That afternoon, they headed downtown to do some shopping. As soon as Joy parked the car, she noticed a crowd gathered on the sidewalk. Instantly curious, she and Eleanor rushed over—only to find an elderly woman collapsed on the ground.
Eleanor froze for a second, then strode forward without hesitation.
“Miss, I wouldn’t get involved if I were you,” a middle-aged woman called out, a note of warning in her voice. “You never know these days—what if she’s faking it, just waiting to blame someone?”
Eleanor ignored her and knelt beside the woman, quickly checking her pulse and breathing. Her expression shifted, and she immediately began chest compressions and rescue breaths. She shouted back, “Joy! Call an ambulance, now!”
Joy fumbled for her phone, dialed 911, gave their location as clearly as she could, and hurried over to help.
Most of the onlookers just stood by, watching with detached curiosity. A few looked anxious, but none dared step forward, afraid of being blamed if something went wrong.
Luckily, the hospital was nearby. In less than ten minutes, the wail of sirens cut through the air, and paramedics rushed over. As they loaded the woman onto a stretcher, one of the EMTs turned to Eleanor. “Would one of you like to ride with her?”
Without a word, Eleanor climbed into the ambulance.
“I’ll drive over and meet you at the hospital,” Joy said, already heading for the car.
Inside the ambulance, the paramedics worked furiously, performing CPR and administering a shock with the defibrillator. By the time they arrived at the ER, a hint of color had returned to the woman’s cheeks—she was clinging to life.
After the doctors whisked her into the trauma room, Eleanor stepped aside to call the police, asking them to help locate the elderly woman’s family.
She then paid a $7,000 deposit—whatever was needed to make sure the doctors did everything they could.
Soon after, Joy arrived, and not long after that, the police managed to contact the woman’s relatives, who were on their way.
Eleanor and Joy waited quietly in the corridor. Half an hour later, a flurry of hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway. They both stood up as an elegant, well-dressed woman swept in, trailed by a chauffeur and a personal assistant.
Just then, the doors to the trauma room swung open. The woman rushed forward. “Doctor, how is my mother-in-law?”
“She made it here just in time,” the doctor replied, wiping sweat from his brow. “She’s out of danger now.”
Eleanor shook her head with a smile. “It was really nothing—just what anyone should do.”
Joy echoed her, declining the offer.
But Mrs. Ellington was insistent. “If you don’t give them to me, I’ll just have my husband track you down,” she said with a wink.
Laughing, Eleanor and Joy relented, scribbling down their contact information. Mrs. Ellington personally escorted them out of the hospital.
Back in the car, Joy was still in shock. “Ellie, did you realize you just saved the mayor’s mother?”
Eleanor grinned. “Hey, you played your part too.”
“Come on, you did all the work. All I did was make a phone call,” Joy protested, but she couldn’t hide her smile.

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