Let Freedom Ring

by Weston Parker

  “Balloon darts first, then. I’m pretty sure we could get at least three toys or prizes or whatever at every booth if we go early enough. Want to order some food and get started?”

  “Yes.” She clapped her hands and sadly sat up to reach for the menu. It wasn’t like sitting up meant she was much farther away from me than she had been, but I’d liked having her touching every part of my side. “What do you want to eat?”

  We ended up splitting a plate of sliders, onion rings, and a few other sides, finished our drinks, and then gave up our table. There were very few moments that we weren’t touching or talking, and as soon as we started walking toward the games, I reached for her hand and threaded my fingers through hers.

  “When do you go back to school?” I asked once we’d taken off our shoes and were walking on the soft sand over to the first booth.

  Sofia shrugged, the edges of her mouth pressing in. “The fall semester rotation starts in August, but I might just go back before then.”

  “Before August?” My heart did another leap. “That’s really soon.”

  Much sooner than I had been expecting. While I hadn’t given it too much thought before, in the back of my mind, I’d figured I had at least another month or two with her.

  The news that she was expected back at school within a month and was considering going back even sooner did seriously unpleasant things to my stomach. It contracted and flipped in on itself, making me feel a little nauseated.

  Sofia swung our joined hands between us, nodding as she stared off into the distance. “It is soon, but it’s also a bit late.”

  “What do you mean?” I focused on the surfers lying on their boards, dipping and rising with the swells as I tried to move past the sudden bout of nausea.

  She pulled us to a standstill, digging the toes of one foot into the sand as she peered up into my eyes. “I’ve been thinking a lot about our conversation the other night. I’ve been putting things off at school, but I know now that I’m out of my ‘partying and being young’ phase. I think it’s time to double down on my studies.”

  “What does doubling down mean?” My stomach contracted again and my heart thrummed in my chest. What the fuck is going on with me?

  The blue in her eyes seemed deeper with the water in the bay as the backdrop, but there was also something almost sad in them. “Doubling down for me means finding out if I can join the second summer session of the fast track program. It will accelerate my studies, and if I do well, it would mean graduating by the end of the year.”

  “That sounds like a big deal,” I commented. Selfishly, I hated the idea of her leaving early to go back to school, but I also knew it was the right thing for her to do. “If you put your mind to it, I’m sure you’ll be able to do it.”

  “Maybe.” She smiled gently, then took a deep breath and spun toward the games again. “Let’s not talk about it anymore for now. Race you to the darts?”

  Without waiting for my answer, she dropped my hand and took off running across the sand. I stared after her with a heavy weight attaching itself to my heart. I didn’t know what was happening inside me, but I had my suspicions.

  As she’d said, though, this wasn’t the time to dwell on it. Forcing all the foreign feelings into a tight lockbox in my head, I pushed my body into motion and ran after her.

  Although I felt heavier than before, I also had fun playing games with Sofia for the afternoon. We played each game until we’d won three or more prizes for the charity bin. It turned out that she took supporting the local charities seriously, which didn’t come as much of a surprise after everything I already knew about her.

  Eventually, the sun inched closer and closer to the horizon and the announcement came that the fireworks display would be starting soon. Sofia grabbed my hand, a panicked look crossing her features.

  “Crap. I got so caught up in the games I forgot we have to go fetch the picnic supplies from the truck.”

  A grin ghosted across my lips as I pushed my palm against hers. “Relax, lo—”

  What the fuck? I cut myself off before the word “love” could roll off my tongue just like fucking that. “Relax, babe. We’re not parked that far away. If we go now, we can get the blanket and your basket and be back here long before we miss anything.”

  Her shoulders dropped, and she smiled as her head bounced up and down. “You’re right. The fireworks display is my favorite part of the day, though.”

  “We’ll make it quick. Don’t worry.” I kept a close eye on her, but if she’d caught the near slip of my tongue, she didn’t let it show.

  Crowds of people were doing the same thing we had in mind, searching for spaces to spread out their blankets between those already there. A guy with a guitar had taken the stage and was singing patriotic songs in a deep, soulful voice.

  Sofia swayed and hummed along to the music as we walked. We kept up a clipped pace until suddenly she slammed to a stop.

  “Help!” Someone screamed. “I think he’s having a heart attack. Help!”

  I barely heard the words over the music and laughter of the people surrounding us, but Sofia had obviously heard them too. Her head swung around frantically as she searched for the person in trouble with her eyes wide.

  “There.” My free arm shot up and pointed at a youngish girl standing over the body of a man about fifty yards away from us.

  People were already starting to swarm toward them. Those who were closest began to form a loose circle around. Sofia dug her feet into the sand and ran off faster than I’d have imagined possible with the masses around us.

  “Is anyone a doctor?” she yelled as she ran. “We need a doctor over here. Call 911.”

  Realizing that she was never going to reach him with so many people huddling around the scene, my own butt kicked into gear. When I reached her, I shielded her with my body and grabbed her hand, forcing our way through when the dumbasses didn’t move fast enough.

  “Get out of the way,” I ordered in my loudest, most authoritative voice. “Coming through! She can help. Get the fuck out of our way.”

  Chapter 28

  Sofia

  With Lincoln helping me barrel our way through what felt like hundreds of onlookers, we made it to the woman who had screamed for help in less than a minute. It still felt like way too much time had passed, but we’d moved as fast as we could.

  “Get back,” I cried as Lincoln shoved the last remaining people out of our way. “We need space. Linc. Make them move.”

  I knew he didn’t have to listen to me, but I also knew he would. Releasing the iron grip he’d kept on my hand, he turned around and put out his arms.

  As he worked on getting the people to back the hell up, I dropped to my knees on the sand. The man lying in front of me had silver hair and a gray tinge to his skin. I estimated him to be in his late fifties or early sixties, but he seemed fit enough.

  Come on, sir. Work with me, okay?

  “Is he your father?” I asked the woman without looking up at her. My hands moved of their own accord, flying over him to check his vitals.

  “Yes,” she replied, her voice tight with terror. “Is he going to be okay?”

  “I don’t know yet, but I’m going to do everything I can.” I touched my fingers to his clammy throat. “I’ve got a pulse. It’s weak, but it’s there. What his name?”

  “Michael,” she said shakily.

  “Thanks. Michael? My name is Sofia. I’m a medical student, but I’m going to try to help you, okay? We’ve called for a doctor, but so far, no one has come forward.”

  There was no response from him, but I kept murmuring while I worked. His daughter told me to go ahead, and I took her word as his. Truth be told, I was just as fucking terrified as his daughter. I’d never had to do anything like this by myself before, and I suddenly wasn’t sure I could.

  “What can I do?” Lincoln called from where he was still trying to keep the crowd at bay.

  I looked up to catch him glancing at me over his shoul
der, his brown eyes hard with determination. There was also a worried crease between his brows, but he was calm and in control.

  “Get an ambulance. There are always ambulances nearby at events like these.” At least I hoped there was one. I might not have graduated yet, but even I knew there was only so much I’d be able to do for this man without any equipment.

  Lincoln nodded and fixed his gaze to mine for the smallest fraction of a second. He gave a tiny, almost imperceptible nod before whipping his phone out of his pocket and doing as I’d asked.

  All my anxiety and self-doubt left me the moment I saw that nod. Somehow, I knew it was meant to reassure me, and the look in his eyes confirmed it. How he’d known I needed it, I didn’t know.

  But I supposed he was used to chaotic situations where life or death hung in the balance. Whatever it was, seeing and feeling that reassurance from Lincoln cleared the haze from my mind.

  Everything I’d learned about heart attacks and first response came flooding back to me, and I systematically worked my way through it. Every time I was unsure about something, I’d look up and he’d already be there for me. Even as he kept the ever-growing crowd from crushing us and as he barked into his phone.

  I had to admit he was fucking fantastic in a crisis, but I had no time to think too much about it. I merely played with it in the back of my mind whenever I started feeling flustered.

  Within either minutes or hours, I saw blue and red lights flashing and heard sirens piercing the sounds of the festivities around us. Not once did I stop performing CPR, keeping my count and my focus until a paramedic fell to her knees beside me.

  “Thanks, doctor,” she said. “We’ve got it from here.”

  “I’m not a…” I trailed off when I realized she wasn’t listening to me at all. Her partner was offloading a gurney, and with Lincoln’s help, policemen were managing the crowd.

  As I stood up, I met the wild, tear-filled gaze of the victim’s daughter. Her body trembled like a leaf, but she managed a wobbly smile as she reached out to squeeze my hand. “Thank you so much. We’ll never forget this.”

  “Good luck,” I said, returning her squeeze before letting her go to follow her father and the paramedics to the ambulance.

  “You did good, Sofia.” Lincoln’s deep voice rumbled in my ear as a pair of muscled arms wrapped around me from behind. I recognized the feel of them immediately and sank back against his powerful chest. “You think he’s going to be okay?”

  Covering his forearms with my hands, I nodded as we watched the paramedics loading Michael into the back of the ambulance. “He should be fine now. His pulse was getting stronger while I was busy. I’m hopeful that he’ll make a full recovery.”

  Lincoln’s front pressed against my back, and he rested his head against the side of mine. “If he does, it will be thanks to you.”

  “You helped,” I said, closing my fingers around his warm skin. “A lot more than you might realize. I started freaking out for a minute there.”

  His stubble pricked against my temple, but then it was replaced by the soft press of his lips. “You got it together when it mattered. It’s okay to freak out. The important part is getting your shit together, which you managed flawlessly.”

  “Well, I’m not sure it was flawless.” Over and over again in my mind, I replayed everything I had learned. It had come back to me so easily after that initial panic had passed, but now I worried that I’d skipped something.

  At the same time, I felt this weird sense of calm and rightness that reassured me from inside out that I’d done everything I could. Lincoln’s lips brushed against my temple when he spoke again, like he wanted to talk but also didn’t want to let me go. I knew because I felt the same way.

  “Bullshit. It might not have felt flawless to you, but it sure as fuck looked it. I’m impressed, baby. You kicked ass tonight.”

  Before I could reply, a man approached us through the retreating crowd. He held a camera in one hand and a notepad in the other. A pair of round-framed glasses were perched on his nose and his cheeks were flushed with excitement.

  “I’m Douglas Green with the Chronicle. I witnessed what you two did here tonight. Do you mind if I get a picture? I’d love to write an article on the couple that saved the fourth of July.”

  Lincoln tapped my side, silently letting me know it was up to me. I didn’t like the idea of being in the paper, but the guy looked at us with such hope in his eyes that I couldn’t say no.

  “Sure. How do you want us for the picture?” I reluctantly started to move away from Lincoln, but Douglas waved his hand at me.

  “No. Please stay just like that. It’s perfect.” He beamed a smile at us before lifting his camera to his eye. “You’re a gorgeous couple. This is going to be a great shot.”

  Heat rushed to my cheeks, but before I could correct him, Lincoln spoke up. “Thanks. We still want to catch the fireworks, so can we make this quick?”

  “Of course.” Douglas immediately started working on a few shots, asked us some basic questions, and then said his goodbyes.

  Once he was gone, Lincoln gave me another hug before taking his hand in mine. “How about we go for a walk while we watch the show? The main display will be starting soon.”

  “Sounds good to me.” His fingers slid between mine, thick but somehow also slotting perfectly between them.

  “How are you feeling now?” he asked as he led me away from the remaining throngs of people gawking at us. “Coming down from an adrenaline rush like that gets to a lot of people.”

  “I’m fine,” I said, lifting our hands to sling his arm around my shoulder. I liked feeling the weight of it there. “If anything, I feel like tonight opened my eyes a bit.”

  “What do you mean?” he asked, his tone even and measured.

  “I’ve been putting off graduating early because there was nothing driving me to do it. Now, I feel like I’ve remembered why I even started studying medicine in the first place. It’s my calling.”

  “It looks that way to me too,” he rumbled, but he seemed preoccupied.

  We walked down the beach without letting go of one another. I didn’t know where his head was, but I wanted to know.

  Bangs sounded in the air, followed by colorful lights bursting into the inky night. Fiery blooms exploded among the stars to the oohing of the appreciative crowd. Walking along the shore as we were, we had an unobstructed view as more fireworks cut through the black sky.

  Some shot straight up into the air before showering their sparkles high above our heads. In between those, others soared or twirled before they extinguished to black. A whiff of gunpowder filled the air, and I felt Lincoln’s chest expand as he drew in a deep breath.

  “I love that smell,” he murmured, and my ears perked up. “It reminds me of being on the gun range, of training, and of going on missions.”

  Thousands of questions popped into my head, but this was the first time he was opening up without being prompted by me. The need to listen eventually trumped the desire to have him answer my questions.

  “I was born to be a SEAL,” he was saying, his fingers tightening around mine and his gaze on the vast black ocean beside him. “It’s weird, considering that I admittedly have a problem with authority. But the job itself? Getting to do that makes it worth having to deal with the military hierarchy.”

  “It’s not that weird.” I kept my voice low as we watched the water lighting up with shapes dancing across the sky. “I mean fine, joining the military when one has a problem with authority seems counterproductive, but I don’t really believe it is.”

  “Maybe not, but even my mom thought I wouldn’t last very long.” A hint of amusement sneaked into his tone, and my heart began fluttering in my chest. He hadn’t really told me much about his mom or his career. Now he was delving into both?

  “Yeah?” I asked. “Why is that?”

  He chuckled, hugging me closer to his side. “Because she knew I’d be labeled as a troublemaker. A lot of people
think I’m a misfit until they see me in action. Personality-wise, I’ve never been a good fit for the military.”

  “But you’re good at your job, and you love it. Shouldn’t that mean more than your attitude toward authority?”

  When he laughed this time, the sound was dry. “To the military? No. It doesn’t mean more. Have you met your father?”

  “You definitely aggravate him,” I agreed. “But I don’t think that’s always a bad thing.”

  “I’ve been told I’m needed for my quick thinking and leadership skills. It’s just too bad the speed of my thinking is so often not linked to that of the superior officers who find me aggravating.”

  It was on the tip of my tongue to ask him again about pursuing the ranks into a true leadership role, but I bit the question back. “Tell me about your parents. You said your mom didn’t think you’d last this long?”

  “She told me she’d be surprised if I lasted a year.” A fond smile touched his lips. “To be fair, though, the first year was fucking tough. After that, I think I just got used to being the misfit until they really needed someone to clean the fuck up.”

  “How about your father?” I asked cautiously,

  Lincoln sucked in a sharp breath but didn’t go off on me again. “I don’t know him. Mom raised me by herself.”

  “She must have been one hell of a woman,” I said after pausing for a moment. “Want to tell me more about her?”

  He nodded and continued to tell me about his mother and her secret passion for reading small-town romance novels. Strangely, I felt like I would have gotten along with her. I was sorry I hadn’t met her before she’d gotten sick.

  Later on, after the fireworks display was over and the band had stopped playing, Lincoln and I headed back to his truck. Before we climbed in, he came to stand in front of me and brought his enormous hands to my face.