screech of brakes sounded like a gunshot in the morning, followed by a sickeningly loud thump.
“No!” Rourk screamed. He raced forward as fast as he could, and ran around the large brick building that separated him from the street.
Tommy was lying on the ground. A large white truck was stopped in front of him. Not a dent on the truck, but Tommy was crumpled on the asphalt. Two guys were kneeling next to him. Someone yelled “Call 911! Get a medic out here now!”
Rourk felt like he was walking through water as he made his way forward. Tommy was his only friend—he couldn’t bear it if something happened to him. Something he could have prevented. He hadn’t reacted quickly enough—he had failed. Thaddeus had trusted him and he had failed. Rourk pushed his way through the spectators that had crowded around his best friend.
“Is he alive?” Rourk asked in a stiff voice. Blood was pooling around Tommy’s head and dripping from his open mouth.
“He’s still breathing, but he won’t open his eyes or respond in any way. I saw it all. His head bounced pretty high off the ground.” The man winced and looked back down at Tommy.
The driver paced nearby, his entire body shaking. He looked like he was just a kid. “He came out of nowhere.”
Rourk glared at him, but didn’t say anything.
“Where the hell is the ambulance?” Rourk snapped.
Just then, a dark-haired man in uniform ran forward, a medical bag in hand. “Out of the way, I’m a medic.”
Rourk felt a spark of hope. Special Forces medics were highly trained. He would know what to do. Tommy was in better hands with him then an ambulance attendant. Rourk watched as he tore off Tommy’s shirt. He cringed when he saw the blood.
Rourk’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He closed his eyes and pulled it out. He really didn’t want to talk to anyone. It was Thaddeus, so he snapped his phone open and walked away. “I was too late. It’s bad.”
“My mother is coming.” Thaddeus’s voice was subdued.
Rourk cleared his throat, pain in his chest. “Will he be ok?”
“I honestly don’t know. It’s not your fault, Rourk. We don’t have control over certain aspects of life.”
“I should have been faster. Or talked to him longer this morning. He’s like a brother to me.”
“If he’s still breathing when my mother gets there, he has a fighting chance.”
“I have to go. I hear the sirens. Thank you for trying.” Rourk clicked off the phone and shoved it in his pocket.
The ambulance pulled up and loaded Tommy onto the long flat board to immobilize his spine. What if he was paralyzed? Rourk thought, eyes widening. Focus, Rourk…this is not helping anyone.
Rourk strode up to the medic after the ambulance had pulled away. “What do you think?”
The man turned wary eyes to Rourk. He was a lean, fit man; his uniform was stained with Tommy’s blood. He peeled off his blood-stained latex gloves as he said, “A friend of yours?”
“Yes.”
The man took a deep breath, closing his eyes momentarily before answering. “I think it will be a miracle if he pulls through. The chance of internal injuries is too high. Who knows what that head injury did, or the state of his spinal cord. I’m sure it will be touch and go for awhile. I guess it depends on if it’s his day to go or not.”
Rourk grimaced. He knew the man spoke the truth. “Can you drop me off at the hospital?” he asked.
“Sure. My truck is over there.” He pointed across the street to a large parking lot.
“Thank you.” Rourk shifted his rucksack to the other shoulder and walked off with the man. He wondered if Tommy could hold out until Emerald arrived.
They drove in silence. The medic pulled up to the emergency entrance to drop him off. “Sometimes it’s better if they don’t make it. I know that sounds harsh, but the things I’ve seen…”
Rourk nodded his head in agreement. He had also seen men walk away with injuries that made them wish they had died in battle.
“No!” Rourk screamed. He raced forward as fast as he could, and ran around the large brick building that separated him from the street.
Tommy was lying on the ground. A large white truck was stopped in front of him. Not a dent on the truck, but Tommy was crumpled on the asphalt. Two guys were kneeling next to him. Someone yelled “Call 911! Get a medic out here now!”
Rourk felt like he was walking through water as he made his way forward. Tommy was his only friend—he couldn’t bear it if something happened to him. Something he could have prevented. He hadn’t reacted quickly enough—he had failed. Thaddeus had trusted him and he had failed. Rourk pushed his way through the spectators that had crowded around his best friend.
“Is he alive?” Rourk asked in a stiff voice. Blood was pooling around Tommy’s head and dripping from his open mouth.
“He’s still breathing, but he won’t open his eyes or respond in any way. I saw it all. His head bounced pretty high off the ground.” The man winced and looked back down at Tommy.
The driver paced nearby, his entire body shaking. He looked like he was just a kid. “He came out of nowhere.”
Rourk glared at him, but didn’t say anything.
“Where the hell is the ambulance?” Rourk snapped.
Just then, a dark-haired man in uniform ran forward, a medical bag in hand. “Out of the way, I’m a medic.”
Rourk felt a spark of hope. Special Forces medics were highly trained. He would know what to do. Tommy was in better hands with him then an ambulance attendant. Rourk watched as he tore off Tommy’s shirt. He cringed when he saw the blood.
Rourk’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He closed his eyes and pulled it out. He really didn’t want to talk to anyone. It was Thaddeus, so he snapped his phone open and walked away. “I was too late. It’s bad.”
“My mother is coming.” Thaddeus’s voice was subdued.
Rourk cleared his throat, pain in his chest. “Will he be ok?”
“I honestly don’t know. It’s not your fault, Rourk. We don’t have control over certain aspects of life.”
“I should have been faster. Or talked to him longer this morning. He’s like a brother to me.”
“If he’s still breathing when my mother gets there, he has a fighting chance.”
“I have to go. I hear the sirens. Thank you for trying.” Rourk clicked off the phone and shoved it in his pocket.
The ambulance pulled up and loaded Tommy onto the long flat board to immobilize his spine. What if he was paralyzed? Rourk thought, eyes widening. Focus, Rourk…this is not helping anyone.
Rourk strode up to the medic after the ambulance had pulled away. “What do you think?”
The man turned wary eyes to Rourk. He was a lean, fit man; his uniform was stained with Tommy’s blood. He peeled off his blood-stained latex gloves as he said, “A friend of yours?”
“Yes.”
The man took a deep breath, closing his eyes momentarily before answering. “I think it will be a miracle if he pulls through. The chance of internal injuries is too high. Who knows what that head injury did, or the state of his spinal cord. I’m sure it will be touch and go for awhile. I guess it depends on if it’s his day to go or not.”
Rourk grimaced. He knew the man spoke the truth. “Can you drop me off at the hospital?” he asked.
“Sure. My truck is over there.” He pointed across the street to a large parking lot.
“Thank you.” Rourk shifted his rucksack to the other shoulder and walked off with the man. He wondered if Tommy could hold out until Emerald arrived.
They drove in silence. The medic pulled up to the emergency entrance to drop him off. “Sometimes it’s better if they don’t make it. I know that sounds harsh, but the things I’ve seen…”
Rourk nodded his head in agreement. He had also seen men walk away with injuries that made them wish they had died in battle.
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