right at the base of my neck swelled slightly. I cleared my throat and adjusted in my seat, trying to calm my breathing down.
“Fact; five other members of the criminal organization referring to themselves as the Native Posse were also arrested by police. Charges of assault and battery, violating terms of probation and carrying concealed weapons.”
That gave me a shudder I couldn’t hide. What if the others had drawn guns? How many people could’ve been hurt? Killed? That could have gone very, very badly.
I kept my breathing slow and deep, trying to keep my heart from picking up speed again. That tingle stayed right where it was just out of sight. A trickle of sweat was beading up in my hairline as I tried to push it aside.
“Fact; paramedics arrived on scene at eleven forty seven according to their logs. Upon arrival off duty police officers Parise and Mackie were relieved of their duties for providing the victim CPR.”
It was so bizarre a feeling. Tangible yet erratic. It felt like I should be able to see something just at the periphery. Right out of sight. I stared straight ahead at Cathy and tried to appear focused on her.
I forced a chuckle. “I feel for those guys. Think I forgot to brush before work.”
Cathy smiled politely, though looked a little green as she continued. For the first time I caught her trying to avoid looking at me, specifically at where I had been shot. It was a subtle thing and one that she tried very hard to hide. Until just then I hadn’t considered how witnesses on the scene might have been traumatized by what they had seen. Or how upsetting it would be to people who knew me.
Shit.
Tamara.
The tingling sensation swelled fractionally.
Breathe. Deep breaths. Keep cool.
“Fact; paramedics were unable to ascertain a sustainable heartbeat. Blood loss was excessive. The victim was loaded into the ambulance within minutes and en route to St. Boniface Hospital.”
My breathing technique seemed to be working. As we sat there the tingle in the back of my head faded and eventually disappeared. It left behind a chill sensation that I could only compare to when your leg falls asleep.
“Fact; paramedics activated the portable Automatic Electronic Defibrillator when CPR was shown to be ineffective.”
“Guess I was in for a shock,” I muttered sourly.
Cathy stared at me. Clearly not appreciating my gallows humor.
She was really upset.
I felt like a dick.
“Sorry,” I muttered glancing away as my face flooded with shame. “I’m just trying … fuck it. I’m sorry.”
Cathy stayed quiet another moment longer, her dimples reappearing as the lips pursed again. “Fact; paramedics applied defibrillators. The equipment suffered a catastrophic malfunction.” I blinked at that, meeting her gaze once again. “Reports since the incident blamed the failure on faulty battery and equipment maintenance. The Fire and Paramedics Union has filed a grievance against the hospital for slander, providing regular logs of equipment maintenance. When interviewed the driver of the ambulance described the incident as the ‘craziest thing he’d ever seen in thirteen years on the job’. Reporting sparks burst out of panels and the entire ambulance stalled momentarily, nearly causing a crash.”
I stared at her. Still with pins and needles. My fingers clenched tighter.
Cathy’s eyes rarely wavered from my face. She was barely reading from her notes anymore, trying to glean my expression. Searching for something.
Images raced through my mind’s eye. Flashes of faces. Some remembered. Some unfamiliar. Pain. Light. The tingle behind my eyes wanted to swell up again. I clenched my jaw and gritted my teeth until it went away.
“Fact; doctors on scene rushed the victim into the prepared emergency room as one paramedic re-applied CPR, finding a faint pulse after the defibrillation attempt.” Cathy put