It was a struggle to wake up. Before she could feel any sensation in her skin, she heard voices – but they seemed distant, far away. As her hearing returned the voices got closer and more distinct. At first, Jocelyn could only hear muffled shouts and the screams of a woman in great suffering. It was the shouting that came through clear first.

“Keep pressure on the wounds,” a male voice commanded. “The ambulance is on its way.”

Then she felt a stabbing pain in her abdomen. Her muscles were clenched as her heart raced. The pounding of it would have been deafening if not for the screams overshadowing her pulse. Her lungs felt as though they were on fire. The burning sensation fled all the way into her throat.

As the feeling returned, she slowly realized that she was the one screaming.

“Pull her off of him,” the same male voice demanded.

She felt sturdy hands take her by the shoulders and pull firmly back. But she resisted. Still unable to see, unable to comprehend her context, she was terrified. She only knew that she could not be separated from who or what she did not know.

The hands took hold of her again, but still she fought back against their pull. Like lightning, sensation returned to her hands and she felt her fingers wrapped around what felt like wrists. Within those wrists, she could feel a pulse fading fast.

With more information coming to her through the senses, her screams dissipated into deep sobs.

“I won’t let go,” she cried. “I’ll never let go.”

For a third time, the hands took hold of her. With a swift motion, her grip yielded and she was pulled away from the object of her promise.

“Is he okay,” she asked with panic in her eyes.

“You need to calm down,” the hands said assuredly.

“He needs to be okay,” and her eyes welled with tears.

“Oh my god, she’s bleeding,” said a second male voice.

As the first tears fell from her eyes, she looked down at her hands and saw they were covered in blood. But it couldn’t be her blood. She felt fine and her heart was still beating a mile a minute.

“I’m okay,” she said softly. “Just help him.”

Then everything went black.