As you ran into the den, Javier nearly collided with you. "The Defibrillator!" he yelled, the panic having returned to his eyes. You handed it over, and he bolted back to Likax's side, flipping it open before he got there. Though alarmed, Javier seemed to have a sense of determination guiding him now.
"What happened?" you asked as you ran behind the couch, looking down on Likax's body below as Javier attached the pads to his chest. The bobcat seemed so frail and helpless, and now didn't seem to be breathing.
"A minute after you went upstairs, his pulse stopped," Javier quickly explained as he looked at the prompt on the AED. "He's in cardiac arrest. Watch out!"
He pressed a button on the kit. A small zapping sound emitted from the pads, and the bobcat's body convulsed with the electric shock, but otherwise didn't respond. Javier looked back at the kit, his face full of concern. As he pressed the button again, you winced as Likax's chest popped up again, then fell back down, still lifeless.
"Dammit!" Javier leaned over the bobcat, starting to perform CPR. Bringing his hands together right below Likax's chest, Javier pressed down hard, repeating the motion several times in a rhythmic pattern. He then brought their faces together, and as he began to do mouth-to-mouth, he had a hint uncomfortableness in his eyes. You had seen Javier kiss and make out with countless guys, but you doubted he had ever touched lips with an anthro before. In another situation, you would have been a little jealous, but things were too grim for that now.
After a few repetitions of this, Javier moved back to the AED, seeing if there had been any change. He pressed the button one more time, sending another shock through Likax's body, but when the bobcat didn't respond, he finally gave up. His head sunk down low, and you could make out a tear or two streaming down his cheek. Your own eyes were getting misty, as you sat down on the floor next to him.
"I'm sorry..." he sobbed softly, his voice cracking. You didn't expect or desire Javier to take this so hard. He'd been around death before, both at the hospitals he'd volunteered at and with his family back home in Brazil. You hoped he wasn't blaming himself for what had happened.
Placing your arm around him, you leaned against his shoulder and hugged him tight. Your heart was tearing itself up inside, but your friend needed you now. There'd be time for grieving later. "You did the best you could, Javier," you said in a feeble attempt to console him.
He turned and looked at you, his normally-bronzed cheeks flushed with red. Wiping his eyes and sniffing, he attempted to control himself. "What was his name, Carson?"
"Likax," you answered. "Likax Rufallo."
He slowly nodded. "That's a nice name. I -- I wish I could've known him more."
The two of you sat there in the den, holding and comforting each other while you tried to figure out what to do next. If only today had gone a little differently, you wondered if you might have been able to save the poor young feline.
But you didn't have time to wonder for long, as your thoughts were interrupted by a sound that startled you. You looked up, trying to see the source of the sudden noise. What you saw shocked you beyond belief.
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