The water once again covered the heads of the sisters, though this time, with more force than before. Sweetheart was swept off her feet and forced under. With the meager strength of her legs pushing her up and with the aid of the concrete walls of the hospital to brace her, Sweetheart was able to climb out of the water.

Though out of the water, a great amount of water filled her mouth, so much that she could not force it out quickly enough and salty sea water ran down her throat. Sweetheart desperately attempted to suppress her gag reflex, but the water that she ingested threatened to enter her trachea and she could not prevent her body's natural safeguard against choking and began to cough, violently.

Sweetheart was no longer holding onto the fabric via her teeth and she knew that she needed to regain her hold. But, she could not stop coughing. Water had made its way into her lungs and her body protested the intrusion, angrily. Her chest burned and she started to vomit. She was choking.

She looked down at the knot as it slowly resumed its separation. She reached down and grasped the fabric once more, then immediately released it as she resumed forcefully coughing and gagging. She looked down and was relieved to see the tie was still intact. She started to reach for the harness, but her lungs halted her as she continued attempting to expel the invasive salty water.

Once she regained her ability to breathe somewhat normally, she looked at the fabric of the harness that was bound together.

...but saw nothing.

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