I stumbled toward the emergency locker, my legs feeling heavy and unresponsive, as if I were walking through deep water.

I forced my hands to grab the latch of the oxygen compartment and yanked it open.

I pulled out two portable oxygen cylinders and quickly adjusted the straps of the plastic masks.

I pressed one mask over my nose and mouth, inhaling deeply as the cool, pure air rushed into my lungs.

The fog in my brain cleared slightly, though the pounding behind my eyes remained.

I rushed over to Sarah, strapping the second mask onto her face and turning the valve on her cylinder.

She gasped, clutching the metal bottle to her chest as her breathing began to even out.

“Stay here,” I told her, my voice echoing inside my plastic mask. “Don’t let anyone remove their seatbelts if they are asleep.”

She nodded weakly, leaning back against the metal beverage cart for support.

I grabbed a third portable oxygen bottle from the locker and hurried toward the cockpit door.

The keypad beeped as I punched in the emergency bypass code, the sound abnormally loud in the quiet cabin.