Eska ~ The Forgotten Gilbert

19. Anaphylaxis

Stefan's POV

"Damon, do something!" I had undone my seatbelt and was half-crouching next to Eska, one hand under her chin, tipping her head back. Her eyes were wide with fear and panic. 

Damon took a turn sharply, and I braced myself not to slip in the footwell. "We're going to the hospital." My brother's voice was grim. 

I looked back at Eska, who's eyes were now rolling into the back of her head. Her lips were unnaturally blue, standing out against her skin, paler than ever. I pressed my fingers to her neck, feeling for the pulse that I suddenly couldn't hear. There was nothing there, and I felt my stomach flip. 

"Fuck, Damon -  her heart has stopped!" 

I heard Damon swear profusely under his breath before he shouted back to me. "Stef, do you know how to do CPR?" 

"Er..."

"Sit on the back seat and lie her across your legs so that her chest is over your knees."

I heard Elena start to sob as I immediately followed Damon's instructions, positioning an unconscious, eerily still Eska over my lap.

"Okay?" I waited for Damon's instructions.

"Right, put your hands on top of each other in the centre of her chest, over her breast bone. I need you to press down at least 2 inches 30 times. Count out loud so that I can tell if they're fast enough."

I couldn't help my shaking hands as I did as he bid, feeling through the thin fabric of Eska's shirt and locating her breast bone easily enough. I laced my fingers together and hesitantly pressed down. 

"You need to press harder, Stefan," Damon was checking in the rear view mirror. "Count out loud."

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5," I pressed down hard, trying to keep my vampire strength in check as my panic started to rise. "6, 7, 8, 9, 10," I was momentarily thankful for the strength, however, when I realised that there wasn't space in the back of the car for me to lock my elbows to help with the depth. "11, 12, 13, 14, 15,  - Damon, what the hell is wrong with her? 16, 17, 18, 19, 20,"

"No idea," Damon answered. "Bit faster, Stefan."

I obliged. "21, 22, 23, 24, 25."

Elena was crying loudly in the front seat. 

"26, 27, 28, 29, 30. What now?"

"Tip her head back, pinch her nose and breathe into her mouth. She needs oxygen."

I heard Elena squeak. "Is that... necessary?" 

"For fuck's sake, Elena!" Damon snapped, "Just do it Stefan, twice! Check that her chest moves when you blow." 

I looked down at Eska's ashen face and shifted her body a little so that I could easily reach her face. I brushed the hair from her face and put a hand on her forehead and another under her chin to tip her head back. Pinching her nose, I bent down and breathed forcefully into her mouth twice, watching as her chest rose and fall with the air I gave her. 

"Any pulse?" 

He already knew the answer. Neither of us could hear anything.

"Do compressions again, Stefan," he instructed, as he turned into the hospital car park. 

As I continued trying to revive Eska, Damon parked up as close to the front entrance of the hospital as possible, before throwing the keys to Elena, running to the back door of the car and pulling Eska from my arms. I followed him as he carried Eska, limp and lifeless, into the hospital, shouting for a gurney.