Chapter 141: 139 Heartbreaker

This was the fastest Donovan had run in recent memory, the adrenaline and panic pushing him to his limit. He misjudged the distance of his slide because of it, bumping into Titanyana a little bit forcefully as he began his check up on her. His left hand moved to her wrist, limp on the ground, as he rolled her over onto her back.

No pulse.

That wasn't enough to be certain her heart wasn't beating though. She was small, her heart being similarly small, so it was entirely possible it was just beating weakly. Doing his best to unbutton her shirt with one hand, he moved the hand on her wrist to the jugular.

No pulse.

His worst suspicions confirmed, he moved his hand in front of her mouth before retreating. Titanyana was experiencing cardiac arrest, and her chest wasn't moving. It was safe to say she wasn't breathing.

"Fuck it. I'll apologize later." Donovan ripped opened the rest of her shirt, buttons flying free. Time was of the essence, he couldn't worry about the damage to her clothes, he just needed to make sure that those buttons wouldn't press into her while he performed CPR. She was delicate, and they could cause damage to her ribs if he pushed a little too hard.

Giving a quick pat down to ensure that there was nothing else that could damage her, Donovan placed his hands one over the other on her chest. Quick and firm, but gentle enough to keep her ribs from cracking, he began to compress her chest to pump blood. 

"Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit."

Between every two compressions he would curse to himself. Not only had it been some time since he last practiced CPR, but he didn't know anything about Nekh biology. Was Titanyana's resting heart rate the same as a Terran's? She was smaller, so maybe it was faster? Smaller animals had faster heart beats right?

Twenty compressions, Donovan judged that he needed to be especially careful with her, two breaths per twenty instead of thirty. Pinching her nose and elevating the head to make sure her throat was clear of saliva, he put his lips to hers and pushed air in. One more inhale, one more exhale.

Back to compressions. By this point, the enforcer who was standing in the ring was headed this way to see what was happening. Donovan didn't have the time to care about that though.

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck."

Twenty compressions, back to her lips. Exhale, inhale, exhale. Hands on chest, press press press press press press press. .  .

Donovan's only thoughts were about how best to save her life. She wasn't breathing, she wasn't beating, but she wasn't cold. There was still a chance.

"Come on come on come on come on come on come on."

Twenty compressions, by his count it had been thirty-five seconds since he started. Exhale, inhale, exhale. Hands on chest, press press press press press press press press. . . 

By this point Donovan felt the silent stares of the crowd on him, his sweat felt particularly cold.

"What's going on here?"

"FUCK OFF!" If he couldn't tell in an instant what Donovan was doing then he wasn't any help.

Twenty compressions, exhale, inhale, exhale. Hands on chest, press press press press press press press. . . 

Vines began to grow out of the ground, inserting themselves into both Donovoan and Titanyana.

Keep going, I will fix the root of the issue.

Donovan didn't even recognize that the Great Csillacra had spoken to him, he only cared about saving her life.

Twenty compressions, exhale, inhale, exhale. Hands on chest, press press press press press press press. . .

- - - - -

'How is it?'

The Arboreal Maiden asked her friend what the situation was from her position in the Marshall's box. She had no doubt that the Great Csillacra could prevent Titanyana's death, but the extent to which she would be damaged afterwards was something else entirely.

Not great, but it could be worse. Thanks to the boy's quick actions she should avoid falling into a comatose state from oxygen deprivation, but it is going to take some time and effort to bring her back to a conscious state.

The arena was deathly silent, even those who were about to fight stopped cold in their tracks. Even now, Titanyana was the life of the audience, and her sudden collapse brought great concern.

'Dare I ask what the cause was?'

You already know what precipitated this. 

'Just say it.'

She suffers from an adrenaline induced cardiac arrest. The Velar she sparred released a toxin which drastically increased the adrenaline released into the blood. Her body was still producing that adrenaline after being transported outside for a period of time. I believe the sudden shift from her relaxed pre-battle heart rate to an adrenaline induced craze only made the stress that much worse.

It was the one thing the Arboreal Maiden had told her scions not to use, blood toxins. They were, despite their appearances, not of human design. Their blood carried a great many chemicals and toxins that could be weaponized by way of split, and there were techniques to aerosolize only specific toxins.

Once Titanyana cut Nemo, she began to release a certain toxin that increased adrenaline production in any non-Velar, one of the few 'Heartbreaker' toxins, which was lethal but not immediately so. The problem was that these toxins affected the blood, heart, and sometimes bone marrow.

The Great Csillacra's ability to prevent death in those rings was incredible, but it did not extend to the realm of toxins and their effects. Poisoned weapons were illegal for that very reason.

'How long will it take for her to regain consciousness?'

If she was going to be back shortly, then this delay could continue, but she would really like to finish this tournament earlier if she was going to be there for a while.

If I have the boy's help to provide oxygen and pump blood from the outside, I can probably fix her up in an hour. My ability to operate on the human body is severely hampered this far from my core.

The Great Csillacra was limited. Being inside of a veil was bad enough, but the primary entrance was far away, relatively speaking at least, and it could not be moved if the rest of the people who came here were to exit from where they came.

'Should I take turns with him? I also know about CPR?'

I would advise against it. The boy can endure, and I have reassured him that she will be okay. I will make contact with you if you are needed, but for now stay away.

That hurt a little. This was, ultimately, the mistake of her people. She had an obligation to help clean up this mess.

I would like you to have someone make a perimeter around them though. I don't want anybody getting curious and messing the boy up.

The Arboreal Maiden sent a thought of affirmation before letting go of the vine and stepping forward. "Marshall!"

"Y-yes my Lady!" Much the same as the crowd, the Marshall was engrossed with what Donovan was doing.

"Have your enforcers form a perimeter around that boy, he is vital in ensuring that woman stays alive. He is not to be approached, nor is he to be disturbed. I pray I am understood?"

"Yes!" He saluted this time, having very clear and very easy order to follow this time. Fire in his eyes, he beckoned his aide onward. "Come! I will oversee this myself!"

As the Arboreal Maiden watched her subordinate bolt down the stairs, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of guilt. She couldn't help because of her status, and her own kind had been to blame for it.

- - - - -

Twenty compressions, exhale, inhale, exhale. Hands on chest, press press press press press press. . . 

After the seventh or eighth repetition, he didn't need to think about it.

Twenty compressions, exhale, inhale, exhale. Hands on chest, press press press press press press. . . 

After the twentieth, it became a routine.

Twenty compressions, exhale, inhale, exhale. Hands on chest, press press press press press press. . .

Keep it up.

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Outside encouragement was nice, but status updates would be better. 

Twenty compressions, exhale, inhale, exhale. Hands on chest, press press press press press press. . .

A status report would be much more useful though

Twenty compressions, exhale, inhale, exhale. Hands on chest, press press press press press press. . .

"Do you need any-" "FUCK OFF!"

He really wished people would stop bothering him. Couldn't they see he didn't need their help?

Twenty compressions, exhale, inhale, exhale. Hands on chest, press press press press press press. . .

Please make an incision on her arm somewhere, I need to expel the remaining poison.

Orders he could follow. Drawing Titanyana's sword, he made a shallow cut on her arm a little further up from her wrist.

Gotta make sure she has air, exhale, inhale, exhale. Hands on chest, press press press press press press. . . 

As he kept an eye on her face to monitor her color, he could vaguely see a silvery substance mixed in with the small amount of blood flowing from the cut. Whether it was the result of some reaction with the toxin or because Titanyana had actually ingested so much of it, Donovan couldn't be bothered to care.

Twenty compressions, exhale, inhale, exhale. Hands on chest, press press press press press press. . .

Donovan noticed that Titanyana's face wasn't quite as pale as when he started. Surely that meant she was going to make it, right?

He just had to endure.

Twenty compressions, exhale, inhale, exhale. Hands on chest, press press press press press press. . .

- - - - -

It had been quite some time since the Marshall last donned his sword in an official capacity, and he had to say he missed it. Of course, he wished he didn't have to be reunited with his old partner because of such a grim scenario.

"FUCK OFF!" He had been greeted with the same response as every other who dared approached Donovan, and he could remember it clearly. It was liable to be a memory that stuck with him forever. He, the Marshall, commander of the Sanctum's military forces, had been ordered by a rookie swordsman.

-and he followed it.

He didn't know why, but the shout went above the commanding and into the dominating, terrifying him in the back of his mind. How long had it been since someone yelled at him, not to make it easier to hear, not to grab his attention, not to portray urgency, but out of rage and desperation? Since he was a young man? It was probably that long ago.

Indeed, Donovan made him feel the way he did when he was young and inexperienced. He didn't even need the Arboreal Maiden's orders anymore, his anger alone was enough to keep him off his case.

"Come on come on come on come on come on!"

There was the occasional word from him, cursing at something. He had no way of knowing he was screaming at Titanyana's heart.

- - - - -

Thumping, pulsing, swirling, the three primary sensations Titanyana was feeling in this dark void of her consciousness were not ones she found particularly comforting.

Remain calm.

A voice? A thought? Whatever it was, she couldn't respond.

You must do exactly as I tell you if you want to live.

Confusion, a bit of apprehension.

Slowly, at my mark, try to breathe. 

She tried to breathe, the act of thinking about breathing, only to be stopped by something.

At my mark.

She expressed understanding.

Now.

She thought about expanding her lungs, pulling them open with their diaphragm. She could hardly feel her body, but for only a moment she could feel her chest rise, then fall, then rise once more.

Stop.

All at once the thumping returned, followed shortly by the pulsing and swirling sensations.

Now.

Once more her lungs expanded, then fell, then expanded again.

Stop.

The thumping returned, a bit stronger this time.

Now.

Her lungs expanded and-

- - - - -

Titanyana's body moved of her own volition for the first time in over an hour, eyes shooting awake as she sucked the air from Donovan's lips. For a moment her body panicked, instinct driving her to move to prove she was indeed alive and well. Her heart fluttered, a result of the shock administered by the Great Csillacra to get it beating on its own again. Convulsing, she pushed herself into Donovan, arms instinctually wrapping around him just to do something.

"Eawyaa!"

Her eyelids flickered open and shut a few times, a nonsensical noise coming from her mouth as her body moved involuntarily. Her heart was beating up a storm, but she wasn't at risk of a heart attack, not now. This was just a case of good old fashioned terror.

"Hey! Hey! Shhhshshshsh. Shhhhh." She felt a gentle pressure surround her chest, a hand on the back of her head keeping it stable. "It's okay, it's okay. Calm down. Caaaaalm down. . ."

Sound finally began to filter into her ears properly, and her mind once again started processing what was going on.

She had died, at least she almost had, and she had been resuscitated by someone. 

"Uwaaaaaaaaahahahaaaaaaaaaaa!" Her instinct was to cry like a child, pulling herself further into the gentle embrace of the person who brought her back from death. 

"There there, there there. . ." A gentle rocking motion, and a soothing voice. Well, not soothing, but about as close to it as Donovan could get. "Hoooo, are you good?"

She wasn't crying out like a brat anymore, but there were still tears coming from her tightly shut eyes. She didn't want to see the world around her right now.

"Alright, let's try standing up." The person hugging her adjusted his hold on her, a princess carry, as she still held herself tightly around his neck. Gently, while crouching, he slowly lowered her feet to the ground and helped her put weight on them. Her legs, shaky, folded under the slightest pressure. "Okay, maybe you aren't ready for that quite yet." She was pulled back into a princess carry.

As she settled in to her temporary position of rest, she let her body relax. Her ears now no longer quite so dominated by the sound of blood rushing and her heart beating, she could faintly hear the sound of clapping.