The wail of the sirens pierced through the evening air, a sound that had never felt more like salvation than it did at that moment. For Alex, it was the faintest glimmer of hope breaking through the suffocating weight of fear that had gripped him since he realized just how bad things had gotten. As the flashing lights washed over the street outside, illuminating the house in a cascade of red and blue, Alex felt a wave of relief crash over him. He wasn't alone anymore - there were people here now, professionals who could take control of the nightmare that had unraveled before him. These were people who knew what they were doing. They could save Skylar in a way that Alex never could.
`
When the paramedics entered the house, moving with calm efficiency, it felt as though the world shifted. Alex took a step back, his body heavy with the tension of the last hour, but he remained close enough to feel like he was still there for Skylar. He couldn't bring himself to move too far away, his eyes glued to the paramedics as they approached Skylar's limp form on the floor. The urge to stay by his side fought against the logic telling him to let them work, to get out of their way and allow them to do what they'd been trained for. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he finally forced himself to rise to his feet, though his body resisted, every fiber of his being unwilling to leave Skylar's side.
`
Standing awkwardly in the corner of the room, Alex watched with a mix of fear and fascination as the paramedics swiftly went to work. Their movements were precise, every action deliberate and purposeful, as though they'd done this a thousand times before. One prepared a dose of Narcan, another brought in the stretcher. Each of them focused on Skylar. They didn't ask questions in the frantic way that Alex had imagined they might. There was no panic in their voices, only a calm, controlled cadence that felt jarringly out of place in the chaos of his own mind. It was as though they were insulated from the terror that had consumed Alex for the past few hours. It made him feel small and helpless. But there was also a quiet reassurance in it, a reminder that these people could take over now. He could finally exhale.
`
As they administered the Narcan, Alex felt his breath catch in his throat. He'd heard about the drug before, and vaguely understood its purpose, but seeing it in action felt surreal. He watched as one of the paramedics knelt down and carefully injected it, the small vial disappearing into Skylar's arm. It felt like everything stopped in that instant, like the entire room held its breath with Alex, waiting, watching for any sign that Skylar would come back. The seconds stretched on, unbearably long, and Alex's heart pounded in his chest. And then, just as he thought he couldn't stand the silence any longer, there was movement. It wasn't much - just a shift in Skylar's breathing, a slight flutter of his eyelids - but it was enough. The paramedics responded immediately, adjusting the oxygen mask they'd placed over Skylar's face, and encouraging him to take deeper breaths. Alex watched in stunned silence as Skylar's chest rose and fell with more regularity, the shallow erratic gasps easing into something more stable. It was almost too much to process. How quickly the Narcan had worked, how suddenly Skylar was being pulled back from the brink of something far worse. Alex's knees felt weak with relief.
`
He blinked hard, trying to focus on the scene before him as the paramedics prepared to move Skylar. The rush of their actions, the professionalism with which they secured him to the stretcher, felt almost disorienting. Everything was happening so fast, yet Alex felt as though he were moving in slow motion. His gaze never left Skylar, even as the paramedics lifted him from the floor, the oxygen mask covering his nose and mouth now a lifeline as they maneuvered him toward the door.
`
When one of the paramedics turned to Alex and posed their question he looked at him. For a split second, Alex hesitated. The fear of what would happen next, of where this would all lead, threatening to overwhelm him. But then he caught sight of Skylar again - his fragile form strapped to the stretcher, his pale face framed by the plastic of the oxygen mask - and the decision was made. He couldn't leave him. Not now. Not ever. "I-I'll ride with you," Alex stammered, his voice trembling with emotion. The weight of everything was crushing him, but it didn't matter. Skylar needed him, and Alex wasn't going to let him face this alone.
`
Alex quickly followed them as they carried Skylar out of the house, the cool evening air hitting him like a slap in the face, reminding him that this wasn't a dream, that this nightmare was all too real. As he climbed into the back of the ambulance, Alex felt the world tilt slightly, his legs unsteady beneath him. But none of that mattered. Not the adrenaline still coursing through his veins, not the fear gnawing at the edges of his mind. The only thing that mattered was Skylar - keeping him safe, keeping him alive.
`
Settling into the cramped space beside Skylar, Alex reached out, his hand finding Skylar's for a brief moment. His fingers trembled as they closed around Sky's, squeezing gently as if that small touch could anchor them both in this chaotic storm. He didn't know what would happen next, didn't know if Skylar would wake up angry, devastated, or relieved, but Alex couldn't think about that right now. All that mattered was that Skylar was still there.
Summer 
Night Weather: 
Clear Moon: 
