current threatens to carry me off. My clothes weigh me down. But my body pushes forward, my arms and legs seemingly moving on their own.
I guess I'm a good swimmer.
Eventually, I see the girl. Her dress looks like it got caught on a branch wedged between two rocks. Maybe that's a good thing. Now I just need to get her free and bring her out of the water.
My chest starts to ache from holding my breath. As I struggle to take the dress off the girl, my side, the side where my ribs got broken and have just healed, begins to hurt. Still, I continue.
I can't afford to stop even for a moment while this girl's life is in the balance. Every second counts.
I rip off another button.
Come on.
Just when I feel like my lungs are about to burst, the dress finally comes off. I peel it off the little girl and carry her to the surface. As my lungs suck in air, I feel like a corpse that's been brought back to life.
Now, I just have to make sure this little girl experiences the same miracle.
I bring her to the bank and set her down on the grass. Then I place my ear next to her mouth and nose to check if I can hear her breathing. Nothing. I tilt her head back and check her mouth for any obstruction. None. I press my fingers against her carotid. No pulse, either. Time to do CPR.
I start with the chest compressions and then breathe into her mouth. When there isn't any improvement, I do it again. Halfway through the second round of chest compressions, I hear voices from above.
"Hey! It's Maggie!"
"Who's that boy with her?"
"What the hell does he think he's doing?"
"Someone get Mitch in here!"
I ignore them and continue pressing down on the girl's chest.
Twenty-seven. Twenty-eight. Twenty-nine. Thirty.
I give her two more breaths. Still nothing.
"Antonio!" I hear Mitch as he comes down.
I start a third round of chest compressions.
One. Two. Three. Four...
"Antonio!"
Five. Six. Seven...
Suddenly, I hear a gasp. The little girl takes a gulp of air and then coughs. I turn her on her side so she can spit out the water, then place her down on her back. I brush some strands of hair off her face as I give her a smile.
"Hey, kiddo. Welcome back."
Her eyebrows furrow. "Back from where?"
"Maggie!"
Mitch arrives at her side. His gaze goes over me as he checks her pulse. Then he turns his head to look at her.
"How are you, sweetheart?" he asks her.
"Cold." She wraps her arms around herself.
"Then let's get you dry and warm."
Mitch picks her up in his arms and starts to walk off. I wrap my arms around myself as I, too, feel a chill from the breeze. I just stand there, though. I'm not exactly sure where I should go or what I should do now.
Mitch stops and glances over his shoulder. "You, too. Come on."
~
I've already changed into dry clothes when I see Mitch again. He enters the guest room where I've been led and closes the door behind me.
"How are the kids?" I ask him.
"The worst of them dislocated his shoulder. He's on his way to the hospital now. The others got away with just some scrapes and bruises."
"And Maggie?"
"Dry and warm like you," he answers. "She'll be just fine."
I nod. "That's good."
"It's all thanks to you," Mitch adds. "You saved her life, didn't you?"
I touch the back of my head. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble. I saw the ribbon caught in the bush and then I saw her in the river and I just... My body just moved on its own. I'm sorry."
Mitch gives me a puzzled look. "Why are you apologizing?"
I put my hand down. "Because I should have called you instead."
"I'm afraid I'm not a very good swimmer."
"I should have called someone, someone from here, someone who knew her. I'm a stranger, after all. I shouldn't be here."
"Do you think doctors only save people they know?"
"No, but..."
But I saw the looks on some of the faces as I got back up from the river. Dismay. Resentment. Disgust, even. And I heard some murmurs as I was brought into the house. Something along the lines of 'Who does he think he is?' and 'How dare he lay his hands on a poor girl?'
I may have saved a girl's life. I may have done the right thing, but to them, I'm the wrong person and so I'm not a hero but a