Chapter 19

Chapter 19
Joshua's body continued to convulse with more violent jerks, causing Joslyn to jump right into action, her initial shock morphing into a sense of urgency. “Doctor!” She yelled, bursting into the hallway and looking around frantically for help. “Somebody, please help me!”

Within moments, the medical team rushed into the room. Two nurses accompanied the doctor in charge of taking care of Joshua and together, they promptly began the medical procedures to stabilize him.

"We need a crash cart over here!" The doctor called out, his voice urgent as they worked to save Joshua's life.

Amidst the chaos, one of the nurses glanced at the monitor, her expression tense with concern. "He's in V-fib, Doc!" She exclaimed, her voice barely audible over the din of the medical equipment.

The doctor wasted no time, barking orders to the team. "Charge to 200!" He commanded, his voice cutting through the tension in the room.

As the defibrillator whirred to life, Joslyn watched in absolute horror, her heart pounding in her chest. The doctor's commands filled the air, "Clear!" The room seemed to hold its breath as the doctor delivered the shock.

"Charge to 300!" The doctor yelled, his voice urgent as they fought to save Joshua's life.

Joslyn's eyes remained fixed on the scene unfolding before her, her hands trembling with fear and anxiety. Despite the doctor's orders for her to leave the room, she couldn't tear herself away. She stood there, rooted to the spot, unable to look away as her brother's life hung in the balance.

Her breath caught in her throat as she watched the monitor, the beeping growing slower and slower until it finally stopped altogether.

The flatline on the screen of the monitor blared out in a continuous, piercing ‘Beep’, signalling the end, and Joslyn felt her own heart shatter into a million pieces.

The doctor's voice sounded very distant as he instructed one of the nurses to take her out of the room, but Joslyn refused. She remained there, her gaze locked on her brother's still form, as the reality of his loss washed over her. In that moment, she felt as though a part of her had died along with him.

❀ ❀ ❀

As the elevator carried Joslyn to her floor, she felt a profound hollowness in her chest, a weight that seemed to drag her down into the depths of despair. She barely registered the greeting from the receptionist, Eunice, her mind consumed by the overwhelming sense of emptiness.

Even though Joshua had been resuscitated after three long minutes that'd seemed to stretch for an eternity, there was still no relief, no sense of gratitude that her twin brother was still alive and hadn't left her. Instead, Joslyn was trapped in a state of shock, her mind unable to process the traumatic events that had unfolded before her a few hours ago.

The doctor's words after they had saved Joshua echoed in her mind, a constant reminder of the fragility of life. "Joshua experienced a serious cardiac event called ventricular fibrillation, which caused his heart to stop. We performed immediate CPR and used a defibrillator to restore his heart rhythm. Thankfully, we were able to resuscitate him after approximately three minutes. He's currently stable, but we'll continue to monitor his condition closely. It's crucial to understand that this indeed was a life-threatening situation, but we acted swiftly to provide the best possible care."

Despite the reassurance from the doctor, Joslyn couldn't shake the feeling of dread that lingered within her. She was still too shaken up by the whole incident to feel anything—not sadness, or relief, not even thankfulness that her brother was still with her.

She'd been so worried that she spent the whole day at the hospital, neither remembering to get some food for herself nor remembering to do a check-up on her hurting toe. Joslyn had stayed for so long, not paying attention to the time as she sat like a statue beside Josh, watching over him like a hawk until a nurse, an older woman she was very familiar with had approached her, informing her that visiting hours had long since been over and it was already really late so she'd arranged for an Uber to take her home.

And although Joslyn had protested, wanting to spend the night with her brother for fear of that attack happening again, the nurse was insistent that Joshua was safe and in good hands. She’d also pacified Joslyn by saying she could return to the hospital as early as she wanted tomorrow and she would be allowed to see him. Without further argument, Joslyn had complied.

As the elevator doors parted when they reached her floor, Joslyn stepped out, her movements listless and devoid of purpose. Her eyes stared ahead, however, they saw nothing as she made her way slowly to her apartment. The weight of the day's unexpected series of incidents pressed down on Joslyn’s shoulders, almost suffocating her with their heaviness.

Rummaging through her purse, Joslyn's heart sank as she realized her keys were nowhere to be found. It was the final straw, the tipping point that sent her cascading into despair. Tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision as the reality of Josh's near-death experience crashed over her like a tidal wave.

Anger simmered beneath the surface, directed at her absent father for failing to be there when she needed him most. Pain radiated from her throbbing foot, a constant reminder of her own physical and emotional wounds. And now, the frustration of being locked out of her own home added fuel to the fire, pushing Joslyn to the brink of breakdown.

With a cry of frustration, Joslyn kicked at the front door, the impact jolting through her injured foot and sending waves of agony shooting up her leg. She immediately regretted her impulsive action, the pain intensifying her sobs as she collapsed to the ground.

Resting her back against the front door, Joslyn finally allowed the tears she had been holding back to flow freely, the weight of her emotions pressing down on her like a stifling blanket.

Joslyn was totally lost in her own world of pain and despair, uncaring of the judgmental gazes of any passer-by that may have fallen upon her as she sat on the floor, there in the corridor, the scattered contents of her bag surrounding her. The sound of a door opening barely registered in her consciousness, nor did the sharp intake of air or the approaching footsteps.

Suddenly, she felt a warm embrace enveloping her, pulling her into its comforting embrace. The scent of musk and sandalwood filled her senses, a familiar and soothing aroma that she couldn't place at first. But as she burrowed deeper into the embrace, seeking solace from the storm raging inside her, Joslyn realized who it was.

It was Gabriel, the one person she didn't expect to see. His strong arms held her close, offering a sense of security and comfort that she desperately needed in that moment. Despite her initial surprise, Joslyn didn't pull away. Instead, she allowed herself to be held, to be comforted by the warmth of his embrace.

Gabriel's voice was a soothing murmur in Joslyn's ear, a gentle reassurance that she wasn't alone in her pain. "It's okay, I'm here," he whispered, his words a balm to her wounded soul. He continued to hold her close, offering his silent support as she cried, her tears soaking his shirt as they fell freely from her eyes.

Without hesitation, Gabriel lowered himself to the ground beside her, making himself further comfortable. All that really mattered to him in this very moment was being there for Joslyn, and offering her the comfort and solace she so desperately needed.

As she cried her heart out, the weight of her emotions pouring out like a flood, Joslyn found a sense of solace in Gabriel's presence. In that moment of vulnerability, she felt a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness, a reminder that she wasn't so alone in her pain as she had thought.