2 SAVIORS

"The other victim was unconscious!"

One of the onlookers announced as their feet touched the coastline.

With haste, they carried the motionless woman to safety.

"Haa! Haa!"

Meanwhile, the woman in the red swimsuit was on all fours on the shore as she struggled to catch her breath.

Raigon watched her closely, though he is a few feet away.

"You fought well, milady."

He whispered as he gazed at her in a thoughtful manner, empathizing with her as he had undergone the same battle himself.

As if she heard him, she lifted her head and looked at him. Their eyes locked for a few seconds.

'Those eyes -'

Raigon scrunched his forehead. He felt he had seen them in his early years.

'Those oceanic blue eyes…'

Unlike before, which he remembered as innocent and carefree, these were more jaded and full of misery.

'Is she the same woman? Or is he somewhat hoping she was, so he could see her again?'

Raigon contemplated as he reminisced his adolescent years.

Completely ignoring him, she snapped away and assessed the patient who was still motionless.

"Ma'am, can you hear me?"

She checked her pulse and breathing for ten seconds as a crowd of people gathered to witness what was happening. There was no response.

Shaking his head and focusing on the issue, Raigon erased the thought of being able to meet her in the past.

"This is a life and death intervention. I must concentrate."

As she kneeled next to the comatose victim's neck and shoulders, she placed the heel of her hand on the center of the woman's chest at full tilt.

She then pumped it with every bit of her strength.

"What is she doing?" Raigon muttered.

That procedure was unfamiliar to him.

Or possibly because he has not seen enough rescue operations at all.

"She is very knowledgeable." Raigon talked under his breath as he stared at her, trying to revive the victim.

Drops of sweat fell from her petite face, her hair disheveled and sand clothed her body. She's oblivious to everything.

Reviving the casualty was her focus as she pumped the chest of the victim with great vigor without even looking at anyone or asking for help.

"What the..."

What happened next blew Raigon out of his mind. The woman placed her lips on the victim's mouth and kissed her.

Raigon couldn't believe it.

She went back to pumping her chest and then kissed her again.

'Is this unconscious woman her lover? Is this the reason she faced the wrath of the ocean just to save her?'

His shoulders dropped as he observed her actions which she repeated over and over again.

It was not a common medical practice in their land so he thought she was just showing her affection for her. 

Raigon stared at her, then the senseless woman, and last to every spectator who was watching the rescue procedure.

Everyone who saw the case cramped on them, holding their breaths to know how the event might turn out.

'Well I guess she is not single then.' 

He inhaled a lungful of air in satisfaction, not wanting to get involved with a woman that is different from them. 

But deep inside, a flicker of thought crossed his mind wondering if it could be possible somehow.

Raigon focused instead on thinking of a way on how to revive the woman when the woman suddenly called him out.

"Hey, lifeguard!" She gave him a side glance and kept on pumping the chest of the victim.

"A-are you just talking to me?" Raigon stuttered as his wide eyes gazed on the crowd who was now staring at him.

'My disguise is ruined!' He wanted to run right then and there.

"Yes. Can you check her pulse and breathing, please?" She asked him in a serious manner as she continued on with what she was doing.

Her request deviated him from his anxiety of being discovered as he answered. 

"But I don't know how."

The woman paused as she gave a long glance at him. "Seriously? Is it your first job? Come here."

She demonstrated to him how to monitor the pulse and breathing in less than a minute. Then she continued on pumping her chest. 

After a few breathless minutes, she suddenly spitted out.

"Gack! Ack!"

The woman vomited the water that suffocated her.

After a while, the motionless victim sat up as she recovered her consciousness.

The woman patted her back as support to her.

"Aahh!"

The crowd breathed out a sigh of relief.

Raigon took a deep breath as he crossed his arms behind his head. 

In the end, the paramedic team engaged in and placed the woman on a stretcher.

She called one of the paramedic officers and talked to him.

"Patient is a near-drowning female in her mid-30s. She fully regained her consciousness after immediate continuous cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Pulse is now at 85 and respiratory rate 18." She rattled on.

"Please give her 100% oxygen and check her pulse oximetry and blood gas analysis to prevent hypoxemia and acidosis."

The paramedic was about to butt in when she continued on.

"My ID's not here, but I'm a legitimate doctor. Do as I say if you don't want her to die in your hands."

She warned as she pointed her finger at him with wide eyes.

Raigon didn't know if the paramedic officer nodded in agreement because of her knowledge in medical terms.

Or in fear that she might eat him alive if he would not execute what she said.

She nodded back to him.

"Now I understand. She's only a doctor fulfilling her job. I'm relieved."

He crossed his arms again. But this time, his lips were curved up as he gazed at her with a twinkle in his eye.

Before the paramedic team moved the victim to the ambulance, the victim grabbed the Doctor's hand.

"T-thank you, ma'am, for saving m-my life."

She uttered in gratitude.

The doctor placed both of her palms on hers and squeezed them.

"No, you hold on to your life and survive. Don't let anyone take it away from you again."

She responded, giving her a reassuring smile.

Tears of joy welled up in the woman's eyes as they carried her out.

The crowd clapped their hands in admiration of the doctor and the lifeguard who risked their lives to rescue strangers from their deaths.