Take My Breath Away

Debbie gloated, "Of course. Now you know how powerful Kasie's backup is. You'd better treasure her."

When the lights turned red and the car stopped, Emmett turned back to look at Carlos and Debbie. "You're such a heartless couple," he complained. "I should tell Kasie to stay away from you two."

"Kasie always puts her friends first. Even though you are her boyfriend, she still loves me the most," Debbie retorted.

As the lights turned green again, Emmett looked straight ahead and concerned himself more with driving. "Mr. Huo, see how Mrs. Huo wants to bully me around?" he grumbled.

Stealing an affectionate look at Debbie, Carlos wanted to lean closer and give her a peck on the cheek.

But just then, a sharp blaring horn interrupted him. Instinctively, Debbie snuggled close and grabbed at him, her hands shaking like aspen leaves. Ahead, she could see the oncoming 24-wheeler truck. The truck driver had overtaken from the wrong side of the road and was hurtling like a maniac, dead in their lane.

Reacting to the looming danger, Emmett swirled the wheel to the right. "Mr. and Mrs. Huo, a truck running the red light! Be careful!" he shouted in a panicked voice.

Meanwhile, Carlos turned and pushed Debbie down in the back seat. He held her tight in his arms as he shielded her with his body.

It all happened so fast. The next thing they heard was a deafening noise, and an impact that left Debbie with harrowing pain in the limbs.

The anguished groans of Emmett and Carlos alarmed her all the more. Although Carlos was shaken to the core, he said something, trying to assure her. "Honey... I love you..." he mumbled.

But soon, her head went blank. For a moment, she was as deaf as a doorknob.

Outside, it was total mayhem. As onlookers screamed and cursed in distress, more cars knocked and piled up, brakes squeaking and horns blaring.

In the car, Carlos, as if in a spasm, squeezed her so tight that he almost suffocated her. "Honey..." She tried to make a sound.

But something sticky fell on her face.

Trying her best to summon some strength, she stammered something, but all that came out was feeble inarticulate mumbling. Responding, Carlos sounded so weak by now, even though he still held her tightly.

Debbie tried to move, but her body wouldn't budge.

"Ambulance...the police..." Carlos said, his voice on and off over her head.

'Right, call the ambulance, ' she remembered. But she could barely move. She tried to reach her bag to get her phone.

At this point, a lot of people were milling around the car. "Somebody is in the c

om's and her sister's anxious-looking faces, Gail had a grudging expression. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that she must have been dragged to the hospital against her will.

Lucinda had been crying. Seeing Debbie come around, she wiped her puffy eyes like greased lightning and said with great relief, "Debbie, it's good that you're awake." Then she turned to Gail and ordered, "Quickly, go get the doctor!"

While Gail moved slowly to the bedside and pressed the nurse-call button, Sasha walked to the other side of the bed, her eyes also red and puffy. Debbie realized all of them must have been crying. "Debbie, how are you? How did this happen?"

Sasha asked between sobs.

Debbie raised her hand to stroke her belly. "Are they all right?" she asked, deeply worried.

The smile on Lucinda's face froze. "The baby is fine..." she hesitated. "Mr. Huo... he... he is still in the emergency room."

"It's been so long. Why is he still in the emergency room?"

Debbie tried to sit up. Just then, two doctors walked in.

They stopped her immediately when they saw what she was doing. "Mrs. Huo, your placenta isn't steady. You can't move around."

"Carlos! I must go see Carlos!" She demanded, her anxiety growing by the minute.

"Listen Debbie. Don't go yet. Mr. Huo is in the emergency room. You could only stay outside the room even if you went there. Why don't you have a rest? As soon as he is out of the surgery, I'll take you to see him, all right?"

Shaking her head, Debbie protested, "No, I must see him. By any means, I have to know how he is, Auntie. He got hurt while trying to save me. Please, take me to him. Let me wait for him to wake up..." Her sobs drowned out her words.