set Taryn down on the stretcher inside the vehicle. Both the EMTs went to work immediately, and Shaw stepped back, giving them space. Taryn’s eyes met his, fear there, but then they put an oxygen mask over her mouth and ordered her to lie down.
The male EMT spoke into the walkie-talkie on his shoulder and then looked at Shaw. “We’re going to take her to Austin Memorial. Follow us there.”
Shaw tensed. “But I…” Don’t know her. Need to find her friend. Have no business following. All the words were right there on his tongue, but instead, he found himself nodding. “Okay.”
He hopped out the back of the ambulance and pulled his phone from his pocket. He had three missed calls from Rivers, who answered on the second ring. “Where are you? I saw what happened but lost you in the crowd. Is she okay?”
“They’re taking her to Austin Memorial. I’m going to follow,” Shaw said. “Find her friend and send her that way. I don’t want Taryn to be by herself.”
“Yeah, absolutely. Go. I’ll find the unicorn,” Rivers said, going instantly into mission mode.
“Thanks.”
Shaw ran to his SUV and caught up to the ambulance as it was leaving the park. The red lights flashed in his vision, and sweat dripped down his back. He didn’t know this woman, but he found himself sending up pleas to the universe for her to be okay.
Forty-five minutes later, Shaw was sitting with his hands clasped between his knees in a blue-tinted waiting room with a noisy vending machine. A nurse stopped in front of him, his white shoes interrupting Shaw’s view of the gray floor. “Lucas Shaw.”
Shaw looked up.
The middle-aged man gave Shaw a kind half smile, dutifully ignoring Shaw’s ridiculous costume. “You can come in and see your friend. She’s doing okay now.”
Shaw stiffened. He’d been hoping Taryn’s friend would be here by now, but Rivers had texted that they’d gotten stuck in traffic. Shaw cleared his throat. “Um, okay.”
He followed the nurse down the hallway and into a small room near the back corner of the building. Taryn was inside, awake, her bandanna gone and her fingers clasped in her lap on top of the blue hospital blanket. When she looked up and Shaw stepped inside, surprise crossed her face.